dune buggies and hotVWs March 2019

Happy New Year to all our dear readers, advertisers, special contributors and fans of hotVWs magazine from all over the world. This is already the March 2019 issue; but as I am writing this column, my stomach is stuffed with food following Christmas – and I’m counting down the hours before the new year. Hard to believe, but we have already produced 23 issues since OCI Media took over hotVWs M aga z i ne’s o pe rat io n , starting with the May 2017 issue. You can say it’s been a non-stop rollercoaster ride for us. We’ve tried to visit VW events and shows as often as possible, meeting many supportive folks. Without our loyal readers, advertisers and our special contributors’ support, we would have never successfully faced…

36-Horse Judson Supercharged Engine I recently rebuilt the 36-horse Judson Supercharged engine in my ‘56 Oval. I had the heads rebuilt by Rimco at the same time. The cam I installed has a lift of 326, 280 degrees of duration and calls for a valve lash between .008 and .010, whereas the Judson instructions call for .006 clearance. What would you recommend for this particular set up? (The cam is a Sig Erson with a VW 400 grind). Thanks for all the great advice in your article. Ken Foran Helena, MT 59601 Since the valve lash has to do with expansion and contraction of the engine, I would have to say that Judson was probably thinking about the increased head temperature that they were causing. The hotter the engine,…

As I mentioned last month, plans are now finalizing for the huge Herbie the Love Bug 50th Anniversary Reunion Weekend (www.herbies50yrreunion.com), to be held March 15-17th in and around the Orlando, Florida area. Dozens of Herbies have already committed to the journey, with many more sure to join in. Love Bugs (along with other Bugs and Buses) will be cruising the area, taking in such attractions as the Orlando Car Museum and the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum. They’ll also be guests-of-honor on the brick streets of Old Town in Kissimmee, and for photo ops at the Herbie building at Disney’s All-Star Movie Resort. The celebration will culminate in the huge 13th Annual Lakeland VW Show and Swap Classic in nearby Lakeland (www.lakelandvwclassic.com). All the Herbies from the reunion will…

Now, let’s work our way out to the end before doing the other side. This will prevent the fulcrums from slipping behind the axle. Put the small spacer over the axle with the bevel towards the trans and flat side towards the bearing. Then install the bearing. The bearing is a tight fit and will need to be driven in place if you have non-reduction boxes. If this is a non-reduction box then install your backing plate and bearing cap. I have written an article already on how you install those seals, so I will refer you back to that. Install the cap and torque the cap. Now, you’re ready to do the other side. Reduction Boxes On reduction boxes there is a lot more to do. So here you…

I love looking at old pictures of street scenes full of parked and driving cars. Looking at good parking lots or crowded street scenes, pictures from the ‘50s seldom have VWs in them; yet, by the time you get to the ‘70s, they usually do. Of course, VWs – and Buses specifically – are what I am looking for, but I notice and appreciate many different old cars, too. One thing that I note in the old street scenes is that most of the vehicles on the road don’t look all that cool; in fact many are downright “fugly”. There are plenty of interesting cars to be seen, but there are tons that I have never seen driving on the roads or at car shows. I notice any old car…

This month, I’m going to share an experience with you all that may help save a few VW engines, dollars and some headaches. I know I normally write about the “fluffy” stuff around the VW scene, the emotions and feel good bits of what make the VW community such a cool thing to be a part of. This one is a bit more technical, but I will fluff it up a bit to make it a fun read. Recently a very good friend of mine and fellow VW nut retired and downsized his life from a big whopping suburban home to a boat in a local marina. He is loving every minute of it, but already a few months in he decided it was wise to chase another air-cooled VW,…