Sommaire pour Issue 100 de VWt

Eight years ago, James Peene, the then editor of VWt sat here (well not here as I work from home, but you know what I mean!) and said: “Hello and welcome to the newest VW mag on the planet. If you’re reading this, you’re obviously into your modern water-cooled vans and, hopefully, have been impressed with the selection of vans we’ve gathered for VWt’s big debut”. Well, it seems impressed you were. In fact, I think even our bosses were shocked at just how big a success VWt was back then, let alone now. The water-cooled Transporter scene was certainty growing when we launched, but now it’s gigantic, you only have to go to a few shows (remember those?) to see that. And, as we see even more T’s take…

NC 500 Hi Glenn & VWt, In issue 99 you mentioned about people sending in their travels. So I thought I would send you some photos of my van at Dunnet Head on the NC500. My friend Dan (pictured with me at John O’ Groats) and I did it last month. It was a fantastic trip and we would definitely recommend it. We did it by starting in Edinburgh and finishing up there too, what a fantastic four days it was! Dave Tomlin, e-mail VWt: Hey guys, nothing beats hitting the road with good friends and family (well some family anyway!). Looks like you certainly picked the right year to do it! VEEDUBS.COM  AND GET ME Hi VWt, I’m a web designer from Cornwall with a passion for all things…

BRO! CHILL N’SHRED SNAKE OIL HOODIE We’re big fans of the guys at Bro! as they knock out some seriously cool winter wear. Just check out this all-new Snake Oil chill n’shred hoodie featuring custom artwork from legendary street artist Kev Grey aka Heavy Riff. Featuring a big snake oil print on the back, and a cobra head print on the sleeve, this oversized unisex fit, super thick hoodie is perfect for those cold evenings out in the van or just for chilling at home. Goggles optional! Price £70 www.brocerystore.com DUBTEES.CLO 5 PANEL CAP Fix up, look sharp with the Dubtees. Clo five panel cap - an essential item for any time of year. Made from 100% cotton canvas, featuring a custom woven front label and snap fastening adjuster. One…

Necessity is the mother of invention, so the proverb goes. The driving force for any kind of innovation is always an imagination, so when 30-year-old Taunton resident, Pete Escott, took on his second big T4 project within a few years he was never likely to tread the same path as everyone else. As a keen bassist and longterm band member, the primary reason for van ownership initially involved that age old tail of throwing loads of gear in the back and driving around various grotty old venues kicking out some jams with his fellow ‘Bill and Teds’. If time travel were indeed possible in this T4 Pete might have decided to fast forward to 2020 right then, but in 2016 he ended up with a moderately rusty, ex-builders hack with…

Let us start by saying every van ever featured in VWt is a star, otherwise it wouldn’t have made it into the hallowed pages. But we thought we would have a dig through the archives and unearth some of our favourite previous feature vans. The following pages feature just a small sample of the 650 plus vans we’ve featured over the years. We’ve tried to keep this to slightly older issues, rather than more recent ones. And, truth be told we didn’t have access to some of the earliest stuff, so if we missed your build or your favourite Transporter out we apologise. But blame the person in charge of the VWt archives, or lack of them. Righto, let’s get started... GORDON HIGGINS’ JUICED T4 ISSUE 51 In many respects,…

This month has been all about ‘The Split Week Challenge’ for me. A barnfind Split Screen bus being recommissioned in just six days at The Old Dub Shop in Bristol. Why does this relate to my T5 project you may be thinking? Well my role in the build was everything media related, and it dawned on me the week before the build that a workshop might not be the best place to leave all of my gear for the week. Especially seeing as there was cutting, welding and lots of sanding to do! This is often how things go with me, there is a plan in place, but not the time to execute it until the last minute. So, a quick call was made to Rusty Lee to pick up…

It’s impossible to know how many vans you’ve personally read about. If you have been with us for the last 100 issues, it has to be around 600 or so. It’s with almost granite-like certainty that I can say you’ve never read a background like this one. You take one look at this van and probably make the assumption that the owner has sat down with the fantasy of building a Lamborghini styled T5, mapped it all out and rinsed that theme to within an inch of its life. But as we all well know, life is never that straight forward. Would you believe this Raging Bull of a van just evolved? Not from a burning desire to conflate the vanity of a supercar with the deference of a Transporter,…

What is it that’s made swamper vans and buses so popular of late? Is it that people just want to build something that stands out from the crowd, or is there more to it than that? Well, having owned my fair share of lowered VW’s over the years – as well as a few that were super slammed – I can tell you that it probably has something to do with age, but it goes even deeper than this. If you’ve ever gone on holiday in a slammed camper, then it’s an educated guess that you’ll have reached your destination with tension in your shoulders or sweaty palms, especially if your journey has involved an unmade road or two. People are motivated by entirely different things. If you’re a visual…

In a world where most of us have become accustomed to instant gratification, it’s quite refreshing to talk to someone like Alex, who’s pretty laid back about the time it’s taking him to finish this build. I saw a sticker the other week (on the airride tank of a classic 5 series Beemer) that said ‘Finance Killed the Scene’ and, to a certain extent, this is true; if you don’t want to get into debt, then it can be difficult to keep up with the high-dollar builds that seem to be completed in weeks. Sometimes it takes a bit of perspective to realise that shows aren’t all there is to life and a lot of people are realising this year, thanks to Covid, that delaying gratification and having a little…

What do you know about the car modification scene in Denmark? It’s not a trick question! My answer, until about one week before researching for this feature was about as much as I know about any scene in Denmark i.e. very little. For example, did you know that when a new car is purchased in Denmark, the buyer is responsible for a 150% tax levy on the original purchase price? If you already had that little nugget stored in your cortex, did you realise that the levy remains with the car even when it is sold second-hand? The figure is calculated on the resale value of the car, but it still makes buying cars in Denmark one of the most expensive things you can do there. Now, armed with this…

