Sommaire pour Issue 96 de VWt

Welcome to issue 96 of VWt magazine. In the last issue I did a bit of an introduction and talked rather a lot about myself. Yep, sorry about that. This month I’m turning the tables onto you lot. That’s right, the team here at VWt want to know more about you. What you’re driving, where you’ve been, now lockdown is finally easing and of course who you are. It’s never been easier to connect, just look at the bottom of the page and you’ll see numerous ways that you can drop us a message, hashtag us or just simply send us a photo. We want your Transporters, stories, views and even photos of your good selves enjoying your vans. Why is this so important to us? Well, because as cheesy…

As someone who’s a bit handy, I’m often surprised when I meet people who aren’t prepared to have a go at fixing or modifying stuff themselves; I know that we all have strengths and should play to them and that we don’t all enjoy cutting up old cars – we’d rather work hard to make enough money to pay someone else to do the work. I can’t help but be a bit humbled and not just a little impressed though when I meet someone like Lee White. Lee is a self-employed electrician by trade, but his skill set doesn’t end there; all the work on the van you see here is by Lee’s fair hand and, being an electrician, there are more than a few gadgets built in. “Lee managed…

We briefly mentioned a custom mount for the air controller, but this modification needs its own space! You really need this info available to you directly if you’re running air in case of any pressure loss in the system. Formed from some plastic guttering pipe and metal brackets, through trial and error this mount has come together to create an ingenious and budget-friendly solution. Wrapped in the same faux suede material as used throughout the headlining, you’d never know what lies beneath. If it wasn’t for us, of course! The rest of the dash has been detailed in green to match the rest of the interior, thanks to a quick trip to the Mercedes body shop. You gotta have them perks!…

There’s something about a pickup truck that gets us a bit hot under the collar; it’s a bit like the Yorkie bar of vehicles for many of us. As someone who’s owned a few Split and Bay Window pickups, there’s something really liberating about having a truck you can cart stuff around in at will; you aren’t constrained with dimensions or awkward loading like you are with a van and this alone makes pickups a much more useful tool than a van. When the T4 entered production though, VW took a different route with their pickups, going from the integrated body style to a chassis cab with a box on the back; while this is undoubtedly useful, it’s not the prettiest of routes to take. Toby Stowe is no stranger…

When uncertain times make reality stranger than fiction, it’s only natural to make a few plans. Build that nuclear bunker you’ve always been idly thinking about. Stock up on tinned Spam. Tape some tinfoil to the windows. As Covid-fuelled lockdown rippled across the UK a few months ago, the British response was typically offbeat: we bought as much toilet roll and pasta as we could physically fit into our cupboards, then hunkered down at home – presumably expecting to do an above-average number of poos thanks to all that extra fibre, while we waited for things to brighten up. Bit odd, and as the everyday realities of lockdown made themselves apparent, we realised that perhaps our apocalyptic planning was slightly askew. When the days consist of cursing Joe Wicks for…

So last month whilst discussing my search for a T6 project van I mentioned that I, well my family already own one. So I thought I had better explain myself this issue, as I am sure quite a few people were left scratching their heads as to why I would want to own two of them, though to be honest can you really ever own too many motors? Well, according to the users of my old shared workshop at my ex-publishers, yes, you can. Though to be fair when you start being questioned about when you are going to move or sell an old Mercedes you forgot you even owned, I guess they have a point. Anyway, that’s a story for another time... So, currently on the fleet I have…

Send us yours: Ever dreamed about seeing your van appear in the pages of VWt? Make that dream a reality! Simply e-mail a selection of good quality high-res images of your van to glenn.rowswell@kelsey.co.uk along with a full spec list and add the subject title ‘Your Vans’. But please remember, if you didn’t take the photos, you MUST have permission from the photographer to use the images in the magazine, and all images should be free from watermarks (by submitting an image you assume responsibility for any copyright infringement). So, what are you waiting for? Let’s see those project builds! CHRIS ROWLAND’S 2015 T5.1 T32 STARTLINE, Swindon Hello VWt. I’ve always been into cars, I worked in the motor industry for Mercedes Benz for some time and did the whole…

Ever had a snackcident? You know, when you grab the huge bag of kettle chips from the cupboard, intent on a cheeky little handful, but then end up eating the whole bag. We all know you didn’t do it on purpose. It was a snackcident. Totally forgivable. But have you ever had a Volkscident? This is when you buy a T6 intent on renting it out when you’re not using it, but then end up dropping it on air and keeping it forever. Wait, you don’t know that one? Must just be a Ritch and Anna thing. It’s hard to believe, looking at the pictures, that this camper was anything but a very purposeful and well-intended foray into Volkswagen customisation by a couple looking to switch rented campers and the…

