Lets Talk Dubs Classic The Classic VW podcast

The baddest "Kat" in the Chevy truck world might surprise you—because it all started with Volkswagens. In this episode, we sit down with  "Dino Battilana, the mastermind behind the world-famous Dino Git Down Chevy truck show in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the largest and most influential classic Chevy C10 events in the country.

For more than 10 years, Dino Git Down has drawn Chevy pickup trucks from all over the United States and international visitors, growing into an absolute monster of a show. With over 13,000 trucks attending last year, it has become a must-attend event for classic tru...

Jake Raby is widely regarded as one of the world's leading experts on the Volkswagen Type 4 engine, with more than 30 years of hands-on experience building, developing, and refining air-cooled Type 4 VW engines. Since the late 1990s, Jake has been deeply involved in Type 4 engine rebuilding, performance development, and long-term reliability testing for platforms used in VW Bus, Porsche 914, and high-performance air-cooled Volkswagen applications.

Over the decades, Jake has pushed the limits of the Type 4 air-cooled engine platform, pioneering advancements in cooling systems, cylinder head porting, plenum and intake temperature control, camshaft profiles, and custom internal components. Many...

San Leandro, California—an industrial Bay Area city shaped by its Portuguese community and a deep-rooted Volkswagen culture—holds a story few outside the neighborhood ever knew. Tucked away behind an unassuming fence was a Volkswagen collection unlike anything else in the region. For years, local kids would stop, peer through the slats, and take it all in: early Beetles, split windows, rare convertibles, stacks of glass, and parts that hinted at decades of careful accumulation.

It was a forgotten archive of Volkswagen history—silent, untouched, and unexplained.

Then came the revelation.

The cars b...

2025 was a huge year for documenting Volkswagen history—and in this episode, we take a full look back.

We review the entire 2025 podcast episode list, breaking down highlights and key moments from nearly every show in case you missed an episode or two along the way. From early Volkswagen drag racing history and legendary builders, to modern VW product development, fresh builds, and stories shaping the hobby today, this year covered it all.

With over 50 episodes released, there's a ton of ground to cover. This recap episode ties everything together, revisits standout conversations, and reflects on...

What if the Volkswagen you built as a teenager never really left you?

In this episode, we get into the incredible full-circle story of David Lawler and his 1971 Volkswagen Beetle from Southeast England. David bought his very first VW at just 14 years old, poured years into building it, and saw that dream rewarded when the car landed in a Volkswagen magazine in 1995.

But life changes. Priorities shift. The unthinkable happens—and the car is sold. Watching your first show-winning Volkswagen drive away is a regret that never fully fades.

For decades, the Beetle wou...

The East Coast of Canada is cold, and the car season is short — usually May through October. New Brunswick isn't known as a hotbed for the air-cooled Volkswagen scene, but when the VW bug bites you out there, you're all in.

Terry grew up in a drag-racing family, and everything changed the day his father gifted him a convertible Karmann Ghia. That single car sparked a lifelong obsession with all things air-cooled VW. From flat-towing a '67 Beetle over 2,000 miles from Alabama, to drag-racing a Herbie-themed bug, to eventually owning the legendary Save-A-Bugcampaigned by Jack Shacettie — Terry's pass...

In this episode of the Let's Talk Dubs podcast, we dive into a big development in the VW drag racing world — the ROC Cory Mack Race cancellation and what it means for racers, fans, and the upcoming season. We also celebrate a major milestone as Zorba the Ghia finally appears in VW Trends Magazine after a year of waiting. Bill shares his unfiltered thoughts on seeing a go-kart featured on the cover of a major Volkswagen magazine and what that means for the direction of the hobby.

From there we shift gears to the SEMA Show, breaking do...

Social media has become a powerhouse in today's Volkswagen hobby, and if you've spent any time online, you've definitely seen the rise of content creators shaping the air-cooled VW scene. One of the biggest names pushing the culture forward is Chris Davern, better known as @Driven60VW on Instagram. Based in Arizona, Chris has built a massive following of over 100,000 VW enthusiasts by consistently posting high-quality content centered around classic Volkswagens, restoration insights, and the day-to-day life inside the air-cooled community.

In many ways, social media has become the new VW magazine, delivering fresh Volkswagen content straight...

Brett Hawkbee is a name that's known throughout the UK for creating a legendary bug jam. The largest show in the UK and it's third year it broke all records for any show that was happening in the UK car show specific.

Going to other shows and feeling like he could do better, he decided to put something together with an idea and a couple opportunities. The doubters were stacked against him thinking it would be a flop instead 38 years later it still, pushing right along.

He's also the builder of the legendary Targa Ghia...

Scott Hopkins hails from Hyrum Gerogia his 1956 oval window is quite unique. What happens when you build a Volkswagen that doesn't follow the norms of your typical fue wheels and original paint colors and no customization. Well, in this case it will get you noticed at the triple Crown of hot rodding car show. And receiving a top 30 award that's example of modern Volkswagen builds that blend some hot rod flavor with traditional Volkswagen enthusiast styling. Over the past few years, we've seen influx of Volkswagens starting to show up at some of the hot rod shows and picking off...

Rick Stanchfield has VW history starting back in the 1970's. His passion was fuled by the hearing some fast VWs while slinging drywall. His life was changed forever. He started with a single port engine then off to the races with his new "race Motor" running in the 12's. His path is  long & winding with the likes of Steve Tims. driving for lots of different people like Eric Ballard and many more. He moves from drywall to transaxels. Steve Timms buys the Lee Leighton Oval then they rebuilt the car and ran 10.30's. So much history in this podcast. C...

