APRIL 2016 VOLUME 62 ISSUE 15
50 YEARS OF TYPE 3 IN AUSTRALIA
Wagensville
News
T H E O FF I C I A L M A G AZIN E OF TH E V OL K SW A GEN C LUB O F V I C T O R I A
FEELS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY!
50 YEARS OF
FASTBACKS IN AUSTRALIA
Wagensville
News
維多利亞大眾俱樂部
我們是澳大利亞歷史最悠久 規模最大的大眾汽車俱樂部
VOLKSWAGEN CLUB OF VICTORIA
WE ARE AUSTRALIA’S OLDEST AND LARGEST VOLKSWAGEN CLUB
VWCV Committee 2016
Being in existence since 1954, we are one of the oldest Volkswagen Clubs in the world. The aim of the club is to promote the enjoyment and preservation of all models of Volkswagen, including Beetles, both old and new, Kombis, Type 3s, Karmann Ghias, Golfs, Passats, Polos, etc. The Club organises and participates in numerous events and activities, including cruises, motor sport, technical days, swap meets and trade shows. Other great events such as a weekend away, as well as interstate and overseas trips are organised.
n President n Vice President n Secretary n Treasurer n Editor n Associate Editor n Web Master n Club Historian n Technical Officer n Membership Secretary n Club Plate Scheme Officer n Cruise and Events Co-ordinator n Constitution & Association matters
Richard Graham president@vwclub.com.au Andrew Ermel vicepresident@vwclub.com.au Chris Scane secretary@vwclub.com.au Matt Reynolds treasurer@vwclub.com.au Andy Ryan® editor@vwclub.com.au Josh Handicott associateeditor@vwclub.com.au Julian Langlet webmaster@vwclub.com.au Chris Scane historian@vwclub.com.au John Goodison technical@vwclub.com.au Andrew Mengyl memberships@vwclub.com.au Andrew Ermel chplates@vwclub.com.au Chris Jeffes events@vwclub.com.au John Stevens constitution@vwclub.com.au
n Day of the Volkswagen
Lloyd Davies
Our club is about enabling our members to obtain maximum enjoyment from their vehicles in a social atmosphere. The club has no paid officials, only enthusiasts dedicated to furthering the interests of the club and its members. We hope to have the pleasure of your company in the near future. Membership is open to anyone who owns or has an interest in Volkswagens. The club holds regular meetings on the third Thursday of each month, during which the committee provides detailed information on the business aspects of the club as well as past and future activities and events. These meetings offer members the chance to get together to share their knowledge of, and interest in, their vehicles and to obtain technical advice from our VW mechanic specialists on restorations, maintenance or even customising your vehicles.
dovw@vwclub.com.au
VWCV MEMBERSHIP FEES Single Annual Full membership Single 3 year Full Membership Family Membership additional Membership Joining Fee
$60 $155 $20 per mem/per year $10 first year only
Wagensville is the monthly newsletter of the Volkswagen Club of Victoria Inc. Correspondence, articles and items of news or items for sale are invited and should be sent to: VWCV Editor: GPO Box 1215 Melbourne, Vic 3001 or editor@vwclub.com.au
Disclaimer: All material in this newsletter represents the opinions of the author(s) and does not carry any endorsement by the Editor or Committee unless otherwise stated. Any material advertised for sale does not carry any endorsement by the Club and the onus is on the purchaser to ensure the purchased goods meet their requirements. Each VWCV Member is a volunteer carrying out club duties in their own leisure time. The Club has no paid officials, only enthusiasts dedicated in furthering the interests of the Club and its members. Therefore, please bear this in mind when contacting Club Committee Members.
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Wagensville News
PLEASE NOTE THAT ANYONE READING THIS IN CHINA IS WELCOME TO JOIN THE CLUB! APRIL 2016
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PRESIDENT | REPORT Richard Graham
How do you like your VW cooked? It’s been a well-known part of VW history, especially in the older air cooled cars that VW engines could go up in smoke. We’ve all seen the images of flames jumping out through the engine vents of a kombi, beetle or even a Type 3. The devastation it brings to the vehicle is horrific at best. The metal distorts from heat and rusts instantly. The usual outcome is one less VW on the road for us to enjoy as the car is no longer repairable unless money is no object and you know someone willing to start working on it straight away. You can be driving your car one minute and next, 10 minutes later you’re watching it on the side of the highway, helplessly burn to the ground. This was unfortunately the sad truth for one owner of a white bay window kombi, on the West Gate Freeway late last month. Another decent bus burnt to a crisp. The usual suspect is the fuel system. In the past, the two most common causes of VW engine fires were either unsecured fuel lines ( no hose clamps), or old hardened rubber hoses that cracked and let fuel leak all over the place. These two common causes are still around today with people failing to check their fuel lines constantly, or using fuel with ethanol. Ethanol loves eating rubber. It speeds up the decay process of your hoses rapidly causing premature failure after only a short amount of time since the hoses were installed.
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Wagensville News
Also as most of us don’t drive our older VWs each day, as the car is parked, the fuel sits in the hoses for weeks or months at a time, eating away at the rubber. You might see the fuel leaking out from under the car before you drive off, if you’re lucky. We also now have a newer issue to contend with. Carburettors and fuel pumps, especially if original are now getting on in age. The fuel fittings are press fit into the carburettor when made. Over years of vibration, and weight of the fuel hose connected to it, these fittings are now popping out allowing the hot engine bay to be saturated in petrol. This was the sad end to a friend’s beetle we were joyriding in many years ago because of this issue. Preventive maintenance is the key issue here. Change your fuel hoses every few years. Inspect them every service and before long road trips. Use German rubber braided hoses like VW did. Make sure every line is secured with a proper hose clamp. Wiggle the pressed in fittings on the carburettor and fuel pump to check for any movement. You can also tie a piece of wire around the hose clamp and the carburettor body to help hold the fittings in if they do decide to become loose in the future. Replacing of old parts is also recommended granted you can find suitable quality replacement parts. Now it’s always a good thing to carry an extinguisher in case the worst does happen. But by the time
you realise what’s happening behind you, then locate the extinguisher and have it ready to spray, it may already be too late. At this month’s general meeting at the Austrian club, we have Kurt Thacker from Blaze Cut fire Suppression Systems coming out to show us some of their products that might just save your Volkswagen. If you’ve never heard of Blaze cut, they offer an extinguisher setup that mounts in your engine bay.
