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NED BUG GAABritish-Built SSER Nostalgia Tribute
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ed & KustomizR KitscZh Y KAMPE !
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BORN AGAIN The original Ned Bug was on this earth but a short time before it was destroyed in a huge roll-over crash in 1971. Inspired by this colourful gasser, Rob Kilham decided to build a replica to keep the car’s memory alive Words: Keith Seume Photos: Paul Knight
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W
hen the steering broke on his race car, Denny Grove was transformed from driver to helpless passenger in the blink of an eye. The car – Skip Hamm’s ‘NED Bug’ gasser – turned sharp right into the guard rail at Niagara Drag Strip. The ensuing accident saw the car rolled into a ball, every panel damaged, any hope of a rebuild gone in an instant. The Pennsylvaniabased ‘NED Bug’ was history… The Winter 1971 issue of Hot VWs magazine wrote a story on the car under the title of ‘Now you see it… Now you don’t’. It told of how ‘NED Bug’ (the name is a reference to the NHRA’s North East Division – hence NED) began life as a 1960 sedan, which had been traded in at Skip Hamm’s BMW dealership in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Inspired by the antics of Dean Lowry and the Schley Brothers, Skip Hamm and Denny Grove transformed the Beetle into a lightweight (1140lb!) H/Gas-legal race car, powered initially by a 2180cc DDS-built motor. Later engines, also 2180cc in capacity, were built by Hamm and Grove, using mainly DDS-sourced components. The car was fast right from the off, running a cool 11.59sec ET off the trailer. Soon after, it was running regular 11.30s and 11.40s to become the scourge of the tracks on the eastern seaboard. But then came the accident, just six short months after that first 11-second pass.
That may have marked the end of the road for ‘NED Bug’ in its original incarnation, but it was the start of a new project in the form of ‘NED Bug II’ – a chop-top gasser very much in the style of EMPI’s famous ‘Inch Pincher Too’. But that is another story for another day… Let’s fast forward to around the year 2000. Rob Kilham, who runs East Coast Manx, checked out a copy of yours truly’s California Look VW book where, on page 64, he spied one of the rare colour photos of the littleknown (today, at least) ‘NED Bug’. He fell in love with the lime green Metalflake and period lace paintwork, and decided there and then that he wanted to build as accurate a replica as he could. He bought a 1964 sedan from friend Jamie Hawthorn (who had loaned Rob the book) and had him restore the bodyshell to get rid of the rot. It needed new heater channels and floors, among other panels, but that didn’t really bother Rob too much as he was planning to cut away much of the original bodywork anyway. A new rear valance was fitted, along with a set of glassfibre wings from Day Mouldings, a ’glass bonnet from E-Z-Bugs and a homemade (by Rob) decklid. There was no question about the paintwork – it had to be as close a recreation of the original ‘NED Bug’ scheme as possible. The old car had been painted in Lime Gold Metalflake, topped off with some 1970s-style
Here’s the original NED Bug Gasser as it appeared in Hot VWs back in 1971. As you can see, Rob’s replica is very close to the original. Photo: Hot VWs magazine
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T5 TIME When Mark Knell started looking for a T5, he soon realised that most on the market were not up to his exacting standards... it was time for a new project! Words & Photos: Paul Knight
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he first time we clapped eyes on this project was a little over a year ago when we featured Mark’s other ride, a superb red ’flake Buggy (November 2010). At that point it had wheels and a few extras but the interior was still empty. As we photographed his Buggy Mark told us his plans for the van and that he would call us when it was done, which is exactly what he did! Being big Buggy fans, Mark and his wife Vanessa were spending a lot of weekends travelling to all corners of the country (and beyond) attending various meetings, but the fun of camping was quickly wearing thin. Mark told us, ‘tents are fine in perfect weather, but we soon realised that we really needed some creature comforts, hence we started looking at Campers’. One thing that Mark soon realised though was that not all Camper conversions were good... in fact, the majority of those he saw were actually pretty dire. He commented, ‘I just knew I could do a better job and end up with exactly what I wanted, so I decided to opt for a bare panel van and build mine from the ground up’. After around four months of searching, the couple eventually found a black, low mileage 2005 2.5 T28. It was the 130bhp model, which was exactly what Mark was looking for so he handed over his cash and drove away in his new project. He joked, ‘it had been used to deliver coffee and it literally took weeks of cleaning to get rid of the not-so-freshly-ground aroma!’
