Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i VolksWorld

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve talked about the importance of inspiring the younger generation and, at the other end of the scale, how we should honour the pioneers of the VW scene we know and love. But what about those hardcore enthusiasts that have built more VWs than they can even remember. The 100% air cooled for life guys? This issue is dedicated to those lost boys – the teens that never grew up and are, for want of a better term, ‘Still Doin’ It!’ today. Growing up with like-minded VW buddies was a blast for so many of us but, as time rolled on, work and family commitments resulted in a good number of once hardcore VW fanatics selling up in favour of an MPV…

This isn’t Mike Downham’s first rodeo. Or first Baja for that matter. He built a full-sized Sand Scorcher clone in 2009 that made it into the pages of Ultra VW in March 2010, but even then knew he had another Baja build in him, one that would really show his love for the late ’80’s UK VW scene. And this, my friends, is it. Mike hails from Billericay in Essex, so was perfectly placed to ride the ‘Essex Look’ VW wave through the 1980s and ’90s. “My dad got me a Beetle at age 15, and I’ve never been without an air-cooled car since,” he tells us. Having heard reports from a few friends about the first three Bug Jams, he made it his business to get to the ’Pod…

Let’s take a closer look at that 1300 turbo motor Ben built for just £200. Fortunately, the stock motor that came with the car compression tested well with 150psi in all four chambers. The Solex 32DIS carb, which once fed fuel to a Renault 5 GT turbo, he had in his shed, the turbo is an IHI RHB3 from a Vauxhall Nova 1.5td and the high-pressure fuel pump cost £25 on eBay. He re-curved the Bosch 009 distributor, making the secondary advance adjustable, and cobbled an exhaust together from a scrap 4-into-1 header, a discarded exhaust and a pair of 48IDA trumpets he had in stock. The only modification made to the stock engine is some re-working of the air outlets on the fan shroud to accommodate the additional pipework.…

The cheapest way into Sportster ownership was to buy a set of plans for just $9.95 and build one yourself. The plans were very detailed, showing exactly where and how to shorten the floorpan the 12 inches required for the two-seater version. For the bodywork, dimensions, fold angles and recommended material thicknesses were all included, even down to the size of the holes required in the front bulkhead for the wiring, speedo cable, steering column and dimmer switch. Those shown here are dated 1963, and note 'US patent rights pending or applied for.'…

One anomaly you’ll come almost certainly across is the Brazilian Bay Window. Production recently ceased, but there are a large number of these in the UK, many having been converted into Campers. Early Brazilian models were fitted with 1600cc fuel-injected motors, but later ones have a VW Fox-sourced, 1.4-litre, water-cooled engine and options such as power steering and brakes. With around 70bhp on tap, these perform better and return greater mpg than their older brethren, but the front-mounted radiator is a turn off to some. Also, because they were built for the Brazilian home market, check bodywork very carefully. As for price / value, they are a different entity entirely and so not really comparable with a traditional Bay Window Camper.…

In the latter part of 1938, the Porsche werks produced the VW38 series of cars. It comprised 34 vehicles with designations VW38/01 through VW38/44 (an oddly non-consecutive numbering system with some gaps). On June 17, 1939 Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring was presented with VW38/37, a Cabriolet version, at the Carinhall Hunting Lodge, his country residence in Brandenburg, Germany. The KdF Wagen was painted in what is said to be Göring’s favourite colour of metallic blue / green, the same colour apparently as used on a number of other cars in his automobile collection. At the time of the presentation, VW38/37 was still wearing the temporary Porsche Stuttgart number plates of IIIA-0427. “early versions represent the correct era of KdF Wagen” It appears the presentation was quite an event, with Dr. Ferdinand…

We’re thrilled to announce The VolksWorld Show will be happening in 2022, and the much anticipated event is shaping up to be the best for years. While we don’t want to spoil all the surprises just yet, here’s a little taster of some of what’s in store. The world’s leading car care specialist, Meguiar’s, has announced its continued sponsorship, and will again be giving all of the Top 20 trophy winners a gift pack of cleaning products to keep their cars in tip-top condition throughout this year’s show season. Similarly, our very good friends at Heritage Parts Centre are also continuing their support by sponsoring the California Look display, and will be there in strength at Sandown, so be sure to drop by their trade stand, too. We also have…

“They ain’t pretty, but they’re an integral part of our VW history” In the spirit of the current Baja Bug revival, we’re throwing it back to Britain in the 1970s, via James Hales’ buggy archives from Ultra VW in 2008, and taking a look at the first Baja kits produced in the UK. They ain’t pretty, but they’re an integral part of our VW history, so buckle up and let’s go a-Houndoggin’ an’ a-Humbuggin’. These two outwardly similar kits both appeared around the same time, though Design Field’s Humbug came out first. Heralding from Acton, London, it was unusual in that it was just a two-piece kit. The whole front end, including bonnet, wings and quarter panels was one piece, while a combined rear wings / engine cover section brought…

