Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i dune buggies and hotVWs

Last year, while I was recovering from an accident and was laid up for a while, I wrote about the experience of being cooped up at home and unable to play with my VWs. For this fair weather California boy, it felt a lot like what I would imagine those that live in the parts of the country where a proper winter keeps you indoors. The atmosphere and forces around you are just too great and you have no choice but to deal with it the best way you can. That way, is staying where you are warm and comfortable and letting the “winter” pass. As I write this month’s column, the whole world is experiencing a “winter” like we have never felt before. Global decrees to stay indoors, workers…

If you are a car guy or gal, we can bet you know or have heard of The Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS). The indoor event, which started in 1949 in Oakland, California, is one of the oldest and longest continuously operating exhibitions of custom vehicles in the United States. For over seven decades, the show’s grand prize called “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR) has arguably been the most wanted award in the hot rod and custom car industry. The base of the 9-foot-tall “mega-trophy” features engraved plaques listing every year’s new winner. The GNRS is to hot rodders what the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is to the vintage car crowd. Both are considered the most prestigious events of their kind. Over 500 cars are displayed indoors and compete for…

EXTERIOR  COLOR/ GM Truck Olympic White BODYWORK/ Rite Way Auto Body, dechromed by Greg Brinton at Brintech CHASSIS  FRONT SUSPENSION/ CB Performance 2” narrowed beam, 2-1/2” drop spindles, Prothane beam bushings REAR SUSPENSION/ Sway-A-Way adjustable spring plates, 28mm torsion bars, JayCee Billet retainers with Bugpack urethane bushings, Bugpack truss bar and traction bar WHEELS/ EMPI BRM, 145-15 Nankang and 205/65R15 Milestar tires BRAKES/ CB Performance. disc brakes front and rear ENGINE/stock case DISPLACEMENT/ 2332cc BUILDER/ Dominick Luppino CRANK/ 84mm CB Performance RODS/ CB H-beam rods with ARP2000 bolts CYLINDERS & PISTONS/ 94mm Mahle RINGS/ Total Seal Zero-Gap rings CAM/ Engle FK-87 OIL PUMP/ Berg HEADS/ CB Wedge Port VALVE SIZES/ 44mm x 37.5mm COMPRESSION RATIO/ 9.7:1 ROCKER ARMS/ Scat 1.4:1 LIFTERS/ Engle PUSHRODS/ Manton double chromoly tapered IGNITION/ 6AL Ignition,…

OWNER/ Milo Benigno CHASSIS FRONT SUSPENSION / Compound 6” narrowed beam, smoothed caped and chromed trailing arms, Compound drop spindles with Wilwood calipers (chromed and painted black) REAR SUSPENSION/ Sway-A-Way torsion bars and spring plates, JayCee Retainers WHEELS/ Custom-made Fuchs-style 17x3.5 & 17x6 TIRES/ Motorcycle front & 215/55R17 Nankang rear BRAKES/ Compound-built with Wilwood disc brakes and calipers ENGINE BUILDER/ Stacy Sizemore, Old Speed, Paramount, CA DISPLACEMENT/ 2275cc CRANK/ Empi 82mm, Chromoly forged RODS/ SCAT H-beam CYLINDERS & PISTONS/ Cima 94mm CAM/ Engle W-120 HEADS/ Empi reworked by Jeff Denham VALVE SIZES/ 44x37mm, stainless steel ROCKER ARMS/ Scat 1.25:1 COMPRESSION RATIO/ 9.5:1 IGNITION/ Vertex Magneto CARBURATION/ dual Weber 48IDAs OIL SYSTEM / 30mm pump; full-flow EXHAUST SYSTEM/ A-1, stainless steel OTHER MODIFICATIONS/ Empi 8-dowel flywheel TRANSMISSION BUILDER/ Rancho Performance Transaxle,…

THE NOSE FEATURES ONLY A FEW STONE CHIPS TRAVELING the country and occasionally abroad gives Team hotVWs the opportunity to meet numerous interesting individuals with great stories. These encounters lead to the realization that we all often share common friends with the same passion for Vee Dubs, no matter how far apart we live – a reminder that our scene has ramifications all around the globe. A case in point: Phil Lucas, who we came upon when visiting Ohio’s VW & Porsche Reunion featured elsewhere in this issue. Phil’s interest in Volkswagens stems from a ’60 Beetle he purchased while a junior in his Cincinnati high school, during the mid-1970s. Although he ended up rolling the sedan, he continued wrenching on a variety of other VWs through and after his…

