VW Trends Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1, Summer 2022

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staff Editor-In-Chief: Dan “DG” Leadbetter Creative Director and Odd Jobs: Ron Petro Layout, Editing, and Kitchen Sink: Jason Smith Advertising Sales: Bruce Simurda Social Media Guru and Street Team Leader: Larry Bohannon

CONTRIBUTORS Rich Crafton, Bob Daniels, Eric Geisert, Nate Henderson, Arthur Junior, Paul Morton, Bruce Simurda, Jason Smith, George Trosley, David Zemla

STA PUBLISHING Publishers: Dan Leadbetter and Rich Crafton Chief Financial Officer: Beckyjo Ohlendorf Subscription info: vwtrendsmagazine.com VW Trends Magazine ISSN APPL100001111, 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 2022, STA Publishing, LLC. Periodical postage paid in Newport Beach, California and at additional mailing offices. If you’re reading this, this is Dan. I’ve accidentally locked myself in the utility closet of the STA Publishing towers, 12th floor, next to the vending machines. I’m okay for now, as this is where all of the PopTarts and Red Bull are kept. But it’s not going to last long.

I’ve already gone through 15 strawberry Pop-Tarts and 10 cans of lukewarm Red Bull. I feel kinda funny. But the rat I’ve been talking to says that’s completely normal. Send help, please. The rat is starting to look at me funny…

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: A minimum of six weeks’ notice is required, and you must provide STA Publishing with old and new addresses. 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 to info@ vwtrendsmagazine.com.

POSTMASTER SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: STA Publishing, Attn: VWT CHANGE OF ADDRESS, 4533 MacArthur Blvd. Suite 5208, Newport Beach, CA, 92660.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S. and U.S. Possessions $29.99 for one year (4 issues).

ADVERTISING: Please direct all ad inquiries to bruce@ vwtrendsmagazine.com or STA Publishing, 4533 MacArthur Blvd. Suite 5208, Newport Beach, CA, 92660. You know you want to advertise with VW Trends Magazine. We’re not too proud to beg, people.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS are welcome but not guaranteed unless by express written approval of VW Trends magazine staff. Photographs and/or articles must include signed photo and property releases from the writer, photographer, vehicle owner, property owner, and any recognizable people. STA Publishing is not responsible for the return of any manuscripts or photographs.

DISTRIBUTION: Want to distribute VW Trends Magazine at your place of business? Let VW Trends stick their nose into your business! Send your inquiries to info@ vwtrendsmagazine.com to see how you can sell VW Trends, and actually make some money!

VW is a registered Trademark of Volkswagenwerk AG. VW Trends Magazine is in no way affiliated with Volkswagen.

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

SUMMER 2022 • VOL. 2 NO. 1

DEPARTMENTS 4 TOP DEAD CENTER: The heart (attack) of the matter.

6 WHAT’S NEW: The latest loot and where to get it.

56 TOYS IN THE ATTIC: ADAC Tippco garage diorama-rama.

60 GARAGE BUILT: Each issue we feature another DIY-er.

62 COMING EVENTS: A coast-to-coast list.

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64 TROSLEY: VW Friends.

FEATURES 14 BEST OFFER: Rodney Sanford and his eBay prize.

18 OUT OF THE ASHES: More than 300 VWs lost in a salvage-yard fire.

38 SUBLIME SUB HATCH: Andrew Hamilton’s Split Camper.

52 SK8 UTE: The Quinones brothers’ New Beetle Truck.

54 PROJECT CRUISIN’: Well-worn driver to street-savvy warrior, part one.

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EVENTS 8 VWT AT FLUFFY FEST: Good times at Dodger Stadium.

10 VWT FOUNDERS’ PARTY: Our guests gather in Huntington Beach to celebrate the one-year anniversary of reviving the best VW magazine ever.

20 BUG BLOOM 4: A perfect day for a VW show in Phoenix.

24 MID AMERICA’S FULLY LOADED FUNFEST: Dubs at The Ham. 30 WINTER VOLKSFEST 16: An all-indoor show, Carolina style.

34 BLACKSTAR CAMPOUT & EL PRADO ’22: ...at a new venue.

42 EMPI OPEN HOUSE: In which we go behind the curtain at the biggest name in aftermarket parts.

48 TYPE 3 INVASION: Crescent City Fastbacks, Squarebacks, and Notchbacks.

30 14

38

28 IT’S HOT TO BE COOL: Adjustable decklid standoffs.

42 GET SHORTY: Cutting your pan for a Buggy or 356, part one.

PHOTO: BEN NEWHARD

TECHNICAL

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

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TOP DEAD CENTER THE HEART (ATTACK) OF THE MATTER

Y

ou know those days that start out awesome and then end up someplace you never expected? Most times it’s just a slight inconvenience, or something that is a little annoying, but seldom is it life threatening. Well, yeah, until it is.

Sit down, kids, and let Uncle Dan tell you a cautionary tale of intrigue and woe.

So it was February 15, 2022 … Yes, last February, but saying it that way sounds much more dramatic. It was a day like any other day, and I was just going about doing those Leadbetter things that I do on a daily basis. I was on my way home from Anaheim around 4 p.m., when I started feeling like I had a bad case of indigestion. You know, one of those things where if you could just burp enough, you’d feel better? Trouble was, I couldn’t burp enough to get any kind of relief. After sounding like a really bad Foster Brooks skit (kids, just Google it, I don’t have time to explain), I decided to take a shower and lay down, thinking if I could just sleep it off, I’d be better.

Trouble was, I couldn’t get comfortable.

As I was laying there, my right arm started hurting. Not numb or tingly, really hurting, like there were eight sets of hands under my skin digging into the muscle. I thought to myself, “Self, this doesn’t seem like the normal symptoms of a heart attack, but just to be safe, maybe we should go the ER.” Becky drops me off at the ER and goes to park the car. I walk in and tell them I’m having chest pains. You would have thought I was at TSA and made a joke about bombs: They throw me on a gurney and take me

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

back to the EKG room.

The poor EKG technician must have been working the end of his first day. He hooks me up to the machine and his eyes get as big as saucers and he says, “HOLY S*&$*! You’re having a massive heart attack!” They rush me back to the OR along with a bunch of nurses and start hooking me up to several IVs of morphine and nitroglycerin and do a quick X-ray. The doctor walks in, asks how I’m doing (“I’ve been better Doc, how are you?), then tells me I would feel a bit of a pinch in my wrist.

So I’m talking and joking around with the nurses in the OR, and ten minutes later, the doctor says, “Okay, we’re done.” And I’m like, “Wait, done with what?”

He goes, “Well, the main artery off the widowmaker on your heart was completely clogged, and there was a blood clot behind it. So we sucked out the clot, and put in a stint.”

I said, “Can you do it again, so I can watch on the monitor? I’d like to get my money’s worth out of the visit.” He thought that was funny and told me how smart I was for coming in, because if I had tried to sleep it off, I would have woken up dead.

Then he sent me up to my recovery room. I stayed in the hospital from Tuesday night until Thursday evening.

During the course of my stay, I was given nine different prescriptions, told to cut out fat, cholesterol, sodium, and limit my sugar intake. I said, “So basically EVERYTHING that brings me joy in life?”

He thought that was funny too. Me, not so much. So here it is just about 90 days after

ILLUSTRATIONS: RON PETRO

what we now call “The Incident” and I’m doing pretty good. I get really tired in the afternoons, but overall I’m fine, fit, and ready to party! So the moral of this tale is listen to what your body is telling you.

Don’t try and play tough; err on the side of caution. This world is a much better place with you in it.

A close friend asked me if having the heart attack gave me any grand revelations about my life or changed my way of thinking. I really had to think about it because the actual incident wasn’t as traumatic as you see in the movies or on TV, which is why I didn’t think it was a big deal. There was no, “IT’S THE BIG ONE, I’M COMING HOME, ELIZABETH!” (Again, Google it.) In fact, it was just uncomfortable and annoying.

But I have to say this: I have a deeper appreciation for the friends and people in my life. Including you, Constant Reader. I’ve discovered that all the stuff you acquire in life is just that: STUFF. What really, truly matters is the people and relationships that are close to you!

It may sound cheesy and Hallmark-esque, but I truly believe that every day is a gift and you get the opportunity to use that gift to make someone else’s day a little better. The VW community is one of the most die-hard and caring communities I’ve ever encountered. And I have to say I’m proud to be a part of something bigger than myself.

VW Trends is really fun, but it’s nothing without YOU! So, on behalf of someone who got a second chance on this Big Blue Marble, thank you for just being the gift that you are! Now enough with the tearyeyed rhetoric, go grab a sugar-free beverage and enjoy the latest issue!

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

WHAT’S NEW

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Each kit includes the pulley, custom 36mm “Big Nut,” three stainless-steel anti-vibration bolts, and eight stock pulley shims. Visit rosswulf.com or call (206) 794-0125.

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

RANCHO BILLET CV SPOOL/SPLINED AXLE KIT: Extreme duty Type 1 swing axle, billet aluminum CV spool/300M axle conversion. Machined from a solid block of the finest billet 6061 T-6 aluminum. Designed to handle the most tortuous drag-strip conditions. Reduce internal friction, heat, and the potential for axle breakage. Axles are made from 300M steel. CV joints feature chromoly cages and centers and are broached for 930 splines. Custom axle lengths are available. $2,200 complete with axles. Get yours at ranchotransaxles.com or by calling (714) 680-6737.

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4/14/22 2:25 PM

VW TRENDS at

Gabriel Iglesias’ sold-out show at Dodger Stadium included a pre-show fan appreciation area with some of Fluffy’s VWs

By Dan Leadbetter • Photos by Dan Leadbetter, Rich Crafton, Abel Arciniega, and Troy Conrad

There were great carnival games, like Spray Iglesias and the Fluffy Hat Toss.

This giant inflatable Fluffy greeted all the fans who came early to the show, with a couple of Gabriel’s Buses flanking it.

W

hen the hottest comedian in the world asks you to be part of his historic sell-out show at one of the most iconic baseball stadiums in the world, how do you say no? You don’t.

That’s what happened when we got the call from Gabriel Iglesias’ people (Team Fluffy, as we like to call them) to be at the fan appreciation area at Dodger Stadium on May 7. Turns out, Gabriel really liked the feature VW Trends did on his VW museum, and he felt it would be a natural fit to have us there, alongside several of his immaculate Volkswagens.

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VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

The fan appreciation area was a really cool place to go hang out before the show.

The first thing you saw when you walked in was a three-story inflatable likeness of Gabriel, greeting all the fans that got there early for a little pre-show fun. Dubbed “Fluffy Fest,” the area had a carnival atmosphere, which included games for a chance to win some Fluffy swag. Of course, there were some snacks, like corn in a cup and aqua fresca. A DJ was spinning some awesome tunes, and naturally there was a selection of VWs from Gabriel’s collection.

VW Trends was handing out 10,000

Team VW Trends, left to right: Larry, Lucy, Vicky, Becky, Dan, Bruce, and Rich, right before thousands of Fluffy fans descended on Dodger Stadium!

Of course, Gabriel brought out one of his favorites, the “Ironman” Bus. You really need to see this thing in person to get the full impact!

Editor in chief and publisher Dan Leadbetter got to hang out with the Tapatio guy. Side note, the guy really likes VWs, too.

Here’s the ultra-clean Compound-Built engine in Gabriel’s recently acquired Bug. Look for a full feature on this beauty in an upcoming issue of VW Trends.

To say that Gabriel knows how to make an entrance is an understatement. How else would a die-hard VW fan hit the stage in front of 45,000 screaming fans, except in his beautiful black-and-red Single Cab? PHOTOS: LEFT, TROY CONRAD; RIGHT, ABEL ARCINIEGA

copies of our Fall 2021 issue, which featured Gabriel on the cover — that’s our number-one selling issue, by the way — to the throngs of Fluffy fans. We also gave out stickers and other swag.

So many cool carnival-style games were being played: spin the wheel for a prize, ring the bell, hat toss, and so much more! The Tapatio hot sauce folks were in attendance, as well as the Tapatio man himself. People were almost mobbing the poor guy — he was a rock star in his own right. Lots of people came in to hang out, admire the VWs, play a few games, grab a copy of VW Trends, and get a bite to eat before the big show.

The excitement for the show was so thick you could cut it with a knife. This was a big deal: It was the first time in history that a comedian has performed at Dodger Stadium, and this particular comedian sold out the venue! We can’t think of anyone who deserves the honor more. Gabriel’s the real deal — a down-to-earth guy that really appreciates his fans and hasn’t let fame go to his head.

