Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i VolksWorld

Mark’s interest in all things VW began as a child when he was introduced to the legendary Herbie movies. He explained, “I’d been a fan for years, but it was only when I got my first company car that I was able to spend some of my hard earned cash on a weekend toy.” And so began what can only be described as an extensive collection of cool VWs, which included a ’60 RHD Devon Camper, a ’70 Karmann Ghia cabriolet, a ’70 Devon Camper, a ’57 Microbus, a ’59 lowlight Ghia, a ’59 RHD Karmann cabriolet Bug, a’54 RHD Barndoor Kombi, a ’70 Jeans Bug (which he sold to actor Ewan McGregor) plus a string of water-cooled VWs and a couple of Porsches, too – wow! However, when it…

It’s 8.30 on a chilly Saturday morning and my satnav has steered me to the small village of Burwell, just east of Cambridge – home to Type 2 Detectives. Relieved that I’ve actually got somewhere on time, I see a direction sign and pull into a generous sized car park. Judging by the sight of stunning Sambas, gleaming Karmann Ghias, early Beetles and rare Type 3s that greet me, I know I am in the right place. I make my introductions to proprietors Paul Medhurst and Mark Fulton and get a whiff of the bacon sizzling on the professional-looking BBQ set up outside. It’s icy cold and I am one of the first to arrive, but I am already getting the feeling it’s going to be one hell of a…

Just like performance from an engine, the ability to stop can always be improved upon. And if you drive a modern car most of the time, then the brakes on an air-cooled VW can frighten the life out of you. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to improve them. However, before you start splashing the cash ensure your existing braking system is working to the best of its ability. If the pedal feels spongy or your car pulls to one side when you stamp on the middle pedal, you’ll need to investigate. It might just mean fiddling with the adjusters, but you may end up changing all the flexible hoses and bleeding the system. While you’re at it, you might as well go the whole hog and put in some…

March Freddy Files Date:11 March 2018 Location:Ninove, Belgium Contact: freddyfiles2017.skynetblogs.be TheVolksworldShow Date:24-25 Mar 2018 Location:Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey Contact: www.volksworldshows.com Camperfest Date:29 March-1 April 2018 Location:Chester Racecourse Contact: www.camperfest.co.uk April Elemental VWShow Date:7 April 2018 Location:Crouch ValleyShowground,Essex Contact: www.elementalvw.org.uk Elsecar Date:15 April 2018 Location:Doncaster Racecourse Contact: www.elsecarattheraces.com World of Air Date:15 April 2018 Location:Olen, Belgium Contact: www.worldofair.be Big Bang Date:27-29 April 2018 Location:Santa Pod Raceway Contact: www.big-bang.co.uk May The Only Meet is Essex Date:4-7 May 2018 Location:Orsett Showground RM16 3JU Contact: www.vw-tomie.co.uk Stanford Hall Date:6 May 2018 Location:Lutterworth, Leicestershire Contact: www.stanfordhallvw.com Vanwest Date:11-13 May 2018 Location:Burnham on Sea, Somerset Contact: www.vanwest.co.uk InternationalBuggy Treffen Date:18-21 May 2018 Location:Full-Reuenthal Militärmuseum,Switzerland Contact: www.buggy-club-schweiz.ch Run a show? Why not tell us about it? email VolksWorld.ed@ kelsey.co.uk…

“At 594cc, it was almost exactly half the capacity of the Type 1’s 1192cc motor” The Beetle has traditionally been regarded as a small car, despite the fact that it really isn’t. Granted, compare it to today’s sprawling ‘small’ cars, where a MINI is about the size of a suburban bungalow, it’s pretty compact. But sat alongside other ‘small’ rivals from the same era – such as the Fiat 500 and a proper Mini – a Beetle is really quite bulky. It wouldn’t be until the mid-1970s, with the debut of the original Polo, that VW came up with something that could properly be called ‘little’. Think small However, back in the 1950s, Volkswagen started looking seriously at something smaller than the Beetle. The Project was code-named EA-48 and, while…

