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VWt Issue 147 (Digital)

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16 Articles

THE ODD COUPLE... Hello and a warm welcome to the August issue. Quick update on the T25 sale. Last time I told you about the guy who bought my 1985 Westfalia hassling me because he’d stripped the thing and found more rust than he expected. We’ve all been there and in the UK it would have been a case of “tough, sold as seen, and actually all T25s rust”. But in France, where I live, things are different because there’s a thing called ‘Vice Caché’ which implies you’ve hidden something (which I hadn’t) and so, with the language barrier, and the persistent phonecalls, I decided to roll over and give him some money back. I am sad things turned out that way but I’ve moved on, and I hope he…

All the latest from the world of Volkswagen & Transporters... We imagine it’s been a hectic couple of months in Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ press office with the swish New California soon going on sale and the launch of the T7 Transporter. Based on the ‘long’ version of the Multivan (the Caravelle here), the New California has been completely overhauled with more space inside and a raft of new tech features. It is slated to be available to order here in late summer with delivery of the first UK vehicles possibly to be towards the end of the year. The real headline grabber is that the New California now features sliding doors on both sides for extra versatility. Moreover, it will be available with a plug-in hybrid drive and an all-wheel…

WHAT’S IN A 'TOON?

Hi, I’m Dave and I was born and raised in Essex but I’ve lived in Cardiff for over 10 years. I grew up in a household of car fanatics. My dad was a mechanic and my brother loved to modify cars – so it’s no surprise that I love cars as much as I do. My teenage years were spent in Southend, on the seafront, admiring other peoples car modifications, loud music and the atmosphere. One of my fondest memories was attending the British Touring Car Championships at Brands Hatch. It was there I discovered Koolart. I was instantly drawn to the caricature element that was brought to the wheels, exhausts and more. Inspired by Koolart, I found my own drawing style. I’d always loved art so bringing those…

WHAT’S IN A 'TOON?

Let’s talk dirty

HOT VANS The versatility of the VW Transporter is at the heart of its 75-year (and still going) production run. Volkswagen’s ‘box on wheels’ has been converted into more vehicle types than we could list on this page. The engines have even powered flight. Generally speaking, however, the van you own tends to serve one purpose — a Panel Van for work, or a camper for play. Occasionally, with some clever design, you can combine the two. Aidan Kelly (37) has taken the whole versatility thing to new levels with his latest build on this 2017, Highline 4Motion T6. This Van is at least five rolled into one and has had such a profound impact on Aidan that it has spawned not only a new YouTube channel but an entire…

Let’s talk dirty

Flamboyance is all very well. We’ve got a lot of time for people who paint their project vans bright purple, engineer the exhausts to lick out two-foot flames, or fabricate dekotora bodykits to morph the factory lines into something entirely new – blame the fact that we grew up modding in the nineties and earlynoughties, we love the lunacy. But this sort of approach isn’t for everyone, and it takes all sorts to make a world. For some, particularly in recent years, the key has been to modify vehicles in such a considered and light-touch manner that the uninitiated would never even suspect that anything had happened; following the OEM+ route can refine and perfect the factory treatment while making everything a little bit better. This technique speaks softly (in…

BI-CLICK KOMBI BIKE HOLDER STAND Check out this neat, ground-breaking solution for Kombi owners who want to keep their bikes safe, sound (and dry) inside the rear of their Vans. This innovative new product is purpose-built to replace the removable seat, seamlessly integrating into the factory floor mounts of your Kombi. Simply clip the Bi-Click Stand into your Van, roll your bike into position (either forwards or backwards), and lock the wheel down using the sliding wheel grip. Clever, eh? It’s made from Phenolic Baltic Birch ply so it’s solid and impressively stable so your bike will stay nice and secure on even the bumpiest of roads and trails. It is suitable for both right- and left-hand drive vehicles in short wheelbase and long wheelbase guise and is designed to…

WEDGES WITH EDGE

It’s fair to say that few people ever bought Volkswagen Transporters because they were impressed by their blistering performance. The air-cooled models were always a bit, well, pedestrian in their progress. And for many, that’s part of the appeal – the pace of life is slower, more relaxed in a VW Bus. They’re every bit as chilled and laid-back as most of their owners. And for those who do fancy a bit more muscle, then there are plenty of modding options out there in one form or another. However, the change from air- to water-cooling during the T25 era did allow Volkswagen to add a little more poke to its standard models. By 1985, VW was obviously getting a little tired of continually being reminded of how slow its commercials…

WEDGES WITH EDGE

Bought to fulfil a role as a work van for his painting and decorating business, Andrew Ashbrook decided to make his 2019 T6 stand out from the crowd. It also comes in handy for transporting his cherished classic scooter collection too! Andrew has been involved within the VW scene for quite some time now, since 1988 to be more precise. “I bought a 1302S Beetle that year which was an MOT failure,” he recalls, “It was my first car and after carrying out repairs, lowering it and giving it the full Cal look, I took it to Bug Jam.” From that point on, it seems Andrew became addicted to the VW brand and after going to town on that first Bug which would soon be deemed worthy of a feature…

So you’re after a T5? Well, why wouldn’t you because they still look cool and there’s more and more ways to mod them and make them even more versatile. So what’s the back story? Well, it was unveiled in 2003 and immediately dominated the marketplace, being larger overall and more modern looking than the T4 it replaced. T5 engines offered better performance, economy and refinement too, and with a Panel Van, Kombi (a crossover between a van and people carrier), minibus-like Shuttle, plusher Caravelle people carrier and a chassis cab – with either single or double cab options, it was supremely flexible. With a choice of two wheelbases, three roof heights and four weights – the maximum payload being an impressive 3.2 tonnes – along with a variety of options…