VW AND FORD JOIN FORCES The Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen AG have signed new agreements that expand their so called global alliance. The partnership, known as Project Cyclone will see a collaborative effort in the production of new vans and pickup trucks. The companies expect the alliance to help with rapidly innovating vehicle offerings, new technologies and delivering better model choices. They both anticipate big growth in the demand for commercial vehicles and for high-performing electric vehicles. In brief, the alliance will produce a medium pickup truck engineered and built by Ford, for sale by Volkswagen as the Amarok starting in 2022 within the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles line-up. Further strengthen the commercial-vehicles businesses of both companies as early as 2021 – with a city delivery van based on the…

The Rayvern hydraulics with chassis notches and engine/gearbox raise; hydros are much easier to fit to a T4 than air ride, which is the reason you see so many of them with this system. The kit was designed by the all-round friendly Ray Ramsey, who’s been doing hydraulics kits for over 25 years; before air-ride was even a thing and before a lot of today’s scene youngsters were a twinkle in their mums and dad’s eyes. Hydros may not be as slow or slick as air-ride in today’s modified car world, but they’re a lot more dramatic, which is great if you’re into a bit of showboating in a packed car park.…

VIVID WORX CUSTOM PRINTED PANEL WRAPS We get sent plenty of innovative products at VWt, some batshit crazy yet genius and others so good we wish we had thought of them ourselves. And, this clever offering from Vivid Worx that we spotted on the ‘gram certainly blew our socks off, in fact it blew the bloody barn doors off, especially after we got sent some top-secret preview shots before the launch. So, what’s the story? Vivid Worx told us: “The idea began several years ago, whilst admiring row after row of Transporter vans on Saunton Sands beach in North Devon. There were so many different colour combinations, customisations and decals on display. The interiors varied too, although they often followed a similar pattern or design. We thought what if we…

KICKER TRTP BASS ENCLOSURES We seriously love our audio gear here at VWt and why wouldn’t we? There’s a lot to be said for some serious boom-boom in your Transporter, right? One thing that often comes as a problem with massive installs, though, is real-world practicality. Having a load of banging subs in the back is all very well for show vans, but what about us mere mortals who need the boot for other stuff like tools, pets, IKEA flat pack furniture, kids and all that toilet roll we’ve been panic buying? What all this creates is a rather sad world where many miss out on hearing the whole of the audio spectrum, and we can’t very well have that now, can we? Nope, so here’s a great solution, and…

Removing the subframe from a T5 is a decent job in anyone’s book. Doing it on your own, on a gravel driveway adds another dimension. If you want your T5 to get the real lows, then it’s something you cannot avoid. Lawrence armed with his toolkit and three jacks tackled it head on. Not only that, he did it with the gearbox in situ. This kind of mod is not your regular DIY task. The chassis needs chopping out, the offside engine mount needs to be raised 30mm inline with the new subframe - this one supplied by Jack at Dropworks - and the gearbox mount needs to be re-welded along with the hole you drilled out for the driveshaft. Try it at home by all means, but know what…

Although the aesthetics of your Transporter are important, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that most of our time is spent inside of our vans. And just like in the property industry, there’s an abundance of design specialists around the world that can take your interior to the next level. There is even more interest today, as manufacturers face a constant battle with conflicting government legislations. On one hand vehicles have to pass strict safety tests (a good thing, obviously). But on the other they have to comply with equally tough emission laws. What has this got to do with the interiors of our vans? Safety devices are heavy, and weight is the enemy of emissions. The compromise? Lighter components and this means everything from the metals…

We’re seeing more and more Swampers here at VWt Towers, so it’s no surprise that there’s been a rise in demand for wheels. The 17-inch Twin Monotube Projekt AT wheel was specifically designed, developed and manufactured for the T5, T6 and T6.1. This all terrain wheel comes armed with a 1000kg load rating and packs an easily replaceable screw-on collision protection ring for if, well when you have a mishap. For a more subtle tyre choice you could run a 225/65/17 or 235/65/17. Though if you want to go real big, look at 245/65/17 in something like a BF Goodrich AT KO2 like the Busfabrik T6 here. For more info see www.twin-monotube-projekt.de or www.transporterhq.co.uk for in the UK…

