VW Warwick will be held on the weekend of October 3rd-4th at the Warwick Dragway 1/8th mile track located at Warwick, Queensland:
"as much VW drag racing as competitors can cram into two days" more...
Custom Bugs & Buses is the major sponsor for VW Warwick 2009.
http://www.cbbvw.com
Issue 22
Cabrio GL
"It's probably the only one in the Southern Hemisphere like it," says John Canters, the fellow who created this stunning
German Look 1979 Beetle Cabriolet. He's more than likely correct because although there is an active VW community ''down under'' in Australia and New Zealand,
high-standard German Lookers can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Any Cabrio is a rare sight due to the fact they were never officially imported.
So to find a German Look Cabrio, of any standard, let alone one as sensational as this one, is like winning the lottery.
Vic Jamboree
As another March came around, so did the VW Cruises Jamboree. In its 9th year, it was again held
at the Caribbean Gardens in Scoresby, hosted on a lush green lawn and bathed in sunshine.
VW Portland 2009
In stark contrast to the fires and hot weather that ravaged parts of Victoria in the weeks leading up to the second running of VW Portland,
the weekend of February 21st-22nd was picture perfect and ideal for drag racing. However, all who attended the weekend had been touched in
some way by the tragedy that had unfolded in the bush fires, with the VolksEnthusiasts Club graciously donating all profits from the sale of
their specially bottled club brew towards the appeal. A number of Victorian racers and spectators who were close to the fires still attended
the event, citing the camaraderie and friendship of the VW community at Portland as the best remedy for coping with the disaster. And the
weekend of racing and associated activities did not disappoint.
Dubs By The Pie
They say every cloud has a silver lining, and for the organisers of this year's Bad Little Buggers Club annual Show'n'Shine,
the old adage proved true. Forced to move from the traditional Ettomogah Pub location due to re-development, the club stumbled
across the Humble Pie venue just down the highway.
Formula Vee Bathurst
Ben Porter's unbeaten streak continued after claiming all three victories in the opening round of the Shannon's Nationals series.
Displaying a strategic nous unmatched by his competitors, Porter disproved the theory that to win at Bathurst in a Formula Vee you can't lead the final lap.
NSW Hillclimb
Sunday 15th February saw the start of the NSW Hillclimb Championship for 2009, with cars and crews making
their way to Fairburn Park on the outskirts of Canberra for Round 1. 53 cars greeted the start line.
SA DOTVW
Since 1981, the Volkswagen Club of SA has run the Day of the Volkswagen. Apart from the first few years, the event has been held
continuously at the picturesque Wigley Reserve in the popular seaside suburb of Glenelg. With the weather warm to hot, the 150
VWs on display representing a wide range of models created a magnificent picture. Along with the regular swap sites and stalls,
the Reserve was close to capacity.
Portland Dune Buggies
How long does it take two crazed VW enthusiasts to drive from Brisbane, Queensland to Portland in Victoria? Two days if you let Rod Penrose organise things.
Rod and Jamie Pridham, member of the Portland Dune Buggy Club, had organised for a few of the VW drag racing drivers and crew to experience some dune buggy
thrills while they were in town for the VW Portland event (pages 72-79 of this issue). It was decided that the Friday morning would be an ideal time before
the serious business of drag racing began, which meant a very early start for the Brissie crew.
Sansom Return
When Nathan Sansom slammed into the barrier at Oran Park in 2008 many feared the worst. The human body is simply not designed to slow
from 130kph to a complete stop in an instant. As medical crews rushed to the scene an unspoken realisation found its way to those in
the paddock; Nathan had hit the wall at almost full speed. He hadn’t got out of the car. This was bad. This was serious.
VW Curves
Like many VW Beetle owners, Greg Norris enjoys fitting out his 1965 VW with heaps of accessories. It has mud flaps, extra badges,
a custom spare wheel cover with slots for spanners, a reproduction roof rack, a passenger’s side towing mirror, and a cane parcel
shelf beneath the dash. But the largest and most eye-catching of all the accessories is a meticulously restored vintage teardrop caravan.
VW Toys
Matchbox by Lesney’s 1600 TL is probably the most common and well known version of the Type III in 64th scale from the 1960s.
They had several colours in the range, but of course the hot metallic pink in mint condition is the most expensive colour to
collect. There were some variations in the casting of this model, the base changed a little as it was re-released in the
Superfast range during the 70's. Both are numbered 57. It was quite detailed for a model of its vintage, sporting opening
doors and suspension. Dinky also made a fastback and a notchback in the late 1960s. These were in the larger 43rd scale that
Dinky specialized in, and both were in the early pre-70 body style. Corgi, another English brand, only made a Type III Karmann-Ghia
we know as the Razor Edge Ghia. The Razor would have to be my favorite Karmann-Ghia by a long shot.
VolksMod & BBA
Beach Buggy Australia (BBA) is now owned by Kurt and Gunter Bogholz from Volks-Mod on the Gold Coast in Queensland, and consequently
the BBA operation, previously based on the Sunshine Coast, has been moved lock, stock and barrel to the Burleigh Heads address.
With Kurt and Gunter having an unrivalled reputation in the buggy scene for building award winning buggies, BBA further expands the
products and services that the boys can offer. And they both know how much fun a buggy can be.
Black Diamond
Matthew Adams hasn’t been in Australia for too long, but his impact on the Aussie VW Watercooled scene has been massive.
With one of less than 10 recorded Corrados in the country, this car creates attention where ever it goes - even from those
whose passion may not be VWs! To understand why this VW model creates such an impact, a brief look into its production
history will help shed light on its collectable status.
Also in this issue
- Dyno Day
- Salt Racer
- VW Seats
- VW Transmission ID
- The Bus Stop
- Splitter Dream
- Wrecker Racer