Readers rides
Ruchard Turton's 1967 Beelte
My name is Richard and this is my 1967 Beetle, Ruby. I bought her about four years ago but unfortunately, after six months of fun I crashed her into a fence coming off a roundabout backwards. In my defense, it was very wet and muddy but it didn't help - I was devastated! As you can see from the photo, it smashed off the rear wing, the running board and the front wing. My rear bumper, exhaust, 1967 valance and decklid were badly damaged. If I had known how expensive and hard to get hold of the '67 rear valance would be, I wouldn't have left it with the body shop.
As my Dad and I are dab hands at giving things a go, once the accident damage had been repaired we set out to rub it down and respray it. Only from doing this did we notice rust and then more rust, in particular around the heater channels!
After realising the extent of work required, it has been a very slow but enjoyable restoration that lasted over three years, working on it one day a week. With the exception of the accident repair and one heater channel replacement, the rest of the restoration has been carried out in my garage at home, including replacing all rusty metalwork with new, preparing the body, a full respray, re-carpeting and re-upholstering some original Beetle seats. Keeping the bugs and dust off the car during the respray was a bit of a challenge. It's amazing what an old gazebo can do!
It finally got its MoT, on the week of its 41st year, and I have been making the most of having her back on the road again after all this time. Let's hope the weather holds up this summer.
I would like to say a big thank you to my dad who helped me bring Ruby back to life and who, at times, was driving the project forwards despite him having many other jobs to do around the house and having garage temperatures in the negative. I would also like to say a big thank you to my girlfriend, Katie, who has put up with sharing me with my other woman one day a week. I now look forward to showing Ruby off on the roads around Bristol and further afield for many camping trips to come.
Love the magazine and keep up the good work.
Richard Turton
Scott Priestley's Stateside Split
My name is Scotti and I drive a 1963 11-Window Splitty. In October, it was fully restored to the highest level. It runs a stock 1600 engine. It was imported from the US so it's very solid underneath.
To be honest with you, I think I have a disorder! I can't drive the Van when it's dirty! Before I drive it, I make sure I wash and polish it, and before it goes back in the garage I do the same!! The Van hasn't seen the rain since it got restored back in October 2007 and is kept in a garage. Everyone from kids to elderly people stop and stare, the latter usually commenting on the condition or telling me about when they used to have one! I love that about it!
I have just got my copy of the VolksWorld June edition! What an awesome read! Every edition is a good one, but for me, this month is pretty personal! The Readers' Rides featured Carl's 412LE, and deservedly made Ride Of The Month! Good choice! We are real good mates and chill out together regularly down at our local beach or over a cold jar! We have many pics of our rides together and I have to say, they make a cracking pair!
Also in this month's mag, I was again pleased to see another VW that I know of! The Balearic Bus - the Pacha Van! What a beauty that is! I am lucky enough to know them personally and have been in it many, many times! This all came about a few years ago. My mum owns a local clothing shop for both men and women's wear and it stocks a lot of Pacha accessories! Well anyway, a few Months ago my Mum was doing a promo' thing for her shop and invited Warren and the Pacha Van down to promote her shop and also the Pacha items! The day went really well and I decided I wanted to join in, so I parked my Van outside the shop with the Pacha Van and turned it into a mini VW show! If I'm honest, I think people were more interested in the Splittys than they were the shop and clothes!
Scott Priestley
James and Harriett's '59 Beetle
This is our Keramic green '59 Beetle 'Herbs'. We've owned her for a year after buying her from the previous owner of 23 years. Herb's is in great condition and came with a 1600 tp engine, Dual 36DRLA carbs, Empi 5 spokes, lowered suspension, an Eberspacher petrol heater, detailed history and lots of photos. She was even at the first Bug Jam!
Last year we gave Herb's some character, the bonnet needed work, so we decided a pirate theme seemed appropriate for RTTS. After having some bad luck with the engine seizing in June, and help from our friend Martin, we fitted a temporary engine too. We decided the tinware and decklid could do with a unique touch, so James designed and sprayed on Hawaiian cave art and hibiscus flowers. This year we want to get the seats re-upholstered, put back the quarter light's. Longer term we want to build a new engine and respray the whole body. Herb's is a great car and we want to keep her as long as the previous owner did.
James Mannion and Harriett Latham, Exeter, Devon
The Love Bug
Here are a few pics of my Beetle, Herbie. I've owned him for nearly three years now, though he didn't look like this when I bought him. But I loved him nonetheless, even with the flaky paint! On New Year's Day 2007, some kind driver reversed into him while he was parked on the road and drove off, leaving me with a half-smashed car. We had been talking about a restoration for a while, so decided that now was the time. What you see is the end result: respray, new interior, new floorpans, new wings, doors and a lot of welding!
We kept the Herbie spirit alive on the inside by having the red, white and blue stripes incorporated in the front seat covers to match the exterior.
I get smiles from everyone that sees me driving around in Herbie, and thought I could bring a few to the faces of your readers with his cheeky personality!
Keep up the good work with the magazine. I look forward to reading it every month.
Sarah Grimwood, Ipswich, Suffolk
It's a Volkswagen!
