JUNE 2016 VOLUME 62 ISSUE 17
Wagensville
BEING AIR-COOLED SAVES WATER
News
DON'T FORGET! VWCV ANNUAL SUNDAY 3RD JULY
Wagensville
News
VOLKSWAGEN CLUB OF VICTORIA VWCV COMMITTEE 2016
VWCV MEMBERSHIP FEES
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 RyanÂŽ 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
Single Annual Full membership Single 3 year Full Membership Family Membership additional Membership Joining Fee
n Day of the Volkswagen
Lloyd Davies
$60 $155 $20 per mem/per year $10 first year only
VWCLUB.COM.AU The VWCV Constitution is available for download on the website.
dovw@vwclub.com.au
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
3
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Wheely good fun As June progresses, we have ‘bring a wheel’ to our next General meeting. This a suggestion from the committee to bring along either a rim, steering wheel or something along the lines of a wheel and share a story about it. Whilst these ideas might seem strange at first, the purpose is to have fun and think outside the box. So make sure you bring something along and share it with the rest of us.
RICHARD GRAHAM
It’s seems the colder the weather gets, the bigger attendance we get at our cruises. My only thoughts are that most old Volkswagens have a heater, but no air conditioning. So maybe people prefer driving in colder conditions, in a warm cabin. Contrary to sitting in a hot tin can in 30 plus degree temperatures in summer.
I’m sorry to say that no cake survived for anyone who missed out. We also had Paul from ABC detailing who demonstrated on an old superbug engine lid, how to restore old faded paint and bring it back to near new condition. Many members on the night took the opportunity to ask Paul questions on his processes so they could do the same to their Vdubs. Thanks to John Goodison for organising Paul to attend on the night.
Our birthday month
St Andrews
Also if you’re unaware, May is not only our birthday month but also Volkswagen AG. This year VW turned 79 years old. It will be interesting to see how big they go for their 80th in 2017.
Anyway, the brisk May weather brought out a mass of VWs, new and old to visit the St Andrews area. Nearly 40 cars and 60 people turned up for the drive. It’s wonderful to see so many like minded Volkswagen owners getting out there in their cars.
Although as we are reminded time and time again by the media, VW’s days did begin in Hitlers reign in Nazi Germany so it wouldn’t be any surprise if Volkswagen just turned a blind eye and ignored the whole event entirely. Only time will tell.
Thanks to Chris Jeffes and Charmain Green for running the day. Also thanks to Yau-ming Chiam for the idea and help in organising the cruise. Hopefully this encourages another member to make a suggestion of their own to us. Last month at the May general meeting, we celebrated our club’s 62nd birthday. Mr Secretary, Chris Scane did a great job organising some terrific cakes to be made by the Austrian clubs’ Swiss chef who presented us some beautifully made and
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delicious cakes and slices to savour on the night.
Wagensville News
Inter-club event This month we have already had our 3 way interclub event at Woodend between the VWCV, Ballarat VW club and Volksclub Bendigo. Hopefully this is an event that we can run on an annual basis as it shows the true Victorian Volkswagen club spirit and friendship. Plus it’s a fantastic excuse to build and race rocker covers just like old times.
Letters to
the editorS Wayne Lewis
Cyndey Chairy
Fed Square June 26th is our Federation Square display. John Stevens has once again organised this for us including the cars that will be on display. We had great interest from people over the last few months and have managed to fill all spots allocated with many cars that haven’t been displayed before at Fed Square. I’m looking forward to the day and those who will be attending. Even if you don’t have a car on show, come down and enjoy the day with other like minded people and help support the VWCV.
VWCV Swap meet Finally our big mid year event, the VWCV swap meet is on again on July 3rd. Same place in Williamstown, as this venue provides a great dry open area for swappers to exchange parts for money or vice versa. Vice President Andrew Ermel is once again organising this for us and we thank him for his usual hard work. We will be looking for a few volunteers to help on the day, so if you can spare an hour or two, talk to Andrew and let him know.
BEEP BEEP!
Dear Editors, Firstly, I love the magazines! Not this one, but all magazines in general! Here’s my problem: My car won’t start and it’s just out of warranty! (It’s a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle). Can you help me please? Roger Kransenting, age 39, Apprentice Surgeon Watsonia, Victoria Dear Roger, Thanks for your letter. Firstly I need to gather some information. Do you live on or near a hill? If so, push the vehicle down the hill. Make sure you get in the car first. Or after, if it starts. Find an atlas to show you the nearest hill or ask someone in the know. I hope this has been helpful. Wayne Lewis and Cyndy Chairy. Wagensville Dear Editors, No, it hasn’t but I’ll give it a try. Actually it turns out that the car didn’t have any petrol as I kept putting it in the engine as I’m not used to rearengined cars. Roger Kransenting, age 40, Surgeon Watsonia
Richard Graham PRESIDENT JUNE 2016
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VWCV CALENDAR
VWCV ANNUAL
Don’t forget your
Membership Card! DATE
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
DETAILS
CONTACT
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6:00pm
VWCV General Meeting
Austrian Club, 90 Sheehan Rd Heidelberg
Meals available
Richard Graham: president@vwclub.com.au
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10:00am
Coffee Run at Rocco & Coe
Rocco & Coe, 1 Fennel St Port Melbourne
Monthly coffee meet with plenty of parking
Chris Jeffes: events@vwclub.com.au
10:00am
Federation Square Display
Federation Square Melbourne City
Come and check out the fabulous VW's on display at this fantastic location.