Many of us know that the year of a VW matched the calendar year until the model year was introduced in August 1955 for the ‘56 model year (making ‘55 a short year). We also know that Volkswagen would do progressive refinements to the cars, where they would introduce many changes when they were developed rather than waiting for the model year. They were more likely to save the cosmetic changes for the model year, while the mechanical and safety updates were more likely to happen as soon as they were ready. In general, the earlier a VW, the more likely the changes of any type happened progressively rather than annually. We have a bit of a mismatch between the calendar, the model year and the appearance of a Bus.…

PORSCHE INDIA RED AND POLISHED FUCHS: A PERFECT CAL LOOK RECIPE Chris always liked high-performance VWs, hence he typically concentrated on making his own cars go fast. He built a couple of engines for his Squareback, adding Weber carbs etc. And he soon got hooked on racing as well, not a big surprise considering he wanted to be a race car driver already as a kid. He became a Pro Turbo pilot in 1989, holding PRA championship titles from 1993 until ’97, before becoming the Pro Stock champion in 2000. Chris and Dominick were always great competitors, with each winning his share of rounds against the other. Their elimination rounds often turned into epic battles during drag race events. His main draw to these competitions is the fact that he…

BEST OF SHOW Michael Tangonan, Ewa Beach, Hawaii 1965 Quindo Violet w/Gold Ghost Flames Karmann Ghia OVAL/SPLIT VINTAGE 1st: Roy Tampon – 1957 Bug OVAL/SPLIT CUSTOM 1st: Kaylyn Kekoa – 1957 Bug CONVERTIBLE VINTAGE 1st: Richard Jones – 1966 Bug CONVERTIBLE CUSTOM 1st: Tracie Kekoa – 1961 Bug 2-DOOR SEDAN VINTAGE 1st: Andrew Perreira – 1964 Bug 2-DOOR SEDAN CUSTOM 1st: Dean Funakoshi – 1968 Bug EARLY BUS VINTAGE – 1967 or earlier 1st: Miguel Colon – 1967 Bus EARLY BUS CUSTOM – 1967 or earlier 1st: Don Santiago – 1967 Bus LATE BUS/VANAGON – 1968 and later 1st: Leo Bringas – 1973 Bus SINGLE/DOUBLE CAB 1st: Brian Kim – 1963 Double Cab KARMANN GHIA 1st: Michael Tangonan – 1965 Ghia TYPE 3 1st: Joseph Boy Kekoa – 1963 Notchback…

Cha-Cha-Chatter There appears to be two styles of clutch discs available: One with springs and one without. Would the one with springs have less “chatter”? George Hunt Pleasant Gap, PA George, you are correct in assuming that the sprung disc will take up any chatter that may be produced by a faulty pressure plate. If you are talking even mild performance though, I would stick with the rigid center variety. I’ve seen some of the spring mechanisms break, and when they do, it makes an awful mess. Personally I always use the rigid center kind. If your pressure plate and flywheel surface are in good condition, you won’t get any chatter. Oil Spray Jon, I am driving a 1967 Bug. The motor is pretty much stock, running a 34mm Solex…

DER KLEINER KAMPFWAGENSAPPROVED CAL LOOK His addiction to VWs didn’t settle down, as he started drag racing them in 1974. He teamed up with Dave Perkins, racing Super Stock in 1990, as well as the old NHRA SS/DX class, setting the record with a 10.30-second ET thanks to an 1835cc motor. Dave and Dominick won the PRA championship in the early ‘90s. The duo has been racing together for over 30 years, continuing today with a Pro Mod Super Beetle Cabriolet that runs 7.69 over the quarter-mile. Air-cooled VWs have been part of Dom’’s life for almost five decades. His latest endeavor started out with a phone call from his friend Eric Stolze, who asked him if he would be interested in a project car – Eric had started building…