At 7 p.m. they started closing down Fluffy Fest to get people over to the stadium for the show. As we were walking over, there were miles and miles of cars in line for parking, and a virtual sea of people waiting in line to get in. The Goodyear blimp was overhead, with Gabriel’s face on the side. We got so caught up checking it out that we bumped into people that were

stopped in line. When we finally got to our seats, the show was underway, with several other comics warming up the crowd. They were all amazing in their own right, and you could tell they were just as pumped to see Gabriel as the other 45,000 in attendance! Did we mention that this was being filmed for a Netflix special?

The lights dimmed, the music swelled, and next thing you know, Gabriel Iglesias hit the stage driving his beautiful red and black Single Cab pickup! For the next 3 hours, Gabriel had the crowd in the palm of his hand, being the master storyteller he is.

We laughed, we cried, we got it. Gabriel left it all on the stage, like a seasoned professional. This was a night to remember!

The special should be airing on Netflix a few months after this issue goes to press, so be on the lookout for it. We at VW Trends cannot express our gratitude enough to Gabriel and the rest of Team Fluffy for allowing us to be a part of this history-making event!

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

9

VWT MAGAZINE JAM 2022 SPONSORED BY

FOUNDER’S PARTY VWT and honored guests celebrate the one-year anniversary of reviving the best VW magazine ever!

 The VW Trends staff greeted the early arrivals.  Everyone had a great time… with great food, great beer, and cake!

10 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

by VWT staff Photos by Jason Jamair (Jam) Marchan, Rich Crafton, Beckyjo Ohlendorf, and DG Leadbetter

I

n some ways, the last year has been a long and strange trip, and in others, it’s been super-fast and right on target. But the bottom line is that VW Trends Magazine has crossed the one-year threshold. And it couldn’t have been done without you, the heart and soul of the VW world. Here’s a little background to put things in perspective.

When Dan Leadbetter first proposed bringing VW Trends back, he selected a team of like-minded enthusiasts to help bring his vision to life. First up was one of his best friends, Rich Crafton, a former VW Trends editor and savvy businessman.

Next up were Dan’s old friends Ron Petro and Paul Morton. Ron has been a long-time supporter of VW Trends, and you magazine collectors will remember his stellar artwork gracing the pages of VWT in the ’80s and ’90s. Paul Morton is one of the best photographers and writers around,  What’s a party without a group shot?

Here’s the VW Trends team (minus Ron Petro and Jason Smith) on stage, along with lots of our founding members and guests. It was a great night!

having worked with Dan on Autosound & Security Magazine in the ’90s.

The next player came out of left field.

Jason Smith has some serious layout cred under his belt, knows his way around a camera, and is a seasoned writer and editor.

While were busy working on the magazine, we realized we need an advertising guy to fill in the ad pages. Dan reached out to long-time friend Bruce Simurda, whom you may remember as editor of Hot VWs for more than 32 years, and who jumped on board the Trends train.

Beckyjo Ohlendorf was tapped to be the CFO as well as the person answering all your subscription questions. Larry Bohannon took over our social media. With that final piece in place, the VW Trends team was complete.

We didn’t want to go the traditional route of taking a bank loan or selling our kidneys on the black market to get the magazine off the ground. We decided to reach out the VW community and get the TRUE enthusiasts involved.

So we started a crowdfunding campaign where all of the revenue went to making the magazine a success. We had multiple levels of involvement, from the Platinum top tier level — which included a signed and numPeople poured in from all over the country.

It was so awesome to see all the VW fans who supported us on the highest level come out to spend the evening celebrating with us.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 11

 Editor-in-chief Dan Leadbetter greets the guests and sets the tone for the evening.

 VWT publisher Rich Crafton captures (left to right) Dan Leadbetter, former editor (and now editor-in-chief) of VW Trends; Eric Giesert, former VW Trends feature editor; and Robin Hartfiel, former VW Trends editor and Dan’s first boss during his early years at the magazine.

This is the first time in 35 years that these hooligans have been in the same room together. Many stories were told (and many we can’t repeat).

12 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

bered certificate, limited-edition variant first issue cover, T-shirt, stickers, and an invitation to a huge party to celebrate our first year of publication — to the “Hey, you wanna throw in $5 to help out?” level.

We knew people would be excited to bring back VW Trends, but we didn’t expect the support to be on the scale that it was.

Sponsorships weren’t cheap, but we knew we wanted to build something substantial that was going to last. The VW community backed us the whole way, and we sold out of the Platinum sponsorship. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels took us over the top.

That’s how we came back, but let’s look at the present … we’ve got a party to attend!

It was easy to choose the perfect place for a VW party: Old World in Huntington Beach.

Those of you who’ve been to some of the VW shows there know what a cool place it is. It’s like a German village was transplanted right into the heart of Surf City.

People poured in from all over the country. It was so awesome to see all the VW fans who supported us on the highest level come out to spend the evening celebrating with us. Each person got a limited-edition, attendees-only commemorative pin designed by Ron Petro.

The party was sponsored by Meguiar’s auto care products, and our guests were treated to an amazing dinner, beer, and music from the Durty Watur Band, who played ’80s and ’90s music. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

 Cowboy Rob won a giant blow-up of the Fluffy cover from our fall 2021 issue.

 The lovely Shannon Rae, longtime supporter of VW Trends, was on hand to help with the raffle prizes.

But wait, there’s more! The lovely Shannon Rae, our premiere cover model and VW Trends supporter, was on hand to cut the celebration cake. The rest of the evening was a blur … talking with friends and fans from around the United States, listening to great music, and drinking some fine German beer. But that wasn’t all; everyone in attendance was given a raffle ticket to win some amazing prizes, including tickets and T-shirts to the new Classic show, a prize package of cool autographed stuff from Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, some giant VW

 Founding member Jayson Stevenson took home a stainless steel exhaust system courtesy of our friends at EMPI.

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 Publisher Rich Crafton making the official call for more beer.

Trends covers, a CB Performance jackfeaturing a ton of full-size car-finish et, and the grand prize, a stainless steel products for each guest. We can’t thank exhaust from our friends at EMPI. them enough for their support! And There were plenty of dignitaries on everyone got a limited-edition VW hand. Robert Keller, the new president Trends coffee mug and stickers on their of EMPI, and Rob Mullner, EMPI’s way out. vice president of marketing, were The VW Trends founders party both in attendance. The Hole family, was a huge success! Those of you who longtime promoters of Bugorama and couldn’t make it to the party were sorethe new Classic, were there. So were ly missed. We’d like to give a big shoutlegendary VW photographer and editor out and special thanks to the people RK Smith, Bill that helped Tsagrinos from make this party the Let’s Talk as awesome Dubs podcast, as it was: Elise and of course Bragg, Vicky Shannon Rae. Sunseri, BeckyAfter some jo Ohlendorf, speeches from Lucy Crafton, the VW Trends Rachel Ohlenstaff, it was dorf, and Kathy almost time Lenz. Without to go. But not your help and without some dedication, this lovely parting party would gifts! The folks have been at Meguiar’s PB&Js in a 7-11  The Durty Watur Band provided auto care donatparking lot. the ’80s and ’90s soundtrack for the ed goodie bags evening’s festivities.

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14 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

BEST OFFER

Rodney Sanford never thought his eBay bid would actually bring home this car.

By Nate Henderson VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 15

Rodney Sanford didn’t expect his offer on eBay to be accepted. He drove it for four years before delving into all the work that resulted in the car you see here. It sits on a four-inch narrowed beam from Airkewld with EMPI drop spindles and Wilwood disc brakes.

I

n the 1980s on the east coast of the United States, if you were into VWs, there was one thing you surely did: You attended the Bug-Out in Manassas, Virginia. Rodney Sanford’s father began taking him to Bug Outs in the early ’80s, and that’s where the VW bug bit him.

Rodney’s father always had a VW he was tinkering with and taking to shows, but none were ever Rodney’s. That all changed when he was a junior in high school. A friend offered him a ’66 VW for the low, low price of FREE! A few days later, Rodney and his father picked the car up. It didn’t run, and they had no trailer and no tow bar, so a tow chain and a lot of precise braking got it home. (Don’t laugh, you know every single one of us has done it!)

They fixed it up, and it became Rodney’s first car. But things happen, and we move on. It’s how life works. However, it doesn’t matter if you drove a Corvette or a Chevette, there’s something about that first car that’s special to you. That ’66 Bug was special to Rodney.

16 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

Fast forward a couple decades, and a couple (or a couple couple) VWs later, to 2011. Rodney’s Bug Out bite got infected, and ultimately turned into a fever! There was only one way to cure it, and that was to find another ’66 Bug. He searched all

the usual spots and found lots of potential candidates, but none was a ’66.

One Friday he came across a ’66 Java Green Beetle on eBay for $6,000 with a “Best Offer” option. After reading the writeup and looking at all the pictures, he decided to make an offer of $4,800.

Thinking it wouldn’t be accepted, he didn’t even check on his bid until Sunday.

He was shocked to see that his first and only offer was accepted.

Rodney’s dad was excited as well. In true old-school high school fashion, the father and son duo went and picked up another ’66 Beetle, with one major difference: This time they used a trailer! After a full day of driving, the car was home, and for four years Rodney used it pretty much how he got it.

All that changed in December 2015. In a day and a half, by himself, Rodney dismantled the entire car. That included the engine, interior, seats, handles, knobs, lights, all rubber parts, etc. Anything that should have been removed to ready the car for paint was removed, bagged,

SewFine in Denver stitched the upholstery and door panels with Evergreen tweed and beige vinyl with contrasting green piping. The carpet is oatmeal loop from TMI. Rodney’s friend Billy Rideway used the same vinyl and tweed to make full-custom panels for the trunk.

An AutoMeter carbon fiber pedestal tach helps Rodney nail the shifts.

and tagged. In January 2016 Rodney (with the help of his dad, of course) trailered the car to B&B Restoration Shop in Manassas. A few months later, after some minor rust repairs were done, the front and rear overrider holes were filled and the car was painted back to its factory color, L518 Java Green.

For the next steps Rodney felt like a kid on Christmas because everything was new in a box. Suspension work was first on the list, with a four-inch narrowed Airkewld beam and EMPI drop spindles. Wilwood disc brakes front and rear are from Airkewld’s BAD Series.

Wheels are EMPI 5-spokes and the rubber is 145 up front and 205/65 in the rear.

They say “chrome don’t get you home,” but Rodney shouldn’t have to worry: His motor was built by Pat Downs at CB Performance. It’s a 2005cc and has all the good stuff that CB offers, like a 78mm Super Race crank, Super Race rods, 90.5 Mahle pistons, CB straight-cut gears, and CB Super Stock rockers. The air and fuel flow through dual Weber 44s to CB CNC-ported 044 heads and out through the polished stainless A1 Perfor-

Pat Downs at CB Performance built the 2005cc with a 78mm Super Race crank, Super Race rods, 90.5 Mahle pistons, CB straight-cut gears, and CB Super Stock rockers. The air and fuel are mixed by a pair of Weber 44s. The heads are CNC-ported 044s from CB and the polished stainless exhaust is from A1 Performance.

mance exhaust. (And for all you “It’s gonna run hot with that chrome” guys, Rodney has had zero issues.)

The interior was done with the help of SewFine in Denver. They stitched up the seat upholstery and door panels with Evergreen tweed and beige vinyl with contrasting green piping. The carpet is oatmeal loop from TMI. Rodney’s friend Billy Rideway was in charge of the trunk interior. He used the same vinyl and tweed and made full-custom trunk panels for that show-car look.

As we get older, this funny thing called

nostalgia hits some of us like a freight train. In Rodney’s case, nostalgia was a fever. “Rodz Rod” is a reminder of days gone by and fun times of the past. Rodney knows he couldn’t do it alone, and wants to thank his best friends Ed Robertson and Tay Woykowski for all their help. But most importantly, he wants to thank his father.

Without him, Rodney wouldn’t have been bitten by the “Bug.” If you attend any car shows in the Mid-Atlantic region, hopefully you’ll cross paths with Rodney. He’s a hell of a nice guy, and his car is almost as nice as he is! Stop and say hello.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 17

OUT OF THE ASHES Disaster struck a California salvage yard last summer, with the loss of more than 300 classic VWs.

By Bert Cuen • Photography by Bert Cuen and Bruce Simurda

J

uly 9, 2021, was a summer day like any other. Just after 5 p.m., as I was setting up work for the evening — when you work on old cars your day doesn’t end at 5 o’clock — one of the day-crew guys said, “Hey, there’s smoke coming from the back field!”

18 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

The ProVolks Ranch, a well-known secret, has been a repair and restoration shop for air-cooled VWs for more than 25 years.

Situated in Merced, California, the ranch has four and a half acres of every year and model of air-cooled Volkswagen, as well as a few other brands of classics. An estimated 900 cars are spread out and packed in. As I walked to the back of my yard I could see the smoke coming from my neighbor’s back empty field; a grass fire was burning about 100 feet from my fence. I sent my guy to tell the neighbor his back lot was on fire and to call the fire department.

