Table of contents for December 2017 in VWt

''Volkswagen may soon be re-named Voltswagen'' Perhaps I should have written this editorial last month, but the mind-bending genius of Steve Gibbo’s 500bhp, AWD Caddy R threw me a swerve ball. It also got me thinking about the future of our hobby. In a nutshell, the recent comments in the news about phasing out diesels and further embracing electric car technology made me question what will happen to all the engine tech we’ve come to know and love, from the explosion of turbochargers in Group B Rallying in the early ’80s through the more refined tuning technology of the teenies. Having just watched a couple of very interesting YouTube videos called Fully Charged, about a classic Porsche 911 and a Beetle converted to electric motors, I can’t help thinking this…

VolksWorld needs you! Got a killer Van that needs to be seen by 20,000 or so members of the admiring public? Then bring it along to the world famous, prestigious VolksWorld Show at Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey, over the weekend of 24-25 March 2018. All you’ve got to do is email some pictures, along with a short description of the modifications that have been done, to adrian.vaughan@kelsey.co.uk. When the display cars have been chosen, he’ll drop you an email to confirm your attendance. Space, as always, is limited, but it promises to showcase the best of the best from all over Europe, whether air or water-cooled by design. See you there. Website: www.volksworldshows.co.uk Contact: adrian.vaughan@kelsey.co.uk Rock ’n’ roll buyers’ guide There is a bewildering array…

SpaceShuttle Jon Pearce, Hampshire Let me introduce ‘Big John, my 2012 LWB Shuttle bus. I have owned him now for about two years. Starting with the front end, I wanted something a little different from the Sportline spoiler so opted for a Vanstyle lower spoiler with a JPL splitter bolted to it. That’s been matched by a tailgate spoiler. Being a Shuttle, the windows were already factory fitted so that helped, but I’ve added 20in Kahn alloys, Vamoose awning rails and the odd R Line decal to finish it off. On the inside, again I didn’t want conventional furniture, so opted for a Cannons Forge full-width bed, which has been trimmed to match the existing Bentley-stitch black leather. I had to remove the existing carpet and seat brackets to fit…

“we’re embracing middle age, and loving it!” Our annual trip to somewhere mountain biking and hiking friendly was booked months ago, with good friends Rick and Helen, only to find out shortly before we were due to set off our accommodation had burnt down, so we had to quickly pick another cottage. As we’d had problems the previous year with a smoking boiler, this really wasn’t welcome news, but Rick found one between Chapelen-le-Frith and Whaley Bridge. Best of all, it was a farm with two alpacas, so Karen was happy as she’s a big fan of the camelidae family of animals. We even took a picture of a foppish one that we think looks a lot like former VWt editor, James Peene. We can’t see the point in relaxing…

“the only thing I was really worried about, is sound quality” Shoot me down for my love of music, but good sounds are important to me. Over the years I’ve probably spent more money on in-car and domestic stereo bits and bobs than almost anything else. It’s not to show off and be Billy big balls, because not many people see the inside of my house and I don’t really like people looking at / in my vehicles because of a constant sense of theft paranoia born of a life lived in London. What are they doing looking at the Van? What was that noise downstairs at 3.30am? You know, that sort of thing. Nevertheless, having not really had a motor befitting a decent stereo set up for a few…

Social security Dear VWt, you lot seem like you’re all of sound mind so, I ask you, what’s with all the hatred that seems to pervade every online exchange I see these days? Just surfing through my usual Facebook channels the other day, I noticed things kicking off between two VW Van clubs. What’s that all about? Surely, if you don’t like something online you just scroll down, ignore it and keep going about your day with a big smile on your face, don’t you? Why does everything have to turn into an argument nowadays? Can’t we just all hug it out, agree that we don’t all like the same stuff, and continue enjoying our Vans and our lives separately? I’m increasingly drawn towards Instagram for my social media Van…

''nothing to detract from the stars of the show – the cars'' The Ws WHAT? www.edition38.com WHY? Because, like it or not, Golf trends directly influence what we do to our Vans WHEN? 1–3 September WHERE? Overstone Park, Northants It’s a weekend of clashes at the start of September. VW Action doubles up with Edition38 every year, so we always try and do the Friday night / Saturday morning at the Pod to take in a bit of drag racing, and then head over to the Edition38 shindig on Saturday evening for a few beers and another night in the back of Project Shed. It’s an awesome weekend spent at two very different VW events. While Action is great, and predictably massive, Edition38 offers a slightly more personal, chilled and…

