dune buggies and hotVWs November 2023

Most of you will likely be aware of the horrific disaster that struck the Island of Maui in Hawaii last month. The most significant fire in a series of events began from a brush fire that ignited in West Maui near the town of Lahaina on the morning of August 8. During the early morning, significant winds began to impact the town. Peak wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour started to cause minor damage to homes and buildings. Subsequently, a power pole was snapped along Lahainaluna Road, across the street from the Lahaina Intermediate School on the northeast side of town. The wildfire rapidly grew in both size and intensity. Wind gusts propelled the flames through the northeastern region of the community, where dense neighborhoods were situated.…

Oh, Just Venting! Hello Jon, I'm currently in the process of building a 1914cc engine equipped with Weber IDFs for my daily drives. I'm seeking your expert advice and recommendations regarding the proper method to vent the crankcase. Would you suggest routing it from the valve covers, or would it be better to incorporate a separate case vent? Dale Morgan Los Angeles, CA Dale, on a 1914cc, I think that just venting the valve covers, along with the stock vent tube on the oil filler will suffice. You should run the three hoses up to a breather box. Most generic breather boxes only have three fitting locations, and they would work better if they had four. You can install a fourth one on top of the breather box, then run…

In around 1967, I had a black 1956 Oval Window Bug. It was not my first VW and certainly not my first car. I won't go into all my previous vehicles but, suffice it to say, I had settled on the fact that I was a Volkswagen guy! I had been in a car club with my 1965 Mustang and had no interest in being in another club. But then I met Gregg Bunch! Now around this time, I was working at an independent VW repair shop, Westphalia Motors, and Gregg brought his VW in for various repairs and we became friends. He introduced me to Jim Holmes whose nickname was Jake and the two of them said “Hey you should come and check out our VW club, the Panzers”.…

You may think Germany is a Type 4 country, but that changed in the late ‘90s, early 2000. When I started in the VW hobby back in the ‘80s, people told me that a Type 4 engine is necessary when you aim for more than two-liter displacement. “You can go the Type 1 route when you are happy with 1776 cc, but don't go over 90.5 millimeters bore – 92s and 94s make the engine weak and it will not last. If you want to play with the big dogs, get a Type 4. These engines are reliable, even when stroked.” That was common knowledge. In Germany, people used their Bugs, Ghias, and Type 3s as daily transportation all year round. They didn't pamper them. These cars had to run…

Many of us who have been in the VW hobby for years do have one thought that nags at the back of our minds from time to time: what will happen to our classic rides once we're gone? Will they continue to be active in the hobby? We're happy to report that in many instances, the next generation is ready to take the stick shift in hand and run with it! In our own Michigan Vintage Volkswagen Club, we have Greg and Ryan Sanchez, who inherited his father Rick's beautiful green 1977 Westfalia when Rick passed away 10 years ago. Rick was a longtime member who was always active in the club and great to talk with. He took excellent care of his Bus, and used it to camp with…

As I type this month's column, I am winding down from an epic trip up to Monterey for the annual Car Week. This is a bucket list trip for any gearhead, and I have been trying to attend every time I can because it is just so overwhelmingly good. This year, I went to attend and show at three events, and ended up expanding that to four events at the last minute. I also helped arrange a couple of showings of the Brubaker Box for its new owners, who flew in from Germany to attend. I was tapped for judging duty at two shows and also wanted to attend some additional events, but simply ran out of time and energy. I just could not do it all. The plus side…