In The Hood - Opel

From this post, another one of VB's neighbor's cars, in his collection. This, a 1930's Opel, on the left, is in the process of repair. He's got one more very nice car, which VB will post on later. Consider this Part 2.




















NEWS:

Herbie goes commercial: VW to feature talking Bug in new ads

"Volkswagen of America needs a boost. Once a top brand among young car buyers, the company is now ranked 18th in U.S. sales and has experienced a 32 percent decline over the past five years. So what will rescue the automaker's fortunes -- lower prices, better quality, a hot new sport coupe? How about a talking 1964 Beetle? Who needs KITT when there's Max, VW's latest and greatest ad spokesman."


From jalopnik, One-Off Steam-Powered VW Kit Car
"When we hear "steam car" we imagine a car with wooden wagon wheels that spends it's time in Jay Leno's garage. What we don't think of is a fiberglass-bodied VW kit car from the '80s."


License and registration … stop laughing
"Garner has spent as much as $2,000 of his own money giving a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle, seized in a DUI case, a new life as a department cruiser, if that term can be used loosely.

It's probably just as well. It's hard to know how useful the Bug would be as a pursuit vehicle, with its 1,600-cc, air-cooled engine, four-speed transmission and top-end speed of about 70 mph.

Indeed, one person told Garner that "if you pulled me over I'd be too embarrassed to stop."

(More and photos at the link.)


"Cory Virtue loves his fully restored '75 VW." Go here and click on the link labeled: Gallery: Cory Virtue's '75 VW roadster, to see the photogallery. Sorry, but it's the best VB could do.


Walking the walk, back to family value

"Asda's new fashion chief aims to take its label to the top and beat Tesco, Primark and M&S in the process....

Anthony Thompson bustles into an office in Carnaby Street with a bag and a nylon bomber jacket. He does not look like a big cheese in the fashion business, but he has the job of revitalising the big, but rather tired, George fashion brand for Asda.

Unlike most of the big beasts of retail, who tend towards sport and swank for their fun, Thompson likes old cars, old books, art and sculpture. The cars in the Thompson family fleet are not old E-types and Alfas, but a 1965 VW camper van and a 1967 VW Beetle. The camper, he declares, is "brilliant"....

He has his contradictions. He is running a mass-market, value-clothing label and claims he loves wearing his George kit, but is also a fan of the cool German Oska brand because it is "wonderfully produced" with "a purity of design". And while he is working for Asda, owned by the world's biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, he reckons the retail world has become bland and boring. "We need to have a point of view, not to try to second guess each other."


VB's question: "Why?" Check out the video below (no, it does not answer the question, but does provoke it.)
Soundwagon 'record player' takes the groove less traveled

Some people might not know this, but most VW Bus owners do.
Ten Things You Never Knew About Teri Hatcher
"8. Teri just loves her nipples but she isn't so keen on her posterior. She says: "It hangs a little too long. God forbid what it will look like when I'm older. It will probably be dragging along on the ground behind me!" (Ookaay - this VB did not know.)

9. Teri sued the Daily Sport in 2005 after a story called “Telly Teri’s Romps in Van” alleged that she was getting down and dirty in a VW camper van outside her house."


Covergirl Kate turns cabbie for pals with cool new set of wheels
"Kate Moss has acquired a new set of wheels with some serious street cred - a black London taxi cab....

Owning cool transportation has always been a matter of pride for the famous cover girl. Her rides in the past have included an MG Midget and a sleek 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Last year she turned up at the Glastonbury music festival with former love Pete Doherty in an impeccably appropriate VW camper van."

Just makes you wanna cry! Check out the photo and more of the tale, at the link.
VW Van Catches Fire In Lamoine
"On arrival, the 1977 Volkswagen van was fully engulfed in flames.

The driver, Deborah DeForest, said she had stopped along the road to speak with a neighbor when the van stalled. The neighbor noticed that it caught fire, and the driver quickly exited the vehicle without injury."




VB would like to thank The Boss Man for the little gift he brought back to her from the States. It's called "A COLD!"
She has never sneezed as much in her whole, entire lifetime (that's right "whole, entire"), as she did yesterday. She now has shaken brain syndrome (it's still there, but perhaps not exactly in the right place.)


Here comes my baby - The Mavericks

Funkengroovin Wednesday - Double Cab

(Below) Three photos of a pre-1986 Doublecab found in Maadi, Cairo, Egypt, at a construction site (another new apartment building).

