VW Trends Magazine Vol. 1, No. 2, Summer 2021

TECH: NO-WELD PAN REPAIR

VOL. 1, NO. 2

$7.99 USA $9.99 CANADA

SUMME R 2021

REMEMBERING BRUCE MEYERS

•••EVENTS:

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staff Editor-In-Chief: Dan “DG” Leadbetter Editorial Director: Paul Morton Creative Director and Odd Jobs: Ron Petro Editorial Layout: Jason Smith

CONTRIBUTORS David Conklin, Rich Crafton, Bob Daniels, George Daniels, Eric Geisert, Lee Hedges, and Jason Torchinsky

STA PUBLISHING Publishers: Dan Leadbetter and Rich Crafton Chief Financial Officer: Beckyjo Ohlendorf Subscription info: vwtrendsmagazine.com VW Trends Magazine (ISSNAPPL100001111, USPS MID 903010850) is published whenever we get around to it (but for now, we get around to it quarterly) by STA Publishing, LLC, 4533 MacArthur Blvd. Suite 5208, Newport Beach, CA, 92660. Reprinting in whole or in part is expressly forbidden except with written permission from the publisher. Copyright ©2021 STA Publishing, LLC. Periodical postage paid in Newport Beach, California and at additional mailing offices. Which is not to say we only pay it periodically; we actually pay it every time. We’re good like that… at least periodically.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: A minimum of six weeks’ notice is required for change of address and you must provide STA Publishing with old and new address. Send all change of address info to: STA Publishing, Attn: VWT CHANGE OF ADDRESS, 4533 MacArthur Blvd. Suite 5208, Newport Beach, CA, 92660. Or change your address via email: info@ vwtrendsmagazine.com. Something to think about: In changing your address, what do you REALLY hope to change? Change, if you really want it, lies within. Your physical address may be different, but you’re still the same person in a different place. As my good friend and mentor Buckaroo Banzai said, “No matter where you go, there you are.” See what kind of deep crap you can find when you actually read the entire masthead?

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

SUMME R 2021 • VOL . 1 NO. 2

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DEPARTMENTS 4 TOP DEAD CENTER: Everything old is new again.

26 HISTORY LESSON: All the four-door cars built on the Type 1 chassis.

40 PETRO’S PAGE: Avast, ye scurvy dogs!

48 TOYS IN THE ATTIC: The one-millionth Beetle toys that might have been.

70 COLLECTOR’S CORNER: BoB Gilmore’s man cave.

78 INTERVIEW: Dyno Don Chamberlin.

80 TROSLEY: VW Friends.

FEATURES

42

12 ONE PIECE AT A TIME: Meet the $300 ’54 Vert that was in such bad shape that Erick Martens almost walked away from it.

22 CARIBBEAN QUEEN: One killer Kombi.

30 BIG AL’S ROCKIN’ RESTO-CUSTOM: 1,000 watts of awesome.

42 JOYFUL IMP: Behind the wheel of this Buggy, you could never get the blues.

46 MILESTONES AND RHINESTONES: The one-millionth Beetle.

50 SPLIT DECISION: Dave Shaw’s ’52 Zwitter cover car.

56 PILE OF THE MONTH: Wretcho Con Baja.

62

58 SIMPLE, CLEAN… VELVET GREEN: The honeymoon is just getting started.

62 BLACK, BLOWN, AND BAGGED BRASÍLIA: A South American sweetheart with a little surprise.

66 SURVIVOR: The 23-window Bus that didn’t get away.

74 RARE AUSTRIAN RUBY: This ’62 is a Notch above the rest.

EVENTS 6 EL PRADO: The show so big we couldn’t see it all.

36 THE LAZARUS EVENT: The Summer Nationals shindig comes back from the dead.

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TECHNICAL 18 NO-WELD PAN REPAIR: What can glue do for you?

On the cover: Dave Shaw’s incredible ’52 Zwitter.

Photography by Paul Morton.

PHOTO: BEN NEWHARD

55 IN MEMORIAM: A celebration of the life of Bruce Meyers.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

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TOP DEAD CENTER EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

B

efore I get started here, I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU! Thanks for putting down your hard-earned money and buying this magazine. Thanks for believing in VW Trends enough to subscribe, and thank you for wanting to buy a T-shirt and some stickers (all available at vwtrendsmagazine.com. It’s a shameless plug, I know. But I’m Dan Leadbetter, for heaven’s sake). All of us on staff — Paul, Ron, Rich, Jason, Beckyjo, and myself — have been floored by the positive response we’ve gotten from the first issue. So without waxing poetic, I just wanted to say thanks again for helping me bring my 30-plusyear-old dream to life. So that being said…

Welcome to the second issue of VW Trends magazine! I gotta tell you, it never gets old saying “Welcome to VW Trends.”

You, dear reader, may get tired of hearing it, but man, I really love saying it, since honestly I thought I’d never utter those words again in my lifetime. And yet here we are.

The process of bringing VW Trends magazine back and working on the first issue was a real joy. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I could do it. I remember the anxiety and fear I experienced when I started writing again. I had Microsoft Word open on my desktop computer, a tech sheet on the car that I was supposed to write about, and a

cold can of Dr. Pepper.

Mind you, I hadn’t really written an article about a Volkswagen in over 30 years, and the task was daunting. What if I can’t actually write anymore? What if I’m not relevant? I mean, why would anyone sit and read the ramblings of a 61-year-old washed-up magazine editor who was more ready for the Early Bird Dinner at Marie Callender’s and reruns of The Gilmore Girls? I made up this huge story about how I couldn’t do it and that I was wasting my time. I sat there for a good half-hour staring into the blank page, with the annoying little blinking cursor almost daring me to hit a key.

When I finally worked up the nerve to write my first sentence, it was like someone turned on the firehose. It all came flooding back as if I had never stopped. It was nice to feel those creative juices flowing again, and to create a sentence that made sense when I read it back to myself. It wasn’t as scary as I made it out to be at all. It was actually FUN, and dare I say, exhilarating. To use a wellworn metaphor, it was like getting back on a bike after not riding for 30-plus years.

One of the things I find surprising is that there is still something to say about our beloved air-cooled VW, even after all of these years. There’s nothing really

new going on inside the VW motor from a technology standpoint, but I’ll be darned if there isn’t a ton of stuff to say about how people got their Volkswagens where they are. When we started out writing the magazine, the one thing we all agreed on was it was the person’s story about the VW that really mattered. The car’s the star, but the person’s story really brings it to life. How did you get it? Why did you get it? How did the VW find you? Those were the things that really make this 75-year love affair interesting.

A couple things I’m pretty stoked about in this issue: One is the interview with the famous — or some might say infamous — Dyno Don Chamberlin! I remember back in the day — and by “the day”, I’m talking about the ’80s — it seemed like you couldn’t go to a VW show without hearing Don’s famous “High C” piercing the air. It wasn’t long after I first met Don that we became fast friends, and it was awesome to sit with him and catch up on what he’s been up to. The second thing I’m stoked about is former VW Trends alumnus Eric Giesert bringing us a really cool pan-repair tech story. It’s so great to have people from the magazine’s “golden era” still creating features, stories, and memories for a whole new generation of VW enthusiasts!

I could go on and on about all the cool things in this issue, but I’ll just let you do the exploring on your own. So go sit down, pour yourself a nice beverage, and take a look at what we’ve put together for our sophomore edition. And as always, we want to hear your feedback. Just use my email address at the bottom of this editorial. And thanks again for all of your support!

— Dan Leadbetter Publisher and Editor-in-Chief dan@vwtrendsmagazine.com

ILLUSTRATION: RON PETRO

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

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 If you’ve never been to El Prado but plan to go next year (and you should), we highly recommend wearing your walking shoes. This is just a small sampling of what was on display during the event. Front and center is Rick Bowen’s ‘71 Ghia convertible. The day after the show was Rick’s fiftieth birthday — Happy birthday, Rick!

EL PRADO W

ithout a doubt, the 2021 VTO Blackstar Campout and El Prado Show & Shine had to be one of the most anticipated events of the year. Since 2014 it has drawn thousands of VW vehicles of all shapes and sizes, as well as enthusiasts and fans who come out and enjoy the fantastic weather the Inland Empire has to offer. Going into its seventh year, this fan-favorite extravaganza shows no signs of slowing down. It all starts with a three-day campout at Prado Regional Park in Chino, California. It’s the perfect setting for a car show, with plenty of room, tons of campsites, a man-made lake,

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

SHOW & SHINE 2021

By the VW Trends staff

and plenty of trees and shady spots should things get a little too warm.

Possibly the best part about El Prado is that it’s not about some person or club trying to make a lot of money for the sake of… well, making a ton of money. The organizers of this particular show have one goal: to donate as much money as they can to the Yorba Linda Ronald McDonald House charity! Okay, maybe they have two goals: first and foremost, to raise money for a very worthy charity, and second, to put on possibly the best show and shine ever. Mission accomplished! The organizers raised





VTO’S BLACKSTAR CAMPOUT and

$20,000 for the Ronald McDonald House.

You could check out the wares of plenty of vendors and snag some swag, and there was an amazing raffle — and not for little trinkets that would end up in your junk drawer, no sir. These prizes were big-time, high-dollar stuff you’d really want. Like a 1941cc dual-carb motor from IAP, or the very last VW Trends signed and numbered Platinum Founder’s Package. Still not enough for you? Well, how about a vintage 1966 sunroof VW Beetle with a Blodgettbuilt 1688cc engine? Yeah, if you weren’t at El Prado, you really missed out.



CAR SHOW AWARDS



 BEST OF SHOW: Bob Clipper, ’67 California Clipper TOP 5 WATER COOLED: Janai Carson, Harlequin Dave Taylor, ’00 VW Jetta Truck Mike Frechette, ’91 GTI Juan Espanoza, ’98 VR6 Gabriel, ’90 Jetta GLI SPECIAL INTEREST: First: Fernando Ramos, ’66 bug Second: Shawn Mittleberger, ’66 SingleCab bucket truck TYPE 2, ’67 AND EARLIER: First: Joe McRae, ’66 21 window Second: Don O, ’64 Standard

The Staff Infection (left to right): THE DG Leadbetter, BeckyJo Ohlendorf, RK Smith (who was there for emotional support), Maddie Crafton, Rich “Crafty” Crafton, and our resident GWAC (Guy With A Camera) Paul Morton. We were all pretty excited that El Prado was our first outing to promote the magazine in our shiny new VW Trends booth!

TYPE 2, ’68 AND UP: First: Jose Pantosa, ’80 Westy Second: Dave Taylor, ’71 Bus KARMANN GHIA: First: Jorge Correa, ’66 Ghia Second: Rick Brown, ’71 Vert TYPE 181: First: Jon Winters, ’73 paradise tribute Second: Fidel Rodriguez, ’73 thing TYPE 4: First: Daniel Mendoza, ’75 Brasília Second: Jaime Flores, ’76 Brasília CUSTOM: First: Maya, ’60 double door Second: Jeremy Brook, ’64 Beetle

Our booth was packed all day! We’re grateful for the enthusiasm and support from the VW community. More than one person asked when the magazine was coming back. We were like, “It’s right in front of you! We are back!”

TYPE 3: First: Jason Johnston, ’68 Squareback Second: Lionel, ’66 Notchback PATINA: First: Kris Kussee, ’59 ragtop Second: Gary, ’58 ragtop TYPE 1, ’68 AND UP: First: Mike Hall, ’68 Beetle Second: Mike Gamblin, ’69 Vert TYPE 1, ’67 AND EARLIER: First: Saul Estrada, ’66 Standard Beetle OFF-ROAD: First: R. Cushman, ’20 Manxter MOST VINTAGE: Luis Salinas, ’52 ambulance barndoor

Kevin Zagar from Coolrydes Customs brought his Monster Bug all the way up from San Diego.

The camping area itself was larger than most shows. People rolled in as early as Thursday to get the best lakeside spots.

MANX: First: Bob Clipper, ’67 California Clipper Second: David Smith, ’69 Monster Manx

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

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 by the numbers





VTO’s BLACKSTAR CAMPOUT: 671 air-cooled VWs 62 water-cooled VWs THE PRADO SHOW: 723 air-cooled VWs 45 water-cooled VWs (plus 973 spectator cars) TOTAL, CAMPOUT AND SHOW: 1,394 air-cooled VWs 107 water-cooled VWs Just about every type and style of VW was represented, from pristine paint to perfect patina. Tim’s 1965 Vert and Ben’s 1957 Oval are good examples. Ben is in Rust Worthy — great club name!



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Taste the rainbow: These Skittles-colored Type 3s grabbed our attention.

One of the raffle prizes was a 1941cc dual-carb engine from IAP. There was a complete 1966 sunroof VW Beetle with a Blodgett-built 1688cc given away as well! But the biggest prize had to be the VW Trends signed and numbered Platinum Founder’s Package. (We may be biased.)

You don’t see a Type 147 (Fridolin) every day. These little workhorses were commissioned by the German postal service.



Only around 6,000 Basistransporters were built. In Mexico they’re known as Hormigas.

A TV repairman, you say? Bet he has an ultimate set of tools.

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 8

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

This Squareback in the weeds belongs to Jesse Flores of German Folks in Yuma, AZ.

Here’s our very own Rich Crafton behind the wheel of Kimbel Ritch’s Kübelwagen. (Somebody get him out before Kimbel comes back.)

Ricky Melnick had some classic literature on display. These are left over from his youth, as is his survivor Bus: He’s had it since he was a teen. Turn to page 66 to learn more.

This Compoundbuilt Split ‘Vert was from the T&A Motorsports collection.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

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 

Everything in the German Folks area was stunning as usual. Victor Gonzalez Jr.’s dark maroon ’51 Split Oval is packing a 2332cc turbo built by Brothers Machine (see upper right). The black ’52 right-hand-drive Zwitter belongs to Simon Garcia from Las Vegas.

 We’d hoped to see Shawn Mittleberger’s 1966 Single Cab bucket truck at the event.

Luckily it wasn’t hard to find.



Der Blitzkrieg Kafers’ Tony Guerra had his all-black, lowlight Ghia convertible from the T&A Motorsport Collection on display.

The buggy section didn’t disappoint. We’re not sure it’s possible to see everything at the El Prado show: We never even made it to the swap meet at the front entrance of the park.



thank you THE ORGANIZERS WOULD LIKE TO THANK: VTO (Vintage Transport Owners Club); Stan, Steve, Pearl, and Larki Ford; Johnny and Kristine Salazar; Chuck Anaya and the guys from “Just Cruzin;” Nick Bevis and Die Rostigen Wagens; Straight Buggin’ Club; Type 181 registry; and Type 3 army.

This is what resides out back of the gorgeous ’59 23-window Bus that Jose Rivera built for his wife Martina — now that’s love!

10 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

SPONSORS/VENDORS/SUPPORTERS: Wolfsburg West, West Coast Metric, IAP, Skinner Classics, Rancho Performance Transaxles, CB Performance, The Bergs, Gilmore Enterprises, Hot VWs Magazine, Dubparts.com, The Wright Gearbox, Cal Pacific-JBugs, Vintage Speed Taiwan, Pedal Works, Deutschland Metal and Body, OCTO, GabVWkey.com, Smitty’s Smoothies, Daften Classic VW, EMPI U.S., VW Trends, and IAP/Kuhltek

Dan Finley’s T34.