John Stevens constitution@vwclub. com.au
9:00am
VWCV Swap Meet
Seaworks: 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown.
The VWCV Annual Swap Meet is not to be missed. See page opposite.
Richard Graham: president@vwclub.com.au
12.00pm
Christmas in July
TBA
Further details to come in the next few weeks.
Richard Graham: president@vwclub.com.au
10:00am
Monthly Coffee Meet
Rocco & Coe, 1 Fennel St Port Melbourne
Monthly coffee meet with plenty of parking.
Chris Jeffes: events@vwclub.com.au
6.30pm
General Meeting
Austrian Club, 90 Sheehan Rd Heidelburg
Meals available. Special members draw so bring your membership card.
Richard Graham: president@vwclub.com.au
JUNE
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SUNDAY 3RD JULY AUSTRALIAS BIGGEST VW ONLY SWAP MEET!
JULY 3 17 16 21
ENTRY FROM 9AM FOR BUYERS & SELLERS, NO EXCEPTIONS.
SWAP SITES $25 | BUYERS $5
Get down to find that elusive part or sell all the stuff you don't want or need so you can finish your resto.
SEAWORKS
82 Nelson Place, Williamstown. Coffee & food available.
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Wagensville News
DRIVE THERAPY
FOR SALE
One of the most beautiful scenic drives in Victoria is the drive up to St Andrews from Warrandyte.
Full purchase history. The current owner is the second owner since the early 70s. Reg no. LNM-710 Price $12,700. Please contact me with any further queries: DB Panels 384 Barkly Street, Footscray 3011 Deniz Babacan Tel. 9689 1620
St Andrews Hotel
1956 VW Beetle Complete car bought 33 years ago and has been in dry storage since then. Light surface rust only, was a daily driver for the previous owner from Warrandyte. Needs a major restoration or would make an interesting rat Beetle! Includes the original black and white number plates GNN 520. Pans andGeneral heater Store Kangaroo Ground channels in good order.
It’s a lovely route with gorgeous countryside scenery, rolling green hills, misty green valleys, orchards, vineyards, and quaint historic towns. The road isn’t sedate - it feels like a roller coaster at times with uphill climbs, sharp corners, dips in the road and long windy stretches. It also feels like a lover’s embrace as each turn you make brings something new and pleasing to your eye and senses. I drive up here often because it helps to relieve me from whatever was troubling my mind during the week. Errant thoughts that bothered me like buzzing flies somehow magically disappear as I drive up that windy road to Panton Hill and St Andrews. I live conveniently close by in Doncaster East so its easy and convenient
for me to come for ‘drive therapy’. On Saturday there are big outdoor markets in Warrandyte and St Andrews selling home made and home grown produce. Sunday is much quieter. The pub and the cafe at St Andrews is open on the weekends. On Sunday the pub opens at 12 noon. The cafe Boy Named Sue which serves wood fire pizza opens at 9am and closes at 10pm.
Wagensville News
Don’t miss out on this rare car, not many left! Contact Chris Scane on 0417 593 573 or secretary@vwclub.com.au
It feels great driving up here in my VW 1965 vintage Beetle. My bug hugs the corners, roars up the hills molding itself to the contours of the road and drawing me into its consciousness. I like to share things that I enjoy. And I thought that other VW owners would also enjoy this very pleasant countryside drive that is not too far away from the city centre. Continued next page
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The Pines rendezvous point.
Yau-ming’s 1965 Beetle in the lead! Actually they’re all parked at the servo.
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It’s a beautiful Thing!
DRIVE THERAPY
The drive up was thankfully accident free. I was very worried because there are one or two black spots on the route. Notably driving from Tindals Road into Reynolds Road.
So I emailed Chris Jeffes. He liked the idea and organised our club meet-up on Sunday 15th May.
Since I was the one who planned the route I felt extra responsible.
The weather was perfect on that Sunday. It had been raining that week but thankfully we had clear weather on the day. It was a fantastic turn out too. Over 30 VWs showed up at the rendezvous point. It felt like the Day of the Volkswagen.
It was hilarious seeing the sizable convoy of classic VWs. A lot of pedestrians and motorists stopped to gawk, wave, and take photos and videos of us. I think we even got a few new members as a result too.
Woohoo, no rain!
Everyone enjoyed the ride up and the day ended well. It was a good club day to remember. I’m glad that I helped to organise the event and introduce this route to other club members. It pleased me to know other people enjoyed the drive. I hope we can make repeat the occasion on another fine sunny day.
POSTSCRIPT: Next time if we come here again, we can drive up using Reynolds into Tindals Road. The blackspot part is only the other way when you drive from Tindals into Reynolds Road. On the return journey back driving on Warrandyte Road into Anderson Creek is safer. VWCV Club Member 569. When I first joined in the 1990s my membership number was 16 but I let it lapse.
The St Andrews Hotel kindly reserved the front parking area for us.
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VICE PRESIDENT | REPORT
FIRE?