One Crazy weekend has passed and we sit down with Andy Finch & Trav lawton and discuss the weekend events from the weekend. Lots happend this week up to and during the event. Top 20 awards Best of show winner for $1,000 and the specialty awards. Travs perspective as a visitor from out of country. Andys push to get the OCW 68 & Sin City 69 to the finishline. We dicuss the events of the Poker tournament, Bowling torunament & strip cruise then the car show with the finally of the Poker Run! what an event!

For anyone who lived through the classic Volkswagen scene of the 1980s, the Raspberry Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback with the Targa Top is impossible to forget. This one-of-a-kind custom VW build captured the spirit of the era and became one of the most talked-about Type 3s of its time.

In this episode of Let's Talk Dubs, I sit down with Eddie, the man behind this legendary Fastback, to hear the full story. From the moment a teenage enthusiast first stumbled onto the car, to the late nights in the neighborhood garage, this build represents the passion that fueled...

Two weeks to go until one crazy weekend. This week on the podcast Joey Geridano from Werkstat Restoration talking about the  80's car he's building for Andy Finch from spikes vintage restoration in the UK. Also, he's got something else up his sleeve. Tory Alonzo is going to debut latest project AFTERSHOCK. An 80s style build roadster with a 2025 technology twist we talk about the cars building some of the things that are being done and more about what makes One crazy. We can such an exciting experience for anyone that's able to make it. Make sure you go t...

🚨 It's almost showtime! We're just 3 weeks away from One Crazy Weekend 2025 Volkswagen Car Show & Event in Las Vegas, happening October 2–4 (Thursday, Friday & Saturday).

On this episode, Bill and George break down the can't-miss VW weekend schedule:

🎲 Thursday Night – VW Trends Magazine Poker Tournament: Kick things off with cards, camaraderie, and VW legends.
🎳 Friday Afternoon – Ross Wulf Bowling Tournament with Clyde Berg: A fun-filled tradition for the Volkswagen community.
🚦 Friday Night 8PM – World-Famous Las Vegas Strip Cruise: Hundreds of Volkswagens—Bugs, Buses, Ghias, and more—rolling under the neon lights of the Vegas Strip.
🏆 Saturday 8AM–2PM...

On this episode, I sit down with my friend Paul Bernardo—an engineer, builder, and true mechanical savant who has left his mark on both Volkswagen and Porsche history. I first met Paul more than a decade ago, and ever since hearing his story, I've wanted to bring it to the podcast.

If you're a fan of VW drag racing, you've probably heard of Mini Mike—the shortened wheelbase Volkswagen drag car that turned heads at the Bug-Ins back in the 1970s. That car was Paul's creation. With a background in engineering, Paul could have gone in any...

Sewfine Interiors has been a cornerstone in the Volkswagen community since 1983, building a reputation as one of the premier upholstery and interior shops for classic VWs. Known for their award-winning craftsmanship, Sewfine has had their interiors featured in high-end show cars, concours-level restorations, and even on the hit TV series Bitchin' Rides.

Now based in Denver, Colorado, the new generation of Sewfine owners continues the tradition of excellence—specializing in factory-style VW upholstery, OEM-quality restorations, and full custom interior design for air-cooled Volkswagens, hot rods, and beyond. Whether you're restoring a vintage Beetle, slamming a Bay Window Bu...

The Bay Window Volkswagen Bus — affectionately (and sometimes not so affectionately) known as the Fat Chick, Late Model, Round Window, or Big Boy — covers the iconic 1968–1979 VW Bus era. It was the successor to the legendary split-window Bus, made famous on TV shows like Eight Is Enough, and while some purists dismissed it at first, others saw its potential and fell in love.

In this episode, we look into the culture, history, and revival of these late-model Type 2 buses with Craig Gonzales (AKA Bay Window Mafia)  a true champion of the Bay Window scene. Craig's passion for slammed...

If you're restoring a classic Volkswagen, chances are you've thought about the details that make your VW truly authentic – and few details matter more than a properly restored speedometer. Steve Burdett is one of the most interesting craftsmen in the hobby today.

With a background in shaping fiberglass and building custom surfboards, Steve has always had a gift for creating things by hand. When the surfboard industry began to slow, he turned his skills toward another passion – vintage vehicles. Having restored Vespas and Lambretta scooters, Steve's love for mechanical artistry eventually brought him back to his first auto...

On this episode, Bill and George discuss last several videos that George put out as well as the four shows that Bill went to little bit. Americna Cal-LOOK caravan, DKP reunion & EMPI History Tour with Dena Kirsten. Plus some projects in the work and a little bit of talk about electric AC on a Volkswagen.  Another round table for you guys to enjoy. Enjoy.

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In this episode, we dive into the story behind Discipline Child — a wildly custom 1955 Volkswagen Beetle owned by Cali Springer, originally from the Virgin Islands. What began as a simple inquiry about fuel injection turned into a one-of-a-kind build by Alvin Lawrence of Auto Fanatic, also hailing from the islands.

This isn't your typical classic VW Beetle. Discipline Child features a Subaru engine swap, full air suspension, electric air conditioning sourced from a Tesla, and a top-tier custom sound system. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail reflects the dedication and discipline it took to see th...

In this episode, we sit down with Rick Wright, owner of The Wright Gearbox, a name synonymous with precision-built transmissions in the off-road and high-performance VW world. Growing up wrenching in his family's VW shop, Rick turned childhood passion into a powerhouse business dedicated to building and rebuilding transmissions for street, strip, sand, and race.

Rick shares his journey in the VW industry , and how years of hands-on experience and customer-first philosophy help him deliver bulletproof gearboxes that stand up to serious abuse. We get into everything from working with major manufacturers on product development to testing g...