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FAMILYAFFAIR
Bought new by his grandfather back in 1973, Andy Rodgers’ 1303 Super Beetle has remained in the family the whole time. It now looks like new, thanks to a Java resto Words: Keith Seume Photos: Mike Key
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Attention to detail throughout the car is exemplary – it’s great to see someone invest so much time and effort (and, let’s face it, money…) in a Super Beetle. After all, 1303s need love, too!
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ou hear tales of cars being regarded as part of the family and, in this case, it’s certainly true. You see, it was back in September of 1973 that Andy Rodgers’ grandfather walked into his local Volkswagen dealership and asked about a trade-in against his 1960s Beetle. To this day, Andy can’t for the life of him fathom out why his grandad wanted to carry out the transaction: ‘He never liked the colour – bright orange – and he hated the interior!’, says Andy. ‘Quite why he decided to buy it, I don’t know…’ The ‘proud’ new owner was an ex-RAF
type, who cared for his cars and babied them more than most. ‘The Beetle got serviced every three months,’ recalls Andy. Considering Beetles were supposed to be such reliable, long-lasting cars, that was perhaps a little over the top… After a few years, grandad decided he didn’t want the car any longer, and passed it on to his daughters – Andy’s mother and aunty – for their use. They drove the car for a while before passing it on to Andy’s uncle who, it turns out, didn’t really want it! The poor Beetle was probably starting to feel like the unloved stepchild of the family by this time. Eventually, in 1997, Andy was old enough
Bumpers (far left) were eventually tracked down by Jon Abbott at Stanford Hall – you can’t just buy them at your local VW specialist, and nobody makes good reproductions…
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OFFTHEWALL
sometimes t, c fa in – n fu ne so much whacky as their rides! e c s is th e k a m VWs that s wild and pretty It’s not just the the owners are every bitea... Sure, Peter Jones’ Bus isue star! n in this cas the man himself, he’s a tr a th e u tr e r o m t This was neve,rbut just wait until you mee out-there Words & Photos: Paul Knight
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Above: Spike is a Parsons Jack Russell and is Peter’s partner in crime. Spike has been known to surf (really!) and enjoys the occasional ride on the back of Peter’s Lambretta scooter!
Check out the skim board on the roof lining and the skateboard table. There really is just too much to absorb in one sitting!
I
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still clearly recall the first time I met Peter Jones. I was sat with some friends beside our Campers when he just bowled up and pronounced, ‘I’m Peter Jones, can I draw on your van?’! It was a curious introduction, and of course, I let him draw on one of our vans (not mine though... I had no idea what he was about to do!). He then proceeded to create an awesome VW cartoon out of nowhere and, of course, we sparked up a dialogue. It was immediately clear that Peter was, let’s just say, a little off-the-wall, but a nicer guy you simply couldn’t wish to meet. He went on to explain that his Splitty was parked on the other side of the campsite and I immediately knew which vehicle he was talking about. Just an hour earlier we’d been scouring the campsite for interesting VWs when we came across this wild and crazy Type 2, which left us wondering just who could have created such an amazingly
detailed piece of work... don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?! But before we get too involved in the van, perhaps we should find out a bit more about the brains behind the machine. Peter is a 40-year-old illustrator and cartoonist from North London who’s long had a soft spot for VWs. He told us, ‘I still recall riding in the back of my father’s Beetle when I was three years old, which is perhaps my earliest memory!’ It turns out that Peter’s father was a bit of a VW fan, too. Working for the RAF, he drove late forties and early fifties VWs all across Europe, and owned some of the first VWs to be sold in the UK. And, whenever he came home on leave Peter clearly recalls him bringing home a Matchbox or Dinky toy as a gift. ‘I was car-crazy, and have always been really into all kinds of cars’, Peter said. In the 1980s Peter got into BMX bikes. These were great days for Peter and he
Peter Jones is, without a doubt, one of the friendliest and most entertaining characters we’ve ever had the pleasure hanging out with... truly one of the good guys in the VW scene!
