Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i VWT Lifestyle

By reading this, there’s every chance you already own a VW Bus of some description. If so, we’ll bet a pound to a pinch of snuff that at some point, someone you know, be it a family member, friend or friend-of-a-friend has asked if they or someone they know can borrow or use it for one thing or another. Be it wedding transportation, a kid’s prom night, day out or family holiday. I know I’ve been asked for all of the above, and I’ve always refused. After all, I wouldn’t lend most of the people I know my Bus and expect them to understand the idiosyncrasies of a lowered old VW - one that’s left-hand drive to boot. Nor would I want the risks involved with using it for a…

There aren’t many things I like about Leicestershire. I can say that, because I was born here and by a weird quirk of fate, ended up back here. However, one of the things that is really good about being a Midlander is that it makes Stanford Hall my local VW show. And that, is pretty darn brilliant. Stanford Hall was also the first VW show I ever attended, over 20 years ago, and I’ve only missed one in all that time. And in that time, I’ve watched it grow into undoubtedly one of the shining highlights of the VW show calendar. Not just in terms of size, but the level of cars and scale of swap meet it attracts. We were super lucky with the weather this year. The sun…

10 – 12 August Blackpool Breeze Blackpool, Lancashire www.blackpoolbreeze.co.uk 10 – 12 August VW Festival Harewood House, Leeds www.vwfestival.co.uk 17 -18 August Viva Skeg Vegas Revesby, Lincolnshire www.vivaskegvegasvw.co.uk 17 -19 August Volksfest Wales Watton Show Fields, Brecon www.volksfest.wales 19 August Dubs by the Beach Littlehampton, Sussex www.dubsbythebeach.com 24 – 27 August Beach Gathering Budel Bay, Northumberland www.beachgathering.co.uk 24 – 26 August Camper Calling Ragley Hall, Warwickshire www.campercalling.com 24 – 27 August Gathering off the Hill Astle Park, Chelford www.gothvw.co.uk 24 – 26 August Cornwall Jamboree Stithians Showground www.cornwalljamboree.co.uk 31 – 2 August VW Action Santa Pod, Northants www.vwaction.co.uk 7 September October 2018 issue of C&B on sale!…

A STEELIE QUESTION Hi Camper&Bus, I’m looking to replace the existing steel wheels with 5.5x15 replicas Fuchs on my 1979 Late Bay, which is dropped slightly and sensibly, not stupidly. I have been asking the wheel suppliers for tyre recommendations but they refuse, stating that they cannot and I have to look at magazine features. I have looked at about five mags and cannot find anything. Can you point me in a couple of directions ?  Many thanks  Karl Frestle, Cambridge Hi Karl, wheel and tyre suppliers will never recommend anything - especially if you’re doing something out of the ordinary to your vehicle - like fitting different size wheels and tyres to the manufacturers recommendations - in case there’s any come back. And it’s a policy we adhere to on the…

Does anybody else remember a time when Split Screen Bus prices were based on the theory that they cost £1,000 per window? Those were the days, eh? When you could buy an 11-window for the price of a four year old Ford Mondeo and Panel Vans cost peanuts! Legend has it that you could pick up a road legal Bay Window in the ’90s for £50… How things change! One thing that has always remained the same is that the king of all the Volkswagens, the Chief High Priest, the Pontifex Maximus is and always has been the 23-window Samba. You want one, right? We want one. Everyone wants one. But getting one? Well that’s an entirely different matter. Even if you have the means in today’s market, and by…

I may be a jaded old motoring hack now, but I can remember the first time I read about ex-emergency service vehicles. From that moment on, these retired fire engines and ambulances based on VWs ubiquitous Type 2 took on a near mythic status for me. I can remember thinking how amazing it would be if only I could find and own one, but knew deep in my heart that I never would. I’m sure everyone who’s heard of them has felt similarly inclined, because legend would have us believe that they are all super low milage, unrestored gems that have been locked away, but meticulously maintained throughout their lives. Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? But what if it is true? What if you’re looking at an…

The sliding door on a Bay Window Bus can suffer really bad with rot. The vast majority of RHD Buses will have required some form of repair in this area, due to blocked drain holes, damage or just the fact that all these Buses are now nearing half a century old. In fact, if you’re tackling the job and the door you’re working on hasn’t been previously repaired, then your luck is in. The fact that it is a tricky area to repair, means it comes in for a lot of bodging, with filler, newspaper, seam sealer and even expanding foam, along with the old patch welded over a rusty door bottom trick. Your bus deserves better, so we’ll show you how to remove all the grot and replace the…

Last month, I wrote about how my trip to Kustom Coach Werks came about earlier this year during research for my Patina Volkswagens book and gave you an insight into our action-packed first few days in Colorado. As I’d mentioned in that report, we’d been loaned a 1970 Bay Window Deluxe by a friend of KCW Dan Sterner; Dan also has an original paint Mango Green / Seagull Grey Split Bus, so he had a ‘spare’ he could do without for a couple of weeks. The Bus had clearly seen some off-road action, so the first weekend was spent giving it a cleanup, while Jo and Gretchen made some curtains. Monday morning dawned and a box arrived at KCW containing the front window regulators, so I set to fitting these…

Where were you over the weekend of June 8 - 10? If you were kicking back in a field in Hampshire, you were in good company, that’s for sure. The JK open day is an annual event where all proceeds raised go to Cancer Research UK. That’s money for camping pitches, the silent auction, the BBQ plus any money donated. It’s an incredibly chilled-out event, with some cool live music, great food to eat and plenty of kids entertainment - from Arty Kids Pottery Painting to face painting - and you didn’t have to be school age to partake! As ever, the JK staff were on hand so you could pick up parts and take advantage of some sweet discounts, but our highlight was the evening cinema. Who doesn’t love…