Innehållsförteckning för December 2017 från VolksWorld

“I told the kids they’d better enjoy driving the Beetle while they could” I get all the classic magazines, and of late they haven’t made for very cheery reading. First there was the issue of the scrappage scheme which threatened to wipe some potentially interesting older cars from our roads, and more recently there’s been talk of cars being banned altogether by 2040. In a moment of panic, I told the kids they’d better enjoy driving the Beetle while they could. Lots of anti-car regulations seem to be creeping in without us even knowing. London’s Toxicity Surcharge (or T-Charge) came into force in October, making classics liable to a daily charge of £10.00. And I read recently that as part of Oxford City Council’s Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) proposals, only…

ALL GOOD AND DANDY From: www.nlavw.com Price: from £224.95 Start planning now for next year’s show season with these brand new racks from NLA VW Parts. Influenced by the rare Jim Dandy racks, they are available in two styles; the rear mounted rack (part number C9648) is £249.95, and the roof mounted rack (part number C9649) is £224.95. They are made of zinc plated mild steel and have a powder coated finish (so have double rust protection!) The wooden slats are painted in a mahogany wood stain. NARROW MINDED? From: www.justkampers.com Price: £435 JK are right to be proud of this 4in narrowed beam which has been designed and created for the VW Beetle. Each one is hand-made on site at JK’s UK HQ and is…

“In winter, I wear a heated jacket – it’s like being cuddled” Dave Higgins, 1972 Doon Buggy Dave Higgins’ Doon Buggy has been in his longterm ownership for 12 years. The LWB bodyshell is the first one out of the mould, circa 2003. Doon buggies were originally produced in the West Midlands and still are, but nowadays are marketed by VolksMagic. Dave purchased his Doon fully built, but alas it was not roadworthy. “I haven’t changed the chassis or bodyshell, but have worked on just about everything else,” he enthused. “The engine is a 1776cc built by Dan Simpson in Canterbury with twin 34 ICT Weber carburettors, a four-into-one bespoke exhaust system, oil cooler, external oil filter and drop sump. With this set-up, the Buggy goes like stink if you…

“The Type 1 Zwitter has always been my favourite Beetle” Every story has a beginning, so let’s cover the 41 year-old owner of this 1952 Beetle and how he first became involved with air-cooled VWs. Tomas Nielsen is a full-time mechanic and comes from a town called Hammel in the Favrskov municipality of Jutland, Denmark. Servicing and maintaining customers’ cars pays the bills, and whilst he enjoys his work he explained “I’m around cars every day, but my real passion are classics.” Ahh, we’re getting a bit closer, but we want to know how he got so seriously hooked on classic VW Beetles, don’t we? Back over to Tomas: “For as long as I can remember cars have always fascinated me, especially VAG products. My first car was a VW…

“I did most of the work in a single garage at the back of my mate’s house” “Basically, the bottom 6in of the car was rotten” What’s this about ’70s Beetles being boring? Well, as far as we’re concerned that’s hokum – and the cleverly tweaked example before you here proves it. It belongs to 40 year-old Simon Flack from Cardiff and it was his first car, bought 19 years ago. “I’d always wanted a Beetle since being driven to swimming lessons in my dad’s friend’s ’66,” enthuses Simon. “I just loved it. Also, a few year’s later, outside the last house on my paper round, there was a late Beetle in original metallic turquoise on what I now think must have been Wolfies. I used to stare at it…

January Camper Mart Date: 14 Jan 2018 Location: International Centre, Telford Contact: www.campermart.co.uk February DubFreeze Date:17-18 Feb 2018 Location:Bingley Hall, Stafford Contact: www.dubfreeze.co.uk March TheVolksworldShow Date:24-25 Mar 2018 Location:Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey Contact: www.volksworldshows.com May The Only Meet is Essex Date: 4-7 May 2018 Location: Orsett Showground RM16 3JU Contact: www.vw-tomie.co.uk Vanwest Date:11-13 May 2018 Location:Brean Sands, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset Contact: www.vanwest.co.uk Run a show? Why not tell us about it? email VolksWorld.ed@ kelsey.co.uk Shows and events in the VW scene…