The end. The show was great, but these yahoos were roaming around harassing people. Apparently the promoters will just let anyone in!

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

E

l Prado Show ‘n’ Shine organizers Stan and Steve Ford and Johnny Salazar of Vintage Transporter Owners lead the way by giving to a truly worthy cause — The Ronald McDonald House of the Inland Empire in Southern California. Not only was the Prado show a labor of love and a huge gift to the VW community, it also made a lasting difference in the lives of families who experience life-threatening illness by helping to provide a caring, comforting home to allow parents to focus on their child’s healing.

On July 19 the club gathered to present $20,000 to this amazing charity. This was a community event and the following clubs helped make it possible:  Just Cruzin More about the Inland Empire  Die Rostigen Wagens Ronald McDonald House:  Straight Buggin’ rmhcsc.org/inlandempire  Type 181 Registry  Type III Army

VTO president Johnny Salazar presents a $20,000 donation to the Ronald McDonald House. Folks, this is what it’s all about — having big fun and giving back to make a difference!

VTO and Just Cruzin clubs with Karen Hooper, executive director at Inland Empire Ronald McDonald House. Ken Reed and his daughter Alyssa come annually from Arizona for treatment at the local children’s hospital and stay at the Inland Empire Ronald McDonald house.

▲ VTO members lined the front of the house before gathering for a tour and to present the check. The parking lot was full of club dubs from VTO, Just Cruzin, and other local VW groups.

 The Inland Empire Ronald McDonald House also provides plenty of free on-site parking for future VW enthusiasts.

Every donation counts, and VW Trends supports RMH with a contribution of $500. Let’s keep this rolling!

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 11

12 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

The ’54 Convertible Beetle Erick “The Electrician” Martens almost walked away from Story and photography by Paul Morton VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 13

▲ Erick “The Electrician” Martens’ ’54 Convertible features a unique mix of styles. It’s in line with an all-stock restoration, but obviously the car is lowered on custom wheels. Levi Weir of Pandraggers not only pieced the various sheet metal pieces together but tackled the bodywork and paint as well — and did an exceptional job.

W

hat would you pay for a matching-numbers ’54 convertible pan and body in rough shape?

How about $600? Not “Erick the Electrician,” as he’s known in Arizona VW circles.

What if, as you were walking away, the seller called out, “400 dollars?” That might have stopped you in your tracks, but not Erick. $300 was his “make me buy it” price, and he’s still not sure he got a good deal.

Erick, who lives in Peoria, Arizona, got a tip about the car while he was at work and left early to make sure he didn’t miss out on a rare find. But the car was so rough that he didn’t want it. How rough? So rough that it took parts from several different cars to make what you see here. Although not everything is exactly from 1954, Erick made sure every part was all original with no aftermarket sheet metal. The back half and front clip are from another car. Two different four-tab hoods were spliced together to

14 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

▲ The steering wheel is an original that was restored by Koch. The gas pedal and grab handle above the glove box are accessories from GHE/Perohaus.

▲ From left to right: Perohaus cigar lighter, 1953 push start, Beck fuel gauge, and restored stock speedometer.

▲ A Motorola Big M radio sits just below the eight-day Perohaus clock.

▲ Why aren’t in-car coffee makers a still a thing? The Paluxette coffee maker plugs into the cigarette lighter and sticks in place with a magnet. This one is a reproduction.

LOL, just kidding.

make one up to Erick’s standards. The rain trays in the decklid were toast, so he found another for a donor. The doors weren’t good enough so a pair was shipped down from Washington State. (Now you know why Erick has dubbed his car “One Piece at a Time,” after the Johnny Cash song.)

Levi Weir of Pandraggers blended the

various panels together into the Bug Erick actually wanted to buy that fateful day.

Levi worked his magic in record time, too — the car was built in three months so it could be debuted at the build-off in Las Vegas for the Clean and Elite show. But in such a short timeframe, not everything could be returned to its original state. One day Levi

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 15

▲ The stock fuel tank was painted Blue Granite to match the exterior of the car and is topped with a 100mm sunburst gas cap. Erick also relies on only the most cutting edge fuel gauge. He wired the car himself, because he is, after all, Erick the Electrician.

▲ The stock 36hp engine was built by Tom Butterfly. Ed Fall of Vintagewerks massaged the 28 PCI carburetor.

▲ West Coast Classics upholstery and door panels and German squareweave oatmeal carpet grace the interior.

▲ The seats feature NOS Hulz recliners, and those VW sill plates are also NOS, of course.

needed to talk to Erick about a difficult decision. To have the car completed for the show, Levi had to shave the semaphores.

This was not in line with Erick’s vision for the car, but the sacrifice had to be made.

Once the sheet metal work was complete, Levi laid down a flawless coat of Tamco Blue Granite paint.

The pristine ’54 body sits on a completely reworked pan that is grounded by various Pandraggers products and Airkewld suspension components. Up front is a Pandraggers six-inch narrowed single-bag steel beam with shock towers mated to drop spindles by way of Airkewld trailing arms. In the rear there’s a dual-bag setup from Airkewld with notched factory spring plates. Brakes are stock with NOS factory drums that were powder coated at Glendale Powder Coating.

The car rolls on fifteen-inch Sprint Star wheels and Nankang tires.

A 1954 36hp engine resides out back. It’s

original stuff, most of it NOS, right down to the Paluxette coffeemaker. The dash is filled with accessories including a Beck fuel gauge, an eight-day Perohaus clock, a NOS grab handle, a Porsche fog-light switch, and even a Perohaus cigar lighter. NOS Hulz seat recliners were installed on the factory frames before the seats were covered with West Coast Classics red leatherette. The German square-weave oatmeal carpet and red door panels are also from West Coast Classics.

It took a lot of effort and money to make Erick’s bargain Bug what he wanted it to be. Now he can share the good times with his wife Tracy and his daughters Airika and Chloe, much like his dad did with him. But did Erick ever make it to the Clean and Elite show in Vegas? Of course he did! And he took all the awards in his class. Since then the car has earned Erick many more trophies — you can say he’s a building a collection of them, one piece at a time.

16 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

all stock, inside and out. Tom Butterfly of Phoenix rebuilt the powerplant to its original specifications. The carburetor is a 28 PCI rebuilt by Ed Fall of Vintagewerks in Salt Lake City. Erick installed a single-tip VW logo muffler, NOS of course. The mill is mated to a Type 1 split-case transaxle built

by Bill Kapatch of Arizona Transaxle.

The interior is where things really started to get expensive. Erick opted for just about every aftermarket accessory a Bug could have — and some they were never intended to. Everything you see is real,

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BAT TERIES NOT INCLUDED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY. SOME CARS NOT FOR USE WITH SOME SETS. OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THE AUTHOR’S AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF FUTURE RESULTS. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. DO NOT INGEST. OFFER VALID ONLY AT PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS. CASH VALUE 1/100TH OF A CENT. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. PROFESSIONAL DRIVER ON CLOSED COURSE. MAY CONTAIN NUTS. RESULTS NOT T YPICAL. PARENTAL GUIDANCE ADVISED. USE ONLY IN A WELL-VENTIL ATED AREA. ASK YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST. NOT A TOY. SOLD BY WEIGHT, NOT VOLUME. THIS SUPERSEDES ALL PREVIOUS DISCL AIMERS.

TECH

 1. To be on the safe side after blowing the body off the pan and having all the metal sandblasted and primed, we made a wood jig to hold the pan down so it wouldn’t shift or twist out of shape when we cut out sections of the pan halves. We secured the jig with lag bolts.

PAN-DEMONIUM

Bonding patch panels without welding • Story and photography by Eric Geisert

T

here are a few things in life that will adhesives for massive bridge bearings, they always be true: The sun will come up in also make some of the consumer-friendly the east, Karmann Ghias will always have adhesives you can readily purchase and at least one nose dent, and if you want to do use when repairing your old Volkswagen. some rust repair on your pan, you’ve got to The LORD website explains all of the types know how to weld. of adhesives they manufacture, and many VW Trends can’t help you with the have varied drying/work times, so you perpetual sunrise or the eventuality of have to decide what’s best for you. But keep Ghia nose damage but, as it turns out, you in mind: Nowadays these adhesives are DON’T actually need to know how to weld so strong that you will end up tearing the in order to repair rusted-out battery pans metal around the joint before the sealed or some of the Swiss cheese that vintage seam area will fail.

VW floorpans seem to acquire over time.

We used LORD’s Fusor line of epoxy adThat’s because over the past few decades hesive (and their specialized tools to apply there have been it) for a simple pan some enormous repair project with gains made in a chopped-down GET THE STUFF: adhesives for the dune buggy pan, Parker LORD automotive afterthen covered it with lord.com/fusor market. If you’ve a 3M-based rubberever seen the goop ized undercoating between the inside (which doubles as of your new-car trunk lid and some intersound deadener). It was just a one-day job, nal bracing, that’s the stuff. Carmakers but using the product made us think: What around the world have embraced its use for else could be made if we bonded fabricatyears and now you can, too. ed body panel sections together rather The more you look into the science than welding or riveting them? Could we behind the goo, the more you realize what actually build an entire fabricated one-off a vast application these products have. One aluminum body by gluing it together, like U.S.-based global company, Parker LORD, a giant Revell model? While we sit down to has been at it for 90 years and, besides ponder that wild concept, check out how we making aerospace and defense flight-condid a quick pan repair with absolutely no trol systems as well as rubber-to-substrate welding.

18 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

 2. There was a small amount of “Swiss cheese” in three spots of the passenger’s seating area, so we’ll replace that with this new reproduction piece. 

 3. The outer edge of the repro part won’t be used, so we trimmed it away with an air shear.

 11. We used a bodyworking hammer to tap the edges of the repair panel into the bead lines of the original pan.

 4. We test fitted the newly trimmed repair section to make sure it would cover the areas that need it.

 12. Even with the repair piece just resting in place, you can see the progress we’ve made.

 5. With a black grease pencil, we traced the outside edge of the repair panel onto the pan.

 8. We removed the old pan section piece.

 13. We used the two-part Fusor epoxy (110B and T31) with LORD’s dispensing applicator and mixing tip for easy application.  6. We freehand sketched an inner line about one inch inside the outer line.

 7. We broke out the cut-off wheel tool and cut along the inner line to provide a lip for the new section to rest on.

 9. We ground along the edge of the replacement piece, removing the black paint about 1.5 inches in from the edges, and repeated that on the underside.

 10. Next, we ground away a portion of the primer on the pan.

 14. We squeezed the mixed Fusor epoxy out along the open edge of the pan.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 19

 15. With the replacement piece set in place, we added some weight to make sure the lip didn’t lift while the epoxy cured.  19. With the area sanded smooth and some primer sprayed, you can barely see where the seam is.

 16. To blend the edges, we used some body filler. This is only cosmetic; the adhesive did the bonding.

 17. Ya gotta love a Rolo-Loc plastic grinder. It makes quick work of shaping that body filler.

 20. We taped and covered the pan before applying the rubberized undercoating quickly and evenly.

 18. We ground the underside area too, and applied body filler.

 21. There’s no visible seam once the undercoat goes on.

20 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

 22. We undercoated both bottom and top. Looks like nothing was ever repaired!

 23. No more Swiss-cheese holes in the pan. The repair is rock-solid and is just as strong as if the section had been welded in — but without the hassle of welding.

 24. The repaired dune buggy pan has gotten a coat of gloss black and is ready to receive this Kyote body.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 21

22 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

Dan-O Olortegui’s pristine ‘64 Kombi is Type II royalty!

By Dan Leadbetter • Photography by Paul Morton

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 23

 Autohaus Autobody did a killer job of smoothing the sheet metal before applying numerous coats of Caribbean Blue and white paint.

There’s nothing like safari windows and a huge Bus roof rack.

I

n 1984, a mere 20 years after this 1964 11-window Type II rolled off the assembly line, Billy Ocean released his hit single “Caribbean Queen.” Daniel “Dan-O” Olortegui was just 18 when that song came out, but the impact must have lasted a lifetime. Dan-O’s got VWs in his blood: He grew up with them in his house.

His dad owned ’69 and ’71 Squarebacks, while his mom got the honor of rolling a ’78 Landmark (a limited-edition late-Bay conversion. It’s estimated that fewer than a dozen are still around.) Dan-O’s dad taught him how to wrench on his VWs, and by age 13, Dan-O was changing oil and gapping spark plugs. But enough about the past, let’s check out Dan-O’s awesome ’64 Kombi!

Autohaus Autobody in Costa Mesa, California brought the exterior sheet metal back to showroom-perfect condition before laying down numerous coats of Caribbean Blue and white paint. Painting a vintage 11-window Type II is no small task, and you can only imagine the hours of prep work and color sanding it took to make the colors

24 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

 The front cockpit features color-matched seats with stitched VW logos. A custombuilt center console holds a cool beverage during those hot cruises.

 Nope, this conversation pit-style seating was not a factory option back in 1964.

Dan-O designed and installed this unique seating configuration.

pop. Speaking of popping, all the pop-out windows, including the split windshield, are in perfect working order.

Inside, the aqua and white color scheme matches the exterior to perfection. Dan-O designed and installed the L-shaped seating, complete with matching seat belts for all passengers (safety first, people). He also did all the panels, front and rear, and finished everything off with a simple yet striking white shag carpet. Instead of a

traditional headliner, Dan-O went with an authentic sarape blanket as a tribute to the previous owner’s daughter. Up front, standard gray charcoal carpeting covers the floorboards.

The two-tone lowback front seats with stitched-in VW logos look sharp, while a custom upholstered center console holds a nice cool beverage. The parcel shelf houses a cluster of gauges in a custom chrome diamond-plate. Oil pressure, oil temperature,

the build sPECS

EXTERIOR: Bodywork and paint (in Caribbean Blue and white) by Autohaus Autobody in Costa Mesa, CA. 7" halo headlights with amber turn-signal rings.

CHASSIS: 4" adjustable front end by Wide Five. Flat Four 15" BRM replica wheels. Tires: 165/45/15 front, 195/65/15 rear. Wilwood disc brake conversion by Wagenswest. Dual master cylinder.

 This 2110cc powerhouse was built by Josh Fullenwider of Sawtooth Aircooled. All the engine tin is from CB Performance, and it was expertly powder coated to match the Bus by Brandon Oschsner of Extreme Fusion.

ENGINE: VW magnesium case, 2110cc built by Josh Fullenwider of Sawtooth Aircooled. Scat 82mm crankshaft with Chevy journals. AA Performance 90.5mm forged pistons. Scat C35 camshaft.

Scat Super D swirl-polished heads with 42x37.5 valves. Dual Weber 44 IDF carbs with Bugpack linkage. 8.5:1 compression ratio. CB Performance Magnaspark ignition. 4-tip high-flow exhaust. CB Performance stock-weight flywheel.