Automatic fire
suppression system T Series Cars 4WD Boats
Kurt will be going through all their products and showing you how they work and how they could save your pride and joy. This is a must for not only older VW owners but for newer cars too. I hope many of you take this opportunity to come down and see what Kurt will be bringing us to see. If you’ve got questions then by all means ask away! Fires aside, the club has been enjoying the last of the warm weather with a great turnout to the March general meeting BBQ.
Caravans Generators IT Server Cabinets Electrical cabinets Farming & Agricultural Earthmoving Machines Industrial & Manufacturing
Features Universal use: high flexibility of BlazeCut Tube and A, B, C and electrical fires class rating can protect almost any space High cost-effectivity: zero maintenance, long working life, automatic activation beats the competition in cost-effectivity No cylinder for storage of extinguishing agent needed: the whole system can be placed inside the protected enclosure Options to connect the pressure switch and other additional components like signaling unit to perform further functions
Unfortunately family matters prevented me attending but a big thanks to Chris Scane and Chris Jeffes for organising and preparing food on the night. Also thanks to my President of vice Andrew Ermel for running the night in my absence, even under the symptoms of jet lag.
Clean and effective extinguishing agent: world-wide known and accepted HFC gases (HFC-227ea and HFC-236fa)
This month we have the Vdubs in the Square (VITS) in Albury. This show has really taken off in the last few years and incorporates the new and old VWs together nicely.
Low operation temperatures: up to -40°C
It’s on the Anzac day weekend so what better way to enjoy a three day weekend then driving your VW to a VW show. We also have our usual coffee run at Rocco and Co on the 16th. These coffee runs are a great excuse to get your beloved wheels on the road and catch up with like-minded members.
No pressurization needed: the system works by increasing pressure of the extinguishing agent when heated Automatic operation based on increased temperature: ideal for non-occupied spaces or spaces out of sight Fully independent: system is operational 24/7 without any power supply No maintenance during entire working life = zero maintenance costs Long working life: 5 – 10 years depending on the type of application No Harm to protected enclosure and people when discharged Very simple installation: no training required for installation Pressure gauge to monitor the pressure at any time
Activation temperature: about 120°C
Fire Class Ratings A
CLASS A: ordinary combustibles (creating flames)
B
CLASS B: flammable liquids
CLASS C: burning gases
E
LIVE ELECTRICAL equipment
www.blazecut.com
Happy and safe Dubbing
Richard Graham PRESIDENT
APRIL 2016
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VWCV CALENDAR Don’t waste time, get that Dub out and about! DATE
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
DETAILS
CONTACT
16 April
10.00am
Monthly Coffee Meet
Rocco & Coe, 1 Fennel St Pt Melbourne
Monthly coffee meet with plently of parking
Chris Jeffes: events@vwclub.com.au
17 April
8.30am
Fastback Fiesta
Croydon Hotel, 47 Maroondah H'way Croydon
Celebrate 50 years of the Fastback with a cruise to Toolangi Pub for lunch
Chris Scane: secretary@vwclub.com.au
21 April
6.30pm
General Meeting
Austrian Club, 90 Sheehan Rd Heidelberg
Blazecut Fire Suppression demonstration. Meals available
Richard Graham: president@vwclub.com.au
24 April
9.00am
VITS
Hovel Tree Park, Albury NSW
VW & Audi show $10 Reece: entry for the show n shine vitsvw@hotmail.com
15 May
10.00am
Cruise to St Andrews Pub
Pines Shopping Centre, 181 Reynolds Rd Doncaster East
Take a drive through War- Chris Jeffes: randyte and Kangaroo events@vwclub.com.au Ground to St Andrews Pub for lunch
19 May
6.30pm
General Meeting
Austrian Club, 90 Sheehan Rd Heidelberg
Meals available
Richard Graham: president@vwclub.com.au
21 May
10.00am
Monthly Coffee Meet
Rocco & Coe, 1 Fennel St Pt Melbourne
Monthly coffee meet with plently of parking
Chris Jeffes: events@vwclub.com.au
22 May
8.00am
VW Nationals Sydney NSW
Fairfield, Smithfield Rd Prairiewood
Show n shine, swap meet & dealer displays
8.00am
Swap Meet
Enter via Anne street Williamstown
VWCV Annual Swap Meet
APRIL
MAY
JUNE 3 June
Thanks Richard and Josh.
CALENDAR
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Wagensville News
Andrew Ermel: chplates@vwclub.com.au
ROB SMITH
58/36/78 No it’s not her measurements… rather it’s the year of the Type 1 (first of the big back window), the engine horse power and the year of our purchase. Following my adventure in the Faultless ‘59” trip to Darwin (September 2015 issue), and the subsequent embracing of the VW brand into my life, there was always going to be a time when I was to have a “Faultless” of my own. The opportunity arose just after my marriage, when it was time to up-date our (my wife and my) vehicles. We purchased a new Peugeot 504, but the thing that really sealed the deal was the ‘58 Type 1 that sat beckoning in the used car yard. The dealer wanted $1,000 for her, but, “He was dreaming.” I felt I had a fair degree of leverage in the dealing and it didn’t take long before she was mine for $400. She was quite plain, but reasonable. The semaphore indicators were still operating and only a few minor dents were evident in the original grey/white paint work. The odometer showed 43,000 miles and she displayed that little suggestion of “asthma” (cracked heads or burnt valves). No trouble. With the help of a bush mechanic, I had the engine out in no time and was delighted to find the heads were intact, but there were a couple of scorched valves to replace. I replaced them and even had the joy of grinding the new valve seats and faces by hand myself. It was a surprise to me to still find the thermostat intact on the CKD stamped 36 hp engine, but with the whine coming from the differential, I think it was really 143,000 miles that she had done over the past 20 years.