STONOR PARK VW SHOW

Celebrating its 40th year over the weekend of June 1-2, the annual VW Show staged at Stonor Park, a country house venue nestling in the rolling Chiltern Hills north of Henley, undoubtedly ranks amongst the best of them. Traditionally organised by a team of volunteers from the Association of British VW Clubs, the event appeals to a wide variety of interests, with an eclectic range of virtually every VW and Audi model made, in various custom and classic styles. In addition to a healthy presence of T1, T2 and T3 Transporters, this year was particularly notable for an upturn in attendance of modern water-cooled Vans, namely the T4, 5 and 6 and even a couple of examples of the ID.Buzz. We took the opportunity to meet up with their owners,…

STONOR PARK VW SHOW

Getting there! project Caddy – pt8

The old saying ‘Wheels Maketh The Car’ is correct, to a degree. That said, even the best wheels will still look a bit pants if the vehicle in question doesn’t sit right. After we’d fine tuned the interior, we needed to sort the chassis to complement the Arlon wrap. So, anyone that has owned or hit a Caddy 2k with a modding stick will be aware that while the front end features traditional dampers, out back is a bit different. It’s basically a pretty primitive leaf spring set up, which is perfectly fine for the Caddy’s usual workhorse role. When it came to upgrades we really wanted our Caddy to sit super low, so air suspension was a no brainer. With Air Lift Performance quick to join us on the…

Getting there! project Caddy – pt8

We see lots of Bay Window Buses but now and again we come across one that hits the spot; that instant feeling when everything looks just right. From the spotless Neptune blue paintwork and custom interior right through to those BRM replica wheels and perfect stance, we reckon Steve Morris’s ’71 Danbury is right up there with the best. “When I got it the bodywork was fairly good with no signs of previous bodges, but it had obviously been well used,” Steve recalls. Meanwhile, the 1641cc twin port engine ran, though it consumed lots of oil, while the interior was in a sorry state, but it was all original and it appeared to be all there. “It had its faults, but it was ideal for us,” Steve laughs. With general…

BUILDING MEMORIES

OUT & ABOUT The annual European road trip has become something of a tradition in our household. Our two boys have been coming with us since they were a few months old and we have covered many thousands of miles in various Vans, starting with an early T4 Caravelle and latterly, in our beloved T5.1. I’ve converted the Vans myself, and each has been slightly different as our needs have evolved. For our European tours we use the Camper and a drive-away awning. The Van here is based loosely on a Kombi layout but with the rear seat mounted further back to give a roomier lounge area when the seats are spun round. The rear is kitted out with a compressor fridge, WC, storage and there’s a double bed when…

BUILDING MEMORIES

JULY 5th – 7thVANS IN THE VALLEYGrinton, Richmond, N YorksVansinthevalley.com 11th – 14thGOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEEDThe Goodwood EstateGoodwood.com/festival 12th – 14thBUS & BUGFESTKilbeggan, Co Westmeath, IrelandClassicvolks.com 12th – 14thDORSET VOLKSFESTWareham, DorsetDorsetvolkfest.co.uk 12th – 14thVOLKS WEALDPenshurst Place, PenshurstVolksweald.co.uk 18th – 21stDUBS AT THE CASTLECaldicot Castle, MonmouthshireTicketorders.simpletix.com 19th – 21stBUSSFEST 2024Topcamp Onsakervika, Oslo, NorwayNt2k.org 25th – 28thDUBBED OUT FESTIVALThe Royal CheshireShowgroundDubbedoutfestival.co.uk 26th – 28thBUGJAM 37Santa Pod RacewaySantapod.co.uk AUGUST 4thTATTON PARK VW SHOWTatton ParkTattonparkvwshow.com 4thBEACH DUBBIN’Southsea Common, Portsmouthwww.beachdubbin.co.uk 9th – 11thVW FESTIVALHarwood House, Leedsvwfestival.co.uk 23rd – 25thCARFESTLaverside Park Farm, HantsCarfest.org 24th – 25thGRAVITY SHOWNEC BirminghamGravityshow.co.uk GET ADDED Got a meet or event that should be in here? Drop us an email to ian.cushway@kelsey.co.uk *Please note dates and venues are subject to change. So please check website for latest details.…

Your world, your life... YOUR VANS

JIM LOCKE, 2017 T6 DSG LWB Hi readers, I’m Jim Locke, I live in Chichester on the south coast with my very patient wife Emma and our three kiddos, Maria, Benji and Ollie. Surrounded by the South Downs and the sea it’s a great place to live and raise the kids. Great for walks in the woods, or paddleboarding at the beach and close to Goodwood Motor Circuit, so we can pop in for track days. I have my own business, Hygienic Cladding Projects Limited; we supply and install PVC wall cladding and other hygienic finishes for restaurants, hospitals and clean rooms. I have always been a VW fan, having had a Mk1 Caddy, Mk1 Golf GTI, Corrado 16v and Derby in the past. I always wanted a Transporter, but…

Your world, your life... YOUR VANS

WE WANT YOUR TRANSPORTER!

Own a super-tasty Transporter, Crafter or Multivan and want it featured in these very pages? Then show us what you’ve got! Please e-mail a good selection of images that show the exterior and interior of your van to ian.cushway@kelsey.co.uk along with a spec list and add the subject title ‘Feature me VWt’. If we like what we see, we’ll get back to you ASAP about the possibility of a full VWt magazine feature shoot. So, what are you waiting for? Get snapping and show us your van, we’d love to see it!…

WE WANT YOUR TRANSPORTER!

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