About 15 minutes went by. The fire was getting close to my fence and I could hear the sirens coming. But my fence quickly ignited, and the fire was jumping over! By the time the fire trucks had their hoses out — one truck on my side and one on my neighbor’s — four of my cars were on fire.

The fire department started to put it out, but then the fifth car caught fire. Then the sixth, then the…

The firefighters pulled back. My crew and I were unable to do anything. Three and a half hours later, after three acres had burned, the fire department put it out. An estimated 300 cars burned.

As I walked back to the shop with my crew, family, and friends I saw hundreds of people outside the gate in the street watching in disbelief.

The next day the carnage was unbelievable. It looked like a war zone, acres turned to rubble. During the next few weeks people from all over showed up to ask if they could walk through the cars — not just Volkswagen people, car guys came. Everyone remembers their first car, and some fondly remember all their cars. When men would come back to the shop after looking around, some were emotional, unable to speak. All were stunned. Over and over I would hear, “I have no words; I don’t know what to say.”

The fire was a huge loss — not just to me or to the shop, but to everyone who is a

car person. It was a lifelong collection that cannot be replaced. The devastation was painful for anyone to see, remembering what was and now will never be: the cars to enjoy, the cars to restore, the cars people wanted to have.

I don’t know if the fire was set intentionally, if it was an accident, or if someone just wanted to see a fire burn. It doesn’t matter.

I have been told, “There’s beauty in the turmoil.” Maybe there is. I still enjoy cars.

Restoring will never stop and my memories are still intact.

Editor’s note: This loss has been very difficult for owner Bert Cuen. Seeing these cars destroyed brings back memories of when he first drove a VW. So many cars he saved from the grave will no longer make it back onto the road. It’s a big dent in the collection he’s been building for 25 years. As of this writing the cleanup job at ProVolks Ranch is about 30% complete. It’s an arduous task, as Bert tries to salvage as much as he can from the ashes.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 19

EDGEFINDER VW PRESENTS

BUG BLOOM 4 STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY PAUL MORTON

It was a perfect day for a VW show — but what day isn’t? Mid-70-degree temps and just the right cloud cover brought out the VW community who, as you know, are just all-around good people! You’re looking at about one third of the Edgefinder parking lot.

H

as it been a year already? Apparently so, because on March 20, 2022, Edgefinder VW hosted its infamous Bug Bloom show-n-shine in Phoenix, Arizona, once again. Last year’s Bug Bloom was featured in the very first issue of the new VW Trends, and now that your favorite VW mag has a year’s worth of issues under its belt we actually showed up for this event with our subtle

20 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 ’22

and tasteful yellow booth. We even had the Bug from the “How (NOT) to Buy a Bug” article on display. (Yes, it finally runs; find out more on page 66). Other vendors included NOS Energy Drink and Annie’s Flower Truck. Eats were on point: The aptly named Tacolicioso food truck served up tacolicious goodness, and 808 Kine Grindz offered Hawaiian food and shave ice. But the culinary

showstopper was Mama’s Dogs, a retro, automotive-themed hot-dog cart with a wonderfully outgoing proprietor.

The weather was perfect, in the mid 70s with just the right amount of clouds.

The festivities started early but VWs kept rolling in all morning to fill the lot.

The south end was packed with rusty gold thanks to all the swappers who brought out their wares. As spectators

▲ It’s no surprise that the Type One Restorations HEB 387 Hebmuller took home one of the three Best of Show trophies. The flawless sheet-metal work is nothing short of art — Yeah, that’s bare metal, not silver paint! www.t1resto.com

 Jason Preacher’s immaculate ’55 Bug started life as a rare Canadian Standard model. Now it’s so clean it will stop you in your tracks. Bill Capatch from AZ Transaxle built Jason a bulletproof transmission that can handle the CPR 2332cc powerhouse.

et! You Parts galore at the swap me ly and ear re the Get l: know the dril think it you If it! see you en wh it buy k, it bac get you en wh will be there w. kno we how us Ask n’t. wo

wandered from the swap meet toward Edgfinder’s store at the north end of the lot, the scenery shifted to show cars.

There were well-loved daily drivers, show-stopping, cover-worthy VWs, and everything in between. Although big for a local show, Bug Bloom is small enough to be very personal. Owners are typically milling about near their vehicles so it’s easy to get a conversation going.

The Edgefinder booth was in the center of it all, and they offered up various show merch and played a really good mix of retro music. There was a 50/50 raffle and, just like at last year’s show, one lucky winner took home a mini bike. The handmade awards this year looked like miniature Bug windshields. This show awards only three Best of Show trophies, one each for Type 1, Type, 2, and Type 3,

which are chosen by the spectators.

After a perfect day of food, friends and VWs, the Edgefinder family had put another successful Bug Bloom on the books. Due to the popularity and success these events have seen thus far we are sure the crew will keep this tradition alive. Of course we will be there to support their endeavors — and hopefully win one of those mini bikes!

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 21

There was something familiar about Paul DeBelling’s ’58 Wicken Bug from Wickenburg, Arizona. Turns out VWT featured it back 2003. Seems like a good time to revisit this incredible car!

Dubs just kept rollin’ in all morning! That’s Pig Pen from Bug Thugs up front in the ’66.

“I find your lack of mods disturbing.”

Dan Lehman turned his seemingly stock ’67 to the dark side by blacking it out, and of course he dubbed it Vader. Under the mask is a 1776 with mild cam and dual carbs mated to a Rancho transaxle complete with Super Diff.

You might be jealous of Allen Steffey after hearing the story behind Delores. She’s a Bahama Blue, O.G. sunroof ’65 Beetle in mint condition and all original, inside and out, with 54k original miles. Allen got her in 2021 for a song after she had been sitting in a warehouse (apparently owned by Dr. Emmett Brown) for 25 years. She even had the factory touch-up paint in the glove box.

Carissa from Mama’s Dogs brought out her vintage automotive-themed hot-dog cart. She was really fun and outgoing… and the dogs were great, too! The VWT censors wouldn’t let us share what was printed on her can koozies, but you can check ‘em out on her Facebook page.

22 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 ’22

BEST OF SHOW WINNERS chosen by the crowd:

TYPE 1: Type 1 Restorations, ’49 Hebmuller 387 TYPE 2: Kevin Curtis, ’65 21-Window

Type 1 Restorations

Kevin Curtis

TYPE 3: Jason Johnston, ’68 Squareback

Doug and Dawn Halbrook

Ron Morice

RAFFLE WINNERS 50/50: Doug and Dawn Halbrook Mini-bike: Ron Morice

There were a handful of water pumpers on display; one of the most stylish was Bill Russell’s 2014 Turbo Beetle. It features custom paint, aftermarket coilovers, and a Borla exhaust. Oddly enough, the owner is a member in the AZ Baja Bugs club and goes by Baja Bill.

Minitrucks and VWs used to go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Many had handpainted logos on their back windows, like this Sunset logo on Jason Johnston’s ’68 Squareback.

He is still in Sunset, as well as Type 3 Syndicate, and took home the Type 3 trophy.

The crew that can, left to right: Marvie, Tracee, Tanner, Lani, Leah, Paige, Brody, Matt, and Mike.

Thanks for putting on a really fun show every year!

Edgefinder is an awesome little shop at 35th Ave. and Cactus in Phoenix.

Check ‘em out!

(602) 687-2804. On Facebook, search EdgefinderVW.

Rachel and Becky schlepped the VWT booth all the way from Cali to sell mags, stickers, and sign people up for subscriptions. If you ever see the bright yellow booth, stop by and say hi!

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’21 23

E

MID AMERICA’S

FUNFEST F U L L Y

L O A D E D

Dubs at The Ham • Story and photography by Jason Smith

24 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

ffingham sits at the intersection of U.S. interstates 57 and 70 in South Central Illinois, just about halfway between St. Louis, Missouri, and Indianapolis, Indiana. How many of Effingham’s roughly 12,000 fine, upstanding citizens refer to their city as The Ham? We don’t know, and we didn’t find out, because the good folks at Mid America Motorworks packed their 2022 Funfest for Air-Cooled VWs with so many things to do that we barely had time to ask any questions.

The theme of this year’s Funfest, held Friday and Saturday June 17 and 18 at Mid America’s 100-acre Effingham campus, was “Fully Loaded: Celebrating 53 Years of Herbie.” Friday there were screenings of the Herbie movies inside Mid America’s VW- and Corvette-focused museum. There were bounce houses, yard games, and an honest-to-goodness bay-window Bus that kids could paint. (We may have painted a little corner of it ourselves. Kids of all ages, right?) Mid America’s Volks-Mart was open for business all day. They even made their install center available to showgoers who needed to make emergency repairs. Friday evening’s activities included a road tour and a reception in downtown Effingham.

Saturday the show hit full throttle, with 372 cars on display; Mid America seminars on auto detailing, transaxles, and more; another fully loaded agenda of family activities; raffles; an exhaust sound-off; a concert by ’Ham jam band Rabbit in Red; a stein-hoisting competition; a country dinner; and, of course, a ceremony for the show’s award winners.

About 1,100 people were on the Mid America campus each day, and they seemed to arrive from all corners: We saw cars from Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, Kansas, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ontario, and Brazil (well, the city of Brazil, Indiana). A lot of people saw my VW Trends shirt and asked A) if we were back; and 2) if we were covering the show. (Yes, and yes.) I even chatted with some folks who were card-carrying members of the VW Trends Founders Club (thanks again, guys).

We can’t wait to see what kind of Dub Jam at The Ham Mid America Motorworks cooks up next time, and we hope to catch you there.

SHOW WINNER PHOTOS COURTESY OF MID-AMERICA MOTOR WORKS

‘Ham Mayor’s Choice: Grant Runblade

Celebrity Judge’s Choice: Steve Nickell

Celebrity Judge’s Choice: Kenneth Wease

Exhaust Sound-Off: Margaret Edsall

SHOW WINNERS

Chief’s Choice: Larry Schultz

Celebrity Judge’s Choice: Rhonda Snow

Celebrity Judge’s Choice: Mark Orth

Celebrity Judge’s Choice: Marty Gaines

Mid America’s Volks-Mart, a swap meet, raffles and games, movie screenings, a giant field of show cars… the Funfest had something for everyone.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 25

Doug Narczewski of Spring Valley, Illinois, brought out this super-clean ’66 Type 34.

Manuel Bejar of Huntley, Illinois, owns this sweet ’78 Champagne Edition II Bus.

This rad ’59 Ghia belongs to Bobby Radmacher of Springfield, Illinois.

This race-ready ’20 GTI belongs to Tiffany Salyers of Jeff, Indiana.

We thought about buying this DIY ’58 kit, but it wouldn’t fit in our carry-on bag.

Wendell Redmond’s ’61 was one of several Herbies on display.

Justin Van Booven’s ’72 Volksrod sports a 4.5-inch chop, a 10-inch front beam extension with a 3-inch drop, disc brakes all around, and a turbocharged, fuelinjected 2180cc motor.

Oh Snapp: This in-the-weeds ’66 Type II camper belongs to Dave Snapp of Brazil, Indiana.

26 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

Stu and Marci Wemhoener of Jacksonville kicked back and put their ’84 Westy’s amenities to good use.

This lowdown ’65 ‘vert belongs to Rex Newman of Hampton, Illinois. Dig the Hazet toolkit.

The “Yager and Sons” old-timey gas station in front of Mid America Motorworks’ main building was a popular photo-op stop.

This guy had one of the hottest cars on the field and was giving rides across the MAM campus all day long.

Scott Liley of Brighton, Illinois, brought out his way-cool ’69 Maxi Taxi.

Karen Harkness of Farmington, Missouri, brought out her ’00 New Beetle Cracker Jack edition with hand-painted “stitches” on the exterior and a sweet Rawlings baseball-glove interior. Sixteen of these cars were created by Kozan Studios of Chicago for the Frito Lay company. They also featured a baseball shifter knob and baseball bat parking brake handle.

This “Sand Spider” ’61 Buggy belongs to Cliff Oie of South Elgin, Illinois.

Karen and Dayton Carey of Newton, Wisconsin, brought this sweet ’69 Type III. Part of the show field was a little muddy from the previous day’s rain, and at least one unfortunate soul got stuck. But VW folks are always willing to lend a hand.

This ’67 Deluxe belongs to Steve Notter of Wilmington, Illinois.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 27

TECH

Here are KC Air Cooled’s new hinges. As you can see, they are WAY beefier than the stock VW ones.

COOL

Big air-cooled motors like this one need more cooling air than stock motors, especially during the warmer months. Decklid standoffs are a great way to keep these highhorsepower motors from melting down.