If there’s a classic Volkswagen everyone fantasizes about owning, it’s the Hebmüller Roadster. Sadly, the chance of your dream becoming a reality is going to be down to either a lot of luck or hard work, as they don’t come up for sale often and when they do you’ll need plenty of cash in your account. There are always exceptions to any rule though, and occasionally you hear the odd story of someone having a result and scoring a car at a price that makes you continue thinking, hopefully one day... Roman Haltiner from Buchs in Switzerland had been thinking exactly the same thing since he first fell under the air-cooled VW spell as a teenager. Now 36, Roman has not only gone on to enjoy VWs as a pastime…

“He lost no time stripping it down, discovering a solid ’shell with very little corrosion” British Columbia, Canada, has been a hotbed of VW activity for decades, with one club in particular being highly influential locally: Der Volksrennwagen Käfer Klub, or DVKK for short. The Vancouver-based group finds its inspiration primarily in the California Look trend, hence the members’ rides often run potent Weber 48IDA-fed engines. One of the most talked-about vehicles within the friendly gang remains Gavin Lee’s 1952 Zwitter, an immaculate street-driven 2.3-litre monster. He even towed it all the way to the 2009 VW Classic in Southern California – a 2,600-mile roundtrip haul. Hardcore! Gavin has been into vintage VWs his whole life, building a handful of cars along the way and joining DVKK about 15 years…

 Fifty years ago, the usual rumours abounded of a major departure for Volkswagen from their standard air-cooled, rear-engined staple offerings. Expectations were of a ‘proper car’ – a new, water-cooled, front-engined and probably front-wheel driven launch for the 1969 model year. “Peter’s verdict at the time on the new luxury model? Could do better” But in 1968 two major events affected the company. First came the sad announcement of the death, aged 69, of Volkswagen boss Dr Heinz Nordhoff, appointed in 1948 by Ivan Hirst on behalf of the post-war British administration to take over the running of the factory. He’d had a major influence on Volkswagen, doing so much to strengthen the foundations, philosophy and fortunes of the organisation and, most importantly, making the steady but low-key development of…

Fancy owning a piece of VW show car history in the form of Darryn Coleman’s scintillatingly quick Brandy Wine Candy Bug? Well, it’s for sale – and given the spec, it could very well be worth the £37,500 asking price. The no expense spared build, carried out by Darryn, owner of DC Customs (www.dccustoms.co.uk), features a Subaru 2.35-litre engine which pushes out a monster 642bhp, enabling it to achieve 0-60mph in around 2.5 seconds. The spec’s too extensive to mention, but suffice to say it’s got the best of everything, including Erco Star rear wheels with 9in slicks, removable parachute and wheelie bars. Drop Darryn a line if you’re interested. Latest Stuff GRAB YOUR APRON From: www.vwheritage.com Price: £102.50 Beetle rear aprons frequently get mangled or go rusty,…

Often dubbed ‘the most beautiful race in the world’, the Mille Miglia is a 1,000-plus mile rally which takes place annually in Italy and has been a huge part of the country’s rich motorsport history (since 1927). The rally receives a lot of media coverage and draws impressive crowds, with everyone hoping to catch a glimpse of classic machinery being driven hard along the spectacular route. The rally starts in Brescia, Northern Italy, and then heads down the east side of the country to Rome, before heading back up the western side to Brescia again – all in just four days. The exact route changes each year and the rally has become so popular that it generally attracts around four times more entrants than can actually take part. In order…

The format of most North American VW meets must seem rather puzzling to European enthusiasts. Rather than shows spreading over a complete weekend such as Le Bug Show or the European Bug-In, US and Canadian gatherings typically revolve around a series of events packed over three days. We won’t bother getting into an argument about the merits of each formula as ultimately it’s a matter of taste. But either way, one thing’s for sure; at such events Europeans willing to venture across the pond will get to see a totally fresh selection of cars they won’t have seen before, to entertain and inspire. And hell, that’s got to be worth the eight hours of utter boredom flying over. “Participants loved the place, especially the volleyball court built for the weekend…

01 Start by removing any lose rust with a wire wheel on the end of a drill, a wire brush or some coarse abrasive paper. Once that’s done, you can crack out the RAPTOR. However, a few words of warning before you run straight into the workshop and cover yourself in the stuff. It’s not designed to come off, ever, so wear old clothes / paint suit and gloves. It’s also worth covering anything you don’t want to be chiselling or grinding RAPTOR off from, and once you have finished strip your spray gun down and soak it in thinners to get it clean again. Oh, and wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and paint in a well ventilated area 02 Originally manufactured as a heavy duty bed liner…