Peter’s collection of period plates, postcards and memorabilia from places he has visited adorn every spare inch of the interior!
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Words: Paul Knight Photos: Gwynn Clark
DIPPLE-O
DO’BUS When we stumbled across our old buddy Paul Dipple and his latest ride, this awesome patina’d Bus, which was parked alongside the Oddball Imports trade stand at Bug Jam this year, we just fell for its character and stance. What followed was a UVW first... attempting a photoshoot at night and surrounded by literally hundreds of party-goers... in short, a real challenge!
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100-page bumper issue!
ULTRA TURNS ONE HUNDRED
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Nostalgia Tribute
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December 2011
Hitting the ton...
Kitsch & Kustomized
KRAZY KAMPER!
Paul Knight - Editor
Without wanting to make this sound like a cheesy thank you list, I simply cannot ignore the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, hence I’d genuinely like to thank every contributor, staff member and, of course, reader of Ultra VW for all their support over the years. I guess I should mention some favourite highlights from the past 100-issues, but it’s really hard to pinpoint just a few! I’ve spent hours thinking over my options, and I think I can pinpoint them down to one favourite vehicle, Fred Bernhard’s FB1 Race Taxi, and one favourite event, Le Bug Show at the Spa F1 race track in Belgium. The two work together quite nicely as the Spa F1 track is where I got the chance to witness the awesome track ability of the Porsche 993
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NED BUG GAABritishSSER Built
Turbo-powered Race Taxi in person. It really was the ride of a lifetime, and something I’ll never forget. Screaming up to and through Eau Rouge at speeds I’d never attempt myself was unreal, and powering past supercars as the turbo boost grew out of the corners was just an incredible feeling. Nothing prepared me for the intense pressure of some serious braking, though – it felt like my brain was going to seep out through my eye-sockets! And whilst I’ve enjoyed so many great events, I keep coming back to Le Bug Show. Sure, EBI has always been an amazing gathering of old-school cars, and Camberg was a vintage dream. But, for me, Le Bug Show is just the ultimate mix of everything I love about this crazy VW scene.
Cars of all styles from every corner of Europe, race cars and track machinery (non-VW, too!), an amazing location, quirky entertainment and an atmosphere like no other event I’ve ever attended. If I
had to pick a year, I guess the 2005 meeting was a favourite, but it’s never a disappointment, and is the one event you really must do before you die! See you there, August 11-12!