According to Volkswagens of the World, by Simon Glen:

"The LT or Type 28 was introduced for the 1976 model year in August 1975, and is still made in the VW factory at Hanover near the "Transporter" high tech production line."

"The LT was available as a panel van, a kombi van with windows, a microbus with seats, a single cab truck, a double cab truck and a chassis and front scuttle only for bus bodies to be built onto."

"For the 1986 model year LTs were given a revised front grille with square headlights."

"The LT range has only really been sold in Europe, with a few marketed in the Middle-East. However, the LTs are still in production at a rate of well over 55,000 per annum, so there is no doubt that they are highly successful, reliable and safe light trucks."













NEWS:

Abandoned VW Beetles are pulled from canyon

(Check out the link for photos and a video too.)

"On Tuesday, the charred and rusted shells of nine VW Beetles were extracted from the western part of the canyon by Haddick's Tow of Industry, under the supervision of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority state rangers."

"There's a lot of dumping out in the canyon, but to have this many cars, and all the same make, is very unusual," said Kenn Hughes, deputy chief ranger."



Pimp my ride
"Maggi is taking a different path with his car, investing a self-estimated $10,000 from his parents and personal savings to fix up his VW Bug, not to mention countless hours of working and fixing."


The 100 most beautiful cars of all time: Beauties and beasts


Prankster puts famous Bug up for sale

"Found: One VW Beetle with number 53 logo. Appeared in 1968 Walt Disney film The Love Bug. Sound intriguing? That's the effect Los Angeles prankster Rory Emerald hopes to achieve with carefully crafted missives, crystallized in titillating classified ads."


Motorclássico 2008: Classics in Lisbon

"The 70th anniversary of the Volkswagen Beetle will be celebrated, with a display entitled ‘VW Beetle – 70 years, 70 cars’; and Bugatti will be another theme of Motorclássico, with an array of classic Bugattis worth several million euros. There will also be a feature called ‘The Dream 50cc’, dedicated to sporty classic motorcycles with 50cc engines.

For more details see www.motorclassico.com."


Madeleine McCann suspect's fury at finding GPS tracker

"British expat Murat, 33, found the GPS bug when he was fixing a fault on his VW Transporter."


Catch the Manning experience at Humphrey's 2 Lanes

"Dave is touring Western North America in his 1965 VW Microbus. And yes, he is looking for VW parts. Dave quit his day-job and committed to a year on the road, making a living playing music. That was three years ago, and he's still out there living the dream. Dave Manning has songs to sing and stories to tell from his years on the road. Dave is gearing up to be the next folk legend right behind the likes of Ramblin' Jack, Guy Clark, and of course Arlo Guthrie (who autographed his microbus.)

Dave tours in “Vincent” his '65 Microbus. In a time when the traveling storyteller and songwriter have long been replaced by television and Karaoke, Dave is still out there with the last of them. Cruising at a lazy 50mph and playing in a different town every few days, Dave isn't afraid of “paying his dues.” His bus is full of stories of the road from Alaska to the high deserts of Nevada, and Arizona and everywhere between."


VW Camper Van egg cups




Series Of Dreams - Bob Dylan

"Like in a dream, when someone wakes up and screams" (VB's dreams this past week - can't sleep, can't blog. Thus the later than usual post. Please accept VB's apologies.)

Funkengroovin Wednesday - Unroadworthy

VB is just going to let the photos tell the story today. She wants to add that, this car is still "in use." She watched as it was being parked. Many cars in Cairo are unroadworthy, but this one takes the cake!




























NEWS:
From Guam: (Nice photos.)
Volkswagen enthusiasts: Friends restore Beetles to original glory

"It all started early last year when Lloyd Baker was handed his brother-in-law's well-used 1967 Beetle, which spent most of its life cruising the streets of Manila. The car had been in Baker's wife family since it was first purchased 41 years ago on Guam and shipped to the Philippines.

He decided to spend the money to restore the "daily driver" back to its original glory, Baker also inspired his friends Jose Cabarles and Jerome Susim to take on their own Beetles to fix up and display.

The three wanted their Beetles to be as close to original as possible while adding a few extra after market parts. All restoration work was to take place back in the Philippines.

The Beetles each had their accessories replaced, from door handles to lights and upholstery. Because of its unusual design, the restoration process is known as a "pan off" where the body of the vehicle is lifted off its base.