TRANSAXLE: 1968 VW Type 1 case.

INTERIOR: Aqua and white industrial vinyl. Upholstery work by George and Dan-O. Stock lowback seats. Custom door panels. GlowShift oil temp, oil pressure, and voltmeter gauges. Custombuilt L-shape “conversation pit” seating, interior mood and limo lighting, custom gauge cluster, Scat T-handle Bus shifter, surfer foot accelerator pedal, dice knobs.

 This 1964 Type II is as clean as they come! Everything flows together. From the safari split windshield to the quad-tip exhaust, Dan-O really nailed the look he was going for!

and voltmeter keep Dan-O informed of the engine’s vitals, while a T-handle shifter makes gear selection a breeze. Opening the rear hatch of the Kombi reveals more aqua and white upholstery, this time accented with a custom Volkswagen license plate and another stitched VW emblem.

A little further down from the rear hatch beats the true heart of this Queen: a 2110cc Scat Volksracer powerhouse built

by Josh Fullenwider of Sawtooth Aircooled in Jerome, Idaho. This fire-breathing flat four has all the right components for a super-street daily driver: 82mm Scat Chevy journal crank, 5.500 H-Beam rods, 90.5 AA Performance forged pistons and cylinders, Scat Super D swirl-polished heads with 42x37.5 valves, and tons of CB Performance

components. Estiand 165/45/15s in mated horsepower the front. Notice the is 150 — not too rake this Bus has… shabby for a daily looks like it’s going driver.

120 standing still!

The stance of A lot of blood, Dan-O’s dream sweat, and tears Queen is dropped — not to mention via a Wide Five 4" a pile of cash — adjustable front went into making  Dan-O Olortegui spent a year (plus a pile Dan-O’s Caribbean beam. A Waof cash and more man-hours than he can genswest 5-lug disc Queen a showstopcount) turning this Bus into the killer queen brake conversion per. This badass Kombi. No wonder he’s smiling now. with a dual master Bus has won Best cylinder helps this ultra-fast Bus come in Show twice and nabbed the coveted to a halt. Not content with stock wheels, People’s Choice trophy three times. That’s Dan-O added a set of 15" Flat Four BRM a royalty trifecta that’s going to be hard to replicas with 195/65/15 tires in the back beat!

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 25

PORTAL TO TEXAS HISTORY

H I S T O RY L E S SO N

▲ The first real four-door Type 1 is pretty well known, and was actually the first VW of any kind built in large numbers: the wartime Kübelwagen.

THE

 In the mid-to-late 1970s, as Japanese

FANTASTIC FOURS

imports with more modern designs were taking their toll on Beetle sales, VW could have introduced this radically updated Beetle created by VW designer Herbert Schäfer. Needless to say, they didn’t.

sedan and the Type 181 Thing. For some baffling reason, the Type 4 station wagon remained a two-door.

But this isn’t an article about all the four-door cars VW didn’t make; it’s about onsidering its start as a peoples’ car, the ones they did, specifically the ones Volkswagen has always had a sort of made on the original Type 1 chassis as used strange reluctance to provide all of those in the Beetle, or, in slightly widened form, peoples with their own doors to get into on the Karmann Ghia. So, let’s go through cars. For most of VW’s early these quattroportes chronologhistory, effectively all of the It’s pretty ically. air-cooled era, traditional fourincredible how The first real four-door door cars tended to be the rare long a company Type 1 VW is actually a pretty exception, not the rule. While that produced well-known one, and was acthere was never a production, mainstream tually the first VW of any kind mainstream four-door Beetle, family cars built in large numbers, even bethere were a few four-door cars got by with fore the famous Beetle, even if built on the once-ubiquitous zero four-door it wasn’t exactly a mainstream Type 1 Beetle chassis, and it’s options, even passenger car. I’m talking about our responsibility as well-adincluding the wartime Kübelwagen. justed human beings to talk station wagons.

The Kübel was the Beetle about them. So let’s get on that.

But this isn’t an adapted to wartime use, and In American and European article about all the two major modifications markets, it’s pretty incredithe four-door used to turn the people’s car ble how long a company that cars VW didn’t into a fighter were reduction produced mainstream family make; it’s about gears to raise the ground clearcars got by with zero four-door the ones they ance and an all-new, corrugated options, even including station did. body with, yes, four doors. wagons. The VW lineup of pasBoth sets of doors hinged on senger cars from the 1950s through most of the B-pillar, so the front pair were suicide the 1960s was exclusively two-door: Beetle, doors. And, sure, those doors looked like Karmann Ghia, Type 3s (Notchback, Fastcorrugated trash can lids, but they were back, Squareback). definitely doors, and there were four of If you wanted more doors, you needed to them. move to the Type 2 Microbus, or wait until In 1949, after post-war Beetle pro1968, when VW finally offered a shocking duction actually started, Volkswagen, in two new four-door options, the Type 4 conjunction with coachbuilder Hebmüller,

produced a somewhat odd vehicle called the Type 18A, which was a special police car for German and Austrian cops, who must have loved the fresh air, as the car was a convertible with, significantly for us right now, four doors.

The doors on these were often just canvas, and there were versions made by other coachbuilders like Karmann, as well as Papler and Austro-Tatra. The latter two used actual steel doors, in case you’re going to be a stickler and not count those canvas flaps as actual doors. Over 400 of these four-door cop baskets were built.

Around the same era, in 1950, coachbuilder Rometsch took a scrap Beetle, stretched the wheelbase almost a foot, and added a pair of suicide doors to the rear, and sold these four-door Beetles as taxis.

The next burst of four-door Type 1s comes in 1968, starting with perhaps the most familiar (at least to us Americans) Type 1 four-door: the VW Type 181, which we knew as the Thing.

The Thing was sort of a Kübelwagen update, designed as a general-purpose light military vehicle, and re-cast as a sort of fun, no-bullfeces do-anything kind of car, a particular category sorely missed today.

Like its Kübel predecessor, the Thing had four corrugated (removable) doors, but this time all were forward-hinged.

It was pretty odd that in the late 1960s you could buy one of VW’s most strippeddown and weirdest vehicles with a family-friendly four doors, but their fanciest family station wagon, the Type 4, could

VW made four-door Beetle-based cars way more often than you think

by Jason Torchinsky

C

26 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

▲ 1968, Brazil: the four-door VW 1600, affectionately(?) nicknamed “Coffin Joe.”

VW SIEFTUNGMUSEUM

only be had with two.

In the same year as the Thing but in Brazil we find another four-door Type 1 car, but this one is a little deceptive, as many people have mistaken it for a Type 3. The car is the VW 1600, also known by its evocative nickname “Coffin Joe,” and it was a very conventional-looking three-box sedan sporting four very conventional-looking doors.

The Brazilian VW1600 is a strange beast; its origins are in a series of VW prototypes called the EA97, a line of cars that was started as a potential modernized Beetle replacement, then sort of slotted in between the Beetle and Type 3, then VW pretty much gave up on the idea and chucked the whole mess into the ocean.

That’s literally what happened, though not exactly intentionally; VW decided to send the available tooling for the EA97 to Brazil, but the cargo ship the tooling was on sank; luckily, the large presses were recovered and refurbished, allowing VW do Brasil to put the car into production.

The resulting vehicle did differ significantly from the EA97 prototypes — of which around 200 were made — in frontend styling and, relevant for what I’m going on about, a switch to a four-door design.

They also moved the fuel tank to the rear, which allowed for a pretty cavernous front trunk.

The chassis is a Karmann Ghia-type widened Type 1, and the engine is the familiar Beetle upright-fan Type 1—there’s no Type 3 in this thing, despite how unBeetle-like it looks.

Now, if we want to make things a little more confusing, which of course we do, we can look at Brazil’s own indigenous Fastback: the 1600TL. The 1600TL sure as hell looks like a cross between a Type 3 fastback and a Type 4 four-door sedan. It has a Type 4 face, that clean, forward-raked “Leiding nose,” the

▲ In 1949, Volkswagen and Hebmüller produced the Type 18A, a special car for German and Austrian police. Over 400 of these four-door cop baskets were built.  In 1950, the coachbuilder Rometsch stretched the Beetle’s wheelbase almost a foot, added a pair of suicide rear doors, and sold it as a taxicab.

▲ The Type 181’s global run lasted from 1968 to 1983. It was odd that in the late 1960s you could buy one of VW’s most stripped-down vehicles with a family-friendly four doors, but their fanciest family station wagon, the Type 4, could only be had with two.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 27

four doors of the Type 4 sedan, and Type 3-ish design elements in profile. Oh, and it has the Type 3 “suitcase” engine under the rear trunk floor, too. But all of this is on a Type 1 chassis.

The 1600TL is a pretty remarkable mashup, but I think the Type 1 chassis keeps it in the Type 1 camp, even with that pancake engine back there, so I’m counting it as one of the few Type 1 four-door representatives.

The EA97 project just kept on giving to VW do Brasil, even providing something that no other division of Volkswagen was ever really able to do in the air-cooled era: come up with an actual, successful replacement for the legendary but aging Beetle.

The car that eventually managed to do just that was the Brasília, a boxy hatchback station wagon that was very much a Beetle under the skin. Type 1 chassis, normal upright-fan Type 1 engine (albeit with a slightly flat-topped fan shroud), all tucked under a far more modern-looking body design (see feature story, page 62).

The Brasília arrived in 1973, and I’m talking about it because there was a fourdoor version, which was also built and sold in Africa (made in VW’s Nigeria factory, via CKD kits from Brazil) as the VW Igala, which did not offer the two-door version of the Brasília under the Igala name.

The Brasília/Igala really was a marvel of clever packaging. On that same 1938-era chassis the designers managed to make a very up-to-date-looking hatchback/wagon, with two or four doors and two separate luggage compartments, even if the rear one by the hatch had kind of a high floor.

As far as I know, these cars represent the only four-door Type 1 Volkswagens to make it to any sort of production. There are two interesting prototypes studied

by Volkswagen of Type 1-based four-door vehicles, and while neither made it to production, they’re both so gloriously weird I feel it’s important to mention them.

The first is a deeply, wonderfully strange thing that appeared in 1957, as a response to the very clever Fiat 600 Multipla from 1956. The Multipla took the small, rear-engined Fiat 600 and re-worked it into a three-row, six-seater, and Volkswagen wanted to try essentially the same thing with the Beetle.

They passed the design work off to Porsche, who designed and built a rough

28 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

 Brazil’s 1600TL looks like a cross between a Type 3 fastback and a Type 4 four-door sedan. It has a Type 4 face, that clean, forward-raked “Leiding nose,” the four doors of the Type 4 sedan, and Type 3-ish design elements in profile. And it has a Type 3 engine under the rear trunk floor. But it’s all on a Type 1 chassis.

VOLKSWAGEN RARITATEN

 The Type 700 prototype — also known as the Volkswagen for the Big Family — never made it into production, possibly because VW already had a big family car: the Type 2.

prototype called the Type 700, also known as the Volkswagen for the Big Family.

It used a Type 1 chassis and Type 1 engine, just like normal, but with a more van-like body, with the driver’s butt over the front wheel and two rows of seats behind the front row, for a full six-passenger vehicle.

It had four doors and a rear luggage area only accessible from inside the car, and it appears some manner of front trunk, likely just for a spare tire.

The plan was scrapped pretty quickly, and if I had to guess why, it would be because VW already had a car for big families—the Type 2 Microbus, which was really just a larger, more flexible version of this same basic idea.

The next four-door Type 1 attempt was much later, around 1970, when VW was developing the Super Beetle. The Super Beetle was, really, the most significant update to the pre-war Beetle design ever;

the main goals of getting more trunk room were accomplished very effectively with the switch to MacPherson strut front suspension, and, in the later 1973 1303 version, the Super also finally gave the Beetle a curved windshield and a “real” dashboard, along with what VW hoped would be room for As significant the airbags they as the Super were anticipating, a Beetle’s changes bit prematurely. were, they As significant as effectively the Super Beetle’s stopped after changes were, they the A-pillar, and effectively stopped weren’t really after the A-pillar, all that radical a and weren’t really all departure. But that radical a departhey could have ture. But they could been. have been.

VW designer Herbert Schäfer built at least one scale model of a radically updated Beetle, with the design language simplified, squared off, and brought more into a modern aesthetic vocabulary, along with giving the Beetle an extra pair of doors.

Schäfer’s four-door Super Beetle is remarkably sleek and balanced-looking — at least I think so — and in profile reminds me a bit of Saabs of the era, with the four doors and small quarter window at the rear.

This four-door Super Beetle could have been introduced in the mid-to-late 1970s, as Japanese imports with more modern designs were taking their toll on Beetle sales. Could a radical Beetle modernization like this have saved the Beetle?

Probably not, as VW was already committed to their transverse, front-engined, water-cooled engineering DNA they bought from Auto-Union and NSU just the year before, which would become the water-cooled future of VW via the Golf.

Still, this four-door superb Super Beetle is an interesting peek into a path not taken.

I’ll never really understand why VW in America and Europe was so timid about introducing four-door designs in the aircooled era, but it’s still fascinating to see just how many times it was actually tried.

If you happen to find a time machine, I’m not necessarily saying this is the best use for one, but maybe consider using it to push 1970s VW into giving that four-door Beetle a chance. What could go wrong?

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30 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

Does this Reno-based radical red ’65 Bug have all the right stuff?

TRUUDAT!

By DG Leadbetter Photography by Paul Morton

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 31

S

ome people just aren’t the flashy type.

They would much rather blend in with the crowd. They usually can be found standing against the wall at parties, or at the back of the classroom. Then there are the people that march to the beat of a different, very loud, and fast drummer… think Rush’s Neil Peart (may he rest in peace) jacked up on an octo espresso with 15 packs of sugar and a couple No-Doz. Big Al, the owner of this radical 1965 Bug, is definitely that kind of person.

There’s nothing subtle about this VW, or its owner, for that matter. Al’s been a VW guy since eighth grade when he owned his first Beetle. Yes, you heard right, eighth grade. In the ’80s, Al used to drive his orange Super Beetle to Drivers Ed class.

In the ’80s, Al Again, you heard used to drive right. Al was driving his orange his Beetle BEFORE Super Beetle he even had his to his Drivers license! Al said the Ed class. The instructor would instructor see him pull up and would see him just shake his head. pull up and just Then it was off to shake his head. class to “learn” how Then it was to drive. off to class to Al has owned “learn” how to several other drive.

Volkswagens: a 1966 Beetle, a 1967 Squareback, and a 1962 Bug. But let’s talk about the big red elephant in the room… this awesome red 1965 Bug! Al’s one of those guys who is super clear on what he wants, and won’t rest until he gets it. He knew he didn’t want to go full Cal-Look, although he did want some of those elements. Al’s Bug is what we at VW Trends would call a Resto-Custom, a term we coined way back in the January 1995 issue. A Resto-Custom VW leaves the chrome body trim intact, doesn’t opt for one-piece windows, and leaves the chrome trim around the side windows. It also keeps the stock bumpers. Other than that, everything else is open to the owner’s interpretation.