Quite an achievement John Plow When Paul asked me to say a few words ‘on turning 100’, I was not sure whether it was in recognition of Keith Seume turning 100 – I knew he was old, just not clear how old – or that we had reached our 100th issue? As I was raised that it is impolite to ask someone their age, I have tried to ‘cover the bases’ and anticipate both possibilities. Recognizing 100 Acknowledging the achievement of reaching 100 is common across cultures, although the specific means of doing so varies: • In Hindu cultures, people often touch the feet of elders and bless them by saying, ‘May you live 100 years.’ • In the United Kingdom, you receive a letter from the Queen, congratulating you on your longevity. • In Japan, you receive a silver cup and
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certificate from the Prime Minister. In the Republic of Ireland, you not only receive a letter from the President, but also a cheque for €2540! While I find no one at my feet, and Paul is denying receiving any letters (or cheques) from heads of state, making it to 100 is certainly something worth celebrating. I remember in 2003 when Keith informed Dave Conklin and I that he was creating a new magazine and wanted us – whom he referred to as ‘The Terrible Twins’ – to contribute. He liked what we were doing on www. Cal-Look.com and thought that we should contribute to the new magazine. Dave, who has the attention span of a kitten on amphetamines, immediately blurted out, ‘Yes!’ While flattered, I – who makes Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh look like a speed •
junkie – asked for time to think about it. ‘Sure,’ replied Keith, followed by a confident, sly grin, stating, ‘but you’re going to say “yes”…’ Survival of the Fittest Industry statistics indicate that 60 per cent of new magazines fail within the first year, with a whopping 90 per cent failing by their 10th year. Despite these odds, which include operating during the worst recession in 80 years and in an industry in massive transition, we are still here. And we’re here because of our readers, to whom we owe such gratitude for your loyalty and ongoing feedback. I remain humbled to be part of a creative enterprise from issue #1, working with a team of individuals for whom I have strong affection. May we all continue to thrive, receiving blessings (and an occasional foot massage), and cash cheques for €2540...
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OUR VIEWS AND MEMORIES OVER THE YEARS
Keith Seume
Stephan Szantai
Peter Simpson
David Conklin
John Plow
Gwynn Clark
Mike Key
Si Mitchell
Back in the day... David Conklin It was May 2003 when Keith Seume approached me and asked me to participate in his top secret project. He was starting a magazine and needed someone who could provide a monthly column for what would be known as Ultra VW. I was surprised and extremely honoured that he had come to me with such a special opportunity. Upon giving it more consideration, I came to two conclusions. One was that probably sixteen other more qualified (read ‘actual journalists’) prospects had turned him down, and the second was that the exchange rate for the dollar against the British Pound must have slipped even more. In all seriousness though, this truly was an honour to be asked to write for the new title. I had been consuming VW magazines since I was nine years old and to have the opportunity to be a regular contributor – wow! However, the commitment of having to compose something entertaining each and every month was a bit overwhelming. Fortunately my buddy John Plow was fighting with the same concerns and we were able to reach a compromise where we would alternate every other month. As Goldilocks once said just before she was caught by the three bears, ‘just right’. So, now 100 issues have passed. That works out to roughly seventy-five phone calls to John asking, ‘Is this your month or mine?’, forty emails to Paul Knight asking if I can get another day or two added to my deadline and approximately fifty completed columns. Now,
Where do I start? fifty doesn’t seem like that much, but when you are racking your brain trying to come up with something clever and entertaining to write, that can be a daunting number. I like to think that I have been successful. The positive emails have outnumbered the negative, and a couple of the most negative emails have originated from our primary competitor… so that has to be good, right? While that was all going on, I found other opportunities to contribute. It began with event coverage. Gradually I began challenging myself by photographing and writing car features, and this has been a highlight of my time with Ultra VW. I think it is noteworthy that as I learned, our friends here in the States at HotVWs, Bruce, Dean and RK, have offered me a tremendous amount of support and encouragement. I am especially grateful for all the photography tips that I have received from Dean Kirsten as our paths have crossed at various events over the last decade. Seeing features in the magazine that I have written and photographed is very special – perhaps even more than having my own car in the magazine. I’ve met some great people and driven some fantastic cars while working on a feature. What a great deal! I am proud to be working for such a well rounded publication. It wouldn’t be possible if the readers weren’t buying the magazine and reading it. For that, to all of you, THANK YOU! I like to think that the magazine is a continuously improving product. The powers that be are not afraid to throw different stuff at us – see last month’s aircooled Golf as an example – and I think that this is great. You can love some of the crazy stories or hate them, but you can never accuse Ultra VW of being lazy or complacent! Magazine publishing is a difficult business and the next few years should be very exciting. Technology is changing the market, but I don’t think that it means the end of high quality niche magazines. I plan to be here for the 200th celebration and I hope you will be too!