When we headed to the South West to meet 20-year-old Ryan Hillier, part of the South West Dubberz club, to find out about his T4 we were intrigued as to what made him decide to trade in his hot hatch for a Van? For most 20-year-old lads, the idea of getting rid of your car for an ‘old Van’ probably isn’t that attractive. And our suspicions were confirmed speaking with Ryan. It turns out none of his mates have Vans, and most of them weren’t interested in them at all. Of course that was before he got his, now everything has changed. Although Ryan has been the owner of this Van for the last year, it has been in the family for nearly a decade, which undoubtedly helped him make…

“as well as passing the conventional pull test, it’s also been bolted onto a VW Van floorpan and then pull tested, so it’s as safe as can be” Choosing a bed is a simple process but, thanks to all the talk surrounding M1 crash test approval, fitting one is a job people seem reluctant to tackle at home, preferring to leave it to suppliers or experienced mechanical hands. So we thought we’d show you just some experienced hands doing the job so you can make a qualified decision as to whether to undertake the job yourself at home. First things first. We’d say it’s impossible to do this job on your own. Two people is a necessity, three makes it easier at some points in the process. We chose a…

Juicy Bird Adrian Bird explains why he transformed his daily driver T4 into a Hispanic-influenced lowrider Expedition ’Wagen Find out why this might be one of the most inspirational builds yet. It’s all about sacred geometry you see Let’s off road! A T6 4mo from Uberbus called the Uberock. It’s mad, bad and ready for anything Sporting times Leave your troubles at your front door and escape in this fully kitted out getaway vehicle Plus How to: carpet lining We can now report from personal experience it’s not as difficult as some people make out Show report VW Festival at Harewood House, Leeds Issue 62 (January 2018) on sale Friday 24 November Don’t miss it! To subscribe visit here: http://shop.kelsey.co.uk/subscription/VWT * Contents subject to change because…

Speaking to Daniel Henson of Starlight Campers about how this Camper came into being, I was reminded initially of the TV programme, Don’t Tell The Bride. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no addict but every now and then, it’s interesting to watch how things turn out when the bride wants a traditional, classy, white wedding and the groom thinks a medieval-themed event on a waterlogged farm, with the bride arriving on the back of a goat, is the way to go. The point is that one partner inevitably trusts the other to create a life-changing event they will remember forever. And it was a similar story with this Camper. The big difference, of course, is that no one on the TV programme is ever a master of their craft, while…

There comes a time in every man or woman’s life where they have to settle down, think about their health, their future, their passions. That time typically arrives once sprogs arrive and you start to think about leaving something behind for them to be proud of, so they can live comfortably and maybe even have a better life than you’ve had the pleasure of experiencing so far. In the case of Will Roberts, he thought he had all that sussed when he was flogging satellite TV dishes and accessories for a living, but then he started doing what he loves! Many of you reading this will be aware of the Transporter HQ and Camper Glass brands by now. Some may even have bought some glass from them, or other bits…

Sweet treat If I were to tell you Marc Piontek built this Van as a weekend Camper and a base for longer family trips, as a daily driver and as the workhorse for his lawn care business, you might think either I’m lying, or he is a little bit mad. No Van can do all of that, and look as good as this, surely? But I would have to disagree with you. In fact I would go so far as to suggest Marc is an absolute genius, and has pulled off what many say is impossible. Marc is, by his own admission, not really in a position to be able to have what he describes as a ‘toy’ purely for the sake of it. So, when his previous works Van…

“We don’t have any CNC-cut furniture coming through our unit” Starlight Campers has come a long way since setting up shop 10 years ago, and has continued to grow steadily ever since. We caught up with MD, Mark Cherrington, for the lowdown on where the business stems from, what influences them and how they see the future of Camper conversions changing over the next few years. The guys at Starlight don’t just work on Transporters for customers though, they also partake in all aspects of the show circuit, and there’s hardly been a show this year that we’ve not seen them at. So, without further ado, let’s see just why this star shines so bright. VWt: Hi Mark, how long has Starlight been going, and how did you end up…

There’s only so much someone can take before they snap VWt: Watcha Shaun, how’s life? And how is that incredible Van of yours running at the moment? You’ve overcome a few hiccups recently, right? SL: Hey! Busy as usual with work, work, Van and more work. Got to pay for it all somehow. It’s running ATM. It’s been a bit of a shocking year to be honest. Over the 2016 / ’17 winter I did an engine build that spun a big end bearing after 150 miles. Then I was waiting on parts again, so it took a while to get the Van back on the road. Once I got it back up and rolling, I found the ’box had been rebuilt badly and it damaged some of the internals.…