Cabarles' car, also a daily driver, received sheet metal replacements for the holes before it was painted Pacific blue."



From Nigeria:
Rickety Vehicles: Off The Road!
"This is the announcement:
From March, 2008, all rickety vehicles shall be cleared off Nigeria’s highways and prevented from ever getting back thereon.
Purpose: To restore sanity to Nigerian Roads
Enforcers: Nigeria Police, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
Announcer: Federal Ministry of Transport, Abuja.

Yes, the vast majority of Nigerians drive and ride in very dangerous rickety vehicles, but do they go in those bad vehicles because they love to? Who is that Nigerian who will have the options of either riding in the gleaming air-conditioned cars of the bank executives or the SUVs of our state officials or in the 30-year old Toyota C20 bus or the weather-beaten Hitler-designed Volkswagen Beetle (yes, they are still on the Nigerian roads!) and he will choose the latter?" (You don't saay...)


From Jerusalem - A movie:
Cinefile: Docu fest...and Portman out of character

"...Yishai Orian's My Beetle, about a man who becomes obsessed with his VW Beeetle and searches for the car's former owners;...."

"Remember, these Israeli movies go all around the international festival circuit winning prizes and you can catch them here first (most are having their premieres at Docaviv). In upcoming weeks, I'll have more information about the festival, including guests and the international competition."


Seven Questions for Phil Patton

"2. You're the author of Bug: The Strange Mutations of the World's Most Famous Automobile. What was the most surprising Bug-related story/fact that you encountered in the process of writing the book?
My favorite Bug is the two-foot metal toy one I own, made in Africa mostly of Coca-Cola cans. The VW bug shapes and the Coke bottle shape are both global icons, which seem to have fallen from the sky, as in The Gods Must Be Crazy. Now Volkswagen wants to create another global icon with the up!"


Airhead Parts to host Vintage VW Car Show & Cruise April 6th – 12th

"Ventura CA, ( Livepr ) March 6, 2008 – Airhead Parts ( www.airheadparts.com ), the leading supplier of restoration parts for vintage Volkswagens (VW Bug / Beetle, Bus / Vanagon and Karmann Ghia) announced today that the 10th annual Treffen Vintage VW car show ( www.airheadparts.com/cruise.html ) will be held this year at the Ventura Harbor Marina on Spinnaker Dr in Ventura California. The show has been moved from its usual May date to Saturday April 12 from 7am to 3pm. The Vintage VW Cruise ( www.airheadparts.com/cruise.html ) will be leaving Ventura at 10am on April 7th, the Monday before."


A WOODSTOVE... IN A VOLKSWAGEN

"This idea isn't foreverybody, but it's helped one MOTHER reader keep winter's cold at bay."

"The job was pretty easy to accomplish, too. I simply discarded the front passenger seat (I don't run into that many hitchhikers out among the Gila monsters, anyway) ... lined the newly opened area with fiberglass . . . cut a few holes in the auto body for ventilation . . . bolted a small sheet-metal "ice fishing" stove to the heatshielded floor . . . and ran the stovepipe out through the side of the car, after which it was connected to a length of flex-pipe that I bolted to the vehicle's roof."

(Great photos and more information at the link)
A Custom VW


From jalopnik (always good and with great photos):
Volkswagen T3 Retrofitted For Wilderness Espionage


The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

In The Hood - 1955 Dodge

Last year VB published the photo (below) of the orange VW Bug. It was one of her first VW related posts. Well, a few weeks ago VB and The Boss Man were walking puppy in the neighborhood. They had noticed a 1955 Dodge previously through cracks in the driveway gate. On this day though, the gate was opened, and when they expressed curiosity, the proud owner invited them in. Hence a tour of his villa compound, his car collection, and the ones he's working on. Consider this Part 1 of the tour.

Below - Orange VW Beetle on a beautiful Maadi street. Photo taken November 2006.



Below - The owner and his helping hand, working under the hood.



Below - Another shot, with a preview of the old Opel, also in his possession. His friend is a ham, as you will see.





Below - Hamming it up, with tea and wires in hand.



Below - The dashboard.



Below - The engine.



Below - If you enlarge the photo, you'll see "Roadmaster" on the right rear trunk - ignore that. VB has no idea how that got there. (People do strange things with cars over here.)