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Wagensville News
However, the ‘58 continued in service over the next 25 years with us and never “really stopped”. It was a daily driver to work (in the country) and even when the brake master cylinder gave out, she was still quite drivable for several weeks until I could become motivated to make the repairs. It is amazing how safely one drives when the vehicle has very limited braking power. Before fixing the brakes, the ‘58’s clutch cable broke, so now I had no brakes and no clutch. Of course that still didn’t stop me driving her to work (15 km away) each day. It was a bit tricky, but quite do-able. Park her carefully before stopping the engine so that it can be started later in first gear and away you go. Changing up a gear is easier than down but with a bit of a tap on the accelerator on the way through you can begin to wonder why a clutch is that necessary?
Time progressed and the ‘58 was later borrowed by a Swedish friend in 1990, who felt inclined toward a road trip… to Perth!
So, with a couple of new tyres fitted, Ingemar journeyed from Western Victoria, across the Nullabor and back and then, for good measure, travelled on up to the Murray for a few more days in the sun. It was a little disconcerting for me when he took her for his first drive and went to change into 2nd gear by reaching and grabbing the window winder, but I guess that comes from left hand driving habits. It was of interest to find out from him that Sweden used to have right hand drive vehicles, but this was changed by government proclamation in the 1960’s to left hand drive! He’d owned one in Sweden and had experienced the destruction of its engine, he confessed, through over stressing it with speed. In a Swedish accent he would describe the sound of his car’s pistons journeying through the destroyed cylinders at 65 mph. The only rule I insisted for his use of the vehicle was that whatever happened she had to be returned. He reported on his return that the best cruising speed on the trouble free journey was 58 mph. I had always intended to restore the ‘58 at some stage but never managed it. I regret having given her a respray myself in a disused cow dairy. As I finished the second coat of enamel, a gust of wind rattled a sheet
of corrugated iron in the roof and down settled a fine layer of dust on the freshly painted roof. Then in 2003 along came a 1970 Type 3 Fastback (Honey Brown) which we have since restored, and I let the ‘58 go. Of course I have regrets, particularly when I last saw her. She had been further re-sprayed in bright red and had the McDonald golden arches painted on the guards. The whining gear-box had been replaced, but the original engine was still going strongly. I did grimace though when I was told that the intention was to have a “Ronald McDonald” dummy sitting in the ‘58 outside the local franchise. I think she deserved greater respect and a more dignified situation, after having been such a loyal servant and part of the family... as VW’s all appear to become.
Rob Smith Dunkeld, Victoria
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VICE PRESIDENT | REPORT
Andrew Ermel Hello to my fellow Vee dubbers! Thinking about this month’s vice presidents report and having just come back from America two weeks ago I’m a little bit slow on what to report but there have been plenty of things going on in the VW world and not just locally! Recently we had our annual Camp out at Kennett River and once again, it was a great success. On the Saturday night of the event, we had our regular wine and cheese tasting at the Kennet River surf lifesaving club, located above the Caravan Park, where we raised some $600 for the club. Thanks once again to Roscoe and the crew of the lifesaving club for the assistance and a special thanks to Michael Cronin, John Stevens and the crew of helpers who supplied and set the cheeses and wines for the tasting. Our last general meeting was held at the Austrian Club in Heidelberg many members of the club assisted in the cooking of the special barbecue and the preparation of the food. Once again it was an excellent night. Unfortunately our president Richard Graham couldn’t be there, but Chris Scane assisted me ably in the running of the meeting, which of course we kept to a short agenda and it worked out very well. The Royal Standard hotel has now closed its doors permanently this month, so we will be looking for a new venue to run our committee meetings and possibly some of the general meetings. We will continue to have our general meetings at the Austrian Club and so far this has proven to be e great venue.
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Wagensville News
In March, Michael Cronin and I went to the US for Bruce Meyers 90th birthday. The celebrations for his birthday were held at Glendale Forrest Lawn, and a presentation video of his life celebrating his achievements and the Meyer Manx Buggies was played. There were about 300 guests there and a band played while Bruce moved around the gathering and talked about his life and achievements.
Lucky for us, at the event there was a VW swap meet, of course packed with VW parts.
It was a great event with many of his iconic buggy’s being put on display. Unfortunately, Bruce had been sick for some days before the event and on a personal level, we were unable to see him at his home and only got to see him for a short time at the birthday celebrations and the day after at the hotel we stayed at. Bruce as always was in fine spirits and we hope to catch up with him next time we are in the US.
The drag racing meet was spectacular and we got to see some very fast passes run by Chris Laufer and Jack from Jaycee. Amongst the bits I brought back from the US were a new crankshaft and a roller camshaft for my new Autocraft engine for the new drag car.
Michael Cronin and I, spent most of the eight days in the US buying VW parts, drinking margaritas and enjoying the company of our very good friends. We were very lucky to time our trip with a big VW event held in California. We got to attend a VW drag car meet at Irwindale Speedway. The event was run by Hot VW’s Magazine.
We had already bought a lot of VW parts and our suitcases were full to the brim, but we managed to squeeze some additional bits into our luggage and the rest we shipped via mail. Just from my experience it was the best Swap meet that I’ve ever attended in the US.
