Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i dune buggies and hotVWs

One of the most important vehicles in VW’s history will be displayed at the Petersen Museum this year! It doesn’t matter if you are an Original, Vintage, Cal Look, Custom or Patina enthusiast; whatever you like, you’ve got to see this fantastic automobile! In the latest Hot VWs issue (March), we mentioned that a recreated “Berlin-Rome-Wagen” tribute would be soon participating in the ECTA Arkansas meet. What a coincidence! Yet, we are now talking about the real deal. Starting February 2018, one of the most important cars not only for Volkswagen but also for Porsche’s history, the VW60K10 (Porsche Type 64, also known as the “Berlin-Rome-Wagen”), will be displayed at the famous Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California as part of their exhibit: “The Porsche Effect”. The “Berlin-Rome-Wagen” was…

We just got back from the 2018 North American International Auto Show here in Detroit, and Volkswagen made an impressive showing at this, one of the greatest auto shows in the world. Once again, NAIAS is focusing attention on vehicles and technologies for the future, calling it AutoMobili-D. The displays at NAIAS and discussions with manufacturers and high-tech suppliers are redefining how we will experience mobility in the future. We’re talking zero emission electric autonomous driving. Volkswagen is already planning to be a major player in this field. The I.D. Crozz, which debuted last fall, was prominently on display at their booth at NAIAS. The all-electric compact SUV is very high-tech, from its voice-activated doors and trunk to its autonomous driving capability. It combines an 83kWh lithium-ion battery pack with…

In 1992, I bought my first car, a 1966 21-window Bus. Ever since then, I have been enthralled by these funny little cars. At the time when I bought my first Type 2, there were not a lot of people collecting them. Most Buses were driven by people who used them as regular transportation. A few folks were out there collecting them, but for the most part, VW Transporters were valued at their utility value of being a running car. At that time, Bay Window Buses were actually more valuable than Splits. Post-’67 models were more common, they were newer, and they were generally in better condition and also drove better than Split versions. Plenty of people loved the latter, others preferred Bays, and many loved both. The big difference…

Break-in Once you have an engine completely rebuilt (stock, mild or hi-performance), what is the best break-in procedure, as new carbs can be completely out of tune, straight out of the box?　Is there a carb setting that ensures a successful break-in procedure, with less chances of damaging components? What are other considerations, when firing up a new engine? Dennis Diaz, Lompoc, CA The main thing you need to worry about when starting a fresh build is the cam break-in. Crank over your engine enough to get oil pressure on a manual pressure gauge installed into the oil pressure switch location. Once you have oil pressure, check your oil level, and then add enough oil until you’ve reached the upper mark on your dipstick. This way you get the maximum splash…

As I write this month’s column, I have several things on my mind. First, I am just a few days home after the annual trip to Scottsdale Arizona for the famed “Auction Week”. As our VWs have been getting recognition from the general collector car world in recent years and values have been on the climb, we are seeing more and more of our four-wheeled family members cross the auction block. Some folks complain that the prices achieved at auction do nothing but inflate the values of the cars in the private market, but I do see it as an indicator as to the appeal of our cars to the rest of the world. To me, it is a positive thing to see a VW bring strong money at a…

CAR SHOW: PROMOTER’S CHOICE — Matt Murphy, Woodside, CA, blue ’68 custom Bug; HOST CLUB CHOICE — Greg Bedford, Mountain Valley, CA, blue/white ’61 Surf Bus; MOST OUTSTANDING ENGINE — Adam Radzi, San Leandro, CA, tan ’64 Bug; BEST INTERIOR — Matt Murphy, Woodside, CA, blue ’68 custom Bug; BEST PATINA — Stacey Wetnight, Carmichael, CA, brown 1960 ragtop Bug; COOLEST PRE-’57 BUG — Robert Hyberg, Vacaville, CA, black ‘54; COOLEST ’58-’64 BUG — Esgar Ibarra, Sunol, CA, green ’63; COOLEST ’65-’67 BUG — Gerardo Bazan, Sacramento, CA; COOLEST ’68-’79 BUG — Tony Carnio, Fair Oaks, CA; COOLEST PRE-’67 BUS — Greg Bedford, Mountain Valley, CA, blue/white ’61 Surf Bus; COOLEST ’68-’79 BUS — Eric and Janal Behne, Brentwood, CA; COOLEST KARMANN GHIA — Jim Kikuchi, Sunnyvale, CA, red 1964…

