Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2021 i dune buggies and hotVWs

Dear Readers, Advertisers, and Fans of Dune Buggies and hotVWs Magazine from all over the World, Coronavirus Updates I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since the coronavirus pandemic impacted the World, and we still remain affected in many ways. Our staff hasn’t traveled outside California or the USA for VW events; we only visited a few local meets and cruises, as most of the major shows were canceled or postponed. But I am still thankful for my health. It allows us to keep Dune Buggies and hotVWs running strong, providing some fun content to our readers. We hope you and your family stay safe and well. We genuinely hope this situation will improve by the time you receive this April issue. Dune Buggies and HotVWs Magazine is still…

Type 4 Drain Plug I was changing the oil in my 2.0L Type 4 motor (actually a Porsche 914 engine) and a nightmare scenario occurred. I was backing the drain out, when I felt it binding and slipping. Once the plug was out and I inspected it, I found that not only was I holding the drain plug, but I also had the threads from the case on the plug. Do you know how to fix this? Do I need to drill a larger hole and tap it? John Becker Johnson City, TN John, I assume you mean the drain plug and not the oil strainer cover. The drain plugs thread is 12mm x 1.5 mm pitch. I think the best way to repair this would be a HeliCoil. These…

In this article, I want to talk about breathers on your engine. Let’s look at the stock crankcase breather. It is located on the generator stand on all upright motors and on the pulley side of the motor on pancake motors. On upright motors, it is on the generator/alternator stand where you pour in the oil. Most of the time it has a dump tube which goes through the tin and out on the ground. All of them have a “nipple” that you put a hose on that goes into the air cleaner. There are a few things to look at here. First, the generator stand has a baffle plate. This keeps oil that is slinged up by the cam gears from going up the oil filler. This baffle has…

JayCee Aluminum Clover Spool Brand new lightweight Aluminum Swing Axle Clover Spool. Made of 6061 and 7075 aircraft-quality aluminum. The Clover Spool will provide even wheel speed to help the car launch harder and straight. It weighs in at under 5 lbs.; compare that to the welded steel diffs. FOR DRAG RACING ONLY! Not for street use. For more information, visit empius.com, or EMPI dealers. Weddle 091 Racing Super Diff Very latest Weddle 091 racing Super Diff, just released; it features a 100% forged and heat-treated Chromoly steel housing. Fits ‘76 and later Bus and Vanagon transaxles. Additionally, the unit can be installed in an 002 transaxle with purchase of additional parts available from Rancho. The 5241HD diff is sold complete as shown. For more information, call 714-680-6737 or visit…

WE GOT INTO SIDE-BY-SIDE MUD DRAG RACING BETWEEN GROWING UP IN MY DAD’S ’66 MUSTANG AND THE NEIGHBOR Danny Ried practice launching his Chevy SS every time he left the gas station, VW was the last car on my mind. At the age of 15, 44-inch Super Swamper buggies were new to the market; I didn’t care what I had to drive, I needed them! I was attracted by an off-road vehicle. Once I got a driving license at age 16, I ended up with a ’71 Super Beetle. I truly hated that car. But after reading hotVWs magazines, then thoughts of beating V8 cars with my Super Beetle got me saving money. A year later, my brother told me: “You should buy a Baja, we can go jump it.”…

February 27-28, 2021 52nd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Rod & Custom Car Show Location: Monticello Berndes Center, 766 North Maple Street, Monticello, Iowa Description: Muller Brother Trophies, Citizens State Bank Cash Prizes, Travel Money and No entry fee for street rods, custom cars, motorcycles, street machines, race cars and pickups. For more information: Galen Muller, 853 Southhaven Drive, Monticello, Iowa 52310 . Call: 319-465-5119 or rodandcustomcarshow.com March 14, 2021 VWs at The Rock Location: Rockingham Dragway. 2153 US Hwy 1 North; Rockingham, NC 28379 Description: All VW Car Show, Drag Racing and Swap meet. All models air- and water-cooled welcome. Camping available at track. Hours 8am-5pm. $15 Spectator admission (12 & under free), Show car entry $25 includes 1 person, Vendor Fee $40 for a 10x20 space includes 1 admission.…