IT’S HOT TO BE Extra engine cooling in hot weather is an open and shut case!

by Dan Leadbetter

A

monster air-cooled VW motor is an awesome thing. You can scare the pants off a big-block Detroit hunk of steel, fry the tires, or turn heads cruising around to the unmistakable sound of dual 48s. But that motor’s only source of cooling is air.

For those of us who live in places with more than one season, there are times when it would be nice to increase or decrease the amount of cool air coming into the engine compartment. The traditional way, which has worked well for big-engine enthusiasts since the ’80s, is to use a set of decklid standoffs. What if you want to have the decklid closed completely during really cold months? You have to take off the standoffs and reinstall the stock hinges. What a pain... Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could adjust your decklid whenever you wanted, without the hassle?

28 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

The people at KC Air Cooled have developed a set of decklid brackets with a built-in slider adjuster. They aren’t some flimsy, stamped steel hinges, either. These things are BEEFY. Installation is super-simple, and all you need is a 10mm socket (if you remember where you put it), a flat-head screwdriver, a good friend, and 30 minutes (not including beer breaks).

KC’s hinges eliminate the spring that helps hold the decklid up. But they come with a built-in hole for you to put a screwdriver or other support beam in to prop the decklid open. The hinges sell for $140. That may seem steep, but these may be the last set of decklid hinges you’ll ever buy.

We convinced the guys at EMPI to let us install a set on one of their project VWs. Follow along as we see just how easy it is to go from hot to cool!

1. First, remove the decklid. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws that attach the decklid to the hinges on both sides. Have a buddy hold the decklid after you remove one side. With the bolts removed, take the decklid off and set it aside. For God’s sake, don’t scratch the paint!

SOURCE: KC Air Cooled kcaircooledparts@gmail.com

2. With the decklid off, now it’s time to remove the three 10mm bolts that hold the hinge to the body. Do this on both sides. Please remember to put the bolts in a safe place — you’ll need them later!

5. Tell your buddy to put down their beer and help you hold the decklid in place while you attach one side of it to the hinge. Then do the other side.

The kit comes with pins to allow you to quickly change from open to closed, or you can use the included bolts for a more secure install. The pins do have a bit of play, which may cause some rattling while driving. When not in use, the pins can fit in the decklid brace hole.

3. This is the hinge bracket. Know it, keep it, don’t lose it! You’ll also need this for the new hinges.

4. Now install the new KC Air Cooled adjustable brackets. Be sure to get the bolts and old decklid brackets from the safe place we told you to keep them — you DID do that, right? — and bolt up the first hinge using the 10mm socket.

Then do the same on the other side.

With everything installed, all you need to do is decide if you want the decklid in the standoff position or closed. The slider can offset the decklid by a little more than 2.5" to allow more airflow.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 29

WINTER VOLKSFEST 16 This all-indoor North Carolina show is fun ‘til the cows come home.

Story and photography by Jason Smith

N

o show cows. No suckling pigs.

No goats. On February 26, 2022, the building that normally hosts prize-winning heifers at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds was overrun instead by a herd of Dubs. (Ed. — Show cows?) Yes, Dan. It’s a thing.

This building has a milking parlor. Can I please get back to my story?

Anyway, the Winter Volksfest is put on by the Southeastern VW Association each year. This year’s event was the largest yet, with around 200 show cars, 2,000 spectators, and 40 vendors. (And that doesn’t even count the All-Euro event that SEVWA put on in the same building the following day.) The show cows cars rolled in from all over the East Coast.

Of course, going to an all-indoor VW show does mean you’ll miss out on a couple of things — like getting sunburnt. Or

30 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

rained on. Oh, and drag racing. The Jim Graham Building is 95,000 square feet with six giant roll-up doors, but SEVWA hasn’t figured out a way to hold drag races inside it yet.

What you’re not missing inside is fun.

Winter Volksfest has all the camraderie you’d expect from any other VW show, a day full of raffles and prizes, more cars than you can shake a cattle prod at, and the opportunity to spend some of your bread, dough, or cheese on everything from hard-to-find original parts to customized Euro license plates to posters. Your pals at VW Trends were in the house selling subscriptions and back issues, handing out goodies, and just generally gabbing with the locals.

So get your ducks in a row for next year’s Winter Volksfest. You’re gonna have a good time — you can bet the farm on that.

▲ Roy Arnette of Mechanicsville, Virginia, took home one of the show’s Top 40 awards for his ’63 Beetle.

▲ Cobi Rawald of Raeford, North Carolina, belongs to this ’74 Thing.

▲ ▼ Jack Glowacki and his multicolored, metal-flaked ’70 Baja took Top 40 and Best Use of Color awards home to Goldvein, Virginia. ▲ Jeremy Bennett of Roanoke, Virginia, brought out his super-clean ’63.  Grayson McGill, who was selling parts in the Volksfest swap meet, found this ’59 Bus that had been parked for 50 years in Dallas, Texas.

In a single day he tackled enough of its mechanical needs to get it roadworthy and then drove it back home to Danville, Virginia.

▲ ▼ Another of the show’s Top 40 awards went to this pan-dragging, patina’d, firebreathing, swamp-cooled ’56 Oval, which belongs to Bobby Pettit of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

▲ Cesar Ramirez of Zebulon, North Carolina, took home a Top 40 award with his slammed ’83 Rabbit.

▲ This beautiful ’58 Ghia, which won a Top 40 award, belongs to Chip Perry of Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

▲ This sweet two-toned ’65 Double Cab belongs to Edwin Lazo of Apex, North Carolina.

▲ Todd Allen of Durham, North Carolina, talks to a spectator about the motor in his ’67 Beetle.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 31

▲ ▼ Tim Soares of Mebane, North Carolina, had a crowd all day long around his ’73 Beetle truck.

▲ Pat Jones of Raleigh, North Carolina, brought out this ’61 Deluxe.

▲ Terry Weisenfeld of Rock Hill, South Carolina, owns this Top 40 winning ’68.

▲ James Jones of King, North Carolina, owns this ’69 Ghia with a tiger in the tank.

32 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

▲ Another crowd puller was this Top 40 winning ’13 GTI widebody, which belongs to Jeff Eason of Woodbridge, Virginia.

▲ Gilbert Soares of Mebane, North Carolina, took home a Top 40 award with his ’57 Beetle.

▲ The Top 40 winning “El Chopo” is a ’59 Ragtop belonging to Andy Podhany of Wake Forest, North Carolina. It used to belong to Andy’s friend, who rear-ended another vehicle in it. Andy bought and rebuilt it because he couldn’t stand to see it go to the junkyard.

▲ Oh, this? This is just a run-of-the-mill, average, everyday three-wheeler with a diesel exhaust stack, a front clip possibly made from a late-model Ford Fusion, and a steering wheel definitely made from animal bones (just like most of us normal people drive). It started life as an ’03 TDI Beetle. Oh, and it was for sale. H.B. Webster of Nashville, North Carolina, is the guilty party.

▲ ▼ This right-hand-drive ’59 Euro Beetle earned a Top 40 award for Scott Stephens of Raleigh, North Carolina.

SHOW WINNERS:

Best of Show: Bob Lancaster, ’51 Beetle Engine: Jim Greenfield, ’51 Beetle Inner Beauty: Bruce Paul, ’67 Single Cab Use of Color: Jack Glowacki, ’70 Baja Workmanship: Jorge Santos, ’70 Volksrod Promoter’s: Bruce Paul, ‘67 Single Cab

TOP 40 WINNERS:

▲ The Best Workmanship award went to Jorge Santos of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Jorge’s redonkulous ’70 Volksrod has more custom touches than we have room to list. For starters, the custom metal-flake paint looks wet, and we don’t just mean that it’s glossy: This thing has faux water droplets painted right into the finish.

▲ If what you’re doin’ is canoein’, Brian Stonebreaker of Raleigh, North Carolina, has you covered with his ’76.

▲ William Beattie brought his ’71 Westfalia Campmobile Deluxe down from Salisbury, Maryland. He bought it in October, 1970 and restored it from 2018 to 2020. It has period-correct curtains and the original side tent, screening, and kinder cot. But we probably don’t have to tell you which one of William’s period accessories we liked the most.

David Mitchell, ’18 Passat GT Marvin Wall, ’14 GSR Beetle Bruce Paul, ’67 Single Cab Jeff Grimm, ’68 Beetle Sharon Dement, ’75 Passenger Bus Gilbert Soares, ’57 Beetle Chad Hicks, ’65 Beetle Roy Arnette, ’63 Beetle Tim Soares, ’73 Baja Bobby Pettit, ’56 Beetle Chip Perry, ’58 Karmann Ghia William Beattie, ’71 Westy John Edwards, ’17 GTI Buddy Poole, ’70 Beetle Convertible Jeff Eason, ’13 GTI William Luna, ’12 GTI Chris Chilton, ’23 Model T Replica Jose Vasquez, ’59 Beetle Doug Raynor, ’85 Westy Scott Ferrell, ’17 GTI Jay Turner, ’63 Beetle Herbie Lusiano Todaro, ’17 Passat Craig Detweller, Highroof Vanagon Bill Oestereich, ’67 Beetle Joe Wheeler, Myers Manx Phyllis Williams, ’69 Westfalia Zach Pomeroy, ’63 Beetle Grant Funcham, ’68 Beetle Terry Weisenfield, ’68 Beetle Scott Stephens, ’59 Euro Beetle Jack Glowacki, ’70 Beetle Tommy Stubbs, ’64 Beetle Gus Rodriguez, ’69 Beetle Wallace Bateman, ’65 Bus Cesar Ramirez, ’83 Rabbit Jerry Bennett, ’63 Beetle Mike Kemp, ’67 Rat Rod Art Neary, ’69 Baja Jorge Santos, Choptop Beetle Jim Greenfield, ’51 Beetle

▲ If nautical nonsense be something you wish, look no further than Tyson Hurst of Durham, North Carolina, and his ’62 Buggy.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 33

As you can see from this overhead shot from the VW Trends Spy Plane, Rancho Jurupa Regional Park in Riverside, California, was the perfect place for the Blackstar Campout/El Prado Show & Shine event.

BLACKSTAR CAMPOUT and

EL PRADO

O

ne event that everyone in Southern California waits for is the Blackstar Campout/El Prado Show & Shine weekend. What’s not to love? Three full days of camping and hanging with friends, all culminating in a VW show? It’s like peanut butter and jelly — it just goes together.

This year the campout and show moved from Prado Regional Park in Chino to Rancho Jurupa Regional Park in Riverside. The new location had lush, green grass, plenty of trees, a lake, miles of room for camping, and was a perfect location for a car show!

People lined up early Sunday morning to get a spot for their cars. Vendors were already setting up their booths, and all the swap meeters were putting out their used parts and accessories for the eager crowd.

The weather was perfect, and many attendees weren’t shy about busting out the BBQs and ice chests. If you were trying to watch your waistline, this show was not the place for you. There were so many people

34 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

SHOW & SHINE 2022 Brand-new venue, same great show!

Story and photos by Dan Leadbetter

offering BBQ, hamburgers, carne asada, and hot dogs. Not to mention the food and drink vendors. If you left the park hungry, it was your own damn fault!

FiTech Fuel injection, EMPI, Resto Bus Parts, West Coast Metric, and AA Performance Products were just a few of the vendors on hand. Raffle prizes included T-shirts, gift certificates, and BIG grand prizes like a brand-new 1915cc motor, donated by AIP, and a ’68 Squareback. Max Jure dropped 200 bucks on raffle tickets and won the Squareback, which happened to be his first car ever! Welcome to the family, Max! The park was a perfect setting for a car show, and every VW you could think of (and some you couldn’t) was trying to take home a trophy or two.

Major kudos go to Allison Guerra, who took home not one, but FIVE awards: Best of Show and first place in the Type 2 ’68 and Earlier category for her ’55 Type 2; Best

Patina and Most Vintage for her ’46 Beetle; and first place for her ’67 Type 4 Fridolin.

Good thing she had all those cars to carry the trophies in!

Eric Arnold won first place in the Type II ’68 and Up class with his Westy.

In the Type 181 class, Tom McGrane took top honors for his awesome MountainDew-themed ’74 Thing, which is a constant show winner wherever Tom goes.

This wasn’t an air-cooled only event, as 27 water-cooled VWs made the trek to Riverside. Jana Carson brought out her ’96 Harlequin Golf GL and took home one of the Top 5 Water-Cooled trophies.

The real reason this event is so awesome is the money it raises. This year’s event raised $20,000 for the Ronald McDonald House. While attendance was slightly down from the previous year (most likely due to the new location), the enthusiasm was off the charts! Everyone was already making plans for next year.

CB Performance had a booth at the show and enjoyed steady traffic all day long.

Jana Carson’s ’96 Harlequin Golf GL is definitely an eye catcher!

The swap meet was a popular spot for people for those hard-to-find parts.

The trophies and plaques for the Show & Shine were pretty slick!