Last month, I listed cams that I would use for building a Daily Driver motor. Which cam should you use? STOCK range : 295 2300 lift at to the 4300 cam. 215 duration at .050. ENGLE .050 90 range : 297 2500 lift at to the 4500 cam. 224 duration at ENGLE .050 100 range : 383 3000 lift at to the 5000 cam. 236 duration at ENGLE cam 110 . 284 : 392 duration lift at the at .050 range 3500 to 5500 You need to consider the rest of the combination. I personally don’t run stock cams anymore. The 90 is made much better and lasts much longer. I would use a 90 cam with the following: Stock or two 1-barrel carbs, header or stock muffler, stock heads.…

Ever thought about going abroad? As a Volkswagen addict, Germany is high on the holiday wish list with Wolfsburg as top destination. Followed by the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and… well, what else? This month, I would like to give you insight into the German show season and some recommendations, starting with: which events are worth visiting? The biggest, annual show is the “Mai-Käfer-Treffen” (Address: Weltausstellungsallee, 30521 Hanover, Germany - www.maikaefertreffen.de), taking place in the city of Hanover on the 1st of May, a national holiday in Germany. It is the longest running annual VW event in the Fatherland, being established in 1983. In the beginning it had the characteristics of a local swap meet, but unfolded over the years into a full show with thousands (!) of air-cooled cars…

Perhaps the star of the 2017 VW show season was this dazzling Anthracite Gray 1961, which came out of Spring, Texas. It doesn’t surprise us to learn that this awesome ride belonged to Ethan Dunlap – a member of the elite Der Luftkuhlers car club - and was built in five years by this entire group of serious VW motorheads (Eliot Vancil, Konstantin Lytvynchuck, Jason and Jeremy Eubanks and Lazaro Rodriguez). For Ethan, this was not his first rodeo as thanks to his Dad, who introduced him to VWs back before he could drive. So, in 2012 when this Ragtop came up for sale in Dallas, Ethan knew that this was the one that needed to be DLK-ized! And with that, it was towed home and blown apart. Once down…

The second Wednesday during the month of August is a day for VW boys and girls to skip work (we wouldn’t say to skip your class!), grab your surfboard, throw it in your Volkswagen and head down to San Onofre! There’s no schedule to follow, no admission fee (except paying the $15 State Park charge for parking). Because Big Wednesday is a very lowkey weekday event, it attracts many folks who skip work and drive their VWs to the beach. The only thing you really need to do is to get there early in order to get a one of the prized parking spots. If you make it, you can get a free breakfast and lunch from famous Hot Dog Fred! This is a day to hang out and relax…

You’ve heard them called all kinds of derogatory nicknames (from those Weber lovers), like “Ka-Duds” for example, but the fact remains that the Kadron Solex dual carb kits are one of the best things going on in the VW world. Simple construction, trouble free operation, economy, and nice power output are a short list. If you’re having trouble with yours, it’s not the designer’s fault. Probably the number one problem with these carbs is malfunctioning or weak accelerator pump output. Since your engine uses this fuel volume to both cold start and accelerate quickly, it’s also one of the most important items to keep working correctly. I can’t tell you how many of these carbs I’ve taken apart that were missing the little ball bearing that ensures the one-way action…

Much has been written about the Bug-In’s history, since the first edition took place on Sunday, October 20, 1968 at Orange County International Raceway (OCIR), a little over a year after the facility opened. The VW partying lasted until the track shut down 15 years later.. Sure, certain enthusiasts can pride themselves in having participated in all 31 editions; but only a handful had the luck of benefiting from a Press Pass. Bill Mortimer turns out to be one of these happy few. Some of you might know him, being a regular fixture at Volkswagen events all along the West coast. Saying that he is an active player of our scene would be an understatement, as he owns a dozen of regularly driven Vee Dubs, from a ’42 Kübelwagen replica…

EVENT PROMOTERS: Get your event listed in Hot VWs … at no charge! Simply write up your listing using the format below (please, keep it short and to the point so there’s room for everyone!), and send it in — that’s all there is to it. You can send it by e-mail (ComingEvents@hotvws.com), by fax (714.979.3998), or drop it in the old fashioned mailbox (Hot VWs Coming Events, PO Box 2260, Costa Mesa, CA 92628). Be sure to send it in at least three months prior to the event. Remember, the sooner you send it the more likely you’ll be able to get into multiple issues! Also, don’t forget to also post your event on the Hot VWs website at www.hotvws.com (Very bottom, under Contact Hot VWs click Submit Event).…