Innehållsförteckning för Issue 117 från VWt

Hello and welcome to issue 117 of VWt magazine. Due to the T6 having a lot more tech than the T5 and substantially lower entry prices than the T6.1, the T6 is without doubt the most popular van to modify. There’s not many models left that haven’t been tinkered with and every variation is a great which to build platform upon your perfect van. This means I get more feature requests from T6 owners than any other model and it would be fair to say that previous feature vans have set the bar pretty high. And, that can my make job pretty difficult at times. Yep, because telling someone that we can’t feature their van is the worst part of the job, especially when the van in question is a…

Rolls-Royce wheels on a humble VW Transporter - who’d have thought it? When VW was founded back in 1937, Rolls-Royce were producing such cars as the Phantom III Pillarless Saloon, an example of which sold for just shy of £500,000 at auction in January 2018. The Volkswagen Group acquired Rolls-Royce in 1998, but bizarrely the deal did not include the rights to the name. BMW swooped in for those for just £40m and, after negotiations with VW began producing Rolls-Royce in 2003. The Volkswagen Group retained the Bentley brand (including the naming rights!) which is now seen by many as the true successor to Rolls in modern times.…

VWt are thrilled to announce The VolksWorld Show is back for 2022, and after a two-year hiatus (due to you know what!) the much-anticipated event is shaping up to be the biggest and best event ever. And we’ll be there representing the best from the world of water-cooled Transporters. While we don’t want to spoil all the surprises just yet, here’s a little taster of some of what’s in store. The world’s leading car care specialist, Meguiar’s, has announced its continued sponsorship, and will again be giving all the Top 20 air-cooled trophy winners a gift pack of cleaning products to keep their cars in tip-top condition throughout this year’s show season. Similarly, our very good friends at Heritage Parts Centre are also continuing their support by sponsoring the air-cooled…

I think we have always been late to the party in the UK when it comes to pickup trucks, in the USA they have always been as popular as Mom’s apple pie and burgers. I’ve said previously I’m a huge lover of trucks and I’ve owned a few from old Chevy and Toyotas to plenty of Split and Bay versions. Having recently sold the Toyota and bought a T4 van though, I’ve realised that, as cool as they look, they are kind of a pain to use in the UK climate. They are great on dry days, but the problem is that we have our fair share of inclement weather here and using a truck on those days means either having a well thought out bed cover made, or wrapping…

It’s essential to get as much use as possible out of a hobby vehicle because, well, the sword of Damocles is always likely to be hovering above the head of an asset that sits idle on a drive for half the year. And indeed, this was the intention when Dan and Natasha Noble decided to buy a Bus in 2015. Dan’s into mountain and gravel biking, so the Bus would get use all year round accessing the best off-road trails, while Natasha, who has a super stressful job as a nurse and was also a care home manager at the time, wanted the opportunity to go off-grid, decompress and get away from it all whenever she got the opportunity. Nope, a summer-only trailer queen just wouldn’t cut the mustard with…

Engine: 1.8T 20v BAM, K04 hybrid turbo, R32 exhaust, remap, AMD ECU, Airtec TT RS intercooler, silicone hoses, Cupra R gearbox, CAE race shifter Chassis: 19” VW Motorsport wheels, 225/35/19 Pirelli P Zero tyres, BC Racing multi adjustable front shocks, Koni rear shocks, fully poly bushed, welded Tylah Motorsport roll cage, front Porsche Cayenne Brembo brakes, rear Golf R32 brakes Exterior: Custom bonnet, Golf MK7 grill, hybrid MK4 front bumper, Caddy All Track splitter and skirts , R32 style rear bumper Interior: Recaro Sportster CS seats, custom Harlequin stitched GTD Golf steering wheel, Takata 4-point harnesses Audio: Pioneer head unit and speakers, under seat subwoofers Thanks to: Bikki at Bro4mance…

In my last entry (issue 115) I left you at the point where I’d slapped down a deposit on my new purchase, but I didn’t tell you much about its condition. Whilst it still had a couple of months MoT left on it, the starter motor had stopped working a couple of weeks prior to Mike advertising the van. My feeling was that it was the straw that broke the camel’s back after he’d spent a bit putting new thermostat housings and a few other bits on it recently. I’d looked at the MoT history before going to view it and it had pretty much the same advisory list for the past few years and little mileage between MoTs. The main thing I needed to know was how much welding…