Being a Volkswagen Bus enthusiast is a challenge—but being a classic VW Bus guy in Canada is a whole different story. With harsh winters, salted roads, and constant snow and ice, early VW Buses are rare survivors in the north. But every now and then, someone gets lucky.

In this episode, we sit down with AJ Welsh, a true OG in the Canadian air-cooled VW scene and a proud member of the Four Stack Mafia. AJ shares the incredible story behind his 1967 VW Bus, which became so iconic it was featured on a Canadian postcard and po...

What does NASA Volkswagens have in common Joe Varga. Known as Carbon Joe on Instagram Joe Vargas spent the last 16 years working on project X 37B with Boeing an unmanned working in Aerospace most of his life gave him a skill set of problem-solving up against just about anything. In the early 2000s of friends brother ask him to make some carbon fiber parts for his friends Drag bug. From then it's been on Joe's first car he still owns to thi this day. And he enjoys driving his super beetle convertible. With the goal of completing a German...

Eric Justus grew up in Southern California, the son of a VW enthusiast Bill Justus. Bill was known for putting on some of the VW panic events in the mid 90s. Eric grew up with that as a foundation. Moving onto Street cars he obtained Type 34 ghia he decided he was going to make it a drag car. It was quite infamous in the early days as it was at Carlsbad Raceway quite a bit drag racing and he had that big type three moving pretty quick. After he sold it he took a step back for a little...

This week is a short podcast while Im out in southern California. The DKP 60th anniversary &  Hot VWs 50th Anniversary of the Cal-Look Edition. I was able to check out the the Schley Museum. I give you a very short inrtoduction in to the Schley Brothers hsitory. 

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In this episode, I'm joined by Lee Bushaw and Joey Girodano from Workstat Restoration to break down everything that went down during VW Revival Weekend in Southern California. After seeing the buzz all over Facebook, I knew I had to get these guys on the mic to recap the multiple Volkswagen events that made the weekend one for the books.

We kick things off with the legendary DKK (Der Kleiner Kampfwagens) Cruise Night on Friday, then dive into the Saturday coin toss: do you hit OCTO Bus Meet in Long Beach, or the **Rare Vintage Air Concours...

In the world of classic VW technology, innovation often comes from the enthusiasts—not the factory. That's exactly the case with Andrig Miller of Andrig's Air Cooled Technology, who took it upon himself to improve one of the most overlooked components in air-cooled Volkswagen engines: the cooling fan.

In this episode of Let's Talk Dubs, we dive deep into the development of a new **high-efficiency VW cooling fan** engineered for lower drag and increased airflow at low RPM. We cover how Andrig tackled the age-old challenge of VW fan efficiency, the science behind airflow and thermal management, an...

  Mike Gleckler hails from Carmichael California. A lifelong VW enthusuest. He first got into Volkswagens at the age of 15. His Instagram handle is @vintage_volkswagens has over 3800 posts and 44.6K followers. Check out his IG for some cool vintage Volkswagne content. On this episode we talk about his bus collection. His 1967 Deluxe Bus and the story behind it. Also his 1954 Barndoor  era Single cab pick up. His 1967 HighRoof "Clinomobil". He has an afinnity for Highroofs by the way he ownes 2 of them. And his 1965 Highroof his dad cruises.  We also discuss his instagram page and how its helped him con...

Its been a crazy few weeks in the VW scene. The celebration of life for Bob Lacost at the Canyon RV park was disrupted by a shooting. An argument turns into a person with mental health issues, he runs his truck into some people, then gets out of his truck and starts firing off 10 rounds and hits 2 people. We play the news report. The sad passing of VW family, Stanley Ford and we tell you about when the celebration of life will take place.  He will be missed. Then the Anaheim Hills Murder suicide of Marco and Allison Gurrero. I...

Gerald Klaus: From German Roots to High-Performance Innovation

Born in Germany and raised in the world of Volkswagens, Gerald Klaus grew up under the influence of his father, Rolf Klaus—a respected VW performance builder and parts manufacturer. With a split-window Beetle in the garage and a legacy of tuning engines for German enthusiasts, Gerald's path was set early.

Armed with a degree in metallurgy and hands-on experience in industrial foundries, Gerald combined his technical expertise with his lifelong passion for Volkswagens to take on an ambitious challenge: designing and manufacturing his own performance cylinder he...

This is the story of a guy who just wanted his bug restored. Wayne Callahan bought a 1968 Beetle brand new and had that car still to this day after years of it sitting in storage and he wanted to find a good restoration shop. he talked to a few people and ended up taking it down to Type One Restoration  in Tempe Arizona. With his mindset, determined to do his bug back to all original, so he could just cruise it around and enjoy it. Things took a turn when Wayne spent a day at the grand national roadster s...

On this episode I am under the weather but I break down for you the big window Beatles from 1958 to 1967. The main differences we start by breaking them down in the three categories 58 to 1961 1962 to 1964 and the third category 1965 to 1967. We discussed the details and differences between these. It's a short one this week but a lot of information. I hope you enjoy it. 

Nicole Johnson has a lot of Motorsports experience and she's got an excellent YouTube channel called Nicole Johnson's detour. You probably have seen one of the videos her most popular is a 500 horse powered Subaru sleeper Bug. That video, her first one has over 10 million views. Since then she's built a Youtube channel where she seeks out unique cars to feature on her show, her motto is "I wanna drive everything". Last week (if you subscribed her channel parentheses which you should), you would've seen Zorba the Ghia featured on Nicole Johnson's Detour. My 1964 type 34 Karmann Ghia. This week...

