dune buggies and hotVWs June 2022

In this issue, we devoted several pages to preview one of the best VW shows on the planet: the Internationales VW-Veteranen-Treffen Hessisch-Oldendorf, held in Germany (June 24-26). Most folks familiar with this show simply call it “HO” or “Hessisch Oldendorf”. I am sure a handful of readers have traveled to Germany and experienced this premier vintage VW “treffen” before and have already booked their trip this year. But in case if you have never been, read on. This rare opportunity to be part of this event comes only once every four years – and it is only a couple of months away now. This means you can still make it. To know more about Hessisch Oldendorf, check out our piece on page 40. It’s impossible to show everything in only ten pages,…

Time is such a strange commodity. We spend a lot of it, beg for more of it, and probably waste too much of it. With all that being said there are times that I will forever cherish and people that I have met through time that have left a lasting impact. The VW family has been a big part of my world and it’s incredibly surreal to think that I have been a part of it for nearly 40 years. How could that even be possible? Throughout the years, there have been many friends and acquaintances in the scene and so many of them putting forth such a positive energy. It’s that energy that keeps me coming back again and again to the shows and events. I still love the cars,…

As I’m sitting here in front of my computer thinking about my next column, I’m struck with the thought of gratitude. Thankful for the chance to write every month for hotVWs magazine and how fortunate I am to do this! And I’m thinking about all of the great opportunities I’ve had based on and around that little car. I have been able to make a good living working on VWs, cars and engines – everything from cool street stuff to a myriad of different race types. These have included drag, off-road and land speed just to mention a few. Together with my partner Greg Aronson, we built a very successful business taking care of our families and enjoying it at the same time. In fact, when my two sons went to…

King Pin or Ball Joint? I am new to air-cooled Volkswagens and looking for my first Beetle to drive. I want a ’67 or earlier Beetle. But I recently realized that there are two different types of front suspensions. Could you explain the difference between king pin and ball joint suspensions? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Thanks. Randy Anderson Los Angeles, CA Randy, the reason VW abandoned the “king and link pin” front end was its complexity for manufacture. Each steering knuckle assembly had six bushings. Two of these that hold the king pin had to be pressed in, reamed, and hand fitted. Then, the king pin was installed, checked and lubricated. Then, the four link pin bushings had to be greased, installed, and adjusted. Phew! The ball joint steering knuckle (spindle) on…

So far, I have been able to cover the first five models of Buses in five separate columns. The sixth version to show up on the scene is a little more complicated, so I will take multiple columns to talk about the Westfalia camper. These were the factory-approved camper which were made under contract by the coachbuilder Westfalia in Weidenbruck, Germany. They are also referred to as “Westies”, and I will use both names and call them Buses just to mix it up a bit. The first conversion of a Type 2 for camping by Westfalia was done for a private customer, a British army officer who requested that they build him camping equipment into a Bus in 1951. Very little is known about that first Westy, other than the mention…

Even in today’s super-connected world, there are still treasures to be found. The latest proof is this coachbuilt car, discovered and bought by Ulrich Seibel, a well-known German Bus and Barndoor aficionado. One evening in the beginning of 2022 as he was surfing the web, he received a notification that one of his subscribed sellers on eBay classifieds had put a small ad online. One click later Ulrich’s eyes popped out and his jaw dropped. “I saw several really bad and blurry photos of a strange looking car and a rather sparse description. It basically said nothing more than VW-based coachbuild from the Karosseriebau-Meisterschule Offenburg,” remembers Ulrich. A Karosseriebau-Meisterschule is a special school, where students get trained to be a master in coachbuilding. This particular one was located in Offenburg, a…