Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i dune buggies and hotVWs

If you are reading this magazine, we might assume you own one or more VWs, or dream of owning one someday. I am sure Volkswagens are not just cars to you. They might have a stronger meaning in your life. So, let me ask you a question: What does VW mean to you? Why are you so fascinated by Volkswagens? Do you love VWs because of the incredible history behind these vehicles? Are you fascinated by their timeless and unique design? Or is it the simplicity of the car? The ease and fun of wrenching on them? The impressive performance capabilities of the air-cooled engine? The availability of the parts? Or simply the joy of driving? I am sure hundreds of people have hundreds of different answers. Whenever I have…

Today, we’re going to talk about heaters in your car. I’m sitting here in front of this computer, staring out the window, where it’s raining and on the verge of snowing, so heater is the first thing that came to mind. First, we will look at the heat source and how it works. An air-cooled motor has a “heater box”. Usually, one on each side of the motor. Twice the heat as normal car? No, not really. There are what we call stale air heater boxes and fresh air heater boxes. Now, you might think they are all stale air. What Hans and Franz are meaning as your right “fresh air” is a very loose term. As for the stale air boxes, trust me, it’s stale air. On early cars…

40-HP-1600CC LOWER ENGINE TIN This lower engine tin fits with ease and is galvanized for rust prevention. These will fit 40hp - 1600cc engines and will keep the air cooling all year long. Quality reproductions from Germany. For more information, visit www.wolfsburgwest.com. WIRING HARNESS, TYPE 1 SEDAN/CONVERTIBLE All New Wiring Harnesses from EMPI. Their engineering team has created an all new, high-quality reproduction of the factory German wiring harness with correct color coding, ready to install right out of the box. EMPI wiring harness includes: easyto-follow instructions, correct gauge and wire color with coded stripes for matching to the factory wiring diagram, branch wires packaged individually and numbered for ease of identification and installation, and factory-style connectors. For more information, visit EMPI dealers or empius.com. MAHLE FORGED SUPER BIG BORE…

Our first and probably most important task when getting the bottom end ready is to make sure we have all the proper bearings at hand. A final micrometer check of the crankshaft showed that our unit was indeed a “20-20” or .020 inches undersize on the main and rod journals. Our main thrust bearing had already been matched to the thrust width area of our case at the machine shop. A set of Kolbenschmidt .020” (.50mm) rod bearings will be used with the DPR Machine rebuilt rods. The rods had been previously checked for matched weight. It’s always a good idea to drop the main bearing dowel pins into the case for bearing indexing. Hand pressing in the #3 and #4 bearings into the case, a Sharpie marker, (and a…

On the other side of the Atlantic, the VolksWorld Show is well known among VW enthusiasts as a major event, which you don’t want to miss. It takes place at the Sandown Park, a horse racetrack located in Esher, Surrey, 45 minutes southwest of London. The beautiful venue is also used for numerous conventions and trade shows throughout the year. As indicated by the event’s name, our friends from the British magazine VolksWorld are in charge of the weekend’s festivities. Every year in March, the promoting team gathers some of the most outstanding VWs of the moment, whatever their style or trend. Going up the stairs of the main entrance leading to the show, we came “face to face” with three vehicles that set the tone for the event. On…

Large Rims ‘n’ Low Stance Hi Jon, I’m in the process of purchasing a 1971 Super Beetle. It needs some bodywork and pan replacement. I’m hoping to fit New Beetle 17×7 heritage rims and disc brakes all around. Will I have issues with clearance? I might put wider fenders if needed. I want to use 17-inch (or larger) wheels and a get that “low stance”. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks! Brian Hines Madison, WI Brian, this is a combination that we see all the time. It’s a basic “German Look” setup. On the ’71 to ’73 Super you’ll want a 7-inch wide rim (front and rear) with an ET (offset) between ET 40 and ET 55. With an ET of 40 to 45mm, you won’t need any spacers or…