Wrong guy! Just got the Autumn edition of VolksWorld, great read btw. My attention was drawn to the Camping at the Castle show report and I had a double take as my ‘little blue Bug’ that won the show and shine on Sunday has been credited to Darren Gibbs. Is that a random name you guys use if you don’t know who the owner is? Ben Collins, via email Sorry Ben, we cocked up – and cheers for sending in a pic of you with your car to rub it in. No, seriously – well done, your car looks great – Ed Fashion statement Dear VolksWorld, can you please organise a fashion code for the 2018 VW show season. I am fed up with seeing middle-aged men in baggy camo…

Tony Martin explains he’s been into Volkswagens for years, “I’ve had a 1968 Bay Window camper since 2007 but I always fancied getting a Splittie too.” Split Screen campers are obviously desirable, but there’s always a few out there to choose from if you have the asking price. However, Tony had his mind set on something a little rarer, a crew cab Pick-Up version. Officially called the Double Cab Pick-Up when introduced by Binz Karosseriefabrik in October 1953, they became commonly known as a ‘Doka’ (an abbreviation of ‘Doppelkabine’ – the German for double cab). Binz built around 550 but ceased production in early 1959 after Volkswagen introduced their own factory-built Doka in November 1958. Capable of carrying 1543lb plus a driver, 826lb and five people or any combination thereof,…

You probably need to take a moment to compose yourself before you get to the background on this killer ’56 Oval. It’s okay. It’s perfectly natural. If you’re ever lucky enough to catch it in the flesh, clear your schedule for the rest of the day. It’s unlikely that your feet are taking you anywhere fast. I’m in the automotive equivalent of that scene in Wayne’s World where Garth stares all dreamy-eyed at the ‘foxy lady’ and then disappears into a world of fantasy where he gets the girl. Are we on solid ground here if we reference Wayne’s World? I’m grudgingly aware of how old it’s becoming – released in 1992, if you’re wondering – exactly one year before Phoebe Hughes was born, who enters stage right as the…

A little slice of Devon What started out as a quick tidy up turned into a full-blown resto for Brett Chalkley, with lots of upgrades being added along the way Riding high? Suspension mods to get your VW sitting just right Razor sharp Damir Hrovat’s Lizard Green Ghia is finished to Swiss perfection French connection We made it, for sure, with the owner of this rather special Standard Oval Don’t miss it!…

“the new ruling will introduce a technically based standard for acceptance as a VHI” From May 2018, in line with rolling historic vehicle tax, all 40-year old classics will be exempt from an annual MoT inspection. The government put their plan out for consultation last year and has just published its decision to exempt more historic vehicles, having collated 2217 responses from owners, car clubs, trade bodies and businesses. Currently, only vehicles made prior to 1960 are MoT exempt. The changes mean that from next year, all VHIs made before 1978 will no longer need an MoT. Whether that’s a good thing or not is still open to debate, of course. Yes, it will save owners a few quid each year, and arguably modern MoT stations aren’t really appropriate for…

“It was an oddity, even by Volkswagen-do-Brazil standards. Oh, and it liked its alcohol too” By the end of the 1970s, Volkswagen’s air-cooled engined vehicles had been almost completely ousted from Europe – with the exception of the Type 2 – and exiled to South America. There, with less need to compete against newer, more technologically-advanced and expensive rivals, the Beetle and the Transporter carried on regardless. But, as it turned out, Volkswagen’s Brazilian operation wasn’t just content to let the venerable flat-four eke out its final years in the back of old familiar bodyshells. What if it could be adapted to make use of Volkswagen’s front-wheel drive template, including a fresh and modern look that bore a distinct resemblance to what was now being built in Europe? Wouldn’t that…

“This cherry-red Fastback is an exercise in how to do things properly” The notion of creatures streamlining themselves and making their inherent design more efficient has fascinated mankind for longer than anybody can comfortably remember. The basic premise of evolution is that successive generations adapt and develop characteristics with each newly-spawned breed, constantly changing to suit environmental conditions and survival needs. Life on Earth just can’t sit still. (For the sake of balance, we’ll concede that other viewpoints on the creation of life are available, as long as you agree to acknowledge that evolution is ‘a theory’ in the same sense that gravity is.) From the myriad spiralling specks of matter that burst forth from the Big Bang to the befuddling stromatolites of Western Australia, the entire history of the…