ANDREW ERMEL
Just a short and quick report from me this month. Thanking all the members who updated and renewed their memberships and a big thank you to all the members who attended the last VW club meeting at the Austrian Club Heidelberg and brought along their club membership cards. Good work guys and keep bringing the cards and participating in door prize draw. Remember if your membership card is drawn out at the meeting you could win yourself an excellent prize. We just had our combined three way club event this weekend at Woodend. Members from our club VW club Vic Ballarat VW club and Bendigo VW had a fantastic time despite the cold and wet weather we have been having. VWCV members started off from Calder BP at 9.30 am arriving at Woodend just a bit past 10. We were soon joined by the members from the other clubs and after a morning tea provided by the Ballarat club members we headed outside for the treasure hunt organised by Marg Bruty. After the treasure hunt we had a BBQ lunch of Snags and hamburgers provided by our club. I would like to thank the manager of the catering John Stevens, executive chef Brian Palmer, assistant cooks Mike Cronin and Evan Davies who all worked hard and with much complaining in getting the BBQ food ready.
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Wagensville News
Automatic fire
suppression system
After our lunch we started the rocker cover racing on a beautifully prepared track supplied and set up by Bernd Wachs. The track was almost 7 metres long and proved to be very fast if not too fast for some of the racers. Club members raced against each other and the winner from each club participated in a round robin race of at the end of the day. There were some magnificent machines and a lot of time had been spent in getting fast race cars ready for the event.
T Series Cars 4WD Boats Caravans Generators IT Server Cabinets
The winners from each club are as follows:
Electrical cabinets Farming & Agricultural
VWCV
Kellie Handicott driving “Gary2” built and crewed by Andrew Ermel
Ballarat VW Club
Peter “The Brute” Bruty driving “The Destroyer” built at the Ballarat home of the insane.
Bendigo VW Club
Father and daughter team Sam an Ella Bennett driving their own home built racer (Until it was nearly completely destroyed in a fiery crash at the end of the track which nearly took out life member John Farlow)
Earthmoving Machines Industrial & Manufacturing
Kellie and Andrew. Features
Keely's rocker cover racer.
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 Clean and effective extinguishing agent: world-wide known and accepted HFC gases (HFC-227ea and HFC-236fa) 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
Overall inter-club winner
Kellie Handicott who won all of her races and was undefeated on the day. Thanks to our respective club presidents who scrutinised and officiated over the event. Thanks again to the track officials Bernd Wachs, John Farlow and the fair handed starter David Hennessey. Final thank you to Peter and Marg Bruty for organising and planning the event!
Very simple installation: no training required for installation Pressure gauge to monitor the pressure at any time Low operation temperatures: up to -40°C 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
See you all at the next meeting. www.blazecut.com
Andrew Ermel VICE President JUNE 2016
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s ’ n ria
o t s i
H
C
r e n r o
In this month’s ‘Corner’ we have some more interesting tales from our club newsletter, ‘Wagensville News’ and Australian history. This year marks 70 years since the Wolfsburg factory achieved a full year of production (for then) in 1946 not many changes right up to 1966. That year is also the oldest Volkswagen in Australia. I hope you enjoy these stories and please feel to contact me if you can help in developing the documentation our rich history.
JUNE
At the start of 1966 Sir Robert Menzies stepped drop as the longest serving Prime Minister (still in Australian history) and was replaced by Harold Holt, his deputy for 10 years. William McMahon became Deputy and Treasurer, who later became Prime Minister in 1971. Holt was famous in June ’66 on a trip to the USA to support American Foreign policy and adopting the slogan ‘All the way with LBJ’ with reference to US President Lyndon Johnson. Production of 1300 Beetles was in full swing at the Clayton factory but Volkswagen Australia was in big trouble as sales figures were down against the flood of Japanese imports. There were lots of accessories for Volkswagens in the the1960s and this Gossen tachometer has numbers that approximate the font used on standard type 3 instruments. It does not have a recessed face and has a production date of June 1966.
1966
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Wagensville News
FOR SALE tralia, Group 5 Motorkhana at the Maroondah Driver Training Complex in Kilsyth, another Bowling Night at the Golden Bowl, Camberwell, and finishing the month with a Morwell Hillclimb – wow what a month of activities and a lot of work for the committee. Featured are stories on club and local VW activities; main features were on VW Sketching, the final of Modeller’s Corner & Skoda News (see in this issue), Group 5 Rantings, a great piece of Kurt Jones’ imagination (Jack & Guido- see Part 2 of Historian’s Corner) and the details of that year’s Volkswagen Spectacular – now this year in its 21st show after its 32nd year in existence!
Maureen Kemister was the VWCV President, Ian Williams was Vice President, M. Kemister was Secretary, Kevin Kemister was Treasurer, Competition Secretaries were Dave Evans (previous VWCV Historian) and Rob Mitchell with the Editor’s position again filled by Maureen Kemister. The club had lost its magazine and had resorted to a list of activities on a foolscap sheet! Again this one of only a handful of 1960’s club magazines we have in the club archive and we need more. Of interest was the now unusual ‘News’ complaining about lack of material for the club newsletter although this edition had a page plus report on the Kilmore Motorkhana.