The 17th Annual Lakeland VW Classic was held this past March in Lakeland, Florida, and we couldn’t wait to take it all in again this year! The weekend’s activities began with a meet-up cruise night on Friday at the RP Funding Center, followed by Saturday’s Bus Show. But the main event was Sunday’s show, with over 500 Volkswagens, both air- and watercooled, filling up the parking lot of the RP Funding Center. Every model was represented - from early originals to full out custom and everything in between. There was also a great swap and vendor area, live music as well as a DJ, and lots of food choices. This is a fully judged show, with 47 classes, each with first, second and third place trophies, as well as Best…

1953 Dannenhauer & Stauss and 1954 Rometsch Beeskow Coupe In 1949, Volkswagen launched two cabriolet models based on the Beetle chassis: the two-seater (2+2) Type 14 and the 4-seater Type 15. These convertibles were not assembled at the VW factory but respectively outsourced to coachbuilders Hebmüller and Karmann. Volkswagen sent the completed rolling chassis and key parts to both companies, where employees mated them to convertible bodies and finished the cars. The easy-to-rebody Beetles chassis attracted other coachbuilders as well. They saw the potential of a niche market to fill the price gap between the Beetle and the Porsche 356. As a result, VW chassis-based special automobiles were introduced by various coachbuilders in the early 1950s, and some of them became quite popular. In the early stage, Volkswagen partially supported…

A certain mystery surrounds Standard Beetles in the U.S., as they have never been officially imported by Volkswagen of America, established in 1955. To be clear, we are not talking about “non-Super Beetle” 1970s. me dels here VW never officially adopted the "Standard” moniker for them by the way. Instead, our focus is on the basic Bugs, in stark com rast with the better appointed Deluxe/Export versions available in America. Mostly offered in various European countries, the low-production Standard Beetles had unique personalities, with Split Windows having many traits in common with WWII KdF-Wagens. Among the non-exhaustive characteristics, we should mention the lack of molding and certain chrome items (bumpers…), cable brakes, a three-spoke steering wheel, and more. HotVWs devoted an extensive article on a comparison between a ‘52 Standard…

Held in or around Vancouver, British Columbia, the Great Canadian VW Show has been a favorite hotVWs Magazine destination for over 25 years, being Canada’s largest all-VW get-together. And we really mean [i]all VW[i], as it mixes Split Window Bugs with the latest 315-hp Golf R… The event’s success should be attributed in great part to a hardworking crew, led by Der Volksrennwagen Käfer Klub (DVKK). Volkswagen enthusiasts have other reasons to travel to BC, as the weekend also offers other activities during the same weekend, starting with a drag race on Friday night. Some car show promoters have been struggling through the pandemic, with numerous meets being canceled altogether in 2020. During the following year, they returned at a slow pace, with a few changes thrown in for good…

This information is accurate as of May 7th, 2023. Please check the event organizers’ websites for the latest updates. June 03, 2023 O.C.T.O. Meet 2023 Location: Long Beach Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, 5000 E. Lew Davis St., Long Beach, CA 90808 Description: Orange County Transporter Organization presents “O.C.T.O. Meet 2023”. This is our Summer bus event. It is a swap and display meet, for 1967 and earlier Volkswagen buses, held at Long Beach Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, Long Beach, CA. All parking will be on a “First come - First served basis”. There will be raffle prizes at the main booth. Food and refreshments will be provided by the LBVMS Concessions. Drive your transporter and find those parts you’ve been looking for!!! Fees: 1967 and Earlier Buses (Display or Swap): $10.00 Per…

Back in April this year, we began a series of articles revolving around a stash of amazing color slides dating from the late 1960s to the early ‘70s found in our archives. The majority of the pictures featured dune buggies not a surprise considering their popularity back then. That first installment made quick mention of the buggies’ prowess in off-road competition. Let’s have a more comprehensive look at the subject. CARS LEFT THE MINT 400’S STARTING LINE FOUR OR FIVE ABREAST, AT AN INTERVAL OF 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE In a way, buggies and off-road racing were a match in heaven as both came of age during the second half of the 1960s. This motorsport had already gained momentum in the ‘50s, yet VW-powered dune buggies remained uncompetitive against…