NEWS:

From Lifehacker: Top 10 DIY Car Hacks

"Take a look at all the devices in your life, and which one seems the most resistant to DIY improvements, repairs and useful tweaking? The answer, most likely, is that four-wheeled gadget resting just outside. But while many of us lifehack fans aren't as comfortable in our driveways as our desktops, there are lots of cheap and (mostly) simple ways to get more from your vehicle and make driving and owning it a bit more enjoyable. Today we've rounded up 10 of our favorite car-related tips and tricks that work whether you're at one with your engine or regard your ride as a mysterious four-wheel transporter."

Beetle-mania hits Bushkill Terrain Park
"There was a time when massive moguls that formed on steep mountain slopes were characterized as being the size of Volkswagen Beetles.

Now, snowboarders and skiers are jumping over and "bonking" off a real VW Bug at Shawnee Mountain's Bushkill Terrain Park. There was no need for repetitive turns made by skiers and snowboarders. All it required is a 1971 model made in Germany, with doors, a roof, fenders and a hood."

(A photo and more details available at the link.)


Volkswagen Beetle To Ford Model T: The Top-5 Best-Selling Cars In History


A new book for the low, low price of $69.95
The Book of the Porsche 356
"Based loosely upon the VW Beetle, which DR Porsche also designed, the 356 was the first Porsche model, and, as such, represented the birth of a legend."


Killer cowboy terrorizes rock group in 'Diablo Highway'
"HAVRE — The blood! Ohhh, the blood!

Out of beer and gas, the indie-rock band the Magpies should have known nothing but trouble can happen when driving a '71 VW bus down a remote road in the sticks."


Thieves take Heath Ledger's $70,000 VW Kombi

"THIEVES have stolen Heath Ledger's treasured 1975 green Kombi van - and the dead actor's father wants it back.

The van, valued at $70,000 due to Ledger's fame and the vehicle's extensive modifications, was stolen from Bondi around the time of the actor's death on January 23.
Ledger is believed to have given the van to his close, long-time friend Trevor DiCarlo safekeeping when he sold his $7 million Bronte home in 2006 and returned to the Unites States to live. When Ledger was 16, he left high school in Western Australia and travelled across the country to Sydney with DiCarlo to pursue an acting career."



Who's On eBay: Pete Townshend's Magic Bus

"Want to own a piece of rock 'n' roll history? If you'd been a quick eBay (NSDQ: EBAY) bidder, you could have picked up a VW camper owned by Pete Townshend, leader of The Who.

Turns out his current paramour, musician Rachel Fuller, put the bus up for auction last week on eBay U.K."

"Anyway, when I saw the VM camper listing on eBay on Friday, it had been bid up to
₤16,000. (That's more than $30,000, to us Yanks.) Today (Sunday), though, the listing is closed, with the message, "The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale."


(More photos at e-bay.
Description: "TOTALLY UNIQUE. VW CAMPER OWNED AND LOVED BY PETE TOWSHEND AND PARTNER RACHEL FULLER. PERFECT CONDITION. LESS THAN 4500 MILES. MADE IN BRAZIL IN 2005 - SAME DESIGN AND STYLE AS ORIGINAL BAY CAMPER. ALL OF THE FUN WITH NONE OF THE HEADACHE. AIR COOLED. IT HAS A RAISING ROOF, MAINS LINE HOOK UP, COOKER, GRILL, SINK, JVC CD/RADIO PLAYER WITH 5 SPEAKERS, ROOF VENT, DVD PLAYER AND TV SCREEN. IT HAS LOWERED SUSPENSION AND A SPARE WHEEL WITH MATCHING PAINTED COVER. PERFECT TO DRIVE, THIS WILL NOT BREAK DOWN FOR ANOTHER 100,000 MILES!!(at least). MANY A SAUSAGE SANDWICH HAS BEEN COOKED AND EATEN BY PETE IN THIS CAMPER. WE WILL BE SAD TO SEE IT GO. IT HAS BEEN SOOOOO MUCH FUN."



VW Island camper van laptop bag
"Limited edition. Kajsa Rydberg has combined graphic funk with extra protection and practicality in her latest collection of laptop cases. The limited edition VW Island is manufactured with a 4mm Memory Foam inner and 3mm Neoprene outer. Suitable for laptop models up to 17"." ( Cost= 62 Pounds. Photo at the link.)


The Everly Brothers -On The Wings Of A Nightingale (1984)