The first thing that grabs your attention is the one-off paint color called “Custom Awesome Red.” Mr. Fuentes in San Bernardino ensured that the bodywork was straight as an arrow before spraying

32 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

the paint. In fact, Mr. Fuentes oversaw all stages of the VW’s completion, from stem to stern.

The driver and passenger doors are off a ’64 Beetle, and there’s a custom safari windshield in the front. A set of pop-out side windows add to the ventilation.

Looking at the front fenders, you can’t help but notice that something is just a little different… yep, those headlights are from a ’54 Beetle, and the chrome eyebrows add a nice vintage flair.

Blodget Precision Air-Cooled Perfor-

mance in San Bernardino put together all the right stuff for a solid, reliable 1641cc powerplant. An A41 magnesium case is stuffed with a 69mm counter-balanced crankshaft mated with 86.98mm Mahle pistons and barrels. Throw in an Engle 100 camshaft with Scat aluminum cam gear, Engle racing lifters, 40mm intake and 35.5mm exhaust heads, stock rocker arms with high-rev springs, and a tucked side-flow exhaust system, and you’ve got a rock-solid engine that can take you anywhere and back again. The folks at Wright

the build sPECS

EXTERIOR: 1964 doors, safari windshield, pop-out quarter windows, 1954 headlight assemblies, and chrome eyebrows. Bodywork and paint by Mr. Fuentes, San Bernardino, California.

Special paint color mix “Custom Awesome Red.” CHASSIS: Viair air ride suspension, narrowed front beam, dropped spindles, Firestone air bags. 17" chrome Raider wheels. Nexen 205/40/17 tires. Drum brakes.

ENGINE: VW AS41 magnesium case.

1641cc built by Blodget Precision Air-Cooled of San Bernardino. 69mm counter-balanced crankshaft, Mahle 86.98mm pistons, Engle 100 camshaft with Scat aluminum cam gear. 40mm intake/35.5mm exhaust dual-port heads.

8.5:1 compression ratio. Tucked side-flow exhaust. Lightened 8-dowel flywheel, Sachs 200mm clutch. Compufire electronic ignition. 85 horsepower (estimated).

TRANSAXLE: 1965 VW swingaxle built by The Wright Gearbox. 3.88 ring/pinion.

Heavy-duty side cover, steel shift forks, hardened keys, and welded third- and fourth-gear hubs.

 Jer-Fab in San Bernardino created a stunning tan suede/cloth 2-inch custom upholstery interior, including upholstered stock dash panels with Faze gauges. The black box under the dash is the control system for the Viair air ride system.

 You can’t have the highs without the lows. Big Al opted for three 10" Pioneer subwoofers. We’re pretty sure not a single one of this Bug’s 1,000 watts is wasted!

 The front upholstered speaker pods hold two Pioneer 6.5" three-way speakers. The tan upholstery offsets the brown carpet nicely.

INTERIOR: Upholstery by Jer-Fab, San Bernardino. Pro Classic seats, custommade door panels. Tan suede cloth and fabric. Faze gauges.Custom-upholstered dash inserts, custom center console with cup holder, custom-built back seat.

Pioneer/MTX sound system with 1,000 watts of power to 11 speakers.

 The rear seat houses seven of Big Al’s eleven speakers. Pioneer 6x9" three-way speakers flank the seat.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 33

 Blodget Precision Air-Cooled Performance in San Bernardino put together a solid, reliable 1641cc street motor. Tons of chrome light up the engine compartment, and you have to love an old-school louvered chrome firewall.

Gearbox reconditioned a 1965 flank the back seat, while three swing axle trans for the car.

10-inch Pioneer subwoofers The interior is just as clean as take up the rear deck. With this the rest of this ride. Jer-Fab in many speakers, you need some San Bernardino took great care serious power to push the music. in creating a beautiful tan suede Al opted for MTX 81001 and and cloth custom upholstery MTX 3404 amplifiers producing interior, including custom a total of 1,000 watts of power. upholstered stock dash panels They’re mounted in the trunk, with Faze gauges. The black unand once again, the folks at Jerder-dash box filled with rocker Fab did a great job detailing the switches and gauges controls the front end to hide the Viair air Viair air ride system with Fireride pumps and hardware while stone bags. It keeps Al’s VW at showcasing the amps. just the right height for cruising  The folks at Jer-Fab did an amazing job in the front to hide the Pictures really don’t do the around. Al chose a set of 17-inch Viair air ride system pumps and hardware while showcasing the Bug justice; you have to see it chrome Raider wheels with Nex- huge MTX amplifiers. in person for the full effect. All en 205/40/17s all around. in all, Big Al’s 1965 Resto-CusCheck out Al’s stereo system. The Pioable to stuff 11 Pioneer speakers inside this tom is a pretty hard combination to beat neer head unit fits in the dash quite nicely, ’65! The two front kick panels each house ­— classy, sporty, reliable, and loud as hell! and features Bluetooth capabilities so Al two Pioneer 6.5-inch three-way speakers.

All the things a person could want in a can take calls and stream music. Al was A pair of Pioneer 6x9" three-way speakers Volkswagen.

34 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 35

THE LAZARUS EVENT THE LAZARUS EVENT The much-loved VW Summer Nationals comes back from the dead • Story and photography by David Conklin

T

wenty-five years is a long time to promote a VW event. That’s what Larry Phillips of Larry’s Off Road Center in Dayton Ohio concluded after his annual Larry’s Nationals show and race a couple years back. He and his family had devoted an immense amount of time and energy to this Ohio event, but both of those are finite resources, and after a quarter of a century, Larry understandably decided it was time to stop.

When the word went out that the event was no more, VW enthusiasts from around the Ohio Valley and beyond were crushed. “Larry’s Race,” as it was commonly called, was an early-summer staple. J.D. Curry was especially disappointed. J.D. is a long-time VW pro-stock racer and president of the East Coast Pro Racing Association (ECPRA). He was a

36 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

regular at the event, and Larry’s race at Kil-Kare Raceway was an important stop in the ECPRA series each year.

J.D. decided to secure the early June date with Kil-Kare and continue the event out of his own pocket.

“I’m no event promoter, but I had to do something to ensure we didn’t lose another great VW event. So many people have had such a good time for years…

I couldn’t let that die. I leaned on good friends and other good people I know to help. Without them, we could never have made this happen!”

And happen it did. Longtime friend Mark Hembree helped with organization and promotion. Brian Drew of DuneBuggyWarehouse.com sponsored the swap meet and Justin Crouse and the Air Syndicate VW Club organized and ran

the car show. California Custom Sounds agreed to bring out their giant boom box to provide a nice musical background.

Plans were made, trophies constructed… but would anyone show up? Publicity was primarily through word of mouth and social media, and the residual effects of the pandemic loomed large. Nobody knew exactly what to expect.

The event began on Saturday evening with a small cruise-in hosted by Forgeline Racing Wheels and Harrop Engineering USA. Curry Construction provided free burgers, brats, and drinks and volunteers cooked all afternoon as a variety of VWs and Porsches came and went.

As it turned out, all concerns about the show were unfounded. Early Sunday morning saw participants lined up at the gate waiting to get in. The designated car-

Boris Maryanovsky debuted this radical 300+hp turbo sedan that he built with help from Eric Hengstenberger.

It may look ratty on the outside, but the interior and mechanicals are outstanding.

Rodney Highfield had his wild black chop-top at the event. This radical ride has the power to match the looks with a turbocharged and fuel-injected engine fighting the giant five-spoke wheels for attention.

By day, Chris Mentrop is the operation manager of Harrop USA, one of the hosts of the cruise-in. By night he is a hardcore VW guy. His ’58 vert is powered by a 2165cc engine with cold air conditioning.

It’s rare to see a 4Motion Passat Wagon (these 280hp cars were only produced in 2007-08), but there were three at the cruise-in. The silver one was on coil-overs; the other two were on airbags.

Yogi drove his gorgeous ’66 sedan all the way from Cleveland to participate all weekend. Big-diameter Raider wheels look spectacular against the deep blue paint.

Therearea were several minibeyond bikes buzzing show quickly filled expectaaround the event, which made us realize tion and later arrivals were squeezed into we need an official VW Trends mini bike every available nook and cranny of the for future events.

(We should have put our name inThere the drawing the Honda grassy field. was nofor official count, Z50R!) but many people felt that the show was larger than it had been in the last decade.

The same held true for the swap meet.

With no charge for swap spaces, dozens of swappers decided to clean out their garages and storage units. Treasures abounded.

But this event is much more than a car show and swap meet. Opened in 1959, Kil-Kare Dragway is famous for its laser-smooth, all-concrete drag strip — that’s right, concrete for the entire quarter mile! At only 800 feet above sea level, and with a well-groomed starting line, Kil-Kare has generated multiple ECPRA Pro-Stick and Pro-Mod records in past

years. This year an unseasonable warm front with temperatures in the high 80s and humidity to match resulted in a corrected air-density elevation greater than 3,000 feet throughout the day. These difficult conditions ensured that new records were not likely this time.

The drag classes were a little down on participants in some cases due to last-minute breakage and a shortage of repair parts in the industry. But there was still some great action. One highlight was Todd Chicklo competing with the flamed chop-top his father built in the late 60s. The entire Chicklo family was on hand to watch Todd race his way past some serious competitors to eventually win Super-Pro, despite this being the first time down the track in the car for nearly 20 years!

Matt Lloyd depended on consistency and good reaction times to win the ASA street-car class, and Tasha Strain was impressive, winning two classes: Modified Street and the Ladybugs. Despite partial fields in a couple of the classes, the promoters are to be commended for paying full purses to the winners and runner-up racers in all classes. Their philosophy is that if even just one racer goes to the effort to prepare his car and travel to the event, they will always pay out full purses.

Despite some initial uncertainty, the 2021 VW Summer Nationals was a huge success. Already conversations are being had about how to make the show even better for next year: more car-show space, more vendors, and more entertainment. Mark your calendars for June 12, 2022 — it’s going to be good!

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 37

Mark Garrett’s ’61 took home a Top 10 award. His dad found the car abandoned at a VW dealer in the ’70s and restored it.

Old-school Cal-Look builder Rick Mortenson built this killer ’67 chop-top sedan in Arizona… then it went to England. Rob Rohrer surprised everyone when he showed up with it in Ohio.

Doug Lewis built his Java Green sunroof Looker back in the early ’90s and it was featured in the April ’96 issue of VW Trends. It was great seeing it back out again.

Lee Berry of Berry’s Blowers not only had his all-electric buggy at the track, he also hand-built the race winners’ trophies from spare VW engine parts.

This was the debut for Nick Long’s ’67 sedan. The polished and paint-detailed Fuchs wheels and Weber motor drew attention all weekend.

Greg Mays has driven his ’67 to this event nearly every year since the mid-’90s.

This year he showed off his new 1835cc engine to his friend Tam Porter.

Sean Taylor, with his son Arius in this cool green ’57 Oval, was one of the many Air Syndicate Club members who supported the event.

Who says there are no good deals left?

This original-paint ’66 sedan sold within an hour for $8,000.

Mike Gordon rolled up in his slammed ’74 Thing. Love the Van-Halen-influenced license plate lamp housing!

Andrew Womoc brought his ’61 ragtop with Centerline Convo-Pro wheels and Pro-Stock-style wing.

38 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

Nobody would have blamed Craig Hill if he had entered his ’73 sedan in the car show. Instead, the Beavercreek, Ohio enthusiast decided to try his hand at the races. The car looked great and the 2332cc engine made good power.

J.D. Curry loaned Mark Hembree a spare Pro-Stock car so he could race. Mark was busy the night before, plugging his own engine into the borrowed chassis. Unfortunately, ignition problems prevented Mark from going rounds.

George Wells bought his ’69 Ghia in 1983 and most of the mileage on the car since then has been drag-strip passes. George’s 2276cc motor was running great, but an atypical late reaction time took him out of contention.

Joe Shebesta from nearby Bethel Ohio is always a contender in the Super-Pro class.

With a 2500cc engine and back-halved ladder bar suspension, this ’72 sedan comes off the line hard!

Troy McNair was the big winner in the Sportsman class with his ’84 GTI. With a 1.8-liter turbo motor and slicks on the front, the car really is as the license plate says: “ROC N RAB.”

Jason Poynter from Rhome, Texas looked good and ran hard with his Pro-Stock 2000 New Beetle. The tube-chassis car went all the way to the finals before being nipped at the line by Alex Curry.

Alex Curry took home his first ever Pro-Stock win and pocketed a big $1,750 check. The ’71 Ghia and its driver were nearly flawless all day long.

More than 475 horsepower and a lightning-quick reaction time in the finals helped Matt Lloyd win the ASA class.

(Nice shirt, Matt!)

Keith Johnson raced his ’17 GTI in the Sportsman class. The 320hp turbo engine motivated the hot hatch to low-ninesecond 1/8-mile times on street tires.

The Super-Pro final found Joe Shebesta (right) up against Todd Chicklo. Joe has won this race many times and Todd hadn’t made a pass in “Hot Chocolate” for more than 20 years. Despite having what appeared to be the odds stacked against him, Chicklo got the job done and put some well-deserved cash in his pocket.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 39

PETRO’S PAGES

40 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 41 ILLUSTRATION: RON PETRO

42 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

Buggy drives are measured in smiles per gallon

By Rich Crafton Photography by Paul Morton

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 43

 Not every teenager is cool enough to cruise around in an ’70 Imp on a ’57 pan, but Hailey Stevenson is more than happy to tool around in this one, owned and built by her dad, Jayson Stevenson. The buggy’s frame is lowered 2.5 inches, and the body is lifted 3 inches.

I

t’s May 23, final round of the PGA Championship — Phil Mickelson has the lead, and the TV is commenting in hushed tones on each player’s mental ability to take the win… then I hear I look out my a specific sound. It window and see gets louder every a Dune Buggy. second and soon Not just any it demands every buggy, but a ounce of my atten1957 Type 1 pan tion. I look out my Imp with the window (convemost amazing niently located near blue fleck paint my easy chair) and job. see something I haven’t witnessed since Schlepcar graced The Krofft Supershow in the late ’70s: It’s a Dune Buggy. Not just any buggy, but a 1957 Type 1 pan Imp with the most amazing blue fleck paint job.

As I stare out my window at this marvel of my childhood, my daughter Maddie bolts out the door and gets into the contraption.

Wait, what’s happening? My brain can’t

44 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

 Don’t get too close: The chrome on this 2160cc may burn your face off in the surf and sand of Newport Beach.

make the connection. I spring out of my chair, open the door and shout, “Hey, what, um — er, what are you doing?!”

“We’re going to the beach”, my daugh-

ter replies with a touch of glee and edge of “duh-Dad.” “Wait. Nobody move.” I walk outside and begin to interrogate the driver, Hailey

the build sPECS

MODEL: 1957 Type 1 pan and 1970 Imp body BUILD TIME: 3 years WEIGHT: 1,250 lbs COST: Purchase: $5,000. Rebuild: $16,000+ ENGINE: 2160cc, Dellorto ported and polished intake manifold and carb, EMPI oil sump narrow Type I, oil cooler 72 plate with fan, Porsche dual-carb linkage, hex bar offset manifolds PAINT: Ed Roth “Blue Balls” blue by Newport Mesa Auto in Newport Beach  Surboard rearview mirror? Check. Nardi Wolfsburg wheel? Check. EMPI short shifter and Moon Eyes gauge cluster? Yep. Open-air and no cares.