JUNE
Tony Barton was the Club President, Mark Zellner was Secretary, Michael Clark was Treasurer, Isobel Kosa was Point Score Officer, Group 5 Rep was Michael Clark, Editors were Mark Holyoak & Baden Clissold, Jon Edsell was Public Officer/Bug In – DOTVW Liaison Officer. The committee had a good plan for 1986 club year and the magazine was full of details on the club program full year; including 25 motorsports events to November.
1986
Other major events for VWCV members in June were the Pathfinder Rally run by PIARC (Phillip Island Racing Club),a Spit Roast at Michael Clark’s House, the General Meeting at the Light Car Club of Aus-
JUNE
Gary Collis was the Club President, Nathan Leversha was Vice President, Fran Oliver was Secretary, Phil Irwin was Treasurer, Rob Busselmann was Point Score Officer/Membership Secretary, Group 5 Rep was Michael Clark, Editors were Jon Edsell & Phil Irwin and Public Officer was Dave Evans.
1997
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
The committee had a good club program planned up to the start of August; including 4 motorsports events and the General Meetings at Café Hotel, in Victoria St Nth Melbourne. Motorsport was again big on the agenda with a Group 5 Speed event at Winton in the first week of July that year. This was followed by a Group 5 Motorkhana at the Geelong Motor Sports Club ground, at Avalon, organized by Michael Clark, then a Sprint at Calder and another Motorkhana at Avalon. Featured are great stories on club and local VW activities; Member’s Profile – Member No. 16 Mr Yau-ming Chiam and his 1965 Mint Blue Beetle, Budget Racer #2 Cameron’s Polo and Deb Farrelly’s interesting story on ‘A day in the Life of DEBUG’. Look forward to seeing you all at the next VWCV event! Yours deep in VWCV history,
Chris Scane historian@vwclub.com.au
JUNE 2016
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’s n a i tor
His
r e n r Co
Historian’s
The RollOver Beetle Corner
The driver of this VW Beetle in rollover-mode in the 1970s in Tasmania may have said: ‘Oh no, I’ve split my drink’.
I have heard numerous stories of many beetles getting close to tipping over and thankfully I have never done it myself in a Beetle! Of course Volkswagen did use the upside down Beetle in its advertising campaign and this printed image of the VW Beetle the wrong way up made its way all around the world.
Un-related pic from the wrong article.
Wagensville News
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While on a caving trip to Mole Creek in North-West Tasmania in the early/middle 70s, a group of intrepid cavers came across this sad looking VW that had been rolled and left on its roof. There were no people around, and they were not sure what time the accident happened or if there were any causalities. When they came back through after their caving trip the car had been disappeared!!!!! The discoverer of this sad little car owned around four Dubs and they were a great car, air-cooled engine, good little heater system on them, and very economical to run. They had the quarter vent windows and these assisted greatly in keeping him cool when he lived in Geraldton in West Australia. They never knew what we would find on their caving trips, mostly nothing but road and roadside, farms, animals, etc. The man on the left is Frank Brown from Hobart, where the photographer lived then in Tasmania and a fellow caver. The two on the right had also stopped
This event encouraged another old Beetle owner to remember that he had a similar rollover with his mate on his first drive with his ‘new’ VW about 30 years ago.
Yours on the right side of the bitumen,
They went round a bend too fast and rolled then over and over they went end to end... they ended up like this one, on the roof, but managed to get out unhurt... this great shot brought back the memory of that scary event 30 years ago... !!! Finally and to bring us all up to the present, a wonderful picture was found of this New Beetle on its roof, I suspect from the U.S. The young girl looks almost proud of herself in achieving such a neat trick! The car has lost its back window and has a nasty scrape on the boot lid... maybe it travelled a little way upside down. She was dressed in high heels and a black mini shirt and with the lights still on the New Beetle, looks like this young girl was ready for a night on the town... but not a rollover of her car! JUNE 2016
The event of putting a Beetle on its roof can be a scary and expensive experience.
Hope you have enjoyed our look a motoring on the wrong side of the road. If you have some more stories of maybe where things went wrong send them to secretary@vwclub.com.au
Chris Scane
and were as curious as we were about this event. Their caving usually happened in Mole Creek, NorthWest of Tasmania, and as they lived in Hobart, this was around a 4-hour drive to get there.
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’s n a i tor
His
r e n r Co FROM WAGENSVILLE JUNE 1986
Interestingly Wagensville News sometimes coughs up some fascinatJUNE ing stories from the past and this is one of the better ones! Where Kurt got the inspiration for this piece of fantasy, I am not sure. I did know Kurt in the mid 1980s and he was always a character. The fact there is no tunnel up Warburton way, merely gets in the way of a good story. Some of the other stories of the eighties may not go down too well today, consequentially they will not resurface! – Chris Scane.