EXTERIOR  COLOR/ Porsche India Red BODYWORK/ Scott’s Coach Works CHASSIS  FRONT SUSPENSION/ Old Speed 4” narrowed beam, 2-1/2” drop spindles REAR SUSPENSION/ Sway-A-Way 27mm torsion bars and spring plate with JCL Billet retainers WHEELS/ FLAT4 911 Alloy Wheels, 165-60R15 Continental and 205-70R15 BF Goodrich tires BRAKE/ Wilwood 4-piston disc brakes by Old Speed ENGINE/ Type 1 VW AutoLinea aluminum case DISPLACEMENT/ 2387cc BUILDER/ Chris Bubetz CRANK/ 86mm Scat, 4340 Forged Chevy journals RODS/ Scat forged H-beam CYLINDERS & PISTONS/ Geers Xtra Long cylinders, Mahle 94mm pistons CAM/ SLR EXR 310, .417 lift, 268 @ .050 duration, Magnum steel straight-cut gears OIL PUMP/ Schadek 30mm HEADS/ CB Performance CNC Ultra Wedge Ports VALVE SIZES/ 46mm x 37mm COMPRESSION RATIO/ 10.8:1 ROCKER ARMS/ Scat 1.4:1 IGNITION/ MSD Digital 6AL2, MSD distributor CARBURATION/…

THE INITIAL DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF THE VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 1 SEDAN WAS AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS around the world. In 1948, Wilhelm Karmann purchased a Bug sedan and converted it into a four-seat convertible, which he presented to Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, Germany. The folding-top Beetle known as a convertible was approved by Volkswagen and went into production in 1949 at Karmann’s factory in Osnabrück, Germany. After removing the hardtop, engineers strengthened the structure by reinforcing the sills with welded U-channels, a transverse beam adjacent to the rear seat, while double walled cowl-panels were added below the instrument panel. The team also reinforced the doors with welded curved gussets and upgraded B-pillars. The popularity of the convertible lasted nearly 70 years, until Volkswagen discontinued the production of the Beetle. US-SPECS ’55 You…

Like most Volkswagen lovers, Remsey garnered his passion for the Beetle when he was young. “I built up interest in VWs when my Uncle would take me cruising around Hollywood. I bought the car from Uncle Joe in 1997 for just $600.” Over the next twenty two years, the same car would undergo several transformations, being semi-restored, twice. Even though the Bug was in very nice condition at this point, Remsey knew there was still more to do. “Well, I was never happy with the undercarriage of my car. One evening I was talking to my good friend Chris Hardwood, and he said ‘Just pull it apart and let’s get it done!’. That was it, I started pulling parts off the car. I felt the time was right to change…

THERE ARE OVER 1500 CARS ON DISPLAY mixed in with over 3000 vendors. The vast majority of the cars are making their debut at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show, so it’s really exciting to see all the fresh builds up close. I love seeing all the various brands of cars, but I’m drawn like a moth to a flame each time I’m lucky enough to spy early German tin. While checking out the Optima Battery display, I came across the impressive race-designed 1964 Notch-back of Robert Wilson. It features a gun metal gray exterior with a glossy blood red interior. The Type 3 also has unique 3-piece wheels that showcase Wilwood disc brakes. A few minutes later, I came across the “Volkstream” Bus built by Randy Grubb. This…

In the early WWII postwar years, perhaps to conserve paper, German school children all had little blackboards and chalk markers to write with, and complete their math and handwriting assignments. The well-equipped student also had a cloth or sponge and a little aluminum tin with a screw on top that were called a schwammdose (sponge container). Inside the schwammdose was a wet cloth or sponge to erase and clean their blackboard as needed. These schwammdoses came with a variety of themes for boys and girls and had various lithograph designs with everything from clowns, animals, to cowboy & Indians on the screw top lid. But, lucky for VW collectors, three of them came with a vintage Volkswagen theme – kids could enjoy their VW Beetle Cabriolet lithographed on the schwammdose…

May 3, 2020 The CVAs 30th Annual Spring Dust-off Organization: The Connecticut VW Assoc. Location: Loos & Co., junction of Rt.169 & Rt. 101, Pomfret, CT 06259 Description: This is a free, informal , non-judged VW gathering held rain or shine. Dash plaques to the first 100 cars. Food available next door at Pizza 101 and Baker’s Dozen. Please no alcohol, loud music, vending, or burn outs! Phone: Bill Arute 860-395-9964 Email: bill@ctvwa.org Website: http://www.ctvwa.org May 16, 2020 Avery’s Air-Cooled VW Show-N-Shine Organization: Avery’s Air-Cooled VW Location: Kelso, WA Description: Saturday May 16, 2020 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM 7th Annual Avery’s Air-Cooled VW Show-N-Shine Largest Non-Trophy VW Event in the Northwest Show-off your vintage vehicle, mingle with other VW enthusiasts, food, vendors, raffles, kid’s games, engine-blow, music, and entertainment.…