Stevenson, daughfrom a ’77 Rabbit to ter of Jayson Stea ’79 Scirocco to a venson, the owner ’70 Type 2 Westof this smile-makphalia. His most ing machine. “Is recent endeavor is a this a Manx?” No. ’64 Vert.

It’s an Imp. Where So what did it did you get it?” It’s take to build this my dad’s; he lets me joyful Imp? The drive it. And on and usual: time, money,  Hailey makes friends wherever she on I went. and more money… goes, on the road and off. “This buggy is a charm. People ask me about it all the time Here’s the thing: and more time, and stop me in the street.”

I don’t get too exmixed with a heavy cited about things dose of know-how, very often. I’m old. Been there, done that. and, let’s be honest, love. It’s the love of But you just cannot sit still when a freakthe process and the payoff. The payoff is ing buggy drives up to your door giving evident every time Jayson or Hailey drive off the throaty rat-a-tat-tat of a 1776 with down the Southern California beaches and Dellorto/Weber 44 carbs and whisks your heads turn and grins immediately appear. teenage daughter away in giggles. No sir — The process is something each VW owner this was something special. knows all too well — we all do it because we It did not take me long to get Jayson’s must (say this in your best Yoda voice). phone number, text him, and offer my I’m not sure who won the PGA Champraise of his buggy. As it turns out, Jayson pionship that day, but I will tell you with has been a lifelong VW enthusiast who laser precision every detail of the moment cut his teeth on learning to fix VWs out of Hailey Stevenson drove up to my house necessity: “I needed a car in high school in her dad’s kick-ass Imp. So impressive and the only way I could afford one was by was this buggy that Bruce Meyers himself helping my friend do an engine swap from signed the body. a wrecked car to another with a bad motor.

From that point on I learned how to fix Bruce Meyers, inventor of the Meyers them on a regular basis and began buying Manx Dune Buggy, passed away this year other VWs to fix and sell. This led to the in February. Please see our story on his career I’ve had for over 30 years.” memorial service, page 55.

Jayson has since owned everything

WHEELS: Cragar s/s 15x6 front, 15x8 rears FRAME: lowered 2.5 inches with drop spindles and adjustable beam. Body lifted for more interior volume and to allow carbs to fit.

EXHAUST: dual ceramic-coated Bazooka INTERIOR: Moon Eyes gauge cluster, Nardi steering wheel, 10" short shifter, black bucket seats.

NOTE FROM OWNER: “The paint and body were beaten, cracked, and broken in several locations. I replaced the motor and all ancillary parts with new chrome, stainless steel, aluminum, or ceramiccoated parts. New alternator, carb and intake, fuel lines, exhaust, etc. During the pandemic I rewired the entire buggy and added heaters.”

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 45

MILESTONES AND RHINESTONES

T

In 1955 the world’s most iconic vehicle became a millionaire. • by George Daniels

oward the end of World War II in 1945, Germany was divided into four zones by the Allied Powers.

At that time, Volkswagenwerks was in the British Zone. The British authorities believed the VW Beetle (formally called the KdF Wagen) could be produced in VW’s war-damaged factory. After years of deprivations, hopelessness, physical stresses and intellectual suppression in the war, energetic people began to build Volkswagens. And build them they did! In March of 1946, they reached the first VW milestone: the one thousandth Volkswagen was completed. The frenzy didn’t stop there, and amazingly, by the end of 1946, the ten thousandth Volkswagen rolled off the assembly line.

As you can imagine, there was a plethora of fundamental problems that needed to be overcome to mass produce

46 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

vehicles. In 1948, Heinrich Nordhoff took over the German management of the Volkswagen plant and began rectifying and addressing those issues. Seven years later, the VW Beetle was well on its way to becoming one of the best-selling vehicles ever. And in 1955, Beetle number 1,000,000 rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg.

To celebrate this magic moment, the one-millionth VW Beetle was painted gold. But not content with just a gold vehicle, the crew bedazzled the 1955 Oval Window Bug with rhinestones… a lot of rhinestones! The front and rear bumpers were completely covered in sparkles, as  This super cool commemorative badge was created by Motor-Sport-Club Wolfsburg e.V in honor of the event and given to members who completed a celebratory thousand-kilometer drive.

 Not a lot of translation needed here, especially since it’s spelled out in Beetles.

were the headlight rings and the chrome trim on the sides of the body and running boards. It was a fitting marker for an amazing achievement. The VW rolled off the assembly line in a celebration that nearly 150,000 people joined. As you can see from the pictures, it was an intense party!

This golden, bedazzled, one-millionth Beetle didn’t hit the showroom floor for some lucky buyer to take home. No sir, this Bug calls the Wolfsburg’s AutoStadt Museum home, and you can go there and feast your eyes on this one-of-a-kind car.

Volkswagen wasn’t content to rest on its laurels, and eight short years after its one millionth Beetle, the company hit the ten millionth VW automobile mark.

Interestingly enough, a Wolfsburg automobile club called Motor-Sport-Club Wolfsburg e.V created a colorful metal badge in honor of the event. The badge was known as the Internationale Jubiläums Zielfahrt (International Anniversary Destination Trip). To celebrate the one-millionth Beetle event, the Wolfsburg car club organized a thousand-kilometer weekend drive. At the end of the drive, club members would mount one of these special badges on the front quarter panel of their Beetle.

We can speculate that ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) was a sponsor in producing the badge (which was made

by Hoffstätter of Bonn, Germany), as their ADAC emblem appears on the badge. Contrary to popular belief, Volkswagenwerks was NOT a sponsor, nor did they authorize such a badge. But this badge is often referred to as an unofficial “official” Volkswagenwerks-produced celebration piece.

As we know, someone using a VW design image today without authorization would receive a cease and desist letter, or worse, a lawsuit for trademark infringement. But there’s no VW, Volkswagen, or Volkswagenwerks lettering anywhere on the emblem, and

The Wolfsburg factory threw a party when the millionth Beetle came off the assembly line. Volkswagen exported its first cars in 1947 — five Beetles were sent to the Netherlands — and by 1955, half of all exported VWs were sold to non-European countries.

The millionth Beetle was painted gold and bedazzled with rhinestones… a LOT of rhinestones! The front and rear bumpers of the car are completely covered in sparkles, as are the headlight rings and the chrome trim on the body and running boards.

only a line drawing of the front of a Beetle can be seen. So really, is there any violation? We’ll leave that up to the lawyers.

These limited-production metal car badges have become very collectable and sought after and fetch anywhere from $300 to $500, depending on the condition. Cheaper repro badges were produced later, but they aren’t stamped Hoffstätter-Bonn on the

back as the original badge was.

So take a moment this month and remember that 66 years ago the one millionth Beetle rolled off the Wolfsburg assembly line and into our hearts. And even though the VW Beetle is no longer being produced in any form, the love and enthusiasm for this quirky little “people’s car” shows no sign of waning.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 47

ONE-MILLIONTH BEETLE TRIBUTE TOYS

Arthur Junior’s spin on what could have been

By DG Leadbetter

I

f you read VW Trends from cover to cover, front to back, then you just read about the 66th Anniversary of the one-millionth Beetle. If you didn’t, take a moment and go back a couple pages and read up on this milestone event.

It seems rather odd that German toy and model manufacturers wouldn’t have capitalized on this momentous occasion back in 1955 and produced a souvenir or promotional VW Beetle toy for the celebration. We could speculate for hours as to why or why not, but the fact of the matter is, they didn’t. That said, Arthur Junior, VW Trends’ European VW toy enthusiast/ restorer/builder/collector, took some of the VW toys actually produced during the 1950s that were in need of repair, restoration, and reimagining and turned them into his version of the special-event one-millionth Beetle. Let’s take a gander at three of the cars Arthur Junior came up with. They’re similar in appearance, but if you look closely you can see the difference in the style of these modified VW toys.

The Toy Nomura version has a cut-out rear “W” decklid and colored plastic slats that highlight the sparks from the friction motor. Also note the stretch marks from the tin stamping on the rear fender. The shiny tin bumpers and chrome trim are a nice touch, slightly resembling the rhinestones on the original one-millionth Beetle. This toy has shiny trim, headlights, and trunk handle, and an unofficial “official” badge on the roof.

On the bottom of the model you can see the mounting spot for the friction motor.

Toy Nomura Toy Nomura, a Japanese toy company, made this 1/21 scale (about 8" long) VW Oval back in the 1950s. The Toy Nomura VW featured a cut-out rear deck lid with three colored plastic slats. Why? Well, when the friction motor was spinning, sparks from a flint sparkler could be seen through the slats. This model also featured a nice colorful lithograph interior insert,

but it was definitely not of VW design.

When Arthur got this beat-up, stamped tin-plate toy, he took it completely apart, cleaned it, painted it gold, and restored it as a 1955 one-millionth VW souvenir car. This VW was a natural for a commemorative makeover, as it also had all the shiny tin parts like side trim, hood handle, windshield trim, headlights and bumpers.

48 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

TOY NOMURA

Arnold GmbH & Co KG This one is a 1/19 scale (8.5" long) German-made 1950s Arnold GmbH & Co KG toy VW. These Arnold VWs had a tinstamped chassis a friction motor , and a hard plastic body that was easily broken.

The body of this one was in need of some serious repair. It started life as a Split window, but Arthur removed the center

ARNOLD GmbH Although lacking the shiny trim of the Toy Nomura, the Arnold toy sports some pretty sweet bumpers and an actual (albeit nonfunctional) steering wheel. Note the lithographed interior, complete with suitcases in the back. The plastic bodywork repair is pretty sweet for a toy that's more than sixty years old. It’s hard to tell that this Oval window started out as a Split. It sports the same decals as the Toy Nomura. Also note the 1955 license plate. The undercarriage has the company stamp, a friction motor, and some pretty rugged rubber tires.

bar to create an Oval window to match the 1955 body style. You might even call this a “Reverse Zwitter,” as it’s an oval VW with a dual-glove-compartment dashboard (definitely not standard). But let’s keep that our little secret, okay? After repairing the body, Arthur painted it one-millionth Beetle Gold and added the decals.

Tootsietoy Big things come in small packages, like this 1/32 scale (5" long) metal diecast Tootsietoy Oval VW. Made in Chicago in the mid-1950s, it was a cheap dimestore toy (think Newberry or Woolworth) originally selling for a mere 39 cents! It has a somewhat detailed diecast body, two metal axles, four plastic wheels, and that’s pretty much all she wrote.

For Arthur, this tiny toy was a super-quick one-millionth VW souvenir creation as there were just a couple parts to remove, restore, paint, and put back together.

Over the years, other toy manufacturers such as Bburago, Schuco, and Model Autos have produced their own versions of the one-millionth VW; these are readily available via online auctions. It’s hard to believe that sixty-six years ago this August 5th, the one-millionth Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg, Germany!

TOOTSIETOY

The Tootsietoy Oval Window Beetle is just a rolling body. If you look closely, you can see the Tootsietoy logo on the tires. From the back, you can see the Oval window, “W” deck lid and 1955 license plate. Pretty sweet little modified toy. Under the model you can see the company’s name and location cast into the roof and the simple metal axles supporting the plastic tires. This is about as bare-bones as you can get.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 49

50 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

Dave Shaw’s ’52 Zwitter still looks amazing… even with its 36-year-old paint job!

By DG Leadbetter Photography by Paul Morton VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 51

T

here are some relationships that are just meant to be: Martin and Lewis, Jobs and Wozniac, Farley and Spade, and let’s not forget Bartles and Jaymes. It’s like the universe knows the perfect partner for you and sets it all up in advance. That’s exactly what happened with Dave Shaw and this beautiful 1952 Split Window Beetle. Dave recalls, “As a kid, I first saw my uncle Charles’ collection of cars in his basement in Tennesee, and that’s where I remember seeing the 1952 Bug for the first time. It had a mattress and box springs stacked on the roof. We used to play in it and ride our bicycles in circles around it.”

In 1965, Dave’s parents bought a brandnew 1965 Beetle off the showroom floor, and that ended up being the car he learned to drive in. On his birthday in 1971, that

52 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

VW became his, and that’s where his love of the Bug all started. When Dave was 23, his friend got a 1949 Split Window. He thought it was great, and it was SO different from his ’65. He knew right then and there that he wanted an early Beetle to call his own.

As Dave was pondering how to find an affordable Split-window Bug, he suddenly had a flashback to his childhood, riding circles around an old VW in his uncle’s basement in Tennessee. He started making calls to Uncle Charles to see if he’d sell the VW. After a couple calls and a little negotiation, his uncle let the 1952 Beetle go… for $400. And after a lot of travel, trials, and tribulations, the ’52 Zwitter finally got to California.

Dave quickly realized just how much work needed to be done to get his VW street ready. It was going to have to be a body-off

restoration, mostly because the pan was in dire need of new inserts. When he got around to the bodywork, he saw something horrifying; the semaphores were sealed, completely covered over in Bondo! Dave recalls, “My uncle got a ticket for no blinkers.

He was told by the police that semaphores were illegal because they didn’t blink. He didn’t know what to do, so he Bondoed them shut, installed Super Beetle rear taillights, drilled holes and installed front blinkers from a ’63 Bug, and got his ticket signed off.” Surprisingly, after Dave chiseled out the semaphores they still worked!

Just to be safe, he had them rebuilt at Matts Chrome-Armature in Canada.

With the semaphores back in good working order, Dave replaced all four fenders, the passenger door, and the front and rear aprons, and made sure the entire body

the build sPECS

EXTERIOR: Bodywork and paint by Sid and Stan at Park Porsche in Buena Park, California. Paint Color: Azure Blue CHASSIS: Suspension work: Jim Koforski at Der Transaxle. Suspension type: Type 1 link-pin front beam. Front suspension: lowered with Select-A-Drop, Trick Welded drop spindles. Rear suspension: Sway-A-Way 126mm torsion bars.

Shocks: Bilstein. Wheels: German Porsche Fuchs (4.5x15 front, 6x15 rear). Tires: Continental 165/60/15 front, Continental 205/65/15 back. Brakes: disc brakes front, Type III drum brakes rear.  Clyde Berg built this 2007cc ground-pounder. The dual-relief VW case was bored out for a 74mm crank and thick-wall 90.5 Mahle pistons and cylinders. A pair of Italian Weber 48IDA carbs sitting atop a set of Scat Track match-ported manifolds feeds this beast. Roger Crawford dyno tested the motor at a solid 175hp.