1986
I
have a story to tell. It involves a friend named Jack and his Beetle named Guido. Jack was not that bright. Guido was smarter than Jack. Jack had his good points though; he loved animals, perhaps because a trick of evolution had put him closer to them than humans. I once saw Jack drive his FC Holden (sedan) into a gum tree in an effort to miss a lizard which had thoughtlessly strayed onto the road. The gum tree fell over, the FC got bogged the Lizard watched and was hit by a Kenworth (truck), Jack cried. To this day Jack always keeps the remains of that lizard, which looks
more like a flounder, in the glovebox of his car as a reminder of how cruel life can be. Jack also had is bad points, not all the least of which is an unquenchable thirst for sherry. This passion for chestnut teal had frequently lead to his downfall. One particular evening Jack and I were to attend a party up Warburton way. Nothing unusual in that, except the party had a theme; underwear. Jack had always had a problem with theme parties. He once went to a Tupperware party as a salad bowl. After a great deal of consideration Jack and I decided on silk stockings(shear), suspenders (sexy), corsets (black), and stilettoes (high). On the way to the party we stopped at the local for me to collect two dozen cans and Jack to collect two flagons of Royal Reserve (Sherry). No problems except for a man wearing spurs and a leather SS cap who wanted to know my bra size. The party itself was fun but uneventful and like most you lads we drank too much. I have memories (vague) of Jack drinking sherry from a yard glass, sherry and coke, sherry and vodka and finishing the evening with a civilized sherry and port with after dinner mints, shortly thereafter Jack decided it was time to go but before he went he wanted a coffee so he headed for the kitchen. An hour later I found him trying to light the electric oven with a match!
Finally we were in Guido going home, Jack driving me saying Hail Mary. As we entered the Warburton Tunnel things began to liven up. We nearly got to the end of the tunnel when we were confronted by two headlights, some distance apart, coming straight at us. Jack coaxed the Beetle to the left and as we passed the oncoming truck, the vacuum it created picked us up and put Guido on his lid at the end of the tunnel.
W
ithout waiting to turn the engine off, we scrambled out of the mess, Jack panicked and was running around screaming that the cops would come and he would be a pedestrian till the return of Halley’s Comet. It was at that moment that Jack shone with one of his few moments of brilliance. He always kept a packet of aniseed lifesavers next to the lizard. Surely that would disguise our breath (the lifesavers not the lizard). Unfortunately during the rollover the remaining flagon had opened and we were wearing the contents so the lifesavers would be of little use in any case.
Historian’s
Secondly the glove box had opened and the lifesavers had fallen out on the ground and we had been walking around on them. Meanwhile the engine was still running and pumping oil all over the place.
Corner
When finally another car arrived, it was confronted by the sight of Guido, the killer Bug, dead, wheels in the air, and making self destruct noises while two men wearing torn stockings and black underwear, smelling like an aperitif, plucking bits of oil soaked lifesaver from the bitumen and munching on them on the fond hope that the approaching vehicle was not occupied by members of the Victorian constabulary! Like all stories this one has a moral: No matter how bad things may seem, the light at the end of the tunnel may be a truck! Or something like that! From the active imagination of Kurt Jones!
Forget the coffee, time to go home; Jack didn’t quite make it to the door before he threw up on our hosts’ hapless cat. Jack looked at what he had done. “I don’t remember eating that!”
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Wagensville News
JUNE 2016
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WOODEND
’s n a i tor
His
r e n r Co JUNE
2016
Rocker Cover Racing at Woodend with the Ballarat, Bendigo and Melbourne VW clubs.
BY CHRIS SCANE
The Volkswagen Beetle has been used for a number of different themes in its lifetime and furniture seems to feature quite strongly over time. Chopping up good beetles is not sometime that is to be encouraged but as the images are out there, it is interesting to see what creative minds can do with our iconic car. The natural curves of the bonnet, guards and other parts of the car lend itself to an application in the furniture world, the proportions maybe a little bit out, only suiting a person about 8 foot tall! Where this is not the case why not turn the whole house upside down and there are two examples of this, with a VW beetle, of course. But you cannot stop admiring the thought that went into the design and application, of this special automotive theme, that we know so well and given a new purpose on the quirky side! The first example is the upside down Beetle shell used as a bed suspended from the ceiling. The woman looks very relaxed in the photo, giving an impression of complete serenity, but how much work was put into the photo shoot to create that image. Unfortunately there
is no more information to be found on the image but you cannot but wonder at the thought and planning used to produce such an interesting shot. Maybe suspended from the roof at just the right height; which is beyond the reach of tiny ones, maybe the ultimate sanctuary!
BELOW: Brodie's rocker cover racer, Flake paint, 36 horser, with custom 3D printed and machined BRMs.