We LOVE Peno Vega’s ’62 Beetle with its turbocharged motor LITERALLY tearing through the decklid!

The folks from Volks Style car club were out in full effect, and had some amazing food cooking all day.

Volks Familia took the Special Interest award with this awesomely innovative Type 2 motor- home. Just goes to show that your VW doesn’t have to be the slickest to bring home some awards.

There were rows and rows of show cars.

It would take a full magazine to show everything that was on site.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 35

SHOW info First place, Type 1 ’66 and Earlier: Donnie Hoard (Runner-up: David Baitmedia) First place, Type 1 ’67 and Up: Jimmy Diaz (Runner-up: Seb Schmit) First place, Type 2 ’67 and Earlier: Allison Guerra First place, Type 2 ’68 and Up: Eric Arnold First place, Type 3: Tavo First place, Type 4: Allison Guerra First place, Type 181: Tom McGrane First place, Manx: Greg and Jeanne Lewon (Runner-up: Mike Darid)

Dan Finley brought out his beautiful red ’65 Type 34 Ghia.

Best of Show: Allison Guerra First place, Rat Rod: Murph First place, Patina: Allison Guerra Most Vintage: Allison Guerra

BLACKSTAR CAMPOUT: 671 air-cooled VWs THE PRADO SHOW: 326 air-cooled, 27 water-cooled VWs This awesome sleeper trailer features a full-size bed and a pull-out micro kitchen.

Bobby and Nicole Padilla’s ’70 Ghia had a super-clean 1914cc powerplant.

TOTAL, CAMPOUT AND SHOW: 1,024 VWs

Allison Guerra nabbed top honors in the Type 4 class with her ’67 Fridolin. This Frido is something to behold, and has to be seen in person. Allison also won four other awards (see Show Info box).

36 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

CE 2012 SIN Buggies are making a comeback in a big way, and there were plenty of them to see at Prado.

Sawtooth AIRCOOLED

JE

Solis and his ‘56 Oval window named Vitamin C took the OffRoad trophy home.

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Rat Rods are becoming more and more popular. (Did this one drive in all the way from Arizona?)

It was pretty warm at the park, and this Type 2 converted into a snow-cone stand was doing a brisk business.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 37

38 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

W

Andrew Hamilton discovered this ’61 SO23 with a friend back in 1995, and twenty-five years later put the finishing touches on his…

SUBLIME

SUB HATCH

by Bruce Simurda

hen Andrew Hamilton of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was 12 years old, he had a life-changing experience. We’re not talking fire and brimstone, but when his father let young Andrew get behind the wheel of his sister Jenny’s ’63 Beetle while camping in the Rocky Mountains, well … he would never be the same! “I can still remember those tires getting loose around some of the dirt corners,” Andrew says.

When Andrew’s sister Cindy was approaching driving age, his dad bought a rough ’63 Panel for $550 to fix it up for her.

Andrew and his dad spent many nights cleaning, painting, and assembling everything until it was ready for Cindy to get behind the wheel. “Those are some really great memories learning about VWs and spending quality time with my dad,” he says.

After the Bus was complete, Roger decided that after all the hard work Andrew had done, he should get the Panel, and bought another ’63 Bug for Cindy. That Type 2 was Andrew’s driver until he was 28 years old.

Over the years Andrew had a serious passion for VWs — he’s owned four to date — and at the age of 19 he combined that with his other passion of woodworking (which is also his career), creating interior panel kits for just about every model of Split Bus. In the early ’90s he could be found at California VW shows selling panels for the roof, doors, kick, cargo, rear hatch, corner … you name it! Andrew says it was a great way to “support my VW habit and meet a lot of great folks.”

In 1995 his buddy Dave invited him on a trip to look at a ’61 Bus he had seen in the Pennysaver. They weren’t sure what to expect, but they loaded his ’63 Panel with a box of tune-up parts, tools, and fluids, and headed to Grass Valley. What they found was in pretty bad shape. The interior was mostly gone, but it did have a “smoking hatch.” They also found a couple of canvas bags that the owner said contained a tent and poles. Andrew really didn’t know much about Split Campers, but could see through all the rough patches and knew the old Bus had good bones. So after an on-the-spot tune-up and brake job, Dave cautiously drove his ’61 SO23 “Westy” sub hatch home to Citrus Heights.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 39

▲ From the day he first set eyes on this ’61 SO23 Westy sub hatch, Andrew Hamilton knew it was something special, even though he didn’t know much about Split Campers at the time. Twenty-seven years later he has the Camper of his dreams!

Eight years later Andrew and his wife Melinda decided to move their young family to Colorado Springs where Andrew had grown up. He told Dave that if he ever wanted to sell the ’61 to give him first dibs. That day came three years later, as Dave owned a business and had little extra time for the project. So a 2,500-mile round-trip adventure was on, during which Andrew and the kids affectionately named the Bus Clyde.

Shortly after Clyde arrived at his new Colorado home the teardown began.

Besides the normal crud and corrosion, Andrew found the driver’s side had been hit, the dash had been cut for an oversize radio, and the sub hatch looked like it had flown off the bus at some point. He decided to buy a MIG welder and use the little welding knowledge he gained in high school to tackle the bodywork. He and his buddy Tim Junk reproduced the hatch, replicating the hinges and matching the curve of the roof perfectly. The goal at this point (which he called Phase I) was to get Clyde mechanically sound, painted, and back on the road.

The project, which included Mango Green and Sea Gull Gray paint by Neu Kreation Body & Paint in nearby Black Forest, took

40 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

▲ All the woodwork you see here was built by Andrew. The tabletop was made from a matching laminate. Andrew’s good friend Tim Junk reproduced the table leg and strike.

three years, with help from Andrew’s oldest daughter Ashley.

Phase I was completed just days before Clyde’s debut at Buses at the Brewery car show, held at Bristol Brewing Company in Colorado Springs. Things went so well that Clyde was featured in the Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper’s “Big Love for V-Dubs” story the following day. Then, for the next six years, Clyde remained unchanged, lowered and without cabinets.

Next came Phase II. Clyde already had

most of the basics done: a good paint job, rebuilt front and rear suspensions, and a 1915cc engine built by Sportscar Inc. of Colorado Springs. But in 2020, Andrew’s friend Johnny inspired him to bring the Bus back to its original glory as a camper.

“It started by raising it back to stock height,” Andrew explains, “changing to Coker Classic whitewall bias tires, stock spindles, and a rebuilt RGB transaxle.

Once that was completed, it was on to the interior. … I did a lot of research on The

▲ You need power to drive in the Rocky Mountains, so the original 1192cc engine was replaced by a more potent 1915cc. Built by Sportscar Inc., it features a Kadron dual-carb setup, CB Performance Magnaspark II billet distributor, and Vintage Speed exhaust.

▲ What’s better than enjoying a beautiful sunny Colorado morning under the Westy tent that Andrew found in a canvas bag the first time he saw his Bus?

Samba and found pictures of original cabinets, hardware, light fixtures, and layout, and over the next few months built all of the cabinets out of hemlock. Hemlock’s straight grain and old-school look was exactly what I was going for in the cabinetry, and I chose a matching plastic laminate for the main and folding tables. Tim helped me reproduce the table leg, table strike, sub hatch, lid stay and rear-seat bracket from pictures downloaded from The Samba. I recruited my youngest daughter, Anna-

belle, to sew the curtains and child’s cot sling. She also made the cargo net from 200 lineal feet of paracord. (She told me ‘never again!’) The last item was to reproduce the clamshell lights. They still make the original brass light bulb holders in England, so I fabricated aluminum brackets and my buddy Johnny sent me a lens template from his original. Once I shaped and machined the lens, I heated my oven to 300° and thermoformed. I used the former water pump direct circuit to install a USB charging

station behind the back seat. Read it and weep, Tesla!”

With woodworking being one of his passions, you would imagine the cabinetry in Andrew’s Westy would be something special, and he didn’t disappoint! The finish, fit, and detail of the hemlock is amazing. Extra details like speaker grilles and additional storage make this SO23 not only show-worthy but also a great camper. This past January Andrew and Melinda drove it to Buses By the Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and got a Top 20. It was a 930-mile round trip, but they had a fantastic time and plan to do it annually.

“There’s just something about driving these old Buses that makes you feel good, Andrew says. “We love driving up the mountains for weekend trips, or tooling around town, and now are camping in it.

People ask me if I’m scared to drive it, but what would be the point if I can’t enjoy it?”

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 41

There was every kind of VW and Porsche you could imagine at the show!

EMPI OPEN HOUSE L

When the biggest name in aftermarket VW parts puts on a party, you’d be a fool not to attend!

Photos and story by DG Leadbetter

et me tell you, summer 2022 was a true hurricane of VW events all lumped into several weeks! One of the summer’s most anticipated events was EMPI’s Open House. Held at the company’s headquarters in Anaheim, California, this event gives people the chance to come out, show off their VWs, hang out with friends, and see some awesome vendor displays, and it also gives the public a chance to draw back the curtain to see the internal workings of EMPI, and just how expansive their company is. VW Trends got to the event at about 6:30 a.m., and the place was already buzzing with activity! Cars were lined up waiting to get in, and the excitement in the air was palpable.

Every type of VW you could think of was scattered around the building, with all the owners hoping for the show judges to look in their direction and possibly award them a trophy. We saw so many cool split-window Bugs, Ghias, Buses, Type IIIs, Things, and everything in between.

There were also plenty of vendors.

Rancho Transaxles, 034 Motorsport, RacingLine, JayCee Enterprises, Meyers Manx, Pertronix, Torco, and The Baja Bug

42 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

Movie were just a few that had booths to explore.

Dogzilla and Burnt Truck Sliders were serving food and drinks to the hungry masses. Over in the VIP booth they were serving up beer and water and providing some shade and relief from the hot weather.

While the cars and vendor booths were awesome, the real treat was getting to go behind the scenes of EMPI and explore the massive warehouse and machine area.

Guided tours were happening every 20 minutes, and there was no shortage of people wanting to catch a glimpse into the inside workings of EMPI. It’s a good thing they had the tour sections marked with caution tape, as it would be super easy to get lost inside the warehouse. Like no kidding, there was one time we were looking down the aisles of the warehouse and it totally reminded us of the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The event went from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., but it could have gone on a lot longer!

There was so much to see, it could have easily stretched out over two days. If you missed this year, make plans to attend in June 2023.

The always lovely Shannon Rae was right next to the VW Trends booth signing EMPI-branded posters of our legendary comeback cover.

Tom and Lynne brought out their immaculate ’74 “Dew Thing.” Look for a full feature on this beauty in an upcoming issue.

Tons of VW celebrities were in attendance. The Schley brothers were signing posters by the legendary Ron Petro.

BEHIND THE EMPI CURTAIN

Perennial show favorite Bad Razz was on display.

Rick Bowen brought out his ’71 Ghia convertible. Wanna get the full story?

Check out the feature on this Ghia in the Spring 2022 issue of VW Trends.

EMPI allowed people to walk through and see just how expansive their place is. Here’s a group of people getting the skinny on EMPI’s cylinder heads.

There was no shortage of cool things to see and do. Want to find out what kind of ponies your VW is putting out? Get it up on the portable dyno and let ‘er rip!

This is just part of EMPI’s machining equipment.

The folks at Igloo brough out one of their Buses. This one gets our vote for Playmate of the Year!

Have you ever said, “You know, I wish I could put a full-size tent on top of my VW Bug and sleep in it?” Well, here it is!

Here you can see just how massive EMPI’s warehouse is. This looks like the final scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 43

TECH

GET SHORTY: BUGGY/356 PAN CONVERSION Washburn’s Metal builds the perfect pan (part one) Story and photography by Eric Geisert

1. As an example of the damage done by previous shadetree mechanics, here’s a nightmare pan Washburn received for shortening (it’s not the one used in this story). Previous “welding” resulted in the rear yoke going in at an uphill angle and massive gaps in the pan’s layout.

2. Sandblasting this ’67 pan revealed a sordid repair history with terrible cuts and holes.

 Whether you’re building a dune buggy or a 356 Speedster, it all starts with obtaining a usable pan — in this case from a ’67 sedan.

I

f there’s one thing you never want to hear when someone is working on your car, it’s “Well I’ve never seen THAT before!”

But it’s more common than you might think, especially when shortening a Type 1 pan for either a Manx-type body or a 356 Speedster kit.

Most dune buggy and 356 bodies use a shortened version of the Type 1 chassis —some with up to 14.5 inches removed — and there are as many ways to do the work as there are styles of dune buggies. Some folks cut straight across the pans while others adopt a chevron or angled cut. The dune buggy has been around for 60-plus years and has been designed and crafted by

44 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

dozens and dozens of builders, so there’s no standard measurement that will work for every ’glass body made. That goes for the 356 also.