Hi guys, love the mag! I'm an avid reader of it! I just thought I'd send you some photos of my 412LE. As far as I'm aware this is a one year only special. It has just 63,000 miles on the clock from new, a completely uncut dash, original stereo and the original interior (which is mint apart from driver's seat - I have a new one to fit). It has been lowered and has wheels from a Porsche.
I guess I love this car for its "WTF was that" appeal.
It would be great to see the car in print - even if it's just to show people it's a Dub and not an Austin Princess or a Saab or any of the other rubbish it's been called!
Carl Joscelyne
Peppermint Dream - Ex VolksWorld feature car
Back in the early Nineties I owned and cherished 'Peppermint Dream', a '66 Beetle featured in the February '91 VolksWorld. The car was built by Tony Dunham and won countless trophies at the time. It was seriously low, ran colour-coded EMPI five-spokes, a fully chromed and detailed 1641cc with twin Dell'Ortos, solenoid doors and a slick interior with ergo pump seats. It was the bomb, and so of its time. In fact, 'Peppermint Dream' inspired myriad copycat cars. I bought the car after seeing it at the 1994 VolksWorld show and kept it in top class condition. I sold it some years later to finance my Split Screen Bus, but the people that became the new owners drove it into the ground. For 12 long years it sat rotting in a field until and a guy named Karl McCarthy, aka 'Karlito', entered the equation. He loved the car from back in the day and knew he could save it. I have never seen anyone take such a wreck and rebuild it. His blog is some 50 pages long on the Volkszone Readers' Rides thread (www.volkszone.co.uk/VZi/showthread.php?t=334451) with some 40,000 plus viewings. To say the car was on its last legs when he got it must be the biggest understatement you could make. Apart from the roof, not including the gutters, the whole thing was rebuilt, floor up, and repainted with a two-pack mix that's a secret to this day.
Anyway here are some before and after shots.
Spencer Herbert
1967 ('62 look-a-like) VW Beetle
Here's our super original Australian '67 Bug. It is based on a '62, so it has the appearance of an early Beetle. We got it at the beginning of summer '07 from Gavin at South West Splitz in nearby Exeter. Gavin is a good friend of ours and although he didn't want to sell the Bug, as it was imported to be one of his projects, he decided to part ways after a Bay Window Bus dropped on its roof, giving it a big crease across the front of the screen. When we got it, it had only done 54,187 miles.
We were given all the original paperwork for it, including the original purchase receipt from the 'Gregg Cusac Garage LDT' which was the official dealership in Canberra ACT. In its original Savannah Beige, time has developed a lovely patina on the body.
It's never been welded, painted or cut about, and it still needs no welding. It did have the original 1285cc motor too, but this was changed for a 1641cc twin carb. Since then we've added a front sun visor, a polished roof rack, lowered it and put on 145/65 tyres on the front and larger 205/65 on the rear for a nicer stance.
We treated it to new paint on the tops of the floor pans and sprayed Waxoil over the underside to protect it from the UK weather. One day we will do a body off paintjob and pull out the roof dent, but for now the dent is a great talking point.
I bought the Bug as a wedding gift to the wife, as I sold her last three Beetles but she has come out tops with this one. I'm sure you'll see it around several shows this year in the show and shines.
Martin, Ria and Bailey Taylor, Exeter, Devon
1973 VW Beetle 1303S
This is my first and only aircooled VW and I'm only its second owner. It is a 1973 Kansas Beige 1303s, which I have had since October 2002. It was solid underneath and the heater channels were immaculate, having been Waxoiled from new. It also came with a complete service history verifying it's 60,500 miles.
As soon as I got it home, it was straight into a body shop to have a few minor dents/rust problems sorted and a complete re-spray in its original Kansas Beige hue. I then fitted a set of Proline alloys that had been given to me, and fitted a pair of smoked rear lights. I also got rid of the horrible plastic number plates replacing them with some proper pressed aluminium ones.
I drove around like this for a couple of years and then decided to change the interior. Looking on eBay I found a used 1303 interior, in cream leather with red piping, including cream leather door cards and a dash re-covered in cream leather. So after winning this (for a price!) I fitted it all and sold the original black dash, door cards and basket-weave seats on eBay, recouping most of the outlay.
Spirit of the 50's supplied and fitted the red carpet with beige trim as well as a new headlining! They also supplied the bonnet bra in Black and Beige to match the paintwork. I also fitted a Bugpack Hurst shifter and Sun Pro Monster Tach to complete the interior.
Last year I decided to change the look of the Bug again, without going to the expense of a colour change! I decided the best way to do this was to change the wheels. I wanted to fit original Empi Sprintstars and eBay came up trumps again. I got a complete set of five for £156! I had these refurbished and fitted them with 155s front and 165 rears. I think that these, together with the addition of beige running board mats, make the 1303s look great. Sure, 1303s are not to everyone's taste, but I love it and it hasn't let me down once in over five years and 7,000 miles and in all weathers! Furthermore, I will never sell it as I have promised my daughter that it will be hers when she is old enough to drive! She is only four, so I have some time yet!