Jason Lindquist hales out of the northern California area. He's known for preserving and finding low mileage original Volkswagens, that's his passion. For other people he does restorations and preservations for them as well. Several Volkswagens he's built have been displayed throughout other peoples collections. When it comes to getting down to the details, that's where Jason really comes to the table. His attention to detail and understanding of midyear changes at Volkswagen from seats, seam locations to switches, knobs, heater vents, and all of the details in between he really drills down on the differences year by year...

One thing I love about the VW world is there's never a dull moment and there's always something new. For example, the Devin this is the first time I've ever seen this car was at a type three rally meet up in front of ISP West that's when I got to meet Reid Kerlin . Reid is the owner of this Devin 295. It's called the Devon 295 because it cost $295 back in the day it was a kit car that was made for multiple different chassis for the ultimate enthusiast that wanted to build their own sports car on this podcast...

Buying a car before he could drive was the best thing that could ever happen to a 14-year-old kid. Hopping on his bike and taking a carburetor to the local German mechanic to get some understanding of how to make things work, changed his life. I met John Benton at the EMPI open house last year. He built a 1641 cc motor with 48 IDs and came in there and ripped it wide open to 7000 RPMs and put out some impressive horsepower numbers 160 hp for a 1641 when I interviewed him he came across as your typical old-school Vw legend. He owns...

Pedro Sainz is one of the most obsessed type three builders that there is. Starting with his notchback a chance meeting at the first Nona meeting with Lee Hedges as friends they pushed each other to build their cars as original as possible. From that point forward, Peter was on a mission to restore cars, not only did he restore cars, but he also built roof racks Pedro's roof racks as a matter of fact. Some of those popular wood slat roof racks made in southern California in the early 2000s his first project was razor. The second one...

This year's One crazy weekend is going to be debuting quite a few 80s cars. 80s tribute cars are back and on this episode. We discussed what it took to build and back then what was the condition you found them in and what level did those people restore them. We also hop in a Time Machine and check prices back then versus now to see what the difference was building cars back in the 80s. It's a fun podcast. 

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On this episode, Bill discusses going to the diecast super convention what that experience was like and also being a member of DBK and meeting Bob Lacoste. The majority of this podcast is a remastered version of my original interview with Bob Lacoste from the Compound. Bob was always a super detail oriented guy who had an immense knowledge for everything Volkswagen. He was super hype type three guy and could tell you just about everything about every accessory made for type threes and then some. His quality workmanship was top-notch and he was a main factor behind the...

David Craig is one of those guys that is behind the scenes most of the time. Originally starting as Volkswagen shop bugs for you in grass Valley California. David went on to partner with people like Rich Kimball on some of the early treasure hunts with him. Together they went through Mexico at old VW shops going through vintage inventory bagging it all up and bringing it back to the states. With a background in the garment industry, he started making T-shirts with cool, logos and sayings like endangered species and what's your type 12 or three. Eventually to getting...

Sometimes you meet people that have been in the scene so long that the effect that they've had and the cars they've built ripple on for quite a while. That's the case with Walter Jelinek. Walter started the Bug box in 1994 but his story starts before that. As a kid in Germany, seeing a lot of cool Volkswagens and stumbling across his first Vw trans magazine that got him hooked. Then Walter has been known for constantly doing something unique and different from one of the first original patina cars the Lindy Bus to re-creating a full-size version of...

On this episode, Bill and George discussed this summer's show season. The Vw revival what's that all about and is it going to emulate the VW classic weekend. I give my thoughts on the difference between the two and what me from an out-of-towners perspective really enjoyed about the original classic Vw weekend. We also discussed the new VW's magazines some surprises that we've seen in there are things changing in the scene? Hopefully so a little more variety is never a bad thing. Bill takes Zorba to the roadster show for the granddaddy drive-in having his car compete...

On this weeks episode we discuss some buyers guide topics. Also, the cars that have gone through Barrett Jackson recently and how that's going to affect the current market and future market of particular models specifically the $85,000 notchback. Show updates for this summer, East Coast, West Coast and UK. And what's the deal with Brazilian buses or Brazilian cars in general. We discuss what to expect when you buy a car from Brazil. Why the cars in Brazil are the way that they are. And is there really a free lunch where you can get a 23 window or a...

This podcast is an amazing story of how someone who is on a different path gets put into a trajectory that changes everything that they do. Simon Kelley's that man, world traveler, living life with a passion to discover things find himself in Thailand one day and then begins to manufacture rubber. It's a long sort of story and you get to hear all the details on this podcast. Our passion Vw hobby ends up, finding opportunities for us to be a part of it in multiple ways. And it just starts with one car and a vision. With...

The 1980's was a time when pop culture influenced the car scene. Nowhere better was this exemplified than the "Eliminator Bug" built by Tony Hunter out of Loganville, Georgia. Imagine being 18 years old and having your car on the cover of a nationally published magazine. Being one of the first guys from the southeast to get the cover of magazine and to have your girlfriend on that cover as well. Talk about living the dream! That is Tony Hunter's VW story. VW magazines have mostly been featuring the west coast scene, especially in the 1980s. Tony's "Eliminator Bug" broke...

On this weeks episode, let's talk dubs. We do a sit down with Cory Mac and Brian Watts two of the three promoters for the Vegas world finals. We discussed the evolution of this event, how they feel it turned out, and also will there be a Vegas world finals 2025. How the new classes went their experience with the track and also participation from people all over the world. If you love drag racing and Volkswagens, then this is a great podcast to listen to to get a lot of information about Volkswagen drag racing in Las Vegas. This...

an Roussel is a passionate VW enthusiast, artist, hot rod builder, and a true jack-of-all-trades. If something stays still long enough, Ian will find a way to transform it into something extraordinary—often with a creative nod to hot rods.