This should be simple in theory, as Buses had “moon-style” hubcaps. Their fitment to the wide-five, 205mm bolt-pattern wheel started in the late ‘30s. Volkswagen still sells the caps to this day, over 80 years later. You can take a brand new 2021 replacement hubcap and clip it right onto any stock Type 1 through 1965 or Type 2 through 1970. It is nice that they continue to make the hubcaps, over 50 years after the last car that they fit rolled off of their German production lines. (The Brazilian Buses used moon caps later than their German cousins, in the ‘70s). In all, there were two decades of Bus production with moon caps, and like pretty much every other part, they evolved through the years. A 1950 cap will…

At the heart of the California Look movement was the desire to have the quickest VW on the street. For most of us in the ’70s, each could find a certain level of performance, but only a few sought to find the limit in power, and actually drove a 12-second VW on the street. In 1978, hotVWs introduced two such guys who were just plain bad-ass on the street: Scott Bakken and Kris Klingaman. Scott is still active drag racing his Bug, but sadly this past December, we lost Kris Klingaman. James Kristin Klingaman, or Kris to everyone, was in the epicenter of the street scene in Santa Ana, California. Known for driving and racing an insanely fast 1968 blue sedan, Kris was there during the early years of the…

Back in the 1950s, the Japanese toy manufacturers were producing tinplate toy vehicles like they was going out of style. They depicted the automobiles of the same era that included just about all the American and European models as well. Most of them were produced in a manner that resembled the full-size car pretty close. Back in that era, these models were considered cheap Japanese imported toys. Sure, they were inexpensive and perhaps “cheap” looking as compared to the nice tin and diecast toys produced in Europe and the USA, but they have a definite character of their own. The Japanese manufacturers were good at installing all those extra little tin items on the car for detail, which were perhaps the first to break off and at times were just…

The year was1966 and I had just purchased a 1956 Oval Window. It was to become my daily driver and the car I would become a Panzer with. I bought the car off an independent little car lot on Harbor Blvd in Anaheim, California. There were many of these lots around in the ’60s and this one had a few Bugs. Still in good condition, it was black with a red interior as most black ’50s Bugs were. This car was to be my economical ride to save money, but there was a problem, it was SLOW! Having been a hot rodder of sorts, I decided to work on that. One of the first things I wanted was a new interior and definitely not red! As many people did in…

In 1967, when Dune Buggies & hotVWs was launched, it wasn’t uncommon for young Americans to hot rod their cars. These enthusiasts would replace the body of an old Beetle with a buggy shell for instance. The buggy hype was already in full swing by the end of the ’60s, and the air-cooled scene in general was also growing rapidly. The first Bug-In took place at Orange County International Raceway in California as early as 1968. The competitions included a slalom (autocross), a car show and drag racing. And what a success it was! No wonder Bugs, Ghias, Buses and Square-backs became so popular, especially with young adults. A second magazine called VW Trends soon appeared, and even hot rod publications occasionally devoted a few pages to the vehicles engineered…

A TRIBUTE ORIGINAL TO 1967 BRUCE BAJA MEYERS RACER ’ The year was 1967. The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Elvis married Priscilla, Volkswagen upgraded 12-volt systems to its U.S. lineup and it was the last year of the Split Window Bus. By the same year in April, Bruce Meyers sets a record of 34 hours 45 minutes beating the motorcycles record by over 5 hours running the length of the Baja peninsula in his first Manx, “Old Red.” Bruce’s business was booming and the popularity of the Meyers Manx was soaring. His personal Manx was a gorgeous gold metalflake, early pan, square-tail Manx affectionately named Goldie. It was his test bed for different accessories, along with being the mule for giving potential customers rides. Goldie also…

Countless articles have been written about the life of Bruce Meyers (born in 1926), hence our piece takes a different approach, concentrating on the VW-powered vehicles he has created over the last 58 years. Just in case you know little about the amazing Californian artist, here are some key facts: In 1945, he managed to survive a kamikaze aircraft attack that took the life of 389 of his fellow American fighters; he worked with well-known surfboard maker Dale Velzy; he crossed the Pacific Ocean by boat to reach the Cook Islands and Tahiti; he built some of the first fiberglass sailboats… and so much more. At age 38, Bruce created Old Red, a car that revolutionized the automobile world, though he is quick to point out: “I didn’t invent the…