ENGINE: Case: VW dual-relief magnesium. 2007cc displacement. Engine Builder: Clyde Berg. Crankshaft: 74mm Cylinders/Pistons: Mahle thick-wall 90.5mm. Camshaft: Engle K8. Heads: German 311 heads, welded. Compression ratio: 9:1. Exhaust: A-1 1.5/8". Flywheel: 12-lb. Berg wedgemate TRANSAXLE: Case: Rhino. Builder: Jim Kuforski at Der Transaxle. Ring/pinion: 4:12. Other modifications: Super-Diff, aluminum Berg mounts, side covers, and Berg mid mount INTERIOR: Upholstery by Lenny at West Coast Classics. Seats: 1952 VW lowback.Door panels: stock. Material: blue German cloth. Gauges: VDO gas, oil pressure, and oil tempurature. Other interior modifications: Berg locking shifter, Wolfsburg West seat belts, tachometer.

 The all-German cloth kudos go to Lenny at West Coast Classics in Fullerton, California, for the brand-new reupholstered insides of this Zwitter. The headliner is tan German cloth, while the carpet is black and gray square weave.

 When Dave got his ’52 to California, he discovered the semaphores were filled in.

What? Really? Who does that? After much scraping and cleaning (and a complete rebuild from Matts Chrome-Armature in Canada), these semaphores are in top working order!

 Dave says, “As a kid, I first saw my uncle Charles’ collection of cars in his basement in Tennesee, and that’s where I remember seeing the 1952 Bug for the first time. It had a mattress and box springs stacked on the roof. We used to play in it and ride our bicycles in circles around it.”

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 53

 This is possibly one of the cleanest trunks we’ve come across. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a Type I trunk area so detailed?

 A set of Wolfsburg West seatbelts keeps Dave safe, while the Berg locking shifter keeps car thieves at bay.

54 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

of the Split was up to snuff before sending it out for paint. In 1985, the VW was painted by twin brothers Sid and Stan at Park Porsche in Buena Park, California. The brothers laid down multiple coats of Azure Blue paint and buffed it out to perfection.

With the exterior to his liking, Dave took the car over to Lenny at West Coast Classics in Fullerton, California, for a brand-new interior. German cloth was the only way to go here, so Lenny rebuilt and reupholstered the stock 1952 low-back seats in blue and gray cloth. The stock

door panels received the same treatment.

The headliner is tan German cloth, while the carpet is black and gray square weave.

The stock speaker grille in the dash was swapped out for a chrome-plated gauge housing that keeps Dave informed of the gas level, oil temperature, and oil pressure.

The new VDO instrument cluster panel has a unique mount for the chrome tachometer.

The stock shifter was ousted in favor of a Berg locking gear selector.

For the engine, Dave decided only one person could make the kind of power he was looking for. Clyde Berg took charge, creating a 2007cc fire-breathing street fighter! A dual-relief casewas bored out to accept the 74mm crank and thick-wall 90.5 Mahle pistons and cylinders. Welded 311 German dual-port heads were modified with 40x35.5 Manley stainless-steel valves and Berg 1.45 rocker arms. Camshaft chores are handled by an Engle K8. The air and fuel are mixed by a pair of Italian Weber 48IDA carbs sitting atop a set of Scat Track matchported manifolds. Once complete, the motor was taken over to Roger Crawford for dyno testing. When the dust settled, it pumped out a solid 175hp!

Dave says the reason his ’52 handles and drives so well is because of Jim Koforski at Der Transaxle in Placentia, California.

Jim installed a new lowered front end with Trick welded drop spindles and front disc brakes. He also added a steering dampener, new steering box, master cylinder, and all new brake lines, then redid the entire pedal assembly. A brand new Rhino case transaxle was built with a 4:12 Berg ring and pinion, Super Diff, aluminum side plates, steel shift forks, and Berg mid-mount. The stopping system out back was upgraded with Type 3 rear drum brakes, Sway-A-Way torsion bars and grommets, and Berg mounts.

Since the completion of his ’52 Zwitter, Dave has won many awards, including Club Choice, Coolest Split Bug at the VW Classic in 2017, Best Custom Bug at Old World, and Best of Show at the Garden Grove Main Street Show with over 150 cars competing.

Not bad for a 36-year-old paint job!

It’s funny how some things are just meant to be. You start out as a kid riding a bike around a mattress-laden Split Window Bug in your uncle’s basement, and the next thing you know, you’re winning car shows with it just a few years later.

IN MEMORIAM: BRUCE MEYERS Story and photography by Rich Crafton e lost an icon this past February.

Bruce Meyers — innovator, designer, inspirational promotor and practitioner of fun — passed away at his home in Valley Center, California at the robust Meyers in 2007 in the age of 94. original Manx.

It’s hard to imagine a world without his greatest creation — the dune buggy, the Meyers Manx: a convivial, light, and sturdy VW-based kick-ass mobile sand slayer.

At what can only be referred to as a party and send-off for Bruce in mid July, VW Trends caught up with John Kieslich, Director of Operations at Meyers Manx.

“Bruce was so much more than just the great inventor of the dune buggy,” John said. “He served his country in WWII and brought joy to so many faces.”

The Manx Club came out in droves to say goodbye and reminisce with stories about Bruce, and many came via their favorite transportation — their Buggy.

The Meyers Manx facility is in Valley Center, California and will open a turnkey facility in Costa Mesa at the end of August.

The legacy that Bruce leaves behind is a world full of smiles every time his Manx drives by… It’s contagious, and trust me, you need a Manx too.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ ROGER D. HERZLER

W

More: meyersmanx.com, manxclub.com

The Manx Club came out in droves to say goodbye and reminisce with stories about Bruce, and many came via their favorite transportation — their Buggy.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 55

PILE OF THE MONTH  This Baja (or BWAHAHA, as I’d call it) is pretty pile-worthy coming or going. Note the custom VW electrical tape graphics on the headlights.

WRETCHO CON BAJA

By DG Leadbetter

O

kay, for starters, this is an Oval Window Beetle (the year is unknown, but thank the good Lord it didn’t have semaphores) converted into a Baja Bug. That alone is grounds for being a POTM. I mean, you just don’t do that. It would be like taking a Split Window and grafting in the larger rear window from a ’69 Beetle.

So let’s just consider this a cautionary tale, people.

The owner of this beast is Aaron Coulter, who resides in Santa Barbara.

Now, before you pick up the pitchforks and torches, Aaron is not the one that did this to the VW. He bought it like this. And the guy Aaron bought it from, his buddy Henry

56 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

Sarria, didn’t do it either. In fact, finding out who did this is kinda like an episode of Cold Case Files. We don’t know the culprit, but we can see the scene of the crime.

Since so much is unknown about this… uh… VW, let’s just look at the facts as they are presented before us. For starters, this ’50s Oval actually has a pretty clean bugeyed Baja kit. And by clean, I mean the front end, hood, fenders, and engine cover aren’t smashed or beaten. Note the slightly irregular aftermarket sunroof, because you really want to feel the wind in your hair while you’re holding on for dear life riding in this thing.

Speaking of holding on, the OMG bar is still attached to the dash. The dash itself is all cut up and has a couple gauge panels screwed in place. There’s a red rocker switch on the lower portion; one can only hope it controls the emergency flashers. The

rest of the interior is very stylish, with Mexican-style blankets covering the seats — well, more specifically the front seats; there is no rear seat. But there’s a nice home-built storage box where the back seat used to be.

The former owner said that this Oval was pretty trick back in the day. Sadly, time has not been kind to it. The graphics were once a proud addition, but the car now has a lot of patina, and sun damage really has taken its toll. Hmm… that may be a new trend: patina and graphics! What would we call it? Graphina? Patraphic? Let’s just settle for pathetic for now, shall we? There are no running boards, because we’re not 100% sure this thing even runs.

The engine is a very worn dual-port 1600 that looks pretty stock, with the exception of red spark plug wires, a custom air cleaner (that could use a good cleaning), and one of the rustiest header exhaust systems I’ve

ever seen! Some well-worn skater and surf stickers adorn the engine cover and rear fenders, covering the areas where 2,000 colors of paint are bleeding through. Thank goodness there’s a rear engine cage protecting the powerplant… although I’m not sure if it’s protecting the engine from us, or the other way around. Again, you decide.

I could go on and on about all of the… uh… um… details this Baja has: the staggered wheel setup with wheels of two different styles AND colors, the aftermarket tail lights, and a set of U bolts just at the top of the Oval rear window. I’m not even going to guess what those are for. But let’s let Bosco the undead Wonder Dog decide.

Upon looking at the pictures (the SPCA has a strict cruelty-to-animals policy, even for undead dogs), Bosco threw up 5 hairballs!

This Baja definitely leaves an impression.

Do you have a VW that is worthy of the Pile of the Month honor? Please send a selection of photos and a brief story of what the hell you were thinking to dan@ vwtrendsmagazine.com. Who knows?

Maybe your Pile could grace this page!

 The back is even worse than the front. I still want to know what those giant U-bolts above the Oval window are for. If I was the city, I’d fine Aaron for operating a junkyard without a license!

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 They say its what’s on the inside that counts. Well, in this case, not so much. Got a pile that could be our POTM? Please send a selection of photos and a description to dan@vwtrendsmagazine.com.

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 57

SIMPLE, CLEAN…

VELVET GREEN

Story and photography by Bob Daniels

I

t’s hard to resist a classic, isn’t it? Ben Newhard of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania knows this all too well. He got his start in the VW world back in 2005 when he purchased a bone-stock Jetta.

For years Ben attended various Euro/tuner events with his car and at one of those events there was a rather large gathering of air-cooled VWs. At that show Ben realized he had to have a classic Volkswagen. A few years passed, but the desire to own an air-cooled VW still ran through his mind.

Finally he came across a 1965 Beetle at a price he couldn’t refuse. Ben says, “From that point, I was a classic air-cooled VW owner, and knew I was hooked for years

58 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

to come!” As is the case with many in the his soon-to-be wife Katie that their “honeyVW community, one vehicle simply isn’t moon” was going to be a 10-hour road trip enough, and Ben wanted to add a Split-win- to look at a rusty old Bus. Fortunately he dow Bus to his collection. chose a keeper, because Katie agreed. The We all know that finding a Bus to start newlyweds made the trip, struck a deal, and with isn’t a simple task. Ben’s Ben became the owner of this search grew from weeks to 1965 11-window walkthrough. months before a “decent” canThe Bus had been sitting The Bus had didate popped up on Craigslist. unused in a field in Victoria, been sitting It all sounded too good — What Virginia for 30 years. Its last unused in was the catch? Of course the inspection sticker was from a field in Bus had other interested 1985. After Ben dragged it from Virginia for parties, so time was an issue. the field, it initially appeared 30 years.

No big deal, right? WRONG! to be in decent shape. Ben Its last This all happened the week Ben learned quickly that looks can inspection was getting married. A braver be deceiving. When he cleaned sticker was man than any one of the VWT the Bus out, he immediately from 1985. staffers, Ben had to convince realized it wasn’t going to be

PHOTO: BEN NEWHARD

 This is basically a stock Bus, with the exception of a lowered stance. A 4" narrowed Slam Sity Metal Fab beam and 3.5" flip spindles from Slow Low VW are up front, and Wide Five offset spring plates are out back.

 The entire body needed extensive rust repair. Ben contacted a friend who happened to have a rotisserie, and once the Bus was bolted up the fun began. It took three long years to complete all the metal work and ensure that the rust was gone.

 New seat padding, mesh gray upholstery, stock black floor mats, and headliner all came from TMI. The front safari windows are from Wolfgang International, while the rest of the glass is original Sekurit.

as easy to repair as he originally hoped. It certainly needed more than brakes and a tune up! Most notably, it needed extensive rust repair. Ben contacted a local friend who happened to have a rotisserie laying around.

Once the Bus was bolted up on the rotisserie, the fun began. It took three long years to complete all the metal work and ensure that the rust was gone. This was Ben’s first Bus and he had to learn the ins and outs as he went. And he wanted to take his time to ensure the job was done right. During that three years he replaced almost every body panel. Thanks to a supply of metal from Klassic Fab and Dan Farwell of Newville, Pennsylvania, the Bus was becoming rustfree, piece by piece. The biggest issue was figuring out how to replace the roof, as no

company made whole roof skins. With the Bus gurus smiling down upon him, Ben did the unthinkable: He bought a second Bus that had more rust than his first one — but it also had a better roof. He cut the roof off that Bus, and began separating every spot weld and prepping it to go on his first Bus. Before that could take place, Ben had to fix the entire passenger-side drip rail since his was nonexistent. After a few weeks the Bus had a solid roof. Ben says, “It’s easier to tell people what metal hasn’t been replaced than it is to tell them what has.”

The hard work wasn’t necessarily over, but with the rust repair finished the light at the end of the tunnel was starting to shine.

Ben not only did his own metal work, but he did most of his own bodywork too. After

PHOTO: BEN NEWHARD

 The Bus sat unused in a field in Virginia for 30 years. It initially appeared to be in decent shape, but Ben learned quickly that first impressions can be deceiving. After cleaning it out he immediately realized the Bus was not going to be as easy to repair as he’d hoped.

that, he handed it over to Bob Cook to do finish work on the body and get it ready for color. The paint work was handled by Bob Cook, Seth Ahrens, and Rob Daywalt. Ben’s vision was clear from the day he purchased the Bus: Keep it clean and simple. He wanted a stock Bus, with the exception of the suspension and wheels. That made the color choice simple. This particular Bus came from the factory with a one-yearonly paint scheme, L512 Velvet Green and L289 Blue White, which is exactly what the painters applied.

After paint, reassembly took about a year. The now-1600cc single-port engine was completely rebuilt, as was the 1968 Beetle transmission. The suspension is the only thing that isn’t how VW intended. The

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 59

The Bus rolls on South African Sprint Star replicas (15"x 4.5" in front and 15"x 5.5" in the rear) with Kumho tires at all four corners (175/55/15 in front, 205/65/15 in the rear).

The 1600cc single-port engine was completely rebuilt, as was the 1968 Beetle transmission it’s bolted to.

Ben’s vision was clear from the day he bought the Bus: Keep it clean and simple.

rear was lowered with offset spring plates from Wide Five. Up front there’s a fourinch narrowed/adjustable beam from Seth Ahrens of Slam Sity Metal Fab, as well as 3.5" flip spindles from Slow Low VW. The Bus rolls on South African Sprint Star replicas (15"x 4.5" in front and 15"x 5.5" in the rear) with Kumho tires at all four corners (175/55/15 in front, 205/65/15 in the rear).

The interior work started with newly painted seat frames

put in more labor than others. Ben certainly put in his fair share. In the end we all seem to forget about the work because the enjoyment outweighs the labor, and that is certainly the case with this beautiful 11-window Bus. Ben would like to give thanks to all his family and friends who helped in making his dream a reality, but certainly the biggest thank-you goes to his wife Katie. We hope the “10-hour road-trip honeymoon” lasts a lifetime!

60 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

that were fitted with new padding and mesh gray upholstery from TMI. TMI also supplied the stock black floor mats. The interior with the walkthrough seat is exactly how it would have left the VW factory.

After the TMI headliner was installed the original Sekurit glass was fitted, as were front safari windows from Wolfgang International.

We all know by now that this car “hobby” of ours is a labor of love. Some

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 61

62 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

Pete Nguyen’s Brasilia is in the weeds and built for speed!