David Boulton launched BPI Auctions (www.bpiauctions.com) a few years ago now and it has grown to be one of the UK’s favourite auction platforms for businesses, holding over 1,200 events annually at its premises in Wakefield, west Yorkshire. Having found a useful contact in South Africa, David then started importing a few classic cars as a bit of a sideline. In the process of which he found this ’61 Single Cab in decent shape, and decided it would make the perfect tool to promote his business. Let’s face it, Single Cabs are pretty much the coolest incarnation of the VW Transporter. You get all the benefits of a Split Screen Bus, and the ability to move a ton of oversize stuff around that might not otherwise fit in a Panel…

o, you’ve decided it’s time to buy a Bay Window Camper. Welcome to the fold, there are many thousands of happy Bay owners out there, but almost all you come across will have a cautionary tale pertaining to the purchase of any new project, especially for the first-time buyer. To get you fired up, we’ve used pictures of one of the best Bay Window restorations we’ve ever seen by Dutch Type 2 specialists, Kieft ’en’ Klok. This Tiger Green ’77 was a rust-free import from the States, but has since been fully overhauled to the highest possible standard in Europe. It’s just about as good as they get, and an archetypal example of the classic Volkswagen Camper. Of course, not everyone can afford to have a Camper built to this…

Following a somewhat disappointing ’21 summer show season (let’s not even mention 2020), I was really looking forward to the annual New Year’s Day cruise as, having tagged along with my dad (Paul Knight, the Ed) and his best mate, Jolly Jim, for the past few years, this time round we were planning to take my blue and white Bug to ‘our’ first VW show. Or so I thought… Regular readers may recall that my / our project Bug was stolen in October last year and, despite a huge effort by the VW community, as well as the police and the insurance team, it has never been found. Much to my dismay. However, in the post-Christmas period, the pops mentioned he was thinking about attending the local Cruise, “To start…

“It was always going to be a full on, ’70’s-style build with Tangerine Kandy” Depending on which Baja feature in this issue you read first, you may already know a little bit of information about this car from the other one. If you’re reading this one first, the story is that Spike a.k.a. Andy Finch, along with Mike Downham, had a plan to import a couple of old school Baja Bugs from California for some good cheap fun. But when they arrived, they just couldn’t leave them alone, and the two full tilt show cars you see on this month’s cover are the results. Of the two, it was Spike’s Baja that really had ‘the look’ when he bought it. Originally a Zenith Blue ’67, it had been painted dark…

They say a change is as good as a rest. For 30 years, Ben Lawrence lived, breathed and raced Volkswagens. From his first ever VW, a 1972 Bay Window, to his famous twin slider ’67 Samba DJ Bus, and finally a ’56 racer that planted a 12.49s quarter mile at 111mph with a self-built, 200bhp stroker on a standard gearbox. It was the latter one that eventually broke him, though, both morally and financially, as Ben explains: “I moved from Essex to Northern Ireland and met Dave Wheatley, now of OFF fame. I got involved with him organising an air-cooled drag racing event called Drag Day. We ran it for around five years and I carried on racing the ’56, but it was taking its toll. “In the end, I…

In the aftermath of World War II, a surplus of military Jeeps offered the opportunity for many ex-servicemen to buy them cheap and head for the wide-open spaces of America. It became such a popular pastime that, fairly soon, commercial production of dedicated off-road vehicles began in earnest, and four-wheel drive clubs started forming. More resourceful people started building their own buggies at home, utilising domestic chassis and engine combinations, but it didn’t take long for the superior traction offered by the rear-engined Volkswagen platform to be recognised. The Beetle was still a relatively new import to the US at that stage, but once they started showing up in scrap yards and on the second hand market, their popularity soared. One could be stripped of its bodywork in a day,…

MECHANICAL The best way to get a feel for a Bus is out on the road. If you can’t drive a prospective purchase, and it’s your first Bus, we’d advise walking away, or at least taking along a friend with good specialist knowledge. Check for: • Obvious wear in suspension balljoints and dampers. • Excessive play in the steering (could be worn track rod ends, steering box or idler pin in the centre of the front beam). • Brakes should be quiet and firm, with only short pedal travel until they lock up, any pulling to one side, or sponginess, suggests a problem. • Check gearbox for fresh leaks and whines (possible worn differential), though they’re generally pretty robust units. • Listen for worn (clicking) CV joints. • If you…

“I had, in effect, loaned the car to the guy and his family for 25 years” Jeremy Clarkson said “Non-car people don’t get it,” when he theorised cars as living entities. He went on to suggest we can even develop a relationship with a car. Perhaps he’s read too much Stephen King but then, when would he have the time? No, it’s more likely he’s actually on to something. And if one marque embodies the notion that cars could have personality above all others, it is, of course, Volkswagen. In which case, the quite unbelievable tale behind 66-year old Sam McElroy’s reunion with his 1972 Karmann Ghia becomes more plausible. If a car really was “just a ton and a half, two tons of wires, glass, metal and rubber” (sorry,…