dune buggies and hotVWs January 2023

As I am writing this column, daylight savings time is about to end in California, during the first week of November. But based on the magazine’s production schedule, when you’ll have this copy in hand, we will already be in the middle of the holiday season. Can you believe how time flies? The year 2023 is around the corner; we have only one month remaining this year. In 2022, we enjoyed plenty of memorable moments. After two years dominated by the pandemic, it was the first year we nearly went “full swing”. In January, our scene became part of the Grand National Roadster Show - the world’s most prestigious hot rod/custom automobile event - whose history spans over 72 years. It was a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit, revolving around a selection of…

Through my daily routine working in the air-cooled VW business, I talk with a lot of people about their cars. Sometimes it’s to someone looking to sell their VW, other times, it’s from someone that is looking to fill that spot in the garage and rekindle some memories of the past. What I love about these comings and goings is the endless good vibes that go along with the “product” that I assist people with. Sales and marketing is pretty much the same game no matter what you are selling. But when it is something that gives people so much joy and so many fun memories, it sure makes the process easier and more enjoyable to be a part of. I just got off the phone with a gentleman that…

Ladies and gentlemen, this month, Ron Fleming has written a piece done tongue in cheek for fun, in the spirit of Christmas. Enjoy! - Ed. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a perfect ’67 Bug, you see! On the second day of Christmas, what did I see, Buddy Hale painting that Bug for me! On the third day of Christmas, much to my surprise, Don from Brad’s upholstery stitching up some vinyl On the fourth day of Christmas, what was going on, Mike Herbert of Rancho had my trans and a 5-speed it had become! On the fifth day of Christmas, amazing to see Nao Fujita of Flat Four with four BRMs,you see! On the sixth day of Christmas, Empi was there with shocks,…

To the Zenith Hi Jon, my name is Michael and I love VW Beetles! I have a Type 1 with a 1998cc and single-port heads. I want to use a single Zenith 32NDIX carb. Which size venturis and jets should I use? And what is the best isolated or plenum manifold? My carb is made in France and has a slot in the base. And it has only 2×19mm venturis. Br Michael New Orleans, LA Michael, the standard venturi for a single Zenith is a 24mm, so yours are abnormally small. Some tuners will actually go with slightly bigger ones too. For you, since you are using single port heads, I would stick with the 24mm. A typical main jet would be a 135, and the air correction a 180.…

So, we spent all of 2022 discussing the various regular models of Buses. For 2023 we will bounce around a bit. There are almost endless models that were either coachbuilt specials that were available through the dealership network, or coachbuilt specials that were built for individual customers, or Buses that were modified by the customers themselves. Type 2s are continuously coming out of the woodwork, so we see new variants all the time. I have it on good authority that one or more of these will show up at the third Barndoor gathering at the OCTO show in Long Beach, California on June 3rd, 2023. There are also special Buses that once existed but now perhaps only exist in photos. This month, some of the photos we will see are…

Back in my 20s, I had the possibility to go to an air-cooled show every weekend over the summertime. Sometimes I could even choose between two or more events over one weekend. And they were not further away than 125 miles. That was in the 1990s, when the air-cooled scene was at its pinnacle. All these meetings had more or less the same concept. One of the countless VW clubs rented a piece of grassland for a weekend, brought toilet and shower trailers, set up a big party tent, and filled it up with tables and benches. In addition to that, they provided a beer stall, an additional one for Bratwurst, and if they were counted among the wealthier clubs they could afford a live band for Saturday evening. And…