Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i dune buggies and hotVWs

Since I started driving my first Beetle at age 18, I have attended countless VW shows/events. Being involved in the automobile magazine industry for 25 years, I was lucky to have participated in many Volkswagen happenings in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. These trips made me realize that the VW scene is huge around the world; still, there are many other shows in a variety of countries on my bucket list. In my 33 years of VW life and after traveling extensively to attend events, here is something I can assert without a doubt: the Volkswagen scene is very unique, and you don’t see anything like it when it comes to other brands of cars, no matter where you…

Lego Volkswagen T2 Camper Van Camper van fans will love all the neat design details packed into this VW model. New LEGO elements recreate much-loved features from the real camper van, including the iconic windscreen, textile curtains and the textile pop-up tent. There’s also a new LEGO tire shape, working steering, a sliding door, surfboard, 2 folding chairs and flower-power stickers. For more information, visit www.lego.com Type 3 Pedal Kick Panel New Type 3 pedal kick panel from ISP West. Fits all left-hand drive Type 3 models with manual transmissions. Panel fits behind the pedal assembly. For more details and information, visit www.vwispwest.com Pro-Flanged Crankshafts Pro-Flanged Crankshafts are manufactured using an E4340 Chromoly multi-struck forging. The forging is CNCmachined to utilize Type 4 VW main bearings and Chevy 2” rod…

IN THE 1950S, CALIFORNIA’S CAR culture, surfing and skateboarding were part of living in the post-war generation. Initially skateboarding was referred as “sidewalk surfing”. Boards were handmade from wooden boxes and used roller skate wheels as carefree children played on the streets and parks. In 1959, they began to evolve when manufacturers used stronger and lightweight materials for their ultimate performance. Today, skateboards are made from elite materials and generate billions of dollars around the world. It has been sanctioned as an official sport for the XXXII 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan that was postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic. FRANK CASAS’ “SKATEBACK” In 2010, Frank Casas of Ontario, California purchased this ’66 Squareback from Jeff Stickler. The latter had taken delivery of the vehicle at the Port…

The OEBC Spring Picnic & Campout has always been held at Featherly Regional Park in Anaheim, Orange County, California. The venue is quite unique, as it sits by one of the busiest freeways in California, State Route 91, along the Orange County and Riverside County border – it is therefore centrally located in Southern California. However, albeit traffic is flowing right next to the park, most of it remains a natural wilderness area. Public access is restricted, except for the Canyon RV Park, home of the Spring Picnic & Campout. After the cancellation of the 2020 event due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the 21st annual meet was finally back on April 29 - May 2, 2021, with the largest turnout ever. As the campout started on Thursday, vintage VWs kept…

WE WENT THROUGH A FEW CLUTCHES AND EMERGENCY BRAKES... Dana bought this Bug, her first car, in January of 1995. “I was a senior in high school, and I got a killer deal on it, just $1800. My Grandpa spotted it in Northern Wyoming. The original owner purchased it new at Whitlock Volkswagen about 45 minutes from where I grew up.” The car was in great shape, thanks to being garage kept, and in part to Wyoming not using harsh salt on their roads during the winter. Originally the 1970 Beetle was white with red interior, but it wasn’t long before that would change. “In 1997 I painted it ‘Dark Blue Metallic’ (I still have the label off the paint can), and redid the interior in white. I chose blue…

As I write this month’s column, I am huddled up close to the air conditioner in the house and am waiting for the sun to set and the temps to drop a bit, so that I can get out in the garage and get something done. It’s that time of year when the air-cooled cars in Southern California hide during the middle of the day. The early morning cars, coffee events and warm summer evening drives are the enjoyment factors. But when it’s up in triple digits during the heat of the day, my choice of vehicle is something with creature comforts to make the drive more bearable. Back when I was young and my air-cooled VW was my only car, I never thought much about it. Nothing could keep…

Orange County, California was a fantastic place to grow up during the 1980s, especially if you had any interest in air-cooled Volkswagens. You could literally find them on every street corner, while a great number also filled the parking lots of local high schools such as Saddle-back in Santa Ana. With help from Greg Halsne and several friends, one of Saddleback’s Juniors named Gary Madrid (Class of 1983) put together a clean ’68 Bug, typical of the Cal Look VWs cruising the local boulevards. Think bright blue paint, gold-painted Empi 8-spoke rims, 1641cc engine with dual Weber carbs – the works. A few months later, a distracted motorist unfortunately ran a stop sign, plowed into the Volkswagen and totaled it. Gary, who suffered some injuries, thereby received a small settlement…