The next example of Beetle furniture is the Beetle armchair - maybe more suited in proportion to a group of very tall Australians. The Black and White pictures portray a comfortable chair and footrest; it shows a great deal of work in the sculpturing of the bonnet and the upholstery to match. The larger chair shows the tester happy but this may not be the most comfortable piece of furniture, but it is about a statement and impact. Finally what is the ultimate feature in a room (garage) for the mad Volkswagen enthusiast? – an upside down Beetle of course! The upside down house took a painstaking eight months to build and furnish in Terfens, Austria. The garage has a prominent piece on the ceiling and is a daring experiment, honestly not seen anywhere else. The expressions on the faces of the children says it all, Wow! The upside down photo of the people standing on the ceiling added another dimension to this interesting concept of Beetle furniture. Not to be outdone by the Austrians, the Thais in Phuket have an upside down house with an upside down 1200 Beetle proudly on display, outside the house. Well that wraps up a upside down version of the ‘News’ if you have a concept we can use please contact the Editor on editor@vwclub.com.au or Secretary on secretary@vwclub.com.au
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Wagensville News
Unit 2, 1-3 Bignell Road Moorabbin, VIC 3189 | Phone: 03 9532 2749
JUNE 2016
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THE GENERAL VEE The driver after he had fallen out of the vehicle
We all know and love the movie The Love Bug with ‘Herbie’ the Volkswagen as the main star. He was such a great actor. I think Herbie ended up being typecast as he did not really have a very prolonged movie career. There was ‘Herbie Rides Again’, ‘Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo’, ‘Herbie does Dallas’ and quite a few more including ‘Herbie fully loaded’ in 2005 with Lindsay Lohan who also may have been fully loaded. But what if Herbie had been under the guidance of a better agent? What if Herbie or indeed other Volkswagens were used in other movies and TV shows? Shows such as Dukes of Hazzard, The Nightrider, Starsky and Hutch, Smokey and the Bandit, Magnum PI or Miami Vice? I can see Magnum PI now cruising around in his Type 3 notch chasing bad guys. And occasionally catching one. Mostly not. Steven Spielberg originally wanted to use a Kombi in his 1971 film, ‘Duel’, the movie about a bad guy that tailgates an innocent driver for the full length of the film, cutting him off, ramming him and pushing him into oncoming vehicles. However in rehearsals, the Kombi was not able to keep up with the 1970 Plymouth Valiant and was unable to ram it or push it off the road. They even tried speeding up the film but it still looked too slow. And they realised that any dialogue would be hard to understand. A bit like this story.
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The Dukes of Hazzard follows the adventures of The Duke Boys, cousins Bo Duke and Luke Duke in Hazzard County, Georgia, with their cousin Daisy and their wise old Uncle Jesse. Prior to the show commencing, the producers tried out a few different cars before deciding on the 1969 Dodge Charger. The first car they tried was dubbed ‘The General Vee’ as it was a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle. The scripts called for over 200 cars to be fully wrecked by the time the series ended some years later. The problem with using the VW was twofold: firstly, the clay prototypes weren't dry enough to be driven fast and red ones were hard to come by. Secondly on the day of the first attempted jump, the crew couldn’t get the car started as someone had left the lights on the day before. Also the stunt driver who had not previously driven a VW, received a perforated eardrum when the door was slammed too hard as he had forgotten to wind the window down a fraction for some reason.
T
he next day, they tried again. The stunt involved driving up a large ramp which would launch the Beetle over a small creek and then land safely on the other side. In the first attempt, the driver accelerated hard, spinning the wheels in the dirt and launching off the ramp at about 35 miles per hour. There was only one issue and that was that the required speed needed to be 50 miles per hour. The car fell into the creek and floated away downstream. The driver managed to get out just before lunch and then jumped into the second car for another attempt. A further 15 cars were destroyed by the end of the day and by this time the driver was getting pretty sore. The following day when car number 17 wouldn’t start, they abandoned the idea and started testing the Dodge which had a bit more power. Stay tuned for Starsky and Hutch tales prior to them settling for the Torino.
WHYNE LEWIS JUNE 2016
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VOLKSWAGENS AND WOOD GAS
POWER! T
his was a different story back in 1946 where petrol was almost impossible to get, was rationed in Australia and elsewhere in the world and the black-market supply was flourishing!
The technology became commonplace in many European countries during the Second World War, as a consequence of the rationing of fossil fuels. Ford, GM, and other car manufacturers made kits, and many cars were converted to run on wood, either using a mass produced conversion kit, or a homemade version. A car using a factory built kit would run for 100,000 miles fairly problem-free. In Germany alone, around 500,000 producer gas vehicles were in operation by the end of the war. The way this worked was that wood was heated until it began to break down chemically. When wood burns in a normal fire, the wood decomposes chemically due to the heat, and some of the gasses produced by the wood are flammable, and they burn as they are released. A network of some 3,000 ‘petrol stations’ were set up, where drivers could stock up on firewood. Not only private cars but also trucks, buses, tractors, motorcycles, ships and trains were equipped with a wood gasification unit. Some tanks were driven on wood gas, too, but for military use the Germans
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Wagensville News
NEW SEGMENT
TOP MECHANICAL TIPS AND MOTORING SOLUTIONS Something we take for granted is filling up our Volkswagens with petrol at our local service station; shortages of petrol are now very rare! preferred the production of liquid synthetic fuels (made out of wood or coal). In 1942 (when the technology had not yet reached the height of its popularity), there were about 73,000 producer gas vehicles in Sweden, 65,000 in France, 10,000 in Denmark, 9,000 in both Austria and Norway, and almost 8,000 in Switzerland. Finland had 43,000 'woodmobiles' in 1944, of which 30,000 were buses and trucks, 7,000 private vehicles, 4,000 tractors and 600 boats. Woodmobiles also appeared in the US, Asia and, particularly, Australia, which had 72,000 vehicles running on woodgas. Altogether, more than one million gas producer vehicles were used during World War Two.
I
t was stored in a chamber, and injected into the cylinders of a regular internal combustion car. Some of the German made wood-burning cars were the VW Kdf Wagen (postwar Beetle), and the German Army Kübelwagen.