This month we also attended the Easter extravaganza at Bendigo. It was well attended by the VW Club Victoria. On the road in the morning to Bendigo we had a convoy of about 12 cars! Thanks to John Stevens for leading the crew and getting us to the event safely. Thanks to the Bendigo guys for another well run event.
The next biggest club event on the calendar is the annual VW swap meet to be held at Williamstown on Sunday 3rd July at Seaworks. This will be our seventh consecutive swap meet at this venue. Better start gathering up your surplus VW parts to sell and of course put a bit of money aside for some bargains. Looking forward to seeing you all at the Swap meet. There are lots of great events coming up on the VW calendar, keep your eye on the magazine and on Facebook for the latest news. See you all at the next club meeting and don’t forget to get your club permit sent to me, to sign before they run out. And don’t forget to fill in those log books too!
Andrew Ermel VICE PRESIDENT APRIL 2016
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FOR SALE
s ’ n a ori
t s i H
r e n Cor
In this year’s ‘Corner’ we have some more interesting tales from our club newsletter, ‘Wagensville News’ and Volkswagen history. This month the club celebrates 50 years since the introduction of the Type 3 Fastback made in Australia. How this achievement affects the development of the Volkswagen brand and future potential for Volkswagens in Australia is worth exploring – see . I hope you enjoy these stories and please feel to contact me if you can help in developing the documentation our history.
April 1966 The big news that year in Australia was Robert Menzies, Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, retires and is succeeded by Harold Holt followed in February 14 by the decimalisation of the Australian currency; the Australian dollar replaces the Australian pound. On a lighter note, legendary St Kilda AFL footballer Tony Lockett, was born on 9 March – the last year the Saints won the premiership! The Westall UFO encounter is an event that occurred on 6 April 1966 in Clayton South, Victoria, Australia. I do not remember this event so it is sort of spooky that this happened so close to the Australian VW Factory – could Volkswagen have been testing something special? Around 11.00 am, for about 20 minutes, more than 200 students and teachers at two Victorian state schools allegedly witnessed an unexplained flying
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Wagensville News
object which descended into a nearby open wild grass field. The paddock was adjacent to a grove of pine trees in an area known as The Grange (now a nature reserve). According to reports, the object then ascended in a north-westerly direction over the suburb of Clayton South.
April 1983 Tony Barton was the Club President, Jon Edsell was Vice President, Steve Kosa was Secretary and Neil Tattersall was Treasurer; again the committee had comprehensive program for the year. The highlights of this time were again are the motorsport events in organized by Steve Kosa (Shamateur Rally) and the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club (PIARC) Lap Dash at Calder Raceway, all for May. The ‘News’ carried two articles about the Easter Bug In held in Sydney and an article about the Great Treasure Hunt organized by Steve Kosa. Not a big month for the ‘News’ but interesting For sale – 1957 Oval Window beetle. Black, One owner since new, Good Condition, Workshop Manual, $1000 o.n.o. phone after 6pm.
April 1992 Michael Clark was the Club President, Tim Hosie was Secretary and Kim Whittles was Treasurer, still keen/active members even today. The highlights of April were the preparation for the Bug In at Bendigo
on the 17th to 20th April with Michael Clark as the contact club person, the General Meeting at the Anchor & Hope Hotel, Richmond, Road Registered Racing at Winton on the 26th and a Group 5 Motorkhana at Cerberus on the 9th on the following month. The ‘News’ carried articles about current state of VWCV Motorsport activities and the VWCV Ten Pin Bowling Championship. Golfs were very popular in ’92 and there were 5 leading articles on Golfs, two reprints from magazines – the GTI and the new VR6! The other articles on Golf came frome Bill Malkoutzis and is Racing Golf, Racing Rob and his orange Thunderwagen and finishing with Tim Hosie’s – a Golf Story. This edition was also packed with information about the Bug In in Benidgo that month and with President Michael Clark assisted ably by Jon Edsell this Bug In was another VWCV success.
VR6 Golf 1994 78,000 Km’s. Registered until 4th October 2016. Body in good condition. Engine runs well. Vin: WVWZZZ1HZRW619592 ENG: AAA $2,800.00 Kim Whittles 0418 394 538
Look forward to seeing you all at the next VWCV event! Yours deep in VWCV history,
Chris Scane historian@vwclub.com.au
APRIL 2016
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after long nights on the town. As the boot had room for 4 people’s hiking gear Bunny would also get the task to carry our group on weekends away. One of my favourite stories is when we went for a weekend into the mountains in the middle of winter. After 2 nights at minus 20C my Bunny was the only car out of new BMW’s, Audi’s and Fords which would start – and then Bunny jumpstarted all of them! He was a great companion, needed little maintenance, could do a 160k’s easy and was a pleasure to drive.
BUNNY Growing up in Austria, Volkswagens were just part of my life.