It’s getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd when it comes to VW campers and vans. Unless you go for a Harlequin paint job like Paul Hunter’s Caddy (see page 72), you’re going to have to come up with something pretty special if you want to get noticed. Thankfully, VW owners have always had a reputation for pushing things forward when it comes to car and van modifications. Let’s face it, it’s hard enough coming up with a single unique feature, but to kick about in a van rocking at least two of them is next level. Step forward and take a bow, Lee Herbert. “As soon as I added an extra row of seats, it all of a sudden became the family wagen ” This 2016…

It’s funny how certain hobbies lead people into the purchase of a van. For me, it was surfing at a young age that shifted my attention from Beetles to Buses. There was always something about the surf culture ties of classic VWs that made them oh-so-cool in my opinion and I still remember the buzz at St Ouen’s Bay in Jersey when I first surfed at the age of 14 and the car park was full of cool vans of all types. Fast forward a year or two and I was at Fistral Beach in Newquay, circa 1989/90 and Split and Bay Buses were everywhere, each one full of surf stickers and laden down with boards and dayglo wearing occupants; many of them would spend all evening cruising around town…

THQ ALPICOOL 35L PORTABLE FRIDGE FREEZER Ever see something online and just think, damn, I need one of those in my life! Because that was our exact thought when we first saw the THQ Alpicool TWW35 posted on Transporter HQ’s Instagram. Put simply, this is the go anywhere, do anything portable fridge. They really have thought of everything and then some. It packs 230v and 12v charging options, has additional solar if required, plus if you need a back-up fridge at home for those extra beers during BBQ season or have 230v plugs in your camper, you can charge it direct off that. It features a very clever door/lid hinge system so it can open outwards both left and right. The sturdy lid can be used as a seat, or…

Car building comes at you in different ways. Some have the money, but not the skill. Some have the skill, but not the money. Every now and then the forces of nature whip up the perfect storm of skill and money and you end up with an absolute hurricane of a build, like this 2005 Caddy by Paul Hunter. It currently stands him at around £60k, but genuinely that’s pretty irrelevant. This build has been a seven-year process of continual improvements in search of the best of the best. The fact he chose to paint it in the colours of one of Volkswagen’s most neck-snapping advertising campaigns only adds to the madness. Paul Hunter is the owner and main man at Hunter Automotive specialising in anything paint related whether that’s…

Send us yours: Ever dreamed about seeing your van appear in the pages of VWt? Make that dream a reality! Simply e-mail a selection of good quality high-res images of your van to glenn.rowswell@kelsey.co.uk along with a full spec list and add the subject title ‘Your Vans’. But please remember, if you didn’t take the photos, you MUST have permission from the photographer to use the images in the magazine, and all images should be free from watermarks (by submitting an image you assume responsibility for any copyright infringement). So, what are you waiting for? Let’s see those project builds! TOM MICHEL’S 2011 T5, VAREL, GERMANY Hey VWt, my name is Tom Michel, I am 32 years old and from Varel in Germany. I thought I would send you some…

MARCH 13th ULTIMATE DUBS The Telford International Centre, Telford, TF3 4JH www.ultimate-dubs.co.uk 19th – 20th VWT @ VOLKS WORLD Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ www.volksworld.com 21st LOW LIFE TRANSPORTERS MEET Caffeine & Machine, Banbury Road, Ettington, CV37 7NS www.caffeineandmachine.com APRIL 8th – 10th Vee Dub Family Big Birthday Camp Out Unity Farm, Brean, Somerset, TA8 2RB www.veedubfamily.org 10th GTI FESTIVAL Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, Northants, NN29 7XA www.gtifestival.com 14th – 18th CAMPER FEST Chester Racecourse, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 2LY www.camperfest.co.uk 29th - 2nd (May) VW CAMPOUT Budle Bay, Northumberland, NE70 7EE www.vwcampout.uk 29th - 2nd (May) THE ONLY MEET IS ESSEX The Orsett Showground, Essex RM16 3JU www.vw-tomie.co.uk MAY 5th – 8th DERBYSHIRE DUBS VW FESTIVAL Wardlow, Derbyshire, SK17 8RW www.derbyshiredubs.co.uk 6th-8th VANWEST Taunton Racecourse, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 7BL…