Although the designation T230 was used to indicate woodgas fuel systems fitted to both Kubelwagens and KdF Wagens (Type 60 wartime Beetles), surviving photographs reveal that a variety of gas generator designs and hood sheet metal were employed. These vehicles are easily recognized by the vehicle’s modified hood. These photos also show that the fuel loading hatch protruded from a port in the hood, while others illustrate an unbroken hoodline which completely enclosed the generator.
Volkswagen in the 1940s and particularly during the war still used this technology because gasoline was in very short supply. The wood was heated to a temperature hot enough to decompose the wood, but the gas was not allowed to burn.
If both driver and passenger wipers are required, you may need to drill two holes and have two drills.
Generally the woodgas fuel system comprised a gassifier container fitted into the nose of the vehicle. Both Kubelwagens and Beetles equipped with the T230 gas generator located the generator vessel ahead of the front axle beams where the spare tyre was formerly located. Type 60’s relocated the spare tyre, along with extra bags of fuel, to a roof rack on the roof of the vehicle. The bottom of the gas generator also extended below the original bodywork at the front of the vehicle, thus decreasing obstacle clearance. It was often a case of use what little resources that were available at the time and be thankful you had that or it was a push bike to get around and even they were in short supply, this applied in Australia too.
After the war, with gasoline once again available, the technology fell into oblivion almost instantaneously. At the beginning of the 1950s, the then West-Germany only had some 20,000 woodmobiles left.
If you drive a 6 volt Volkswagen and would love to have better wipers, simply drill a hole through the windscreen with a battery powered drill, then poke the drill through the hole then somehow attach it to one of the windscreen wiper splines. Then turn the drill to the 'forwards' position which will then make the wiper move and wipe the rain away and then change the drill position to 'reverse' to get the wipers back to their original position. Continue to repeat this process until the rain has stopped.
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of a past world that thankfully we do not have to endure! If you want to see the technology on a 1960s Beetle this is a link. youtube.com/watch?v=Mwrnz28rthE YOURS IN WOOD-BURNING VW TECHNOLOGY,
CHRIS SCANE VWCV HISTORIAN
Please note that this diagram may not be of help.
WANTED 1976 VW 1600 AUTOMATIC Preferably with RWC or not too much work in getting one. Contact Charles 0412 244 051 or charlesmreichman@gmail.com JUNE 2016
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VCVW | COLLECTOR’S CORNER
Hazet tool kits where first produced in 1950 for the growing VW market, the first models being made to fit into the Beetle spare wheel. As the years progressed, more versions of their tool kits where produced and took many forms. This article will concentrate on the later 12V kit, which was produced between the late 1960’s through till the mid 1970’s.
The bottom tray contains enough tools, branded HAZET, to perform minor servicing of the vehicle if needed and their quality reflects that. The tools include a Hub Cap puller, Valve Clearance adjuster, sump plug removal tool, a set of feeler gauges for setting points, plug gaps etc, along several spanners of various sizes and a couple of screwdrivers. Special mention should be made of the electrical test lead included in the tray, for those hard to solve electrical issues that can and do occur from time to time in VW’s – namely earthing issues. Each of the trays includes a B&W photo of what tools are in that tray, so that you can work out what tools you have left on the side of the road the last time you did emergency repairs and forgot to pick up – oops!
Stuart Ermel Please email Josh at: editor@vwclub.com.au
For many years I have been trying to purchase one of these kits, and have in the last couple of months finally been able to obtain one in complete mint original condition. Most kits out there for sale are usually in poor condition and also missing tools/ trays etc. The kit is housed in a pressed steel box painted a VW dark blue colour with a stamped VW logo on the lid highlighted in white. Inside are two plastic trays of tools. The top tray contains what is known as Black Tools, which are the non branded tools that came in the tool roll with the car, and are transferred to the new tool kit. These tools, whilst not of top quality as to be expected with tools in a tool roll, are sufficient to get you out of trouble if needed.
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JUNE MAY 2016
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A FAMILY AFFAIR My parents are getting older and during a recent family discussion it was agreed I should take on the running of my father’s 1990 Silver VW Caravelle. My initial thinking was, “Does my family really need another car?” The additional cost was not something I was chasing and the prospect of a decaying car out the front of our house made me shudder.
After an expensive service to bring the car to Road Worthy Condition and a surprisingly painless and efficient visit to Vic Roads, the car was transferred to me. My journey as custodian had begun. I’d heard about the VW Club and decided to join the Club to inspire me to maintain the car and hopefully restore it to its former glory car at some point. After reading Wagensville News and the mention of the Porsche powered Silver Caravalle in the April 2016 edition, I also thought I should share the history of my dad’s love of VW’s and our family’s connection with the brand.
parents eventually sold the Falcon and purchased a magnificent Orange 1974 Kombi. An iconic shape matched with the coolest colour of the 1970’s meant that we had a car to behold. I loved the car and it was a family fixture for over twenty years used not just by Dad, but also the whole family. It was the cornerstone of camping trips, day walk adventures, mass transport of hockey teams and later when I had my licence, epic surfing treks from Melbourne to Sydney along the East coast.