Brian Washburn is the 33-year-old owner of Washburn’s Metal in Orange, California, and that lack of standardization really rubs him the wrong way. He developed an automated chassis jig that allows him to customize the shortening of a pan within an accuracy of one millimeter. And he uses laser sighting to keep things straight. All he needs to know is how long you want the pan to be (based on the measurements of your buggy or Speedster body).

Washburn has been doing pan replace-

ments for years, but one advancement in the manufacturing of pan halves has allowed him to build what can be called the perfect pan (i.e., one without any welds or modifications discernible to the naked eye).

Flat Out Customs in England now stamps their own short-length pan halves, so all one has to do is break out all of the factory spot welds on the old pan, shorten the chassis’ spine, then spot-weld the new halves in place. It’s more complicated than that, but that’s the condensed version.

Trends watched over Washburn’s shoulder to see how he does it. This installment covers the prep stage of the job. A future story will cover the cutting and welding .

3. To figure the proper “before” length of the pan, we first made a template (following the ’67 pan’s perimeter) out of Masonite. It will be shortened to fit the kit body, so we’ll have to eventually cut the template to fit that shorter dimension.

4. The shifter area was so damaged on the ’67 pan that I had to pull down some of my yard art to cut out a spine section for Washburn to use.

6. Flat Out Customs in England makes new, shortened beach buggy pans. They’re pricey (about $800 including shipping from the other side of the world) but in the end, they save a lot of fabrication time. With some minor modifications, these can also be used for 356 pans.

7. Using an air riveter (not an air hammer), Washburn begins to remove the old pan by breaking the factory spot welds up front near the Napolean hat.

5. When cutting the spine, care must be taken as many of the tubes inside must be reused in the pan’s new configuration.

8. Cutting continues from the underside, as close to the pan-to-spine seam as possible.

9. Though Washburn did this work on a rotating classis jig, he now has a fully integrated and automated chassis table with fixed mounting points to precisely fit the spine halves together after cutting.

10. After each pan section is cut off, what’s left is a small section of the pan where the factory spot-welded it to the spine.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 45

11. Washburn brings out the air riveter with a flat chisel to break the spot welds and peel that section of old pan off.

14. Washburn made this jig so he could accurately transfer the shifter section of one spine to the other.

15. Washburn makes a measurement locating the leading edge of the shifter opening to the edge of the jig.

12. Washburn cuts around the end of the Napolean hat, being careful not to damage the body mounting hole area.

16. Another measurement locates the jig to the Napolean hat. Satisfied with the measurements, Washburn removes the ‘67s shifter section, being careful not to cut any tubes inside.

13. After the pan halves are removed, the spine looks like this. Washburn grinds the finished spine seam smooth so the new pans can be spot-welded back on. But first some more prep work.

46 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

17. Washburn transfers the ‘67’s measurements onto the ’60’s spine and then cuts and removes it. He will shave and fill the ‘60’s heater knob tube.

20. Here you can see how much space will need to made up between the stock chassis and the shortened pans. Washburn also removed the logo stamped in the new pans at the owner’s request for a more authentic factory appearance.

18. On the underside of the ‘60’s shifter section you can see the sprung steel tab-style bracket that presses the shift rod in place. That design is inferior to the newer version that uses a plastic bushing to hold the shift rod inside the bracket.

Washburn removed the old bracket and welded in the new one, adding the bushing (both sold by Wolfsburg West for about $20).

21. Before he cuts the ‘67’s spine, Washburn tacks the ‘60’s shifter section in place then uses clamps to close gaps to make the welding easier.

19. Here’s the stock ‘67 pan template under the new kit body that shows (between both arrows) just how much the ‘67’s spine will have to be shortened.

23. This project won’t use any factory heater components, so Washburn cuts those tube welds from the chassis (including the two on the frame horns).

Check the next issue of VW Trends to see part 2 of this pan shortening story, including the cutting of the spine and welding up the new pans.

22. Now Washburn can finish weld the shifter section.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 47

’22 TYPE 3 INVASION

Crescent City, California’s Curly Redwood Lodge, host hotel for the 2022 Type 3 Invasion, was built with lumber from one redwood tree.

Fastbacks and Squarebacks and Notchbacks, oh my! • By Dave Cormack

T

ype 3s seem to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the air-cooled VW scene: They don’t seem to get much respect, and I don’t know why. They have nice clean lines, the heating and cooling is much better thanwith their Type 1 counterparts, and they use the same basic engine as the Type 1 and pre-1972 Type 2.

Well, there are those that love the Type 3 above all the other VWs, and for 20 years these Type 3 lovers have been holding an Invasion somewhere in the United States.

They’ve held events in Idaho, Alabama, Colorado, and other places, but this year they invaded the small Northwest California coastal town of Crescent City, right in the heart of the giant redwood trees. The Curly Redwood Lodge played host to all the attendees.

The Invasion isn’t really a car show, per se; it’s more an informal gathering of like-minded individuals who share an affinity for the Type 3. Although the amount of cars and people was down over previous years, no doubt because of the pandemic and price of fuel, that does not mean less fun was had by anyone. People enjoyed cruising their Type 3s along the Pacific Ocean, through the majestic redwoods, and

48 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

even through a hollowed-out redwood.

Although it wasn’t really a car show, awards were given out, T-shirt sales were brisk, and there was a silent auction with some really nice Type 3 items including ISP West’s “Flat” tail light lenses. And perhaps best of all, the money gathered from T-shirts and the silent auction was given to a local charity, the Redwoods Family Resource Center, to the tune of $1,400.

There were some rather unusual award categories: The Youngest Type 3 (in other words, the newest) went to Reed Beaumont with his ’73 Squareback. The Oldest Type 3 went to Marciano Pitargue and his ’64 Notchback.

Wait until VWT gets up close and personal with Morgan Inmire’s Squareback: You’ll be impressed.

The long-distance award was given to Nicole Mohr and Michael Moorhouse with their ’68 Squareback, from Tempe, Arizona. Artist’s Choice went to the ’66 Fastback of Michael Blumenstein. Lightest Type 3 (closest to stock with only dealer options allowed) went to Morgan Inmire’s impeccable orange ’72 Fastback.Morgan scored another plaque in the Mutti category (German for “mother”) for the incredible right-hand-drive ’73 Squareback his mother bought new in Australia. (Watch for a feature on these two beautiful Type 3s in a future issue of VW Trends.)

Dan Watson was another double winner, bringing home Host’s Choice and Invader’s Choice with his highly–optioned ’66 Squareback. Nevada Tucker, almost a local from Medford, Oregon, won the Darkest Type 3 with his nicely accessorized white ’69 Squareback.

John and Jill Jaranson of Dearborn, Michigan, won the Hard Luck award as their ’66 Squareback had to have her engine pulled out and repaired right in the hotel parking lot. Luckily there was plenty of qualified help and lots of spare parts being offered, so John and Jill were back on the road in record time. next page >>

Tired arms. Achy knees.

Greasy, bloodied knuckles.

Nothing says weekend fun like a full restoration project.

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2800 North 3rd St. • Effingham, IL 62401 • 866-350-4535 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 49

Hard Luck winners John and Jill Jaranson had plenty of help getting their engine out and back in.

Marciano Pitarga’s ’64 Notchback took home the award for Earliest Type 3.

Alex Pegado, of ISP West in Carson, California, made the trip to the Invasion.

Nicole Mohr and Michael Moorhouse drove from Tempe, Arizona, and received the Long Distance award.

Last, but definitely not least, the originator of the Type 3 Invasion, Brian Fye and his wife Shannon, won the Russ Wolfe award for their contribution to the Type 3 community. Russ Wolfe was a dyed-in-the wool Type 3 guy, so this was a perfect way to honor his legacy.

I think it’s safe to say that the Type 3 Invasion was a huge hit, and it will continue to be held every other year. If you want to stay on top of where they’re headed in 2024, check carartbyjohn.com and the Facebook page for the 2022 Type 3 Invasion. Wherever they go, it’s going to be fun, and a great time.

50 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

Phil Hof is justifiably proud of his clean ’71 Fastback.

Dan Watson’s ’66 Squareback won Host’s Choice and Invader’s Choice awards.

ILLUSTRATION: RON PETRO

SK8 UTE

Story and photography by Bob Daniels

T

he Quinones brothers, Luis and Orlando, grew up in Puerto Rico, where they loved skateboarding.

They built skate ramps — at one time they had the largest ramp on the island — and competed in skate competitions. Luis was even sponsored by the local Powell Peralta distributor. Skate and BMX culture seem to be intertwined with VW culture in Puerto Rico just as they are in the U.S. mainland.

The brothers’ favorite skateboarding locales always seemed to be dominated by VWs, and that’s where their love for Volkswagens began.

Louis moved to the mainland for college in 1991 and settled in Florida in 2004. In 2014 Orlando moved to Florida as well.

This wasn’t as much of a culture shock as it might have been had they moved to North Dakota. Florida has beaches, palm trees,

52 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

The Quinones brothers built a removable wooden tray into the ute’s bed that holds various skateboard decks.

skate parks, and a huge VW scene. This kept the brothers’ passion for skateboarding and VWs alive.

Luis was a bit ahead of his brother in the enthusiasm department. In 2019 he ordered a ute conversion kit for the New Beetle from Smyth Performance in Tiverton, Rhode Island. Only problem was, Luis didn’t have a donor car. He called his brother and told him what he ordered. By that time the kit had already been delivered.

After a few laughs, it was time for the two of them to fulfill their dream of having a cool VW of their own. For about six months the brothers added to their pile of parts but still didn’t have a donor car. When they finally found a perfect car, they started driving it, and the project and pile of parts seemed to be on hold.

Enter the pandemic. The shutdown gave the brothers the shot in the arm to start a project that was decades in the making.

“Varicela or Die!” (“Chickenpox or Die”) is a spin on the old “Skate or Die” slogan. The interior features some custom-painted touches.

The interior was refinished in Mazda Spicy Orange and black. The stock DOHC 2.5-liter powerplant is good for 150hp and 170 ft-lbs.

Two weeks into the shutdown, the brothers were gutting the interior of the ’09 New Beetle and cutting the back half of the car from the roofline down the sides — carving the turkey, so to speak. They often thought it was humorous that everything was shut down, and here they were making all kinds of ruckus in the garage. They felt like they were breaking the law.

With lots of punk rock and heavy metal blasting through their speakers, the brothers installed the Smyth kit. It went together pretty easily. Luis’ wife Marie picked the ’03 Mazda Spicy Orange color, and off the car went to paint and body at Extreme Auto

Collision in Orlando, Florida.

Once they had the car back, they started reassembly. The drivetrain is virtually stock with the addition of slotted disc brake rotors. The wheels are stock VW that have been powder coated satin black.

A few paint-detailed interior and suspension parts and it was beginning to look like something again. The garage can’t be the only place for punk rock and heavy metal, so they installed a 1400-watt sound system.

To incorporate their love for skating, they built a wooden tray that holds skate decks in the ute’s bed. The tray is removable and the decks can easily be swapped

out. The one hard-to-miss element — the signature item in the build — is the skate deck in the tailgate. Mounted behind plexiglass and backlit with LEDs, this deck was Orlando’s personal skateboard when he was a kid. It features a scene one of their friends drew showing all of them at the ramp with chickenpox.

It may have taken a while for the Quinones brothers to make their dream a reality, but they created a cool a car that immediately sparks conversation. These are the things that make the car hobby so great.

It’s not always about the car. Sometimes it’s about the stories they tell.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 53

PROJECT CRUISIN’ Turning a well-worn driver into a street-savvy warrior!

Story and photography by Paul Morton

B

 We’ve all been here, right? Some may see this as a nightmare, but for many, this is living the dream! Project cars can be frustrating at times, but overall they’re very fun and rewarding.

ack in the day magazine project cars were all the rage, espemore important that it stops! New drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, cially among automotive niche magazine editors. Staffers rubber lines, and some hard lines were installed, front and rear. were typically chosen more for their automotive enthusiasm than We replaced the front wheel bearings while we were in there. their writing or photographic prowess. All of us here, for example, Ultimately we also replaced the master cylinder (so that’s where loved VWs, but our individual publishing skills were somewhat the mystery goo in the driver’s foot well came from). Out back she lacking, to say the least. Fortunately the powers that be knew we got a new Bowden tube, axle boots, and a bracket so the fuel filter would learn all we needed along the way and that true enthusiasm could be relocated from the engine bay to the transaxle. We also couldn’t be easily taught. We were encouraged to have project cars installed a new clutch cable and a custom bolt-on clutch pedal to allow us to do what we did best and in the process create content shaft. We should have got a new clutch wingnut at that time, as the that many readers could relate to. old one gave up all its threads during an early test drive. Once we Those of you with better recollection than our staff might retook that first drive, it became abundantly clear there was a major member the “How (NOT) to Buy a Bug” story from our Spring 2021 teeter-totter/variable idle issue with the drivetrain that required issue. Never before has there been a car more in need of project-car all new transaxle mounts. After all that, we tracked down a few status than the beat-up blue Bug in that article (well, Dan has 12-volt Gremlins, cleaned up the wiring just a little, and attempted owned a few). That neglected VW is getting a new lease on life and some minor body work. We also fully restored the gas tank (see the will now be the focus of Project Cruisin! tech article “Tanks A Lot” in our Spring 2021 issue).