British Armed Forces & Emergency Services Volkswagen Owners Club Area: National www.facebook.com/ groups/330513957412420/ Bath Air-Cooled Area: Bath & Bristol www.bathaircooled.co.uk Cambs Transporters Area: Cambridgeshire www.facebook.com/ groups/1374742886168935/ Club 80 – 90 T25 Area: National www.club80-90.co.uk Chase Dubz Area: Cannock Chase & surrounding www.facebook.com/ groups/1535643423130892/ Club-Vdub Area: Kent & National www.club-vdub.co.uk Cornwall Volkswagen Owners Club Area: Cornwall www.cornwallvwoc.com Dirty Low Down Dubbers Area: West Sussex www.facebook.com/DLDDVWC/ Donny Dubz Area:›Doncaster www.facebook.com/ groups/562792360434388/ Dorset Dub Club Area: Dorset www.facebook.com/dorsetdubclub/ Dubs in Law Area: Wigan & surrounding www.facebook.com/ groups/1415419492007924/ Dunstable Dubbers Area: Dunstable www.facebook.com/groups/ Dunstabledubbers/ Herts VW Owners Club Area: Hertfordshire www.facebook.com/groups/17758385004/ Highlandubbers VW Club Area: Highlands of Scotland www.facebook.com/ groups/1671739203039871/ Just T4s Area: National www.facebook.com/groups/JustT4s/ Kombi Club Area: National www.facebook.com/groups/kombiclub Leicestershire & Warwickshire VW Owners Club Area: Leicestershire & Warwickshire www.facebook.com/lwvwoc London & Thames…

SWEET LIKE CHOCOLATE Hello VWt, Just a quick one to say great job on the latest issue! I really enjoyed the variety, that RadicalBugz T4 is possibly the most mental thing I’ve ever seen and the Simply Surf Bus T5 pick-up actually has me wanting a brown paint job, words I never thought I’d say. Usually any mention of brown paint reminds me of my parent’s brown Austin Allegro, what a terrible car. But that’s another story! Colin White via email VWt: Hello Colin, to be fair I’ve always had a bit of a thing for brown vehicles, in fact I actually painted a car metallic brown and dropped it on gold wheels, which is always a winning combo in my opinion. Though I’d stay well clear of Austin Allegro…

VOSSEN HF-4T When you want to seriously fill those Transporter arches with ‘Dubs and above’, normally it’s time to whack out the credit card, bend over and brace yourself for fully-forged penetration. There is an alternative though, this Vossen HF-4T right here. This is by no means a cheap wheel. But, being a one-piece, flow-formed homage to their famous M-X4T, it is significantly lighter on the wallet than its bigger split-rim brother. Of course, we’ll always love the complex, multi-layered directional M-X4T, it’s a bona fide legend. But, dare we say it? The fact that this one looks pretty similar and is around a third of the money, makes us love it even more. You can have it finished in Silver Polished, Tinted Gloss Black (standard), Satin, Gloss and Matt…

“When I got to drive a T5 it was the first van I’d ever driven that truly felt like a car” Is there any reason nobler for choosing a VW Transporter than to avoid a soggy, trampled on, pop-up tent at a music festival? I think not! Just the thought of the long trek from car to where your mates have inexplicably set up camp 14 miles from the car park is enough to have even the most hardened of festival-goers reaching for the cheapest Ford Transit with a mattress in the back. If you’ve ever read the small print on our festival ticket, you will know that any respectable event deems such a ride as anything but a camper. That bed needs to be fixed in, and if you…

The one problem with changing up the interior on a T4/5/6 is that there’s so much factory grey plastic in the cab area; the T4life way is to de-grey the interior plastic with Wurth plastic dye. To add a little further luxury, the headliner was covered in Audi headliner fabric. When it came to the dash, Toby wanted the Alcantara look, but knew from experience that Alcantara is a bit too thick to go into the gaps; he cleverly and very carefully used some dress fabric instead to get the look he wanted. A flat-bottom steering wheel from a Polo completes the upgraded cab.…

Q) Does it make a difference to the cost of the retrim if you have a patterned centre? A) Yes. There is a lot more work involved in adding patterns to the centres of seats, to the point it goes beyond just sewing diamonds on. When there are two patterned panels that join, we take the time to work the difference out. So the pattern seamlessly carries on throughout the different panels. We have a few different approaches to adding patterns to panels. Each incur different costs depending on complexity. We can ‘quilt’ a pattern into the material, whether that’s diamonds, hexagons or squares. We can also laser etch the material. Any design can be etched into the material. Q) What’s the hardest part of an interior to retrim? A)…

Own an awesome Transporter and want it featured in these very pages? We would love to see what you’re driving! Please e-mail a selection of good quality images that show the exterior, interior and engine bay of your van to glenn.rowswell@kelsey.co.uk along with a full spec list and add the subject title ‘Feature me VWt’. If we like what we see, we’ll get back to you and talk about the possibility of a VWt magazine feature shoot. So, what are you waiting for? Get snapping and show us what you’ve got!…

In the last issue I introduced my T4 and showed some of the different looks it has had over the years. Some of the paint jobs and wheel / suspension combos only lasted a matter of weeks. This issue of VWt we’re taking a closer look at the current paint job which has now been on the van for over two years! I’m based in Bristol and the city hosts the biggest live street art festival in the whole of Europe, called UpFest. In 2018 there was over 400 artists from 70 different counties in attendance, painting 60,000sq ft of surfaces, including multi-storey buildings, shop fronts and shutters, temporary hoardings and one high top T4! With so many surfaces being painted across the south of the city the idea of…