Fans of the show Full Custom Garage will recognize Ian as the master builder behind some of the wildest custom car creations out there. Known for his unorthodox approach, Ian doesn't follow traditional rules. Instead, he uses his imagination and resourcefulness to turn everyday, overlooked materials into unique automotive masterpieces.

In our conversation, we explored wh...

 
In this episode of *Let's Talk Dubs*, we sit down with Tom Simon, an iconic figure in the world of drag racing and a long-time enthusiast of classic Volkswagens. Tom shares his incredible journey, from early days in the racing scene to the challenges and triumphs of competing on and off the track. We delve into the technical secrets behind building a high-performance VW drag car, the evolution of racing culture, and Tom's personal insights into what it means to live a life of speed. If you're a fan of VWs, racing, or the stories of legends who p...

On this weeks episode, we discussed the Vegas world finals drag racing. I bring on Adam Wik to get a drag racers perspective on how the event went down and his impressions. Also, I give my thoughts and two cents on the dragracing community what they can do to come together and also what's gonna happen now that Irwindale is gone. After that, we get on the microphone from world finals in Las Vegas and discuss drag racing in Belgium with the Belgian drag racing Association representatives. We sit down with Vito Versluys  and Michael Spiessens. Vito runs a D...

This weekend coming up is the Vegas world finals drag racing at the Las Vegas motor Speedway. We discuss a little bit of that toward the end of the podcast but we spent some time talking about the new video that Bill and @VegasMicahG. just put out on the crew cab, a.k.a. the carbon cab. Micha does some pretty rad videos and I really like his style so we decided to collaborate on shooting a cool video for the carbon cab. Some rolling shots driving through Vegas as well as the story and the build process of...

This year December 7th is the first Cory Mac's Vegas world finals. Putting on a drag racing event is no small feat. Las Vegas motor Speedway is one of the premier tracks on the West Coast and to put on a Volkswagen event. There is a special thing. We have Brian Watts on the podcast today the promoter for this event and we discuss some of the details with, this car show Swap meet and drag race event. Without events like this, what happens to our hobby my suggestion is to promote and support these events. For more information...

On this episode, we discussed the history of the type three 1500 better known in the US by the models the square back, the notchback and the type 34 ghia were never officially imported to the United States.

This podcast will give you a summarized history of VW's purpose behind designing the type three 1500 the reasoning behind it and what went into producing this car.

 In addition to those fun facts, you'll also get to hear a lot of specific details that make the type three different than the type one also, stumbles across a bunch of r...

Restoring the oldest type 34 Karmann Ghia. In this month hot VW's December 2024 check out Lee Hedges oldest type 34 Ghia fully restored. It's the 11th Type 34 ever produced. This is the in-depth interview for tons of detail on the uniqueness of an early 1962 type 34 Ghia. These cars are really unique to begin with, but this one's even more special, being the first handful that came off the assembly line there were lots of other really unique parts and pieces for this car that make it very special. Who better to own it than Lee Hedges who is the foremost expert...

The binz all right double cab is kind of a mystery mostly produced from 57 to 59. The first Sales literature shows up as a special order for Volkswagen in 1953. On this podcast we go through the story of the Binz double cab, the purpose that ignited the creation and a lot of the details and history that went along with this pick up truck that was built essentially for two years. Now there may be more out there that we're built from 53 to 57. None that are on the registry at this point for more information go to the links below.<...

 Brian Hyerstay G Dragster has a 1680cc engine revs to over 10,000 RPM & has a best ET of 8.43. And thats with NO POWER ADDERS. Brian has been involed n VWs since his first Bug in the early 70's. Since then hes raced his 1962 Beetle that hes owned since then. He then switcehd over to a Manx buggy for drag racing. When he reched the pinnacle of that, he bought a used G-Dragster and started his journey up the ranks of Competition Eliminator. His 1680 CC has custom builr cylinder heads, an overhead cam, fuel injection, all off of a stock case. H...

Bill, Andy Finch (Spikes Vintage Restoration) Tory Alonzo @vdubber4life discuss One Crazy Weekend 2024. The Strip Cruise, The car Show & The Poker Run!!!!! Jumping the El Ritchie Ghia tribute car.. Crusing the strip and all teh fun that follows. Desert dubs did a video on it. George T did a build video check out the links below. Andy discusses the 3 Day 80's Tribute build of the 1986 VW Trends Cover car of Ritchie King. 

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The 1980s were a super cool time and show cars. Most of the guys in the scene were in their early 20s and not only did they have a big hand in building their own cars. A lot of guys drove them to the shows and back with full wheels off mirror displays. Cal-dub was no different. Built by Jack Digiacomo painted by Steve Knecht coming out of Bakersfield. These guys were ready to shake up the SoCal Vw scene. And that, they did with lots of battles out there in the show circuit. This story is about cal-dub...

What Happend to the original inch pincher? A fviral Video from a podcast called west of Tulsa had a guest Peter Kappen He spoke about a guy Blase Mcfadden who claimed to have the orignal Inch Pincher. This podcast takes on a wild ride as to who exactly blaze McFadden was as well as the history of the inch pincher years and dates when things happen modifications took place to try to validate whether this is the actual inch pincher or not or something totally different. The VW hobby is filled with so many different intricacies with respect to...