VW s are a universal language with enthusiasts all over the world, and can lead to friendships that span opposite sides of the globe. While attending the 9th annual Siam VW show in Bangkok, I was on the hunt for a set of Thai license plates to add to my shop collection. In the swap meet, I came upon Puddhi Dheppratum selling plastic license plate surrounds. They were cool, but I had my eye on the actual license plates he was using as his display to sell the surrounds. I asked my Thai friend Lek to inquire about them, but Puddhi was not interested in selling as he needed them for his display. I smiled and moved on. But after two more visits and Lek’s persistence, Puddhi finally agreed. The…

“Doubling it” was a good rule of thumb. The weekend offered double the events. The team physically doubled the show field (and then some). Overall attendance doubled. And, while tough to quantify, attendee feedback was overwhelmingly positive for the weekend. Whispers and word-of-mouth plans started to swirl in January as people started to register – Jonathan Leyh and his team had inklings the turnout would be huge. Announcements of additional events, general cabin fever and anticipation of times spent with friends, both new and old, kept the numbers climbing above the benchmarks of years past. It all added up to an unprecedented weekend for enthusiasts in the lakeside town with a definitive “vibe” all of its own. There’s hints of large destination shows – seeing the same people at gas…

It was in late 1966 or early 1967, and I was working at Westphalia Motors, an independent VW repair shop. I was employed as a flat-rate mechanic, having gotten my training courtesy of Volkswagen in Culver City, followed by a stint at a VW dealer (Ballard Motors); then left to work for an independent shop. I worked for and with some really nice Germans – RIP Rudy Hoffner. One day, a nice guy came into the shop with an almost brand new ’66 Beetle. He was a member of a VW club, Der Kleiner Panzers. He introduced himself: “Hi, I’m Gregg Bunch and I want to get a Porsche clutch for my Bug.” In those days, a 180 mm Porsche diaphragm clutch was the “hot ticket” for your VW Beetle.…

We are slowly but surely approaching 2022, with great hopes for a more “normal” life again. Here in Germany, there wasn’t much going on in terms of VW events this year. The 1st of May Show did not take place, the big vintage show in Hessisch Oldendorf was postponed to 2022, and so did the 15th Moselcruising. You have probably never heard of Moselcruising; that’s why I’m writing about this somewhat different event today – I’ve been part of the organizing team since 2007. The small meeting was launched in 2005 in the beautiful Mosel Valley. This area is located in the very southwestern corner of Germany. Like a blue ribbon, the Mosel twists and turns its way between Trier and Koblenz, along one of Germany’s most beautiful river valleys,…

The Beetle is an icon of the Volkswagen brand. Over the years, it has symbolized many different things to many different people, from a classic example of German ingenuity to the calling card for a counterculture movement to a reminder that the simplest of things can sometimes be the best. Above all, it set the standard by which all other small, economy cars are judged. From the beginning of the modern Volkswagen, the Beetle was a boom car for affordable transportation in Europe and elsewhere, and by 1952 it was sold in 46 countries. Eventually, it would be built in 14 countries around the globe. More than 21.5 million were sold before the final, modern-generation water-cooled New Beetle rolled off the assembly line in 2019. Yet the longevity of the…

If you belong to the 40 and older age group, I imagine a lot of you dream about reuniting with the old rides which you owned when you were a kid. Here is the story of a lucky guy who made that dream come true – and it will be attending the 2022 Grand National Roadster Show. An Albuquerque, New Mexico resident his entire life, Reggie Tibbetts has been a happily married man for 43 years, to his wife Margret, a real “car gal” and supporter of his hobby. At 66 years of age, Reggie has owned/built more than 75 VWs over four decades, including 45-plus Ovals, five Split Window Beetles, Karmann Ghias, Notchbacks, and six Splitty Buses. Reggie and Margret currently own and drive a restored 1977 Brazilian 15-window…