When I was five I have fond memories moving from our flat into a terrace house. I remember sitting on the bench seat of one of dad’s work vans, a gulf blue bay window as we drove across the Danube towards our new home. When I was about eight, I was with my best friend Tanja and her parents, including her 3 year old brother in an Audi A4, Tanja’s dad, an ex-amateur rally driver and an awarded Volkswagen salesman. He was driving at about 180kmph and I recall Tanja’s brother screeching: ’Dad! Faster, go 200!” I learnt to drive in a golf. In 1996 I was looking for my first car and my granny’s best friend was selling her 1986 VW Polo Bunny coupe with only 24,500km on the clock. It was white with light blue interior and she’d owned it since new and had serviced it by the book. It was like new. ‘Bunny’ as I nicknamed him became very quickly a big part of my life. At the start I got teased by some of my boyfriend’s friends because Bunny was an 11 year old car and not the most fashionable shape, but he proved himself over and over. I quickly became the dedicated driver and I remember ferrying our drunken friends home
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Wagensville News
Bunny’s real adventures began once I met Andrew in October 2001: We drove all over Italy for 5 weeks, lived, ate and played in the little car and had a wonderful time. When Andrew decided to fly back to OZ (and his plane ticket was leaving from London) we decided to make a road trip from Vienna Austria to Calais France so Andrew could catch the ferry to Dover. This trip was 1,500ks each way. We travelled one way in three days stopping in Salzburg and France. After dropping Andrew off and watching him slide across a frozen car park to the ferry terminal I drove the 1,500k’s home. This was on the morning of New Year’s Eve. I drove home 13 hours in one hit through snow with only 2 petrol stops, just to make sure I wouldn’t miss the New Year’s Eve party at my friends. In May 2002 Andrew and I decided to move to Scotland to work; after travelling for the last 6 months together we thought it was time to test our relationship in the ‘real world’. And again Bunny was an important part of it: packed with clothes and house hold goods we took off, driving north, crossing the channel on the ferry, stopping in London to meet friends for a couple of days and then continuing north. Our first stop was Edinburgh, it was rainy, foggy and bin collection day, scavenging seagulls and rubbish everywhere. We decided to keep going. An hour later we drove into Aberdeen, the Granite City: the sun came out, the ocean was sparkling and Union Street, the main shopping street was decorated with flags for the Queen’s coming jubilee; we fell in love and decided to stay. After a couple of days we found a bed sit and Andrew got a job with an agency as a carpenter, and a
river mouth as large ships came and went. Bunny’s proudest moment must have been when Andrew and I got married at the registry office in Aberdeen in April 2003. After our ceremony, lunch and photos in daffodil fields Bunny ferried us away on our glorious week long honeymoon as my parents, brother and 2 friends waved goodbye. few weeks later I got an admin job within walking distance from our little home. Bunny proved to be valuable once more: it meant Andrew could travel to various building sites and was never out of a job. On Saturdays I would do our weekly shopping, taking 2 Chinese students, Mr Henry and Joe, with me to Aldi and Bunny would be loaded up with groceries. Sundays were spent going for drives and hikes, exploring this wild and magnificent country: within twenty minutes we were in the most beautiful country side, picking wild blueberries, raspberries and mushrooms. We climbed hills, visited castles and manors, walked through coastal towns and along endless beaches. On Saturday nights we would buy some pies and park on a hill overlooking the harbour, listening to music and watching the Dolphins frolicking in the
After 12 months we left Scotland. We put the heavily overloaded Polo Bunny on the ferry in Edinburgh and sailed to Brugge Belgium. We drove home slowly across Europe taking 4 days to reach Vienna. Once home I applied for my visa for Australia and it was time to start saying good bye to my family, friends, Vienna and of course... Bunny... I did think about having him shipped over but at the time Andrew thought a left hand drive would be an issue so I decided to sell him. It didn’t take long to find a buyer and the sale price of 660euros was exactly how much my one way ticket down under cost! It was Bunny’s parting gift. So schliesst sich der Kreis. Coming to Australia did not put a stop on my love for Vdubs and was to be continued on with the purchase of our honey brown ’72 Beetle, but this is another story...
Barbara Carrick APRIL 2016
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Only a few examples of this incredible 911 engined van were built to keep pace as a support vehicle for the Paris to Dakar rally in the 1980s...
An article by
ALEX KERSTEN from UK Online site Car Throttle
The Porsche B32 is the coolest 911-engined van you never knew existed...
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Wagensville News
This is the Porsche B32. Never heard of it? That’s because only 15 examples were ever made (including prototypes) between 1983 and 1985. The reason for the van’s conception was because Porsche needed a fast enough support vehicle to keep pace during its Paris to Dakar rally campaign with its Group B 959 race car. In the van’s rear, Porsche transplanted its 3.2-litre flat-six engine (231hp) from a 911 Carrera; the result was a top speed of around 130mph and a 0-62mph time of 8.0 seconds. Along with the engine swap, Porsche also fitted the van with Fuchs wheels and bigger Porsche brakes, and upgraded the suspension components to cope with the substantial hike in grunt; the most powerful production model at the time was a 2.1-litre model with 112hp.
Inside the B32 you’ll find a Carrera steering wheel and the gearbox believed to be from a 911 SC. What a shame, then, that the B32 never made series production. It was simply too expensive to build and would have proven unaffordable to buy, own and maintain. Thankfully, Volkswagen Type 2 owners do their own 911 engine swaps to keep Porsche’s stillborn legacy alive.
APRIL 2016
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I LIKE TRIKE | PETE FRANGHIS
WORKSHOP! Wayne Lewis • Wagensville Mechanic Most of our staff here at Wagensville News at our head office in the Eureka Towers in Melbourne, have seen many different ways over the last 25 years to convert VWs from 6 volts into 12 Volts.
THE TRIKE SHED Greeting members My Name is Pete Franghis, and I own and operate The Trike Shed. Over many years I have owned and built up three beetles, two split screen Kombi’s and numerous motorbikes Well, I have combined my passions and now ride a Panther Wildcat Trike, manufactured by Panther Engineering in Gosford NSW. I thought I would give you a closer look and details of my Trike Known as Thunder Child. My Trike is a 2008 model and has a 2000cc VW engine, fitted with stroked crank, solid conrods and high lift cam. Ratio rockers, 48 Weber carbs, heads are full flow with posts removed and ‘D’ ported as are the inlet manifolds.
Now I’m not a mechanic or a very good auto electrician, but I do know that driving a 6 volt VW at night can be difficult unless you have night vision goggles. (optional extra from ‘56 onwards)
Want to do it yourself? Here’s what you will need: n 12V Coil and condenser. n 12V idle cut-off solenoid for carb & 12V choke. n 12V Wiper motor or voltage reducing kit. n 2 Hammers. n 12V Turn signal flasher. n 12V Bulbs ALL of them. n 12V Radio.