By Dan Leadbetter • Photography by Paul Morton

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 63

 You’d be smiling too if you were the proud owner of this amazing 1973 Volkswagen Brasília. You can’t miss this monster coming down the street — the unmistakable whine of the Joe Blow Supercharger gives it away every time!

P

ete Nguyen got into VWs the beast you see before you today: a 1973 VW old-fashioned way… playing Slug Brasília.

Bug as a kid. You know: See a Beetle, Designed as a simple economy car to punch your sibling or friend in replace the Beetle in the Brazilthe arm. That’s the rules of the ian market, Brasílias were built The crowning game, people; I don’t make this between 1974 and 1982. The car glory on this stuff up. But Slug Bug sparked was named after Brazil’s capital beast is the Joe Pete’s interest in VWs, and city, and by the end of the modBlow custom from that point on, he dreamed el’s run, VW had built over one supercharger kit of owning one. million of them. built specifically It wasn’t until Pete was in This Brasília was a surprise for this motor. his late 30s that he finally got a Christmas present for Pete’s The air/fuel Bug of his own: a Ruby Red 1965 wife Janice. One of the first mixture is Beetle. That was all it took. Pete things that caught his eye was handled by a was now a bona fide VW fanatthe striking black paint and red single FAJS ic! He met some great friends interior, and he didn’t want to Weber 44 side like Steve, Harold, and Lucho. mess with that perfect comdraft carb. All They spent every weekend bination. But he did want to told, it pumps working on and building cars at add his own personal flair to it. out 10 pounds Harold’s house.

Pete knew that this baby had of boost and Since then, Pete’s picked up to be seriously dropped, and pushes 150hp to more than his fair share of cool the only way to make it happen the wheels. rides. He’s been the proud ownthe way he wanted was with er of an L963 Panel Bus, a 1931 a custom air bag system at all Ford Model A Tudor, a 1927 Ford T-Bucket, four corners. BPV Custom did all the work a 1965 Ford F100, and the beautiful black that went into slamming this VW. Most of

64 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

the air bag components reside under the hood up front. The red vinyl trunk cover is finished with a custom-embroidered Aircooled Nomads club logo.

The exterior of the Brasília was already cool (think of it as a kicked-up Squareback), but Pete thought it would be WAY cooler with a sunroof. He ordered a Legacy Products sliding ragtop sunroof, which he and his friends installed themselves.

The ragtop was originally designed to fit a 1974–1984 VW Rabbit, but hey, when something works, you go with it. Other exterior modifications include chromed bumpers, yellow and white headlights, and German emblems on the front quarter panels.

With the stance dropped, and the exterior looking good, the car needed some help in the tire and wheel department.

Pete found a set of vintage Japanese Work Ewing mesh wheels and had them powder-coated in Spanish Gold and polished before they were mounted on Nangkang 185/55/16 radials.

The interior of Pete’s ’73 Brasília is pretty striking. The red vinyl seats, door panels, and the rest of the interior was skillfully stitched together by V Dubs Upholstery in Chula Vista. Red floor mats with the Wolfsburg crest offset the black carpet and complement the rest of the red interior.

Gear selection is made possible by a Cool Rydes CRC SS shifter (which reduces front/back throw by 60% and side-to-side by 30%) with a red carbon shift knob. Pete found an awesome gold Wolfsburg steering wheel at Air Cooled Accessories LTD in the UK. They didn’t make them for the Brasília, so he had to get one intended for a Bay-window Bus and modify it to fit. Worked like a charm, and it matches the wheels and engine tin.

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the supercharged flat-four motor residing in the back of this black Brasília!

You absolutely cannot have a VW this cool and have a boring ho-hum powerplant.

Pete enlisted his good friend and Aircooled Nomads resident mad scientist Harold Muniz to handle the engine build. Pete decided early on that the engine was going to be crazy, but not just in the way of CCs. They outfitted the base 1641cc motor with all the trimmings, like a 69mm counter-weighted crankshaft, forged 88mm pistons and cylinders, ported and polished dual-port heads, CB Performance full-flow oil pump,

the build sPECS

MODEL: 1973 Volkswagen Brasília EXTERIOR: Legacy Products 35x55" sliding sunroof CHASSIS: BPV Customs air bag suspension with hidden air tanks. Stock disc brakes up front, stock drums on the rear. Work Ewing 16" Mesh wheels powder-coated Spanish Gold. Nangkang 185/55/16 tires.

ENGINE: 1641cc built by Harold Muniz.

69mm counterweighted crankshaft, 88mm forged pistons, Engle 100 camshaft, ported and polished VW dualport heads, 1.25 rocker arms. Joe Blow Side-Draft supercharger. Single Weber 44IDF. 10 lbs boost. CB Performance oil pump, external oil cooler.

INTERIOR: Red vinyl tuck and roll upholstery by V-Dubs Upholstery, Chula Vista, CA. Stock seats and door panels.

Black weave carpet with red Wolfsburg floormats. Cool Rydes CRC SS shifter. Air Cooled Accessories LTD modified gold Wolfsburg steering wheel. Custom-made carbon fiber instrument panel. Kenwood head unit, Orion component speakers in front doors, three Orion amplifiers, two 10" Kicker subwoofers in sealed enclosure.

external oil cooler, and 1.25 rockers.

The crowning glory on this beast is the Joe Blow custom supercharger kit built specifically for this motor. The air/fuel mixture is handled by a single FAJS Weber 44 side draft carb. All told, it pumps out 10 pounds of boost and pushes 150hp to the wheels. Pete had the engine tins powder coated to match the Work Ewing mesh wheels and steering wheel.

Of course, with a motor as badass as this one , you have to keep a sharp eye on what’s going on. Pete fabricated a new dash from black-weave carbon fiber to house the speedometer, along with a voltmeter, gas gauge, oil temperature, and oil pressure gauge from Summit Racing. Engine revs are monitored by a tachometer mounted above the gauge cluster. Off to the left are the air gauge and switches for the air-ride suspension, while the white-faced gauge on the right monitors the air compressor.

 V-Dubs Upholstery in Chula Vista, California created this striking red vinyl interior.

Pete made the black-weave carbon fiber dash, and added a voltmeter, gas gauge, oil temperature, and oil pressure gauge. The toggle switches on the lower left side control the air ride suspension. A Cool Rydes CRC SS shifter takes care of gear selection.

 When you’ve got a supercharged motor in the back of your ride, you don’t cover it up.

Pete decided to show the 1641cc blown engine off, as well as accent it with blue LED lights.

 A 1,500-watt Orion amplifier and a pair of 10" Kicker subwoofers in a sealed enclosure with an exposed 2.2-farad capacitor take care of the low-end frequencies. If Pete ever wants to drown out the whine of the supercharger, this will definitely get the job done.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 65

SURVIVOR Ricky Melnik of Nitro Circus and the 23-window Bus that didn’t get away

Story and photography by Paul Morton  Ricky Melnik has spent the past few decades living the SoCal dream and making great memories in his Bus — even the “bad” ones are good now! He and his buddies have made countless surfing and snowboard trips in it. We can’t think of a better vehicle for the journey.

“I

wish I would have never sold that car…” Most people who live and breathe cars have uttered these words at least once before. Ricky Melnik, VP of Brand Creative for Nitro Circus, is not most people. He pieced together this 23-window Deluxe Bus as a teenager in the summer of 1994 and has held onto it ever since.

Back in 1989, a young Ricky got to know VWs through his passion for skate, surf, and snowboarding. Back then these things went hand-in-hand. Every month he waited by the mailbox for the new issues of Thrasher, Transworld Snowboarding, and, of course, VW Trends. Ricky started snowboarding and competing in contests at age 13 in Big Bear, California. He was good enough to get sponsored, so he boarded in the winter and built snowboards and bindings in the summer. When an injury cut his professional snowboard career short, Ricky shifted gears toward a career in the action

66 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

the build sPECS

ENGINE: A&D Buggies, 1776cc, AS41 case, 69mm counterweighted crank, Mahle 90.5mm pistons, Engle 110 430 L2480 cam, high-rev single-valve springs, chromoly retainers, doghouse oil cooler and fan shroud, Shadek 30mm oil pump, Bosch WR8AC spark plugs, 009 W Pertronix distributor, dual 341 ICT Weber carburetors. EMPI Side Flow exhaust, 8.5:1 Compression, 100 Horsepower.

TRANSAXLE: Transmission West of Torrance, CA, Super Diff, dual side covers, welded HLBS steel forks, hardened keys, one-piece bolts, chromoly cross shaft, German reduction-box bearings, 3.44 ring and pinion, SR17X starter, 200mm Sachs clutch SUSPENSION/WHEELS: 2.5" drop spindles, adjusted rear torsion bars, EMPI 5-spoke wheels, Falken tires

PHOTO: CARL MELNIK

INTERIOR: Wolfsburg West safari windows, Scat Drag-Fast Dual T 4-speed chrome shifter

 Ricky is an active member of the Surf City VW Club. His buddy Kelly recently inherited it and the team has been trying build it up with cruises down PCH. They’re up to around 30 VWs and they have monthly meetings in Huntington Beach — check it out!

 Ricky has owned his Bus ever since he was a wee lad in 1994. He got the itch after buying a Bus-themed snowboard.

sports industry — but he never stopped snowboarding.

In 1993 a hot new Matt Cummins Lib Tech snowboard was featured in the Transworld Snowboarding Buyer’s Guide.

It boasted graphics with a 23-window Bus and guys looking out at ocean waves breaking in the distance. Ricky had to have that board! After riding it all season, that 23-window was stuck in his mind.

Ricky had just gotten his drivers license, and he told his dad, Carl, that he wanted his first car to be a Bus like the one on the snowboard. His dad promptly told him to earn the money and find a Bus. Earning the

VW Club have worked on the Bus from the beginning and for many years since. Ricky kept the Bus mostly stock, but he did add a few custom touches. First, the interior needed to be redone, so Ricky found a shop in Sylmar, California and had new white vinyl upholstery and a new headliner installed. He then re-installed all the original trim. With the basics back in place, Ricky focused on a few custom upgrades, including Safari windows from Wolfsburg West and a Scat Drag-Fast Dual-T four-speed chrome shifter. For safety’s sake, A&D Buggies redid the wiring.

Ricky lowered the otherwise stock sus-

money was the easy part. He soon realized that the hard part was finding a 23-window.

By the time he found one, around the end of the summer of 1994, he had $3,000 in his pocket that he had earned through construction jobs. The seller asked for double that. Ricky says his dad was “the legend that made it all possible,” because he came to the rescue with the balance.

The Bus was pretty much all there, but it needed some love, and it needed to be put back together. Many of the hard-to-find parts were boxed up and living inside the Bus. Ricky and his high school buddy Elijah Weiner and Kelly Messia of the Surf City

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 67

 Bringing the Bus down just a little are 2.5" drop spindles up front. Ricky reset the torsion bars out back. KYB shocks and five-spoke EMPI wheels are the only other deviations from stock.

pension with 2.5" drop spindles up front, and he reset the torsion bars out back.

After that, he added KYB shocks all around before bolting up five-spoke EMPI wheels with Falken tires.

At age 16, Ricky wanted more power than the stock engine offered, so he once again turned to A&D Buggies for an upgraded 1776. They started with an AS41 case and added a 69mm counterweighted crank, Mahle 90.5mm pistons, and an Engle 110 cam. Outside there’s a doghouse oil cooler and fan shroud, 009 W Pertronix distributor, EMPI Side Flow exhaust, and a pair of 341 ICT Webers. Horsepower comes in at 100. A 200mm Sachs clutch was bolted up to the powerhouse before the Transmission West transaxle was mated to the engine. It features everything from a Super Diff to German reduction box bearings. Not bad at all for a first vehicle!

Throughout the years as he enjoyed his 23-window Bus, Ricky remained an action sports enthusiast and secured a place for

68 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

 The mainly stock interior is all Ricky needed. He did upgrade to a pair of Wolfsburg West safari windows and a Scat shifter. Hey Ricky, I don’t think you’re supposed to take those table numbers from Carl’s Jr. I mean, none of us ever have.

 A&D Buggies built Ricky a reliable 100hp 1776 with dual Weber 341 ICT carbs. It’s been the perfect powerplant for all those surfing and snowboarding adventures.

himself in the industry. Driven by this passion, he started in the warehouse at DC Shoes and Droors Clothing, then moved up to be warehouse manager of World Industries, and then onto athlete management at Forum Snowboards. He then landed in the marketing department of the DVS Shoe Company, and most recently he has worked with the athlete and brand team for Nitro Circus. Ricky’s position has put his Bus in the right place at the right time on several occasions. It’s been featured in various action-sports films and advertisements, including the Mack Dawg Productions Forum “True Life” snowboarding video in 2002. It

has also been featured in several surf ads, most recently the Von Zipper Eyewear spot featuring pro surfers Joel Parkinson and Luke Davis. And now he can add a feature in the new VW Trends magazine to the list!

Ricky’s Bus sits exactly how he finished her in 1994, save regular maintenance and a few tweaks here and there. He’s thrilled that he never got rid of his first vehicle and that he’s been able to keep making memories in it for all of these years. He and his boys took it to prom, and he’s made countless skate and surf missions in it.

Ricky remembers the time when he was 17 and the left rear tire came off on the

PHOTO: NICK HAMILTON

 If you‘ve ever seen a Nitro Circus event, you may have witnessed this mini VW jumping the mega ramp (not with Ricky driving though). These incredible live shows bring skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, and even the VW culture to the youth all over the world, including North America, South Africa, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

way back from a surfing trip — the tire rolled past them and into oncoming traffic.

Another time, the Bus came off a tow dolly on the infamous 405 freeway (the worst place for this to happen), and it somehow managed to safely roll off the freeway and not get totaled. Finally, there’s the role of the car in his family’s memory: the family portraits in which it appears, as well as a wedding where it was the bride and flower girl’s chariot. After all these years and adventures, and despite how much it’s worth these days, Ricky has no plans to sell his Bus. He’d rather keep making great memories!

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 69

COLLECTOR’S CORNER

THE BoB GILMORE COLLECTION Here’s BoB Gilmore, proudly standing at the entrance of his man cave of VW toy heaven. Over 1,200 toys reside here, and you can just imagine the history behind each one. Every toy tells a story, and BoB is proud to be the curator.

By DG Leadbetter Photography by Paul Morton

U

nless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 30-plus years, or you’re a brand-new Volkswagen enthusiast, you’ve more than likely heard of Robert Gilmore, or BoB, as he prefers it. BoB is a rare person, the kind you don’t meet often in life. Not only is he a fount of knowledge of all things vintage VW, he’s also a genuinely nice guy.

He’s always willing to talk shop about VWs, and even more so about VW toys.