One thing Lee is at pains to point out is that, for as much as the van might look like a show pony it really does get used and abused. “I was at a Tamworth Transporter meet recently and a guy was chatting to me about the van,” says Lee. “Because of the condition he was adamant that it doesn’t get used! Trust me, it gets used and very much abused. Obviously, I get it looking as best I can when we’re at a show and it reacts really well to some love. My friend, Marcus Corke is the man I turn to for detailing whenever it’s show time.” You can check out Marcus’ work on Instagram at @cus_spec_detailing.…

AND THE WINNER IS... Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has recognised the achievements of the top performers across its UK network at its annual awards. The awards celebrated the successes of the brand’s 63 Van Centres and 33 Authorised Repairers. Six category awards were given to recognise performance across key areas, from new and used sales performance to customer experience. There were also three top performing Van Centre accolades awarded to the best overall performers. SMARTPHONE NAV RISK SAT Almost half of van drivers are risking a £200 fine and six penalty points on their licence as a result of using a sat nav app on their smartphone, according to a study by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The research of 1,000 UK van drivers found 46 per cent use an app on their…

THQ BLACK FRONT ARCH HOODIE Looking for a hoodie that keeps you toasty and makes you look magnificent? THQ have you covered in more than one way! This Black Arch hoodie is made from 85% ringspun cotton, 15% recycled polyester and will keep you proper snug through those chilly spring months. It features a T6.1 graphic at the rear, THQ branding at the front, high quality drawstrings and is available in sizes from small to a big boy 5XXL. Price £35 www.transporterhq.co.uk RUBIK X G-SHOCK GAE-2100RC-1AER Check out the rather unique GAE-2100RC, a collaboration based on the iconic Rubik’s Cube. Based on the best-selling G-SHOCK 2100 series and just like its Rubik’s Cube inspiration, a facelift is just a turn away, with each watch featuring an interchangeable bezel and tool.…

You don’t need us to tell you how much better a campervan is than a caravan. Besides the obvious street cred, the joy of simply rocking up at a campsite, popping the pop-top and cracking open a chilled beer before sitting back in less than two minutes to admire your finished camp is unrivalled... Nick Johnson, a 50-year-old truck driver from Milton Keynes found out the hard way. By which we mean, he actually bought a caravan, our condolences Nick! “We went all in,” he says. “I even bought a Land Rover to pull the damn thing!” It’s safe to say he wasn’t enamoured. “It was 27ft long so dragging it around the country was a pain to start with,” he begins. “Then you’ve got to wind the legs down,…

One good thing to come from Dan’s time spent recuperating after his accident was the creation of the @highuptransporters Instagram page. Dan told us: “It started as a bit of fun really. I’d always be at VW shows and the Lowdown Transporter guys would be out in force in their slammed, full-on builds and my high-riding, lifted T4 stuck out like a sore thumb. So, I asked my graphic designer friend, Ian, to come up with a high-up Transporters sticker for my Van as a bit of a joke and began posting our adventures. “We started receiving posts from other lifted Van owners and it just went on from there. Now we have a great community of like-minded owners. Covid killed many of our plans for the last couple of…

An advert for the Beetle in 1964 to highlight interchangeable parts across model years, each painted with a different colour was the forerunner to the Harlequin paint job from Volkswagen. In 1995, the new Polo was painted in the four available colours to promote the options and was dubbed ‘Harlekin.’ The plan was to release a few for sale, but the car created such interest that in the end over 3000 were sold. One guy, Ross Cupples, set about finding himself one of each of the available combinations in the USA where the MK3 Golf was used.…

With the foundations done (sound deadening and insulation) it was time to finish off the inside of the van and make it look great. There are a few options available when it comes to ply-line kits, in the past I have gone for the cheapest I could find, but this has led to me being disappointed with a poor fit. One name always pops up in the forums and groups when people ask for recommendations, so I decided to go with them. Plyworx offer ply kits for a variety of vehicles, and you can spec the kit how you would like. They also offer the very popular halo roofs, which look incredible! Despite my van being a panel van, I took a gamble and decided to go for a kit…