Also the wiring is heavier which can affect performance. I know one guy that didn’t want to convert to 12 volt as he preferred to listen to the older radio stations from the 1960s and 70s such as 3AW, 3DB and 3XY on his 6 volt radio. Bert Newton and the Masters Apprentices were his favourites. I had heard of another guy who didn’t want to lose his 6 volt radio either, so he installed a 12 volt flywheel as well as the 6 volt. He had to shave a fair bit from both flywheels and grind out a couple of mm from the bell housing to squeeze them in but according to him, it was all worth it.
Or use the Dynamo method in the picture below. It’s a lot easier and very little power loss (only 35%).
WORK SHOP TIPS
Chassis is monocoque, incorporating a 50 litre fuel tank and airbag suspension. Lighting is mostly LED. Accessories are AM/FM stereo, 80 channel CB, iPod, GPS, Mobile phone, and intercom connected through a Starcom gate way to the speakers and microphone in the helmets. Touring range is 445 kilometres per tank, Running a VW four speed manual IRS gearbox with a highway diff and towbar for the Teardrop van and trailer. The Trike is finished with custom paint work.
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NEXT MONTH: HOW TO CONVERT A 12 VOLT BACK INTO A 6 VOLT! APRIL 2016
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FASTY! 1970 VW Type 3 Fastback TLE with Sunroof Neville Thomas and Chris Scane
It was Day of the Volkswagen when I spotted a lovely red Type 3 Fastback Automatic with its amazing Sunroof open to the environment of that particular sunny day. I poured over it because I had not spotted one of these rare machines in the flesh on Melbourne soil before. I had a note to myself to chase up the owner of this lovely car after ‘Day of’ but soon got wrapped up in the business of our club and it slipped my mind. To my surprise, while on the ‘Samba’ I see the same car on a forum, so a quick message and Neville contacts me and the story behind this car to VWCV Historian and its survival starts. I hope you enjoy this tale of another survivor of our marque like I have in discovering its history – CS. When Neville discovered the 1970 Fastback in a workshop it was in a fairly sorry state but except for lacking an engine it was basically all there with no rust and that wonderfully sliding steel sunroof still worked! It had been left in the workshop as a project that had gone nowhere so after some negotiation Neville took home the Fastback in late 1998.
His reason to go the workshop was to get some work done on his split screen Kombi but his attention now was focussed on the Fastback. On closer inspection, remarkably there was still NO rust, but the seats, headlining and dash needed major surgery so Neville got to work on his hunt to get this rare machine mumming again. The car also had a centre console to extra instruments and a tachometer. A donor car was sort and found to be just the ticket to Neville’s restoration. A 1972 Fastback TLE manual with lots of rust and no 2nd gear was found to be just what was needed and less than $500. Wolfgang (who worked with John Goodison at Volkshome) looked after Neville’s 1956 Oval so it was easy to appoint this master technician to manage the necessary surgery and soon the fuel injected engine was in the 1970 TLE together with all the good bits from the 1972 Fastback. In July-August 1999 the 1970 Fastback got its long awaited RWC and was promptly put on a club permit. The new interior from TMI was imported from California, so with new seat covers and headlining, work on the dash vinyl was done by the Dash Board Doctor and the fastback was looking great and its fuel injected engine was running well. In 2000 the car was Neville’s run around car and gave him great joy with Sunroof open during a long drive.
Adam Laws Neville sent away to Germany to get a birth certificate for the car and this revealed even more information about this car. The original colour was Clementine; it left the Wolfsburg factory on the 15th December 1969 and had a number of specified options. It had a laminated windscreen, optional High backed seats and an M code which Germany could not identify – M174. Maybe someone in Australia may know what this option was, the future may tell us. So that’s the story
so far, Neville has the car for sale at the moment (see For Sale/Wanted Section) so maybe there could be a new (to you) Fastback in your life too, I know my Fastback is enjoyed every day, even if I am not behind the wheel!
Unfortunately the car was stored at home between 2006 and 2012 and started to deteriorate so in 2012 the word at his home was – ‘get this car back on the road’! So with two years of work to remove a little rust, anew headlining and many thousands of dollars of gleaming new paintwork, you have a wonderful example of a later model Fastback with that fairly rare sliding Sunroof.
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Wagensville News
APRIL 2016
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Which is mine?
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
TAPPETS On the 9th April, a Tech Day was held in the famous shed belonging to Pete and Marg Bruty in Ballarat – attended by two dozen Ballarat and Victorian Club members (many of whom were dual members of both clubs). Andrew Ermel, knowledgeable and articulate, with help from Lloyd Davies and other experts, ran a session on the basics of VW maintenance – wheel removal, tappets, oil, special tools for not damaging paintwork, adjustments and other handy hints. The car worked on was the Bruty’s 61 Beetle, bought new by a Dutch/Australian gentleman who drove it for most of his life as a daily driver and owned no other car. It is now part of the Bruty collection. The latest in this collection is a harvesting header with a VW engine. Many of you will recall the acquisition before that - on show at ‘The day of the Volkswagen’ last year – a speedboat with VW engine. Baked potatoes with all the trimmings followed – bacon, cream, salad, onions, various sauces and coffee from the VW machine complete with a sprinkled chocolate VW emblem logo in the cream of the cappuccinos. Many topics were discussed at lunch including stories of ancestors. Peter Stagoll, from Ballarat, my guest on the day, has a great – great – great- great – great – great – great – great grandmother who was hanged as a witch in Connecticut in the 1600s. Richard Graham has a connection to a man named Rudd hanged in the 1800s at Pentridge for horse stealing and train robbery. A family tale describes him as being well connected in livestock investment and railway interests, who died at a civic gathering in his honour when the floor collapsed under him.
