Panel Power
The reason I am so excited about my Van is not that I have just bought him, but that
I have just spent almost the last six months without him on the road, watching him collect all manner of spiders' webs and other debris, and now I have him back! Having missed the show season, I'm looking forward to next year already.
I have been into Volkswagens since I spent a summer driving round in a friend's black Cal Look Bug, with our surfboards on the roof and the cheesy Beach Boys playing over the stereo.
I was hooked (closely followed by my parents)!
Since then, I have owned a couple of Beetles, but before long, the roof rack on the last one was straining under the load of all my boards (not just the customary one for show). So I began the search for a Van - air-cooled, of course.
The pictures here show Bruce, my '79 Bay, which I had owned for 12 months with just the odd repair here and there, such as the usual leaky fuel lines, shot starter motor, random electrical quirks, etc, etc. But then the old 1600 lump out back started to sound as rough as it looked! And so I had an idea: a nice, big, shiny new engine - I like polishing! I blame your magazine for these delusions of grandeur!
I duly placed my order and sat back waiting - and I waited and waited... I didn't have the best experience, in all honesty - it is cheaper to buy from the States, but you can't just pop along to see how things are - unless you're Mr Branson, I presume.
Finally, though, Bruce is back on the road and menacing the speed bumps in town! He is now running a 1914cc Type 1 motor with twin 44 IDF carbs, full-flow oil system and some choice Scat components. My once-huge smile that I wore whenever I drove my Van is now even bigger!
Cheers, guys, for such a great magazine,
and here's to all Volkswagens - especially
the low ones!
Craig and Bruce, Macclesfield
1914cc engine in the back of Craigs super cool 1979 Bay Window Panel Van