Andy Finch From spikes VIntage restoration is in the studio. He has brought Zorba, the Ghia and his bus here to Las Vegas. For a couple weeks of fun in the sun. We discuss how the Zorba project started some of the challenges we ran into and as well a lot of the people that really helped in the build process. What he thought of my theme when we started. The bumps in the road as builder and customer, but the culmination of my ideas the spikes, vintage teams, hard work and the successful unveiling at George's Shop. It...

Sometimes steering is the craziest thing to deal with on your vintage bus. Rusty, who hail out of the Netherlands, decided to help some friends, modify their buses and install some rack and pinion set ups. From that became a business. Since then he sold over 100 rack and pinion bus steering set ups. We get into the details of what makes the difference between a warm drive and rack and pinion steering. Also what it takes to install and what the difference is between the different set ups. Can you have a bus with big tires in the front...

Tony Viera hails from San Jose, California. His connection with Volkswagens started at an early age working at a speed shop (Goodies speed shop) and thinking they were cool. He built a Manx he saw those cars being so cool. He opened up a business by the name of Meg's house. After a few years moved on and partnered in a company called Bugformance and Sunnyvale, California. His history starts in the 60, late 70s with Volkswagens. Being an exclusive Manx dealer for a few years as well as the "thunder bug" buggy. He dabbled and off-road racing in the...

After my podcast last week talking about a Myers Manx that I was posting up for sale I got an inbox message from Kenny Nash. Kenny referred me to his body Todd Cooper, who had a really great story on finding an all original one owner Max in the basement of a house in Virginia. When he tried to buy it from the original owner, it was a no sale. Things changed when the owner passed away. He left his good friend in charge of all the cars, but the buggy was supposed to go to an ex-girlfriend as...

Bill & Tory talk about OCW updates. How can shows effect / enhance the VW  scene. Bill found his 1963 VW. The 3rd owner has had it over 25 Years... I owned it for 5 years hes owned it 25. Im conflicted. We discuss the 80s Car stereo scene. What was the set up that you have ? Lufhause Blake sends me some MB Quart Speakers. What I have been collecting for vintage car audio. Some of yor favorite test tracks. 

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Bill & Tory Alonzo discuss the last podcast it got some good response. It was about why do we not see people expressing their individuality through their cars like they once did in the 1980s and 90s. Lots of factors came in to play. We read some listener feedback. We also discussed in evolution of what could've caused this change and what factors are pressing on this. Also, our car shows part of the problem? Have they fed into this lackluster scene that we see right now? Will, Tori, Alonso and myself have a lot of ideas about this. You...

Has the VW scene gotten stock? Are we seeing a lot of the same cars being featured at the shows focused on stock paint stock engines wheels lowered? Does it seem like people are more focused on keeping cars stock colors than doing custom. Are people building cars within guidelines of keeping it as close to vintage and original and resell Abel? On this episode, Bill takes a deep dive and we walk through his opinion of the evolution of the hobby since the early 80s. The different styles that have been prominent and where he sees a majority...

Damon Harmon name should be familiar if you've followed Volkswagen Drag racing. He was the dirver for Quarter Toy 1, 2 & now 3. He loves racing so much he even had campained 2 cars at once. He seems not be able to get enough. He held the record until it was taken by Pat Downs, but  He holds the best MPH record 5.99 @117mph (Pat Downs holds the ET record at 5.90 @116mph) this podcast took place at European Buggin in 2024 in the pits of Max speed Carmenia. That's where I met Damon in Belgium in the drag pits as he was pitting for a f...

On todays Round table. Bill & George discuss Bills European trip. 1500 miles in the Katasrtophenshutz supplied by andy Finch. From Badcamburg, to Wolfsburg, to Chimay for EBI.The expereiance and where to see the videos.

We discuss the build of Zorba the Ghia. Some of the details. How the scene is with car builds and what some of the trends are.

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Intro to this podcast I talk a little bit about Zorba the Ghia also picking your own style and rolling with it. Don't worry about what anybody else thinks you do you and forget about the haters. The guts of this podcast we get into auto Craft how the company started Mike see more the new owner his passion, the company their commitment to quality and also what makes their product stand out it's a story about an enthusiast who ended up buying a company that he believed in and continuing the business so that plenty of people can...

Your first car is always something special. No matter how good or bad is it holds a place in your heart. Well this podcast is about what the experience would be like to drive your same first car or a recreation to it 50 years later. Dean Kirsten's been on the podcast several times before, he's the first guest to be on for a third time. And it's only fitting after driving across Europe with him in the 2024 Cal look caravan and watching him drive the recreation of his first car the Vw blue 1967 Cal look. This car spotted some...

Origanlly hailing from Boston Mass. A cross crounty trip in a new 1968 VW Bus would change this family hobbies. Moving to California then the meet MR Lee Leighton. The family sarts racing with Rodney Jr. known as "Radical Rod" Dad (Rodney Seinor) gets the itch & Lee sells them a Drag car fomally known as the Pied Piper that would soon become the "Sum Fun" Pro Stock drag bug. Larry the younger brother has a 56 Oval hes driving to highschool. in 1984 he pulls it apart for a restoration. The car never get put back together unitll the early 2000's. Its...

Martin Freidschröder is the pilot of the Mexxspeed Ghia. This is the worlds fastest naturally asperated Volkswagen. With a best ET of  8.6 secons in the 1/4 mile. Martin is a bit excited about his car. So excited you can feel it through his interview. He never stops thinking. He has custom built most parts on this what started life out as a karmann Ghia. From the carbon fiber body parts to the overhead fuel injection rails that quirt the menthonal into this beast of an engne. He custom built his own cylinderheads, intake manifolds, throttle boddies, and so much mo...

