Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i VWT Lifestyle

BUS SHOW With the major event scene now approaching full strength again, after the deprivations of the Covid era, this year’s Classic Motor Show at the NEC Birmingham saw nearly 70,000 enthusiasts attending over the weekend of November 11-13. Claiming to be the world’s biggest classic vehicle club event, the show brings together the full supply chain for the classic car market, with an enormous array of trade stands, an autojumble and various club presentations. An estimated 3,000 vehicles of all marques were displayed by 300 clubs, including several VW owners’ clubs, most notably the Split Screen Van Club, as well as the ABVWC and Corrado, Scirocco and Mk1 Golf owners’ clubs plus several Audi owners’ groups. Highlights included appearances by Top Gear’s Richard Hammond, Mike Brewer from Wheeler Dealers,…

The story of how this super rare RHD ’54 Bus came into Mark’s hands is quite a convoluted one. Whilst living in Singapore a few years back, he spotted a Notchback for sale in Australia. The thing is, he needed someone to build it for him – and that’s how Mark made contact with Alan Agyik at Das Resto Haus in Southport, Queensland who agreed to take on the project. The Notch went on to win a ton of awards and a friendship was established. Some time later, Alan bumped into a guy with a story to tell; he’d been driving one day when he saw a low-loader going the other way with a Barndoor Bus on the back. He could tell it wasn’t going off to be restored because…

What Buses have you owned, do you have one at the moment? Just two of my own, but as my work is oriented around Brazilian T2s it feels like hundreds. I bought my first Kombi in 2009 – an air-cooled 2004 – bright red under white. He’s called Max and is very much part of my family. Owning Max has resulted in great friendships and adventures I may never have benefited from otherwise. The other was a 2005 T2 Kombi called Tango, which I owned for four years. Tango was my travel companion for a year living and working in Ibiza. We made the trip down to the island in the autumn of 2018 across the awesome terrain of northern Spain, down to Valencia and on the ferry across to…

BUS STOP Meet 'Maggie', the latest Tesla-powered creation from Harrogate-based electric car conversion specialist, eDub Services. No strangers to converting VW Buses (this is the fifth T2 they've done) Maggie boasts a 35kWh battery pack and a small Tesla drive unit between the rear wheels, maintaining its rear-wheel drive configuration. The power unit is capable of producing 220kW, which is equivalent to a stonking 270bhp, but has been de-rated to 60kW, around 80bhp. The range per charge is just over 90 miles. eDub Services offer the reassurance of using brand new batteries, not parts reclaimed from salvage yards. Said a spokesperson: "Using new batteries gives peace of mind because they have 100% capacity and we know they've come straight from the factory so there are no worries about how they've…

Despite the fact 62-year-old banker Tim Huestis lives in Nashville, his passion for Volkswagens started thousands of miles away across the pond in Europe. Said Tim: “My father was in the army and we were stationed in Germany in the early ’70s. As a teenager, I became fascinated with Porsches and old VWs. I remember the dealership in Worms (on the Rhine) having a beautiful Split Window Beetle in their showroom. In Germany my dad first owned a ’62 Beetle, then ‘upgraded’ to a Notchback. When we moved back to Tennessee in 1976 he bought a ’73 Bug and naturally, that was the car I learned to drive in.” Decades later, in 1995 to be precise, when Tim was in his 30s, he wanted to rekindle his love of old…

Having written about innumerable VWs down the years, the one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how so many have simply disappeared off the radar. For some bizarre reason, the vast majority enjoyed their brief moment of fame in the magazine and then dropped off the face of the earth, never to be seen again. Sure, a tiny proportion pop up at the same Volkswagen shows year on, year out, but for the most part, the larger number I’ve written about have simply faded into memory. So, it was a hugely refreshing change of pace when monsieur Cushway asked me to write about this particular Bus. All I knew when commissioned to pen this feature was the owner’s name and the fact that he had a stock Early…

HOW TO If you’re looking to put some window glass in a T4-T6.1 model, then read on. Unlike earlier models, the glass in more modern Transporters is bonded, which means you don’t have to spend hours swearing and recruiting several people to fit new glass. Best of all, most of the adhesives available nowadays have virtually instant grab so you’ll be able to drive away within an hour of bonding the glass in. This is how you do it... NEED TO KNOW Tools required: ... finger grinder; hand file; air cut off tool; drill/hole punch; masking tape; caulk gun; vacuum cleaner; protective gear Materials used: Skill Level ........... 2 Time taken ......... From 2 hours Cost DIY .............£100 Cost Pro.............. £300 approx labour plus parts. 01 Prepare The first few…

BUS STOP We're expecting a big crowd of Bus lovers at The VolksWorld Show, which takes place at the Sandown Park Racecourse over the weekend of 18-19 March, 2023. And the great news is that the show will now stay open for longer – until 6pm no less – on the Saturday. Not only that, but a limited number of VIP entry tickets are being made available, which will allow you to enter the show at 9am, instead of the usual 10am start so you'll be the first to see the hottest debut cars and Buses or head straight to the swapmeet to grab a bargain before the show officially opens. VIP ticket holders will also receive a £10 discount at the VolksWorld retail stand in the main foyer, a…

The search for a conversion company in the current UK market can be daunting. From one-man bands to large factory style, mass-production operations; it’s as though everyone is at it right now. “We knew that we wanted a Volkswagen and to have it professionally converted,” Siobhan explains. “We spent months researching different conversion companies when we came across Ecowagon who had been mentioned in a forum. Once we saw their style of conversions and the ethos behind the company we were sold. At the time we were looking for a VW van they were in high demand and build times were ridiculously long. We were fortunate that Ecowagon had already put in an order for a number of vans and we were offered one to purchase which met our specifications.…

The chances of finding a totally immaculate and unmolested VW T4 Panel Van these days is pretty slim, especially one painted in factory Friesen green. This lucky find gave Rob Whyles a head start for what would still turn out to be a two-year long camper conversion project which now includes a rustic oak interior and an array of unusual mods. Surprisingly, for such a major project, this is Rob’s first foray into the VW brand as previously he was more of a Ford guy. “I had a few classics, mainly Mk1 Escorts which I still love, but fancied a change,” he tells us, adding, “I have to admit I prefer the VW scene more.” Swapping allegiance from one manufacturer to another is quite unusual but moving away from classic…

OUR BUSES Owner info Name: Ian Cushway Job: Editor Fleet: VW Polo Mk6, 1984 T3 Westfalia Club Joker Jobs this month: celebrating the fact that my Bus is registered as a ‘camper’ Usually Christmas gifts come in fancy packages, not plain white envelopes. Unless, of course, it’s a cheque for an enormous sum of money from a distant relative. Well, this one was obviously an exception because it came in the post, had an official looking French government stamp on it and ended up being the best present anyone could have given me. Let me explain. I’ve been trying to get my 1985 Club Joker properly registered here in France – without much success to be honest – for the last year or so. You see, despite having French plates…