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Never in the field of VW stuff – have so many been so interested, so much, in so tappeting a topic (apologies to Winston).
VWCV MARCH COFFEE RUN
Many jokes were told. I asked Andrew Ermel if I could reproduce this one of his: A man wanted to get into a nightclub but was refused because he didn’t have a tie. He pleaded to no avail. So he went to his car to see what he could find. The only possible thing was a set of jumper leads. He draped this under his collar, tied it into a Windsor knot and pushed the tailing ends down his shirt. Going back, he said to the bouncer, ‘OK. I have tie so I’m going in now.’ The bouncer came over for a close look and said, ‘That’s not a tie, mate. That’s just a set of jumper leads.’ The man became emotional. ‘I know. But it fills the same space as a tie and it even looks like a tie. Can I please, pretty please go in?’ The bouncer looked doubtful. ‘This is a well ordered establishment,’ he said. ‘But OK. If you are so desperate you can go in. But remember you are on trial and being watched. Just don’t start anything.’
The day was a great success. Thanks to our hosts Marg and Pete Bruty, the cooks, all the organisers and the presenters.
Frank Carrucan Ballarat and Victorian clubs
I ordered a Piccolo Latte or a ristretto shot topped with warm, silky milk served in a 100 ml glass demitasse, however it tastes more like a hot chocolate which is also very nice.
Mason® 8
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VCVW | COLLECTOR’S CORNER VW Fastback Model Collections Would you like to have your car on display in Fed Square without being arrested for illegal parking? Or loitering? Send us a pic of your best VW and you could be in the running to qualify. A great way to get free parking and start your Christmas shopping early! But hurry, spaces are filling relatively fast! Send your pics to: John Stevens: constitution@vwclub.com.au
Stuart Ermel & Chris Scane Please email Josh at: editor@vwclub.com.au
Starting a fastback model car collection has become very easy for Stuart and myself.
Both are interested in Volkswagen model and toys, both have a desire to have a ‘few’ Fastbacks in the collection. After having a good look a Stuart’s collection, I realised I would never catch with the number and variety but between us we could put on a very good show of Type 3 models, mainly from Stuart’s Collection.
cious. If you can keep the box it came in, it just helps you later and increases the value of the piece to you and in dollar terms. The collection never stops growing but unfortunately I have not had a chance to add to mine recently but somehow I think this going to change after seeing some of Stuart’s gleaming brand new Matchbox collection pieces.
The Matchbox models really take pride of place in any collection like this and they certainly didn’t disappoint when it came to Fastbacks. To have just one with its box would be great! There are many different colours and conditions in a collection like this but one piece of advice that may help is write yourself a note, maybe on the back of the receipt, of anything precious to you in a collection a how you found it because 5, 10, or more years down the track that information could be lost for good! The bigger 1:18 die cast models are great to have too but can take up a lot of space which is always pre-
HURRY! SPACES FILLING RELATIVELY FAST!
John Stevens: constitution@vwclub.com.au
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Wagensville News
BENDIGO EXTRAVAGANZA PICS TAHNKS TO
ADAM LAWS JULIEN LANGLET
On a nice crisp Sunday morning, on Easter weekend, a dozen or so VWCV members and their VWs gathered up at the Calder Highway BP station. The VWCV convoy was headed west for Easter! Destination was Bendigo’s VW Easter Extravaganza. This event is hosted by the Volksclub Bendigo and part of the wider Easter celebrations in Bendigo. A pretty good turnout of the VW crowd vehicles and public alike at the Queen Elizabeth Oval this year. The location offered however ample parking space, is a great hilly vantage point to take in Bendigo downtown and just a short walk away from the main street carnival As always great to see our Bendigo counterparts and talk shop. All in all, a great day out in with the VW community. Let’s do it all again next year!
Julien Langlet webmaster@vwclub.com.au
FOR SALE UP FOR SALE IS MY BELOVED
1970 FASTBACK This is a transition model from early to late. What’s the difference? Low back seats, low rear parcel shelf. I believe the dash is different and no rear pillar vents. This has been converted to early bumpers - but late bolt back on if wanted. It’s the TLE so started life as injected, but since the car has been upgraded to 1835cc I have upgraded the ECU to megasquirt. This ECU has a lot of functionality and the car runs very well with it. As well as sorting your own timing curve and fuel delivery it has tricks such as injector shut off for fuel saving when decelerating. For more information see the Gumtree Page or contact Stafford Wilson in Melbourne at stafford@kitset.net
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Wagensville News
Unit 2, 1-3 Bignell Road Moorabbin, VIC 3189 | Phone: 03 9532 2749
APRIL 2016
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FOR SALE 1970 1600 TLE FASTBACK
WITH FACTORY SUNROOF Rego 48963 H • Expiry: Nov 2016 • RWC: Yes Miles: 80,286 • Engine 1.6L • Trans 3 SP AUTOMATIC Fuel Type Petrol • Fuel System FUEL INJECTED Body 2D SEDAN Colour Red Interior Black $20,000* Dandenong VIC Original Australian delivery with Factory sunroof and High back seats Contact Neville on: thomas_neville@yahoo.com.au
CONTRIBUTIONS
YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU Isn’t it about time you got involved? Your club magazine is always looking for more contributions from club members.
It could be a story about how you built your car, a trip you have done. Or maybe one of the events you have attended. These wouldn’t have to be club events, they could be something you have done with a group of friends, or other like minded enthusiasts. And each month, one story is picked at random to receive a $50 JB HIFI gift voucher. One of our regular contributors, and winner of now two gift vouchers is Andrea Green, currently saving for a new TV.