The derelict Bug in question was a project car yours truly Under the decklid was where most of our attention (which is to purchased well before the new VW Trends was a reality. The goal say, head-scratching) was focused. This car has never idled right has always been to try and relive a little of and didn’t run all that well. So we rebuilt the those glory days from the mid ’80s, back when knock-off progressive Weber and threw in SOURCES: cruising was life. Some of us spent every Friday some new points, plugs, wires, a fuel pump, California Import Parts and Saturday night driving back and forth at and belt. This helped, but didn’t solve the cip1.com our town’s designated cruising spot. SoCal was problem. Luckily we stared at the engine long Doug’s Buggs and Bunnies a hot bed for cruising and many of us still have enough to notice a small fuel leak on the drivdougsbnb.com the tickets to prove it! The design and theme of er’s side intake manifold boot. We replaced this VW is geared toward the type of custom both boots along with the clamps and intake Bug you would have seen or actually been drivmanifold seals. WOW! What a difference! ing back when cruising was our social media.

Apparently an intake manifold leak was the main issue. This got The initial draw to this car was that it had a lot of the custom the car running great, although it still doesn’t idle until the engine details we were after: It was lowered, had a ragtop, and a 1776 with is warmed up. We’ll have to tinker more with the choke, but she’ll an upsized carb, to name a few. Although it may have been more most likely end up with new set of dual carbs anyway. work than we bargained for, we were committed once we handed Now that the car runs, drives, and stops, we can start working over the cash! on the fun stuff! She needs everything from interior to more First and foremost, we wanted to get this thing running and intensive body work to a new wiring harness and most likely a road-worthy. A lot of little issues had to be diagnosed and attended full engine rebuild. Just like in the glory days of publishing, we to so that we could make that happen. We went through the entire will keep you posted with various tech articles chronicling the brake system first. Pro tip: A project car should run, but it’s far debauchery.

54 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

1. Nuts. Breaker bar? Nope. Breaker bar plus jack handle? Yeah, no. Longer breaker bar with the jack handle? Nada.

Only a grinder could get that nut off.

5. The mystery goo in the driver’s footwell wasn’t such a mystery after we figured out the master was leaking. We fixed that, rebuilt the pedal assembly, and added a real-deal Powell Peralta skateboard wheel. There’s also a new clutch cable and a custom pedal shaft. We cut off the shaft hook and then had a little fun by welding on a new tab with a hole in it. Then we added a bolt, a couple of nuts, some washers, and a little grease so our cable never falls off the shaft again! Note the section where the clutch cable rides is smooth, not threaded.

2. We found these hat and retainer spring remnants in the driver’s side rear drum between the shoe and drum, which was obviously trashed. This was the drum with the nut that had to be cut off, and the only OEM drum on the car.

6. The clean gold parts are new. The dirty stuff all came out of this car — and almost everything was different. The new pins were too short and we had to get creative.

3. The old front brakes probably were good enough to leave alone but we had the new parts so here they are installed.

We added new drums, bearings, and bearing seals, too.

4. The *ahem* cleaned-up wiring. It was just a quickie job after chasing down small electrical issues like a short in the right taillight. An insulator was gone from the bulb assembly, so positive was touching negative, which is no bueno.

7. We installed a new German master cylinder and grommet, plus a new hard line and reservoir.

8. We mounted the fuel filter next to the transaxle using a banana bracket and installed new axle boots and a new Bowden tube.

9. This little bastard let all its threads go on our (almost) maiden voyage.

In hindsight it’s pretty funny — at the time, not so much. Moral of the story: If you install a new clutch cable, pedal shaft, and Bowden tube, don’t cheap out on the $5 wingnut.

10. The intake manifold boot leaked, both fuel out and air in. These were rockhard, and the clamps weren’t in the best shape either. After we replaced them the engine ran great.

11. Here she is in the wild, actually running under her own power! This is a great starting point and there will be much more to come.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 55

ADAC TIPPCO GARAGE DIORAMA

by Arthur Junior

T

oys are fun! They’re designed to inspire Automobil-Club (ADAC) operates a large a certain level of joy in kids fleet of mobile mechanics in and adults. As a kid (well, aren’t bright-yellow painted cars Rick’s old Tippco we all at heart?), I loved playing to assist motorists in trouble Shell Oil garage with toys, especially those that along the motorways. The ob(center, below) came with a diorama, or a scene ject of ADAC is the representawas in need of that the toy in question would tion, promotion, and advocacy repair. feel at home with. Which brings of motoring, motorsport, and us to this ADAC Tippco Garage. tourism. Its original and most The Allgemeiner Deutscher well-known service is roadside

assistance — kind of like AAA in the United States. The club also offers other products and services, such as city maps, road maps, and road atlases. It also operates several driver-safety centers.

The toy industry caught on to the popularity of ADAC’s cars and produced many scale versions of the different makes and models over the years, including Volkswagens. These yellow toy vehicles usually feature the ADAC STRASSENWACHT script along with the ADAC German eagle insignia. Some also have a yellow or red emergency light mounted on the roof.

Volkswagen toy aficionado Rick Search has a great collection of ADAC vehicles from the ’50s to the ’70s. His ADAC VW collection includes the Beetle sedan, cabriolet, Buses, badges, and some special signs.

Rick has been wanting to have a special garage made with the ADAC theme. Perhaps the toy garage produced in the ’50s and ’60s by German toy manufacturer Tipp & Company (Tippco) could be used? The Tippco tin lithographed garage was about 1/35 scale, had a corrugated plastic roof, and featured three spring-loaded front opening doors which used some old-school German engineering: When the door was closed, pushing on the door’s bottom popped the door open. Pushing on the

The finished garage (above left and right) looks like it was made that way. It took some work, but the results are nothing short of amazing!

56 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

With the doors open, you can see the detail in the garage bays. The cobblestone floors are a nice touch!

Here’s the TIPPCO garage on Rick’s top shelf, along with different scales and manufacturers of ADAC VW vehicles.

Note the graphics on this side of the garage. These were printed as a water transfer decal set. Love the tire rack!

Even the working figures are detailed with the ADAC German Eagle and VW logo.

It’s a busy day at the garage, but there’s always time to help out your friendly local polizei.

center of the open door caused the door to unfold and close.

The original Tippco garage was produced in two versions that included a red-roofed Shell Oil Company or a blueroofed ARAL Oil Company theme. Can you imagine playing with that as a kid?

In an online auction Rick acquired a Tippco Shell Oil garage which, like many, was in need of repair: Over the years, the tin lithograph design oxidizes and gets rusty, especially when stored in a damp or humid environment. The metal is easily dented, and chips and cracks can develop in the plastic roof. Those three opening doors have two plastic rail guides that can become worn out or broken and are almost impossible to repair. Rick’s Tippco garage had two good plastic rails and was a good

candidate for the ADAC conversion project.

Rick enlisted a model-building friend rebuild the old garage with an ADAC theme. The garage was carefully taken apart and evaluated as to what repairs would be needed. The tin lithographed parts were wet sanded, cleaned, and then painted satin ivory. The cracked and broken roof was fixed and painted a terracotta color with black overspray for a weathered look. The tin metal base of the garage was painted gray.

Next was designing a water transfer decal set using a graphics program to create the ADAC garage theme. After the graphics were scaled to fit, the decal sheets were printed on a color laser printer, cut out, and applied. The garage floor received a rustic cobblestone design. The inside walls

feature posters representing companies like Michelin, Bosch, and Telefunken. The outside walls have different automotive logos along with a map of Germany showing the main ADAC locations.

The ADAC metal garage doors feature the curved ADAC STRASSENWACHT script along with the ADAC German eagle insignia. The decals were clear-coated to seal them, and all the parts were made ready for final assembly. After a couple of weeks, the garage was completed and shipped back to Rick.

Rick then created an ADAC diorama using various ADAC VWs, garage accessory items, and some sharp-looking ADAC mechanics wearing newly made uniforms.

Have a look at the photos to see the very busy ADAC garage in action.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 57

SHOWRUNNER SHOWRUNNER SHOWRUNNER We needed a VW to haul stuff to events. We wanted something spacious, reliable, efficient, and above all … COOL!

By Dan Leadbetter

V

W Trends needed a staff vehicle — a Volkswagen that could haul all the things we need to have a presence at all the shows we attend. We’ve been using our personal cars, but let’s be honest: It’s not cool to be a VW magazine and show up at events in a Honda or Toyota. We wanted something that would be a workhorse, get good mileage, and be a great visual representation for the magazine.

We spent months scouring countless used car sources, but still couldn’t find THE ONE. Do we get a Routan van? A Tiguan? Should we wait for an ID Buzz?

Nothing seemed to check all the boxes.

Then we ran across an older Passat Komfortwagon. We went to a couple used car lots to do a test fit (I needed something to handle my larger, manly frame … and my lack of neck mobility makes it harder to get in most smaller vehicles), and it looked like the wagon was the way to go!

Then we entered the rabbit hole, and started looking at Golf and Jetta wagons.

Each had their own merits, but nothing really grabbed our attention until we spotted a Golf Sportwagen online.

They’re roomy, with plenty of drivetrain options, 60/40 split rear seats, and really clean lines. Yep, the Golf Sportwagen was looking more and more like the one! Now we just had to find one at the right price with the options we wanted.

With gas prices reaching almost $7 a gallon in California, we needed something that wouldn’t break the bank when we drove to out-of-state events. We took a hard

58 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

look at VW’s diesel motor, which offered a lot more than meets the eye.

We read through a multitude of TDI message boards. People seemed positive about the Sportwagen’s turbo diesel motor, citing its unexpected performance, amazing mileage, and unparalleled comfort. And some were getting 300,000 or more miles out of the car. After much discussion, we decided a VW Golf Sportwagen TDI was the way to go.

Please welcome Showrunner, our 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI S, to the VW Trends family. It’s bone stock, has a leather interior, backup camera, 15-inch wheels, slick black paint, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel motor. It’s comfy and a pleasure to drive.

We drove it to the Sacramento Bug-O-Rama, thinking we’d need to fill up a couple times. But we averaged 57 miles to the gallon, and made it back home with a quarter of a tank to spare.

Next we’ll trick it out and make it just as cool as our magazine. We’ve already installed ceramic window tint (limo tint on the back and sides and 35% on the driver’s and passenger’s windows). The difference in heat absorption is amazing.

We plan to wrap it, lower it, beef up the suspension, switch out the tires and wheels, and do some performance mods.

We might even kick up the already beefy sound system. Keep your eyes peeled as we transform this pretty cool wagon into a real show-stopper, and be sure to look for it at a VW event near you!

ADVERTISERS INDEX Bernie Bergmann VW . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 41 bergmannvw.net Big Bair Takeover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 62 Bill & Steve’s Foreign Auto . . . . . . pg. 13 billandsteves.com Bus Heads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 51 Buswerx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 13 @buswerx California Import Parts . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 1 and inside back cover CIP1.com CB Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 5 cbperformance.com Doug’s Buggs and Bunny. . . . . . . . pg. 37 dougsbnb.com EMPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . back cover empius.com GGCVVWCA Veteranentreffen. . pg. 50 ggcvvwca.com Hayburner Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 15 hayburner.co.uk Let’s Talk Dubs Podcast . . . . . . . . . . pg. 2 letstalkdubs.com Meguiar’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 7 meguiars.com Mid America Motorworks . . . . . . pg. 49 mamotorworks.com ProVolks Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 13 provolksranch.business.site Rancho Perf. Transaxles . . . . . . . . . pg. 11 ranchotransaxles.com Sawtooth Air-Cooled. . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 37 facebook.com/Sawtoothaircooled Strictly Foreign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 13 strictlyforeign.com Vintage VW Club of America. . . . pg. 63 vvwca.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS! T-SHIRTS! STICKERS! PATCHES! BACK ISSUES! (OKAY, THAT’S ENOUGH EXCLAMATION POINTS.)

IT’S ALL WAITING FOR YOU AT: VWTRENDSMAGAZINE.COM

Trace the custom VW scene back to its origins and you’ll find men and women toiling in dimly lit shops using basic tools and making air-cooled magic happen. The killer Baja that inspired yours? Likely built in a humble residential garage. Most of the ’80s Cal Look cars?