Kevin Jackson
Predator Beach Buggy
This is my 1970 short wheelbase Predator Buggy. She is sitting on 17-inch Centre line wheels at the rear and 16-inches on the front, with low-profile tyres. I bought her three years ago, just before Bug Jam 18. I was looking to buy a project Buggy as I had previously done lots of work on different Beetles and Campers I've owned, but by mistake I came across this one and had to have her. She didn't need too much work but what I did do was give her a bit more power, so I replaced the old oily engine, a 1600, with a new 1641 with 34ICT Webers and all the chrome trimmings. I later decided to make her sound a bit more beefy by fitting a ceramic Bobcat exhaust. I also changed the worn old seats with some new Cobras and installed a pair of three-point harnesses. The gel coat body is now starting to crack so I hope to get her resprayed for Bug Jam next year, but she'll be staying black. To make her look a bit flashier I want to change the dials to some digital ones. I am thinking about getting a hood for those wet weekends at Bug Jam but I'm not sure I want to ruin her look. Enjoy!
Peter Preston, sunny Harwich in Essex
1970 Bay Window and 1961 Karmann Ghia
We thought you might be interested in having a look at 'Bogart', our 1970 original Devon Eurovette Early Bay, and 'Thurman', our 1961 LHD Karmann Ghia.
We bought our Camper in early 2004, completely out of the blue after a drunken decision in a pub in Chiswick, when we thought it would be the best way to get out of London and see the world (well, at least venture beyond the Home Counties). Within a week we had a rusty beige Camper in our possession, and in the three years or so that have passed we have had it restored and travelled to Land's End via the Jamboree, Powys via Vanfest, as well as Norfolk, Shropshire, Dorset, and a two-week trip to the west coast of France. We are currently planning a three-week trip taking in Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and France next year!
We bought the Karmann Ghia earlier this year. It had been one of my good friend's wedding car nearly 10 years ago, and came up for sale by his father-in-law. We saw this as an opportunity not to be missed, and a sense of destiny played its part as
I share the same name as the
previous owner!
As they both put such a smile on our faces, we thought they might be of interest to the team at VolksWorld and its readers.
Mike and Ainsley Taylor
1957 11-Window Split Screen Kombi
I am the proud owner of a 1957 11-window Kombi imported from Arizona. I have owned
it since March 2006 and have transformed it
into my dream van. When I first bought it, it was black, solid as a rock and when it was recently valued by Steve Saunders (SSVC), he said the chassis was as good as it gets! The outrigger sills, front valance, battery tray body panels, doors and cargo doors are all original and, as Steve himself says, they are all excellent.
The work that has been carried out ranges from
a complete re-wire and 12-volt conversion, new brake system with dual master cylinder, new brake lines, CSP discs on the front, dropped spindles, Albatross adjuster, IRS with '68 Bay back end and a Pro Street bullet gearbox fitted by Paul Miller at Harry Harpics. The engine is a 1641cc, which I am proud to say I built myself.
The paintwork has been painstakingly taken back to its original Dove Blue (with
a razor blade!) and is now
85 per cent original.
It has had a bespoke interior by Custom Classic Retro Auto Interiors. It also has front and rear Safaris, six original triple-chrome-plated pop-outs (none of that Brazilian crap!) and new rubbers throughout.
The photograph of me and my wife was taken
just an hour after we were married on Friday 13 July 2007 as we were on our way to the Latitude Music Festival to have our blessing with all of our VW mates!
The little monkey bike in the photos is a 1961 Trio Bike which I painted in the same colours as my Camper - cool!
Lloyd and Claire Poole
Ben Gancz 1972 Beetle
Here is my 1972 Beetle. I have had it for 10 years, but have recently finished a full restoration. It's a mix of Eighties Cal Look and Euro/German Look. With some pointers from The Van Shack in Oxford, I squeezed in the 1.8 Type 4 motor by Klaus. This was mated to a 1500 Beetle gearbox and plumbed into a full oil-control system from Mocal. It drives like a little go-cart and makes an awesome noise. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxBsdTQ0qJY to see some footage of the car.
I modified a pair of angel eye sealed beam units with Mercedes Bi-Xenon Projector headlights and put them in some sloping headlights which were chromed inside and out. They produce a lovely white light for night-time runs down country lanes. I would have sent you pictures of the interior, but some horrible thief decided they would try to get the stereo out with a screwdriver, but when it wouldn't come out, they decided to trash the interior. It's an ugly sight and I can assure you a screwdriver and painted metal dash do not mix. So the next project is re-doing the interior!
I have sent you one particular photo that my girlfriend took for me as a present. She is a fashion photographer but had a go at photographing my car. It was such a success that she has gone on to photograph a Split Screen Bus and Karmann Ghia which you can see on her website at www.pernillepahle.com.
I have never missed an issue of VolksWorld, and as I have used it as inspiration for my car, it would be great if I could see my Bug featured in your magazine. It has been a long struggle and has shown me how friendly the international Volkswagen scene is, from the boys down the road at the Van Shack to the gents over in Germany who supplied me with many of the parts I've used.
Ben Gancz