The cal-look caravan started as an Idea. Woudlnt it be cool to see a bunch of California Look VW's Drive from Wolfsburg Germany to Chimay Belgium. Russell Ritchie  & George Otto collaberated on the plan. Start at Wolfsburg tour the VW museum Photo shoot in front of the factory. Then a 138 mile drive to the Karmann factory for a special tour of proptorypes. Also a special photo in front of the factory. From Onsabruck, on to Gelderland Porsche in the Netherlands. for lunch & a tour of the Porsche, VW & Audi collection. Then to the Fletecher Hotel. Then the final leg w...

For most of us, EMPI  has been a name that has been synonymous with the aftermarket parts since we started the hobby. Especially for those of us that were in the hobby in the 80s and 90s there was a time when vintage EMPI stuff was on the rampage. The culmination of which was Scott Smith, 1967 black EMPI accessorized to the max sedan. On this podcast I talk about headed to EMPI this weekend as well as some of the history from a short part of the early history what started EMPI to the different levels of products that t...

If you're familiar at all with Arizona or the southwest, you have for sure heard of Chirco Vw. Joe Cihrco started the business in 1984. As a teenager he met a neighbor that had a classic Volkswagen and he would go hang out one day that neighbor gave him that Volkswagen. His family built a shop and he started Turco Vw 16,000 ft.² of Vw heaven. In this podcast, we talk about the last 40 years of being in business. The customers he's met. The cars he's purchased and sold. From split windows to double cab. He also has connection to Dean L...

On this episode, George and I discuss the upcoming show season Southern California which events we will be at. We discuss Zorba the Ghia  and Spike's Vintage Restoration process with  the restoration. Its moving fast for sure. Bill almost has the interior re-done due to camera Color That's taking place. We reach out to John Limnios, the winner of the real Street class for the Volks group race in Samoa. 900 hp drift widebody bus being built by Kenny Pfitzer. Lots of cars coming down for one crazy weekend this year. We also discuss a special trophy for cars that wi...

Autohaus! The name that is synonomus with VW aftermarket parts. Started by Ron Rosevear in 1968. Starting as a small stereo shop in Buena Park California. Ron decides to buy some chorme VW accessories and they started selling like hot cakes. We find out about thier business stratagies. Who drew the world famous logo. How they started as a parts re-seller and then on to a VW empire with brands like Race-trim and fiberglass manufacturing. The connection with Paul Schley. Armorall and so much more. A business pioneer with a vison to teh future. Theres also a connection about Micky...

John Maher is known to some people as the drummer for the early punk rock band the Buzzcocks. Starting in a punk band in the beginning of the punk rock era is pretty legendary. He also happen to be at the same place in the UK in the early days of when Volkswagen dragracing started to takeoff. John, after being in a band had an engine mishap (done by another shop) started repairing Volkswagens and soon after started rebuilding engines. His competition started at his first VW event when he entered the engine pull competition. Soon after he was...

Some projects are more extreme than others. When buidling a custom VW, how far do you go? Well, if its an all out project and you team up with illegal speed shop prepare for it to go crazy. This project started as a brainchild of one of their customers that laid dead in another shop for about 10 years. It was put up for sale and when Harrison saw it, he reached out to the owner to talk about the project and he ends up, convincing the owner to bring it to illegal speed shop and get that project finish...

Transaxles have always been a shifty subject. With less and less people rebuilding them it seems the world is getting smaller in the world of transaxles. Ben Berniklau is a second generation transactional builder. His father was half owner of one of the largest transaxle rebuilding shops in Riverside. He learned how to build tranny mostly on his own after not listening to his dad and following his heart and being in the VW industry. Working for several different shops and learning how to build transaxles because he was always good with his hands. We always hear their VW...

Rusty Lee Pickering started in the Volkswagen hobby with a bright pink beetle. He couldn't have been more proud to drive that pink beetle in the early 90s. That led to a succession of different Volkswagens to own and always looking to make friends with other VW enthusiasts. When his neighbors owned buses and he wanted to meet him, an opportunity came where they could use his skill set. After leaving school, he learned to become a welder fabricator. When his new friend needed help with a rock 'n' roll bed, he looked at it and thought he could...

Rick Mortensen has been a VW enthusiast for over 50 years. His love started in northern California in the late 60s. Building his first cow look car in the early 70s. He has a love for all things early style col-look.  on this episode we discussed his history moving from Northern California to Phoenix, Arizona. Starting the Phoenix Bug o rama. The original Bug o rama in Sacramento, He used to fill-in when Dyno Don wasn't available as an announcer. We discuss the varied vehicles that he's had and his cover car from 1996 Cal-look edition Hot VW's magazine. His Chop To...

Roundtable! On this podcast, Bill and George discuss YouTube channels, Instagram followers, upcoming events and much much more.

Also, Bill finds his Vin number for his original 1963 ragtop beetle that he would like to buy back any help would be much appreciated. 

We talk about the problem with, il the VW scene is larger than just southern California. Why do some people not pay attention to that. People that post on Instagram just to be posting. The problem some people have with car shows today. Motivation to build cars where it com...

1990's UK VW Scene. Thump thump is a name synonymous with wild custom out of the park builds from the 90s. Jay Townsend's on this weeks podcast. His eye for style and creativity was exuded in the cars that were built through thump thump. Whether it was custom script where the rear air vents used to be. To reverse intake, manifolds and carburetors hidden behind the fan shroud. His ideas were definitely ahead of their time and style was the most important part of the build.

It wasn't always good times on the road to build in...