Gwynn Clark My most memorable moments with Ultra VW, hmm... Well, I was relatively late to the party having only managed to clock up a mere seven years of snapping for Paul and the team, so I felt quite honoured to be asked to contribute to this piece! Event-wise, I guess Bug Jam 19 still sticks in my mind as one of the best race events I’ve ever covered with a huge field of great cars and racers, and the three-way race to that elusive nine-second run by a floor-pan car between Russ Fellows, Richie Webb and Paul Hamilton. Oh, and Paul warned me he was mentioning Spa and the Race Taxi, but it was so awesome I just have to mention that again! Features that stick in my mind tend to be the ones that were most fun/hardest to do, like David Millar's yellow kab – he arranged two tons of sand, trees and girls! And I'll never forget the Tempo Matador with ‘Mole-chael’ Jackson in a graveyard in the dark! I can’t wait to do more crazy VW photoshoots for you guys. Here’s to the future!
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Words & Photos: Stephan Szantai
STYLE SETTER
Innovating within our hobby can turn into a tricky exercise. Based on a dreadfully rotten ’57 Cabriolet, Alan Meier has taken the risk of combining different trends: Resto-Cal and Old-Speed, sprinkled with rally-racing details! The result is a stunning project, which took the 2011 VW Classic by storm!
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t never ceases to amaze us to see what VW enthusiasts will start with as a basis for their dream VW. In our April 2011 issue, we showed you Ken King’s perfect 1954 Barndoor, a blue Kombi which started as a totally rusted-out piece of junk. Well, Alan Meier’s ’57 Beetle Cabriolet might have looked slightly better when purchased, but a thorough inspection revealed more rust cancer than any sane restorer would care for! Our WashingtonState gearhead still saw fit to save this
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hulk as, after all, Oval-era convertibles are very hot property right now. Alan blames his father, Gary, for turning him into a car nut at an early age. In second-grade, the younger Meier met Anthony Robinson who, to this day, remains his best friend. Both lads later shared a passion for classic Volkswagens, which led them to drive asphalt-scraping Bugs (a ’59 for Anthony, and a ’68 for Alan) through their high-school years. Other childhood pals followed their lead, and almost all still
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regularly hang out at Anthony’s restoration shop in Tacoma, Washington, aptly called ‘The Volks Shop’. Not surprisingly, he and his team were heavily involved in the resurrection of Alan’s Cabriolet. Before ending up in Alan’s hands, this cab belonged to another local Volkswagen enthusiast by the name of Mark Morales, who had initially hoped to get it quickly fixed and painted. The paint shop of Juan Serrano took the project on; yet it soon proved to be a lot worse than expected.
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After having owned a number of Vee Dubs over the years, Alan soon became the next keeper of the ’vert, and commissioned Juan to go ahead with the metalwork repairs, which began by cutting the corroded shell in two! The convertible needed a whole lot of work, and the list of replacement panels includes the front firewall, the sheet metal beneath the rear seat, both heater channels and rear wheel wells, the cabriolet support rails and much more!
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1. Airkewld brakes with Wilwood calipers
reproduction Okrasa throttle pedal
handle braking duties at all four corners
6. Here’s something you don’t see every day, a
2. Surrounded by chrome brackets, the vintage
chromed Fumagalli rim from Brazil!
SWF bottle feeds fluid to the washer jets
7. West Coast Classic did a fantastic job
3. Among the old speed items: a Bosch 010
replicating the early-style ‘Grau/Blau’
distributor (with period-correct wires) and a
upholstery – simply awesome
Porsche pre-A crankshaft pulley
8. Yeah, even the uncommon Australian seat
4. A custom VDO-based tach and its desirable
recliners ended up at the chrome shop...
MotoMeter gauge-holder affix to the chromed
9. The original Heuer stopwatch is one of the
steering column
more unusual items on Alan’s Bug
5. Pedalwerks supplied the chromed pedal
10. Numerous parts are now chromed, such as
assembly, which has been fitted with a
the gas cap, bonnet prop and even the jack!
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