My father was born in Kenya, in Africa, and after studying medicine in Scotland, relocated to Canada to commence his career in earnest. In 1961 he purchased a beautiful 1959 VW Kombi for C$1,600. This car was used for many exciting adventures, including road trips across the country from Ontario to Vancouver.
I then thought about the fun I’ve had in VW’s and the fact that the presence of VW’s has been a constant in the life of our extended family. Taking on the Caravelle was a way to continue the family tradition.
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For part of my parent’s time in Canada, Dad worked as a GP in Yellowknife, North-West Territories, a tough and remote mining town. The trusted Kombi endured temperatures down to 50ºC below zero with the help of a plug-in heater when not in use. It was here my twin sisters were born and had their first taste of VW travel in their pram top. It was ‘freeze up’ when they left Yellowknife but the Mackenzie River crossing was not yet
The space and great windows still make the car the best choice for road trips and safaris.
safe. Instead, the Kombi was transported in a Bristol freighter aircraft across Great Slave Lake. My Australian-born mother ultimately convinced my father to relocate to Melbourne and the VW romance continued. Dad drove a 1965 white Beetle to the Royal Children’s Hospital each day while Mum went to the dark side and drove a big Ford Falcon station wagon. Life was not the same without a Kombi so my
The Orange Kombi travelled well over 200,000km before it finally succumbed to wear and tear, and drove off to VW Valhalla. In around 1992 Dad purchased the Silver Caravelle. For a family which had tended to own cars for a long time and were not flashy, it seemed like a truly luxury vehicle. Power-steering and cloth seats (no plastic!), modern styling without totally deserting the true Kombi profile and a rear motor that meant 100km per hour was a comfortable reality. JUNE 2016
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A FAMILY AFFAIR
VALE DAVID BARNES Dave was born in Bradford, England in January 1946. He emigrated to Australia with his family in 1958 and settled in Tasmania. He enlisted for National Service in July 1966 and worked at the Albert Park Barracks in Melbourne, was discharged in January 1969 and returned to Tasmania. He returned to Melbourne in the early 1970s and worked as a Tyre Fitter and Manager at a Bob Jane T Mart.
the Volkswagen Custom Club where he was also president. He owned 26 Volkswagens in his lifetime and won many awards. Dave was well known by many other senior VWCV members and will be sadly missed for his enthusiasm for our marque.
Dave loved cars and became an integral member of the Volkswagen community starting as a member of the Volkswagen Auto Club (VWAC) in about 1972 and going on to be the president about 1975 when I joined VWAC. He was always the person who would come across the room to greet you and was a very friendly guy! He then joined the Volkswagen Club of Victoria (VWCV) after the demise of VWAC and
This car was used extensively as Dad took overseas doctor friends on sight-seeing journeys around Victoria and was used by family members when heading on holidays or moving furniture. Once at Wilsons Prom a wild storm came through Tidal River and cleaned out the campsite except for my now wife and I, and two friends Craig McKenzie (hot chocolate supremo groundedpleasures.com.au) and Geoff Hill (Australia’s best English import). We simply climbed into the Kombi, opened some Port and played cards in the pouring rain, as other campers scurried home.
As well as the VW’s mentioned, the extended family has had Golfs, Passat’s and a Tiguan. Whilst these models are functional and fun in their own way, nothing beats the Kombis and old Beetles.
The mythology of these great cars in our family is well deserved and not based just on timeless design, but mostly on the great memories they have given our family. As I embark on the Silver Kombi restoration project, I know it’s a worthy passion project. Now, where do I find an intact rear bumper bar for a 25 year-old Caravelle?
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. This month’s winner is Carl Evans. Congratulations!
Thanks to Kester Brown Senior for the photos of his cars.
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JUNE 2016
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MEMBERSHIPS
IS YOUR MEMBERSHIP UP TO DATE? GO ONTO CLUB WEBSITE VWCLUB.COM.AU
To update your postal address, your email address or phone number, it’s as easy as going online at vwclub.com.au and signing in. We the Membership Officers are happy to take you through this process.
Login using your membership number. If you have forgotten your password or membership number, email us at memberships@vwclub.com.au and we will reset it for you. Payment is via PayPal. Alternatively you can post in a cheque or money order to VWCV Memberships PO Box 1215 Melbourne VIC 3001 Renewal notices are sent out via email. If you have unsubscribed, you will not get this email. Members that are out of date lose the entitlement to vote, to stand for a Committee position, to receive copies of the Club Magazine and to utilise the Club Permit Scheme for their vehicle. It is a requirement that all vehicles on the Club Permit scheme (CH & H Plates) are current financial members. If you have a vehicle on Club Permit registration and you are not a financial member – you are deemed, by law, to be driving an unregistered vehicle. Memberships overdue by 60 days will be removed from the database to maintain privacy and you will have to re-join as a new member.
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Wagensville News
Andrew Mengyel Charmain Green
Membership Officer Assistant Membership Officer
Email: memberships@vwclub.com.au
MEMBERSHIP | APPLICATION
'What do you think so far Mavis? A bit bumpy? … Mavis?'
VOLKSWAGEN LIFE "Das Magpies just kicked einen more point... suffer in ein liederhosen, ya!"
JUNE 2016
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JUNE 2016 VOLUME 62 ISSUE 17
Wagensville 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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