Pat Downs Has been building perfromance motors for the last 35 years. He was the main engine  builde rat CB Performance for 30 years. On this episode we discuss what was the reason he left his last emolyer. What life has been like starting your new career in your mid-50s. What his expectation was and how it's turned out so far. We also discuss several new product lines. He's bringing to market the problem with main bearings and the solution. And we can't have this conversation without talking about drag racing. Pat also owns the ECPRA Pro Stock record at 5.90 s...

Russel Ludwig is the owner operator of Oldspeed out of Paramount California. His shop has been in business since the late 80s. Starting as a source of income to get through college it turned into a business that filled a need in the Volkswagen scene. From buying and flipping cars at Pomona and giving them the "Oldspeed "look. Starting in the early 80s he seen it all in the Vw scene from days of the street races to building engines and cars for drag racers and gang members alike. His shop in Long Beach was neutral territory. His best...

If you've read any issues of Volks World over the past 20 years I'm certain you know the name Paul Medhurst from his early days with the square back they gave him the nickname "Puppy". Setting off early in his days to roam the world his experience was cut short due to lack of funds. After he spent some money buying a lot of type three parts posting them for sale in the magazine advert Paul came back to an answering machine full of request for parts. Asking his friend Ivan to use the name type three detectives Paul then...

It doesn't always take tons of money to make a showstopper. Alex Boughen and his father are proof of this. Alex having a desire for an air cooled beetle picks up at 1975 1200. The seller says it needs just a little bit of work on a few weekends to get it on the road. Removing the carpet revealed that the nails holding the carpet down to the wood screwed to the holy floor pan meant trouble. Luckily Alex's dad is a welder by trade and they took on the rebuild of this project and it turned out way better than...

The name Paul Morton should ring a bell. Paul is a contributing writer and photographer to the new Vw trends magazine. Paul was also editor of autosound security magazine as well as import racer magazine and co-editor of drifting magazine. His first Volkswagen he bought in 1986 worked on it as long as he could and was forced to move on to mini trucks for reasons of convenience. Paul's an all-around car guy and he really has a wide breath of everything 80s. On this podcast we discuss Volkswagens, mini trucks, cruising, car audio and everything else having to do...

Is this the ultimate Cal-look tribute car. The California look with something that started in the late 60s early 70s in Southern California. For the past few decades, there have been lots of tribute cars and some have gone over the top and some have chased every specific detail down to the last Lucas turn signal. Mark Akullian has been in the Volkswagen scene since he was 13 years old which means over 30 years he's been in the Volkswagen scene. He's no stranger to magazine covers in April 1988 his 1957 beetle was on the pages of Hot VW's magazine. This yeay...

Buses By The bridge 2024 is a wrap and we talk about the weekend. Bill drove ther & back in a day.  George talks about how his bus did with the new IRS conversion. Bob Daniels from the Facebook page Custom VW's of the 80's & 90's. Bob is flying out to Vegas to ride to GNRS & OCTO with Bill in the Carbon Cab. While BOB is here we paly a game. Guess the cost of parts back in the 80's and what that means in todays dollars. We discuss what we watch on youtube. 

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On this episode we discuss the early days in La Puente California. Buggs Buddies founding member William Noguera comes on the podcast with Robert Vw Kidd and they discuss the late 70s early 80s VW seen in Southern California. With a heavy Latin influence the origins of the LA style seems to begin here. You'll get to hear some wild stories of what it was like being a member of Bug's buddies what was the story on all the cars and what "Combey" means. It was a wild time for young teenagers in La Puente California. Some of these...

With recent podcast being about Drag & Drive events some of the original  guys have been doing drag & Drive events in the Midwest have reached out to me. Prescott Phillips and Chuck Fryer respectively the beer Panzer and the corn panzer have been running Midwest Drive events for years. Both Street cars running 11 second quarter these guys have been representing the VW contingent on six summer. They go in a great detail about what it takes to do with these events the type of prep they do what their cars and how they are built from transmission specs to engines c...

Ever wonder who's the guy on www.Thesamba.com with the super expensive original or NOS EMPI  stuff. Wonder no more on today's podcast we've got Eric Lussier former VW collector, now owner of 2nd Avenue scooters in Phoenix Arizona. Eric is one of the original Pomona isle hounds that used to snatch up tons of EPMI & Rare stuff but before that he had an opportunity to go cross country several times and just grab tons and tons of EMPI and other cool collectible stuff from wrecking yards all over the east coast of the Midwest. This podcast has a...

Bill discusses his Power Tour experience. What you should do if you decide to do the power tour and the good and bad of it. George and Bill discuss a letter that we received critiquing the one crazy weekend. It goes over some positives but more negatives than anything else and we address all the concerns for last year's event only to bring you a more exceptional event in 2024. George gets completely heated and loses it when he's accused of picking his friends cars for trophies. George is a man of integrity and I'm saying this as a hold...

More power on a budget? Kadron carburetors (The Brazillian Solex) have always been known for being the bottom level carburetor. Jeff Lane wirh Kaddie Shack will change your mind about that he's put down plenty of quarter mile passes that have been super fast and he got into tuning and dealing with cadre on carburetors years ago. Take a listen to a great story and interview on how Jeff decided to leave his full-time job and pursue his passion in the VW industry helping people get performance on a budget. Caddyshack has had a consistent presence in the drag...

On this podcast we discussed piston technology and manufacturing. Trevor Cleveland with iKON brand pistons (manufactured by United Engine and Machine one of America's largest piston manufactures) Gives us the lowdown on pistons. We discussed the anatomy of a piston and the technology. We also get into what the VW industry is lacking with respect to quality pistons.  Trevor is one of us, he's a hard-core VW enthusiast that drives a 1969 Volkswagen fastback with an odd combination 2110. Not only do we talk about pistons but we also get his history in the VW scene. If you're interested in being a...