Before starting his current job, Flemming had his own shop selling and fitting car audio. The build in this van could have you wondering why he ever left. The subtlety is the key component, along with the myriad Alpine components of course! One of the neatest tricks is how he has hidden the amps inside the rear quarter panels. The latest Halo9 head unit appears to hover above the dash and has ambient light fitted to the bottom for added class. Wireless headsets and controllers make playing the PS4 a joy, whilst Apple TV brings streaming for YouTube and Netflix etc. to the heart of this luxury shuttle.…

If you saw last month’s issue, you’ll already know that I’ve finally got hold of some new wheels for the family’s T6 Caravelle, some rather awesome looking Wolfrace Explores in an 8x18-inch. And that my plan, due to the T6 being our ‘sensible’ van on the fleet, is for it to go a bit Swamper style, as this year has seen us go a bit more off-grid with the Caravelle. Now I am not talking Bear Grylls levels of being in the wilderness, but definitely places where a bit more grip in the mud wouldn’t go a miss. To be honest I would love to go all out on this and stick some proper big chunky AT tyres on it, as they look cool as fuck on the right build.…

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!…

CALIFORNIA BEACH RETURNS Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is reintroducing the Beach model to the already awesome California 6.1 range. A decision made, due to the surge in interest in campervans as more people look set to ditch travelling abroad and holiday in the UK. The California 6.1 Beach will feature two variants, the Camper and the Tour. By extending the California 6.1 range, VW aims to make the California line-up more accessible for larger families and to those who need a more flexible MPV in their lives. The California van has been the campervan of choice for many over the years and provides the ideal van to explore the UK. The addition of the Beach to the line-up makes the range even more comprehensive and allows potential new Cali owners to…

Fancy getting the look that David has given his T6 for your own build? You could search the #vanlife hashtag on Insta, but we found that the #swamper is a better one, featuring mostly VW transporters with the treatment – anything from a set of aggressive tyres and black-painted steels up to vans with purpose-built high-rise suspension, bullbars, extra racks and even snorkels fitted. Even if you’re just looking for inspiration, or getting tired of living the lowered life, it’s definitely worth a look – controversial maybe, but slamming is great for cars, but not so great for versatile campers some would argue.…

WHALE HEAT AIR 3 GT Looking for the ultimate gas heater for your van conversion? Then look no further than the Heat Air 3 GT, the latest gas heater in the Whale range, specifically designed for T5 and T6 campervans. Lightweight, compact, and it’s super quiet too. Plus, it fits underneath your van to free up valuable space inside. Kit includes comms cable, flue kit and easy to use heat control panel. Ooh, we feel warmer already! Price £750 www.whalevanlife.com SEALEY POWER SPEED RATCHETS Do real men blast away with power tools, or flex the meat with their hands? Well, judging by this awesome bit of tool porn, they must do both! What this brand-new innovation does is combine the high torque of a traditional hand ratchet, with the speed…

“It was hard to find something that wasn’t a knackered builders hack” You probably don’t need me to tell you that the used VW Transporter market is crazy; it’s not like they’re cheap vans to buy new these days, but 10 years ago things weren’t really like they are now. Sure, good used VW vans always were attractive to buyers, but you could buy something that was 3-5 years old for about £4-5000 and that was in a colour with not the basic engine spec. In fact, a mate of mine sold a 2004 T5 that he bought in 2011 last year for nearly double the figure it took to buy and build it; I also had an early red 104 SWB T5 that I bought for £5k with 102k…

30 years ago, Volkswagen’s realignment of its commercial vehicle range was what could only be described as a paradigm shift. In September 1990 – after the production of 6.7 million T1, T2 and T3 models with the engine at the back – a new era of front-engine vans began with the launch of the T4. For the first time in the history of the Bulli, now only the front axle was being driven. Modern in-line engines with regulated catalytic converters replaced the venerable old boxer engines. Ahead of its launch the company had invested over two billion marks in redeveloping the Bulli. And you know what? It seems it would turn out to be quite a good investment. In September 1990, just a few weeks before the fall of the…

Name: James Peene Instagram: @peene_acolada What I do/did: Currently freelance motoring hack / formerly editor of VWt (the very first one) First issue worked on: Issue 1 Favourite VWt feature van: I guess I should pick something from my days, so 2013 (I think) and Clough Jones and the first of the Uberbus features in issue 11. Simple white on the outside, but with an orange Westfalia plaid interior. It was cock on for me. Favourite VWt cover: I love a corny cover line, so whenever you can get something like Biege against the Machine (issue 67) or Vinyl Fantasy (issue 31) past the publisher I’m all in. Best VWt experience: Working with great people, like Jimbo (who took over from me as editor), Barbara…

A few issues back, I said I wanted to get the 5.1 even lower and that led to a few messages saying can it go much lower? Yes, it can, as I wasn’t talking about the coilovers, but air ride! If you read my recent ramblings, you’ll already know that my van came equipped with SoLow coilovers, probably the best coilovers you can get for a Transporter if you want to drive super-low on static suspension. I’ve driven around on these for a good few months now, albeit limited miles (damn lockdown!) and I really rate them, but due to where I currently live and the shocking roads, they’re not that practical. Plus, my original plan was always to fit air ride and specifically Air Lift Performance, but it just…

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! t JONATHAN WHITELEY’S 2009 T5, Wakefield Hey VWt, I’ve always loved all the different Transporter models, but always loved the T5 most, and the array of different custom parts available…