CANADA | RUSS FORT
RESCUED 1969 VW 1600 FASTBACK The next in the series from Russ in Canada focusses on a blue early model Fastback and I am sure as the story unfolds, you will enjoy the journey – CS One of my friends heard about a low mileage Fastback available in Victoria and wanted to make the trek down (Vancouver) island to check it out. Always open for a VW adventure I went with him to take a look, and this is what we found... And here is the Type 3 we came to see. A 1969 model, it features the earlier nicer bumpers and shorter hood. A bit slimy however. Car was running when parked here. The car has been off the road since 2008. Straight but front fenders are rotted like all Type 3’s. Nothing was missing however, AND it includes original rust free front fenders in the deal. Three different repair manuals, new TMI seat covers, and a pile of spare electronic parts were also included. Did I mention this car features its factory fuel injection? First impressions of the body were not great, but the more we looked, the more we found to like. The odometer says 34,000 miles, and there is a good chance this is genuine too! An oil change sticker on the door reads 28,000 miles, and the car had previously been in covered storage for years. It is pretty hard for me to resist when confronted with these details, so despite not previously showing any interest in Type 3’s, I couldn’t leave it behind, could I? Another VW rescue is in the works... Although the dash pad is cracked beyond repair, other than the instruments bezels that are rusty, the rest of the interior is quite presentable. The headliner is mint. Most of the smaller damaged items, I already have in stock or know people who do... The car trailer is ready for the trip back up to Nanaimo, which is where this VW was sold new. Much paperwork came with the car which verified the low mileage of 36,000. Harrison Motors was the original dealer and serviced the car for the first 18,000 miles of its life. The front trunk was stuck shut due to pine needles and sludge. Once finally opened this was the result. 1971 Newspapers from Nanaimo, an empty bottle of VW washer fluid, vintage tire chains, and a mini grease cartridge addressed to the original owner! And here is the crusty looking engine. Numbers matching and unseized were the good points. That old fuel pressure gauge still
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attached to the fuel rail indicates a running problem from long ago... Not sure yet, but the first job is a damn good cleaning to see exactly how good it really is. Then to make it actually run and drive, then dealing with those front fenders. This project’s success will depend on spending as little cash as possible. As interesting as Type 3’s are, they are not worth the $$$ most other VW’s are so it is not cost effective to spend a lot on them. It is very hopeful the low mileage is genuine, because the mechanicals should be basically unworn. Time will tell...
soon. The other owner has repaired cracks in a replacement dashpad, and has done an amazing job. This will be installed soon. The ultimate plan is a full body restoration; this will be done eventually. For now, enjoying the drive is the way to go! Adding an external wire, and soldering it to the internal ground point worked well and the gauge is now registering fine. Much better to repair the original part, then using the currently available crappy parts... I went back to the Samba to find the link that I used for this, but was unable to locate it (was a link within a link). Anyway basically there were two options to fix the original sender. Option A is to drill a small hole in the top casting, pass a wire through the hole, solder the end of the wire directly to that copper ring shown above. The other end of the wire has a ring terminal on the end and is attached to one of the bolts that secures the sender to the tank. The point of this is to add a new ground circuit. Originally the ground was made through a rivet attached to that copper ring. Corrosion occurs under the rivet, thus losing ground contact.
Option B is to still drill the hole in the top casting, but instead of running the wire through it, just use a small nut and bolt and ground the wire to the drilled hole with a ring terminal instead. Both work fine and will restore sender function. Just make sure you don’t break those hair wires!!! By September last year, I was still driving the Fasty every day. We have put 2200km on it so far without any serious incidents. We did swap out the flex hoses after one started acting up. But that has been the only real problem so far. Intend on driving it until October so will make an attempt at getting the windshield washers and rear window defogger up an running.
If I feel really brave, might even hook up the gas heater too! The Fastback is currently sitting, waiting for the crappy Canadian winter to end... but all indications at the moment lead to more adventures very soon in the Type 3 in time to join you in celebrating 50 years of the Fastback! Russ Fort
A lot of type 3 stash was picked up from another friend, made use of it too. After replacing the fuel lines we moved onto the ignition system. New points and condenser rewarded us with a juicy spark. The temptation was too much and we squirted some fuel directly into the intake, and cranked her over. It started and the oil pressure light went out immediately! Later when fuel was added to the tank, it did start eventually but ran very lean. I later went through ALOT of troubleshooting this very early electronic fuel injection system to see why it would not run properly. A variety of factors contributed including some incorrect parts (pressure sensor and computer) that had been substituted by the previous owner. Luckily the original parts were included in the sale. After much screwing around, it was determined the pressure sensor had failed. Replacing this with a nasty looking oily one, allowed the engine to finally start and rev properly. It ran great on the first test drive, and continues to do so. I have been driving it to work almost every day for the past three weeks! After a damn good cleanup, we are driving as-is for now. Replacement fenders need to be installed and it would look quite respectable. We are also getting a lot of thumbs up from other drivers. There have not been any other Fastbacks in Nanaimo on the road for years and years. Has been a lot of fun to drive and is much smoother then Beetles. The interior is improving with the horn ring and button already replaced, reconditioned instrument bezels will be installed
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MEMBERSHIP | APPLICATION
Maybe you collect Volkswagen Vases, tea towels or have a collection of model cars that would make a small child cry. Whatever you collect that is VW related, send us a short story and some pictures and show everyone how dedicated (or obsessed) you are. Josh Handicott 35
APRIL 2016
APRIL 2016 VOLUME 62 ISSUE 15
50 YEARS OF TYPE 3 IN AUSTRALIA
Wagensville
News
T H E O F F I C I A L M A G AZIN E OF TH E V OL K SW A GE N C LUB O F V I C T O R I A If not received, please return to: Volkswagen Club of victoria Inc. GPO Box 1215 Melbourne Vic 3001 Print Post Approved 1000018822
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