Garage built, with an unabashed passion and creativity that is alive and well today. Each issue we’ll highlight a deserving builder, their space, and their cars. If you have a VW problem and like many of us are self-medicating, drop us a line. We’d love to feature your cars and your space. Email dzemla@gmail.com, DM @airkooledgarage or tag #garagebuiltvws.

Sequestered in his engine-build shop in a quiet suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Prescott Phillips is rarely without a handful of motors and transmissions under construction.

THE MACHINIST’S MACHINES

By David Zemla

T

his month’s Garage Builder has taken custom VWs and his home shop to an entirely new level. Prescott Phillips began his air-cooled obsession in high school, during the heyday of Cal Look VWs in the late ’70s. “I had bought and sold a couple of Bugs before I could even drive, and finally settled on a Savannah Beige ’68 Type 1 out of California for my high school car,” he said.

Prescott kept the flame alive over the decades, having built Buggies, Bajas, Type 3s, and race cars. “I stopped counting after fifty cars,” he said. “One time I bought eleven Bugs in a single transaction.”

60 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

In 1984, his Agent Orange Bug, which sported a 2180cc motor, was featured in the hallowed pages of this publication. The beginning of his race-car obsession saw him in the 1996 VW Trends Speed & Power issue with a ’59 pure racing machine dubbed Underdog.

Prescott’s day job is as a journeyman tool and die maker, and his home shop is more than capable. His motor- and transmission-building exploits began as a byproduct of breaking stuff. Given that he started with dune buggies and eventually moved on to drag racing, he naturally broke a whole lot of stuff. “I’ve broken just about everything at one point or another,” he said.

“Scattered cases, broken cranks, axles, rods

— you name it. I got a lot better at building engines after a while, and then transmissions became the fuse. I could change a trans in under an hour at the track.”

Prescott’s obsession with drag racing and a DIY mentality necessitated quite a bit of garage time. At one point he dissected a Rancho trans, measured everything, and recreated the work — down to the polished pinion gear designed to remove stress risers in the metal.

Today the racing and engine building continue, and the shop is now spread across several garages and a basement. Next to Prescott’s modest home is a 28' x 40' standalone building that houses his tow vehicle (a period-correct dropped ’95 big-block Chevy Dually) as well as his fab shop. This winter it was host to a tattered ’76 Autostick Bug that came in with only 58,000 miles on it, but with every corner smashed.

“I got a free Baja kit; the thing was brand new … and a ’76 is a solid foundation.” Naturally it’ll get a big motor (currently slated for a 2016cc with 44 IDFs). Because it’s easy to pop a motor into the open rear end of a Baja, the car will likely be a testbed for Prescott’s future engine builds.

Moving on to the three-car attached garage, we find a pristine replica 356 that Prescott explains will soon see a 2332 with CB wedge port heads and dual 48s. On the other side of the garage is his daily: a ’59 Euro semaphore car that he pulled out of California. “I’ve had the ’59 for eight years.

It’s mechanically perfect, the body has never been off, and every single thing works. It gets 25 miles to the gallon and will run low 14s in the quarter if I ask it to,” he said. It’s powered by a 2110 fed by 45 Dellortos and continues to be a favorite driver.

Things get really interesting once you get into the house and make it down to Prescott’s very well equipped basement. He has forgone the Midwest-favorite bar and pool table for wall-to-wall motor building.

The nearly 1,500-square-foot underground lair is host to a late ’50s Brown & Sharp 8" x 16" surface grinder, a 9" x 20" benchtop lathe, a 12-ton hydraulic press, and a 1965 Bridgeport mill converted to digital readouts (quite the flex if you’re a machinist).

Naturally there were a handful of builds in progress. “This week I’m wrapping a Type 4 — this one is a project I took • over when my best friend Scott Hansen suddenly passed away,” Prescott said. “It’s

Prescott admits he’s broken just about everything at one time or another. He keeps an archive of mangled parts as a reminder of lessons learned.

The most recent build in Prescott’s garage is this ’76. It came in as a rough Autostick car, but is now destined for Baja greatness with a finely tuned 2016cc fed by 44 IDFs.

This freshly built 1776 sporting a new case and heads with a 110 cam and topped by 40 HPMX carbs is slated for Prescott’s brother’s latest build.

a 2054cc big valve heads DTM upright fan conversion. 44HPMX carbs. Going into a 356 replica.”

Sitting on a dolly not far away was a 1776 he originally built for his brother’s Baja using a new case and heads, dual 40 HPMX carbs, a 110 cam, and deep sump. Scattered throughout the basement were several other motors and transmissions under construction. “To me, a car is two things: the drivetrain and the rest of the stuff.”

Not one to hoard his hard-gained knowledge, a few years back Prescott released a how-to book covering a step-by-step engine rebuild in pretty incredible detail.

Although Prescott’s focus is certainly on drivetrain, he’s managed to build “the rest of the stuff” at a pretty high level as well. In addition to the drivers in his garage, several race cars are stashed on the property, including a Super Pro Bracket car that he recently ran in Motor Trend’s Hot Rod Drag Week (four tracks throughout the Midwest for a total of 1,200 miles). This one is a ’53

Built over five years, Prescott’s Pro Stock car is the culmination of decades of building and breaking and now reliably runs low 10s in the quarter.

Oval sitting on a ’63 pan with a very special 2332 engine sporting superflow heads and fed by 48 IDAs. Originally built in 2018, it will run 12.45 in the quarter at 103 mph and then drive a few hundred miles to the next track without a hiccup.

Although the Oval is a beloved car, Prescott admits that his favorite build is the green Pro Stock. This full-tube car took five years to construct and sits under 1,400

Agent Orange graced the pages of Trends in 1988 and like all of Prescott’s cars was built in a humble garage.

lbs with the driver. It regularly runs low 10s in the quarter and is the culmination of countless years of learning. “I designed my own fuel injection for this car. At first I made a set of 60mm throttle bodies, but have since switched to 50s.” It runs Range Rover throttle-position sensors, Dodge Neon coils, and AutoCraft 910 heads. The car regularly brings home the hardware and has broken more than a few water-cooled hearts.

Hard to not be inspired after spending a day in Prescott’s world. We love seeing how his style and skillset have evolved over the years and we’re grateful there are still guys like him taking garage building to the extreme. To follow Mr. Phillips’ exploits check out facebook.com/underdogracingvw. You can find his book VW AirCooled Engines on Amazon.

If you also have a garage full of VWs you’d like to share, drop your submission to dzemla@gmail.com or DM @airkooledgarage.

AUGUST 5–7: Camp VDUBlicious, Gilroy, CA | vdublicious.onuniverse. com | @vdublicious 6–7: 47th Annual PAAC Watson Lake Car Show, Prescott, AZ | paacaz.com | (818) 438-6414 6: Humbugs VW Car Show, “Cooling it in the Redwoods,” McKinleyville, CA | facebook.com/groups/Humbugs | humbugsvwclub@gmail.com 7: CVA’s “Dubs & Suds,” South Glastonbury, CT | (860) 395-9964 | bill@ctvwa.org | ctvwa.org 7: Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show, Pomona, CA | (714) 538-7091 | pomonaswapmeet.com 13: Volksfest 31, Pataskala, OH | ryancisco@gmail.com | (740) 709-0183 20: Air-Coooled at the Orchard, Middlefield, CT | (860) 395-9964 | bill@ctvwa.org | ctvwa.org 20: Augtoberfest ’22, Campbellford, Canada | allthevws@gmail.com 20: Eurofest Maggie Valley #2, Maggie Valley, NC | southeasteuromotorsports.com/aug-20th-eurofest-maggie-valley | @eurofestmv | (919) 616-2183 20: Old Fort VW Club 21st Annual Show and Swap, Fort Wayne, IN | oldfortvwclub.com 27: Classic Volkswagen Day at the Museum, Danville, CA 27: Tannehill VolksJam, McCalla, AL | www.

VolksJam.com 28: Bus Fest, Contra Costa Event Park, Antioch, CA SEPTEMBER 2–5: Buses Nowhere Near The Arch #36, Mark Twain Lake, MO | www.bnnta.com 3–4: CB Performance presents Sacramento Bugorama #88, Sacramento, CA | www.bugorama.com 10: Eastcoast VW German Invasion 12, Shelby, NC | (704) 460-1895 10: Larry’s Off Road BugJam 2022, Dayton, OH | larrysoffroad.com 11: CVA’s 18th Annual Volks-Meet, Westbrook, CT | (860) 395-9964 | bill@ctvwa.org | ctvwa.org 16–19: Dubs at the Gap 2022, Flintstone, MD | facebook.com/dubsatthegap 16–17: VWs in the Valley 10, Maggie Valley, NC | (276) 620-1246 | eastwoodr@yahoo.com | vwaircooledassociation.com 17: GroovFest ‘22, Tomball, TX | nhvwclub.wordpress.com/groovfest | idaruth1@ hotmail.com 17: Utah VW Classic, Riverton, UT | FaceBook: Utah VW Classic | @UtahVWs | utahtransporterassociation.org | (385) 321-1078 18: Toledo Bugfest 30, Oregon, OH | (419) 705-3366 | oldvw@yahoo.com 23–25: Solvang VW Veteranentreffen Weekend, Solvang, CA | ggcvvwca.org 30: SoCal WIGWAM Weekender and Cruise, San Bernardino / Rialto, CA | info@thevdubhub.com OCTOBER 1: 2022 VW Trends Magazine’s Cruise The Mountain, San Bernadino, CA | 1: Big Bair Takeover 4, The Lodge in Big Bear Lake, CA | Free afterparty at The Nottingham Inn, sponsored by VW Trends Magazine | @big_bair_takeover | Facebook @bigbairtakeover 1: Circle Yer Wagens 55, Sevierville, TN | circleyerwagens.com 1: Jim’s Bug-Tober-Fest sale and swap meet, Columbiana, OH | jimscustomvw.com 7: One Crazy Weekend in Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 9: Fall Bug Run, Martin, MI | www.us131msp.com/event-type-2/bugrun | facebook.com/us131bugrun 9: Transporterfest/VW day, Brookline, MA | stan_wohlfarth@msn.com 14–16: Buggies On The Beach 8, Fernandina Beach, FL | (904) 415-3079 15–16: 2022 VW Harvest Show and Swap, Leander, TX | vwharvest.com 15: 13th AnnualBug-O-Rama ICT, Wichita, KS | bugorama.org 15: VW Beach Bash in Pass-a-Grille, St Pete Beach, FL | vwbeachbash@gmail.com 16: CVA’s 24th Annual Foliage Cruise, Middlefield, CT | (860) 395-9964 | bill@ ctvwa.org | ctvwa.org 16: Fast Times at Farmington #37, Mocksville, NC | www. southeasteuromotorsports.com/-16th-fast-times-at-farmington | @sevwa1 | (919) 616-2183

62 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

2022 VW TRENDS MAGAZINE’S

CRUISE THE MOUNTAIN San Bernadino, CA Join VW Trends and a whole bunch of VWs as we cruise the mountain and head to the Big Bair Takeover at Big Bear Lake!

Meet at 7:00 a.m. at Walmart, 4210 Highland Ave, Highland, CA 92346.

After a quick driver’s meeting, it’s off to Big Bear for the Big Bair Takeover!

All VWs are welcome for this free cruise.

 Here’s the original and stock 36hp workhorse. Adrian has put about 4,000 miles on the car, and plans to add many more.

VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22 63

64 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’22

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POLISHED CENTERLINE STYLE WHEELS CHROME OR MATTE BLACK

911 STYLE 5 SPOKE ALUMINUM WHEELS BLACK AND MACHINED /POLISHED SPOKES

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NEW!

SPRINT STAR ALUMINUM WHEELS BLACK W/POLISHED RIBS OR FULLY CHROME PLATED.

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ITEMS ARE SOLD IN KITS WITH TIRES OR SEPARATE!

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Cip1 EXCLUSIVE CALIFORNIA CRUZ WHEELS MANY FINISHES AVAILABLE!

ATTENTION VAN AND BUS OWNERS

ALSO AVAILABLE IN COMPLETE WHEEL AND TIRE KITS

COMPLETE 5X205 WHEEL & TIRE PACKAGE CHROME OR MATTE BLACK COMPLETE PACKAGE - MOUNTED & BALANCED!

COMPLETE 4X130 WHEEL & TIRE PACKAGE CHROME OR MATTE BLACK COMPLETE PACKAGE - MOUNTED & BALANCED!

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Free Shipping Free Mounting

Free Balancing Free Valve Stems

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A Tradition of Performance For over 60 years EMPI has fueled generations of VW enthusiasts around the world seeking power, performance and style. New, exciting products are constantly being launched and the EMPI family of iconic brands now includes Auto Haus, BugPack, JayCee, Race-Trim and Treuhaft. Stock, restomod or racing, EMPI has the parts you want and need for your next project.

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