You see, when BoB gets into something,

70 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

he does a DEEP dive! He knows history, owned them previously, how they played dates, production, metallurgy, and everywith them, the things they did. These cabthing in between when it comes inets of Dr. Gilmore represent to Volkswagen toys. And he not only the finest collection of BoB’s display loves sharing his knowledge VW toys, but serve as a vault of cabinets and collection with people. past childhood experiences. showcase an We were fortunate enough In 1975, one of BoB’s friends estimated to get a sneak peek inside BoB’s from the Netherlands sent him 1,200 toys. “man cave” (as he calls it. I a 1950s-era small plastic Split think treasure trove is a more Window VW toy. To say BoB accurate description.) At first glance, it can was excited to get it would be an underbe a little overwhelming… the multiple cab- statement. The fuse was lit! BoB decided inets are showcasing an estimated 1,200 he’d start looking for other Vintage VW toys. That’s a whole lot of memories! Hontoys — specifically the Split VW and Oval estly, I can’t help but think of the kids who VW models and toys produced during the

One of BoB’s favorite vintage KdF Wagen toys was produced by Distler, Germany, some time between 1938 and the early ’40s. This mint-condition Distler IIIA 42801 KdF Wagen is a large 1/18 (9.25") scale, lithographed in the official KdF Wagen blue/gray color. This particular toy has the IIIA 82401 license plate number used on the full-size KdF Wagen Sedan that was present at the 1938 Stadt des KdF Wagens cornerstone ceremony. It’s pretty clear why it’s one of the cornerstones of Bob’s collection.

BoB’s no stranger to VWT. His man cave features a framed page from the April ’92 issue with his ’49 Hebmüller and his collection, which has grown considerably.

BoB’s collection grew to a point where he had to buy six oak curio cabinets outfitted with extra glass shelves. The cabinets hold about 1,200 Vintage VW toys.

1938 to 1958 era, and nothing newer. That’s pretty specific!

BoB says it wasn’t easy hunting down Vintage VW toys. Back in the day, it was all about writing letters and actually mailing real photos AND having to wait weeks or

longer for a reply. But for two years around 1980, BoB lived and worked in the Frankfurt area of Germany. He used to join his German coworkers in an after-work beer prost. One beer outing landed them in Alt Sachsenhausen, and they happened to

walk by a shop called the Alt Spielwaren, which translates to “Old Toy Store.” BoB had to stop in and have a look-see. The store display window revealed several vintage German Split and Oval VW toys for sale.

The following week, BoB went inside

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 71

BoB displays old original VW toys alongside his own “Restor-Version” creations, with dioramas of gas stations, fuel pumps, garages, people, transporters, and signs.

Here’s a couple of Buddy L special-themed Busses. Many of the collector badges BoB has acquired over the years are displayed here on a wooden board.

the Alt Spielwaren and felt like he’d landed smack-dab in the middle of Oz! There were so many wonderful old German toys for sale. And not just toy cars, either: This place had everything you could imagine. But BoB stayed on point and quickly picked up six vintage tin VWs made by Tippco, Arnold, Distler, and HUKI. The best part was, back in 1980, these toys were actually reasonably priced. After finding his home away from home, BoB stopped by every two or three weeks to do some shopping, adding to his ever-growing collection. After a while, he became friends with the owner (no surprise there) and told him of his interest in 1938- to 1958-era VW toys. The shop owner saved them so BoB could have first dibs if he was interested

72 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

BoB also restores vintage toys. These Bandai VW Sedans from the 1960s were in desperate need of repair, so much so that BoB cut their top sections off and remade the toys into top-down VW convertibles with special colors and decal themes.

in them. A good friend to have, indeed! For the next two years, BoB was able to pick up some VERY nice vintage VW toys.

After two years his stint in Germany came to an end, and BoB found himself back in San Diego, California. Well, when you’ve got a friend in Germany giving you first right of refusal on amazing vintage toys, you take a European vacation as often as you can. BoB would contact the shopkeeper of Alt Spielwaren a few months prior to arrival, and there would always be something awesome waiting there for him.

Fast forward more than a few years, and

BOOM! The internet made it possible to find Vintage VW treasures from all over the world, especially on German eBay. As you can imagine, BoB’s collection continued growing to the point where he needed to expand his showcase. He scored a set of six curio cabinets (and many extra glass shelves) with a southwest flair to match his Arizona estate.

These days he has a particular liking for VWs produced during the post WWII era from 1945-49 stamped “Made in US Zone-Germany,” because that’s exactly where BoB himself was born.

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RARE AUSTRIAN RUBY This super-clean 1962 Type III is a Notch above the rest!

Story and photography by Lee Hedges

 Volkswagen built the Type 3 from 1961 to 1973. It came in three flavors: the Fastback, the Variant (what we in the U.S. know as the Squareback), and the Notchback. The company marketed it as a family car, as it offered more passenger and luggage space and a larger engine than the Beetle. This Notchback is about as clean and original as they come.  It’s tough to find a super-clean 1962 Notchback, but to score one with a trunk this nice? This one is clean enough to eat off of!

74 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

T

he new VW 1500 series was a huge secret in 1960 as Volkswagen didn’t want to upset Beetle owners with a completely new line aimed toward the middle class. Development was contained in a building in Wolfsburg that had suffered a fire, so the windows were blocked and the entrance strictly guarded. And rightfully so. This decidedly more modern in appearance VW featured three luggage compartments and a new, flat 1500cc engine.

The car boasted 25% more power, more passenger space, more luggage space, and

more standard features including a clock, safety-minded pads, inner door handles, and a fully synchronized gearbox, and it was a mere 6 inches longer than the Beetle.

The first press photographs were released to the general public in February 1961. The car was well received, but VW owners were worried their favorite Beetle might be phased out.

In mid-September 1961, the new VW 1500 series cars were officially introduced at the Frankfurt International Auto Show. The Sedan (Notchback), Wagon

(Variant), Sports Coupe (Karmann Type 34), Sports Cabriolet (Karmann Type 34), & Four-Seater Cabriolet (Karmann Notchback) were on display along with the Beetles. From 1962 to 1965 VW decided not to offer America this new series despite a huge percentage of Type 1, 2, and Transporters being exported to the USA. An underground “gray market” developed, with Americans working privately with European VW dealerships to bring used VW 1500 models into the USA to avoid export regulations.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 75

 The 1500cc flat four is relatively untouched. It has the early Solex 32PHN carburetor, and lots of 1962-only parts.

 Here’s Eric and the family. Can you tell they love cruising around in a rare Type III?

 You’d be hard-pressed to find a cleaner interior on a bone-stock Notchback! Note the Sico bud vase on the dash, and the rare aluminum ashtray-mounted holder.

 The stock two-tone fifteen-inch rims are finished in Cadmium Red and Stone Beige.

Fast-forward to today: An unrestored, original-paint, low-mileage Notchback is one of the most prized… and most difficult to find. Eric Hand from Acampo, California scored this incredibly original Ruby Red L456 1500 Notchback Sedan in 2011 after seeing it in his friend Eric Colla’s garage. He traded a 1953 Barndoor Microbus to get it.

A little back story on the ownership history of this Notch: The original owner, Hermann Gschwandtner from Austria, bought it new in May 1962 and owned it for 18 years. The car spent four years in Germany and three years in San Diego, California.

Fifty-nine years later, this 52K-kilometer (32,000 miles to you and me) 1962 still has the original Austrian VW dealership badge, kilometer speedometer, and its original

find the exact matching parts specific to his VW. He’s been lucky to find a Sico bud vase and aluminum holder that mounts to the ashtray hole, a rotary heater knob with red dot, a gray passenger armrest, Wegu floor mats, and an elusive Anthracite emergency-brake boot. He also added a few period-correct authentic accessories from his friend Pedro Sainz, including wood-slat roof and trunk racks and a chrome bar for the rear shelf to prevent items from falling into the rear seat.

As you can see from the photos, Eric has done his very best to maintain the car’s integrity and originality to keep this rare Austrian Ruby Type 3 a happy driving machine, and he plans to take good care of it for decades to come.

76 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

paint and interior.

It may very well be the best-preserved 1962 Notchback on the planet. The chassis number and engine number confirm that the engine is original. The car was built April 30, 1962 and left the Wolfsburg factory for Austria the same day. It had one option, M260, which had the rear seat built without the center armrest, allowing more passengers to ride in comfort. Unique to the early models, the 15-inch rims are twotoned in Cadmium Red and Stone Beige.

The 45hp 1500cc 6-volt engine has the early Solex 32PHN single carburetor, and lots of unique 1962-only parts.

Like most of us, Eric loves to search for NOS parts to replace ones that have seen better days. He has taken great care to

THE VW TRENDS INTERVIEW:

By Dan DYNO DON CHAMBERLIN Leadbetter

VWT: So let’s get this out of the way. Peanut butter: smooth or chunky?

DD: Smooth.

VWT: And why?

DD: No comment (laughs). Actually, I had chunky peanut butter as a kid, and it was full of glass.

VWT: Seriously?

DD: Seriously.

VWT: Okay, the take-home from this tale is check your peanut butter. Here’s what I want to ask you: How did you first get into VWs? And if you say, “Through the door,” I’ll slap you.

DD: In 1958, I sat in my neighbor’s 1953 Split window, and I thought, “Wow, this is my kind of car!”

VWT: How old were you?

DD: A little over 4 years old.

VWT: And you remember that?

DD: I do, like (it was) right now. Fresh ... it

had a black exterior, that beautiful sandbrown interior, all the nice Bakelite on the dashboard… Dude, it was something I’ll never forget. It had a 25-horsepower motor that looked like my mom’s sewing machine.

And that stayed with me ever since. We moved to California in 1964, and I was there at the beginning of the Volkswagen movement. I was at the right place, at the right time to become proficient in everything Volkswagen.

VWT: What was the first VW you owned?

DD: A 1963 pile of junk. I was working at a Mobil gas station straight outta high school, saw this blue VW, and was like, “Well, I really can’t afford much.” They said, “Take it off our hands.” I can’t remember what I paid, something like $300. Had a nice, rebuilt 1500cc motor in it. So that was my first Volkswagen that… I learned everything on, as my prerequisite to getting

farther into the VW industry.

VWT: Tell me how you got into racing.

DD: Well… I went to all the Bug-Ins, all the Volkswagen events as a teenager. I was five years behind everyone else. All the guys were the same age as my brother at the time. East Anaheim, California is the focal point of where the movement began.

So I thought maybe it was my time to start bracket racing with [my 1963 pile of junk].

Went to my first Bug-In in ’71…

VWT: With a stock motor.

DD: With a stock motor. I think at that time, I outran everybody. I was running 17 seconds with a stock 1500cc engine. By the end of the day, I had broken all three motor mounts. Every time I’d let off the clutch it was like, BOOM… BOOM… BOOM. I didn’t care; I wanted to take the thing out and race it, and I did. I missed [being on the] podium by 1/100th of a second. So I came back the following year, made podium by 1/100th of a second.

VWT: How long did you bracket race?

DD: Whoooo… About 10 years. But 1971 to 1975 were my premier years. I was very into it. I was the second person to even run Kadron carburetors, which came out in 1974.

VWT: Single or dual-port?

DD: Single. Single-port. I had a single-port 1600 that ran low 15s, and I almost broke the 14-second barrier with a single-port 1600cc motor with dual Kadrons that got 42 miles to the gallon. There’s no one I know, to this day, that has achieved what I did with that car. I had a friend of mine that I met in 1970; we were going around the Disneyland area

 “In 1958, I sat in my neighbor’s 1953 Split window, and I thought, “Wow, this is my kind of car!”

 “I went to my first Bug-In in ’71… with a stock motor. I think at that time, I outran everybody.”

 “I was more entertaining than the announcer, and it was pissing them off… they could hear me over the announcer.”

S

ome people leave an indelible mark on the VW hobby. Names like Berg, Schley, Sacchette, and Meyers are synonymous with our beloved German import and are iconic in their own right. Ask anyone who was around the VW scene in the ’80s and ’90s who the voice of VW events is, and without a doubt, the reply would have to be Dyno Don Chamberlin. Don has really helped shape what a VW event should be. His energy, his excitement, his humor — all this and more has created a legacy that really deserves to be recognized and honored. So we’re super excited to have Dyno Don at the interview table! Dyno talked about so much stuff that we didn’t have room to run the entire conversation in print. If you’d like to watch the whole interview, head on over to vwtrendsmagazine.com. In the meantime, here’s Dyno!

78 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

in his hot-rod 1835cc two-barrel carbureted VW. This guy pulls up next to us, looks over and smiles. The light turns green and he takes off and I say, “He’s got 48s! Let’s follow him!” So he pulls over, we talked and got to be really good friends with him. His name was Randy Jones.

VWT: How did you get into car detailing?

DD: I worked with this guy named Bill Heisberger, a lacquer paint specialist. He worked specifically on ’55, ’56, and ’57 Chevys, restoring them whenever he had the time. … And I saw this big buffer that he had and watched him use it and thought, “That looks like a lot of fun.” So he says, “I’m getting ready to move outta here and move on with my life; you wanna buy all my equipment?” And I says, “Hell yes!” So I went on as a detailer to promote myself and sponsor several Volkswagen race cars in the circuit. That’s how I built my business, and eventually it got to the point where people would fly me all over the country to come and detail their cars for a weekend.

VWT: How did you get into being an MC or an announcer at the shows?

DD: In 1975 I was still working for Auto Haus, and it was an honor for me to com-

pete at the Bug-In, because Auto Haus was a sponsor. At that time, there were over 550 cars in my class alone, so you had to go through 15 rounds to get to the overall competition eliminator. Well, I made it to the final and it was myself and Dave Andrews. We get into the burnout box, I get my helmet on and get strapped in, and the lane steward comes over and tells me I’m disqualified. I was like, what? And to this day, I’ve never heard the reason why I got disqualified from the final match.

So, I stood behind that car with a couple friends and said, “One of these days, I’m gonna be up in that tower, and I’m going to make a difference to all these racers out here so that this will never happen again.

So a couple of months go by, and I get back in the stands, and made as much obnoxious little boyhood comments as I could, and people loved it. I was more entertaining than the announcer, and it was pissing them off because they could hear me over the announcer. So I was approached by Rich Kimball who said, “How would you like to be the announcer at Bug-In?” And I said, “Sure!” That transpired in 1976… and it took off from there.

VWT: Now, a lot of people don’t know that you are a martial artist, a musician… it’s like there’s this onion that is Dyno Don Chamberlin, and layers to you that people don’t see that are outside of the VW shows and the magazines and such.

DD: One thing most people don’t know is that for most of my life, I’ve been an accredited UFOligist and paranormal researcher.

I started doing this at a very young age.

VWT: Now, the music thing. Did you play an instrument? Or were you just singing?

DD: I started out playing the accordion, the trumpet, drums, guitar, harmonica. Most people don’t know I’ve played harmonica.

VWT: You said you had a special shout-out you wanted to do.

DD: Yeah, there’s a friend of mine, a former Bug-In participant, who’s been a good friend to many people, and his birthday is coming soon. Scott “Worms” Blades, happy sixtieth birthday! Love you buddy!

VWT: Thank you, Dyno, for taking the time to talk with us; it’s been a real pleasure. I hope we can do this again!

Want to watch the whole interview? Go to vwtrendsmagazine.com.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 79

80 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21

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