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Bringing it Home - Owner : Bill Tsagrinos
This 1959 Volkswagen Bus has been stretched a total of 36 inches and was featured in the Spring 1972 issue of Hot VW's. Warren Stevens from the Beetle Barn of Las Vegas built this Bus to take his family camping he had six kids and that was the reason for such a large Bus. The Beetle Barn was a Volkswagen service shop that started in 1959 here in Las Vegas. This Bus was their family camper until the late 70s when the Stephens family purchased a Dodge motorhome. After several years in the early 90s, warren son, Justin asked his dad if he could get it back on the road. His dad was reluctant to let him do that, and eventually sold it to a guy who came by the yard requesting to buy it in 2007.
I accompanied my friend Justin to Arizona to purchase the Bus back. In
2009, Justin decided to sell it along with a stretched Double Cab that
his father built to my friend Chris Cocks. Chris love the uniqueness of
the Bus and put a new Brazilian 1600cc in with dual carburetors and a
big nut Transaxle and built the Bus for driving on the freeway. Collector
Christian Grundmann, Chris and a few other guys did a Route 66 road trip.
In 2018 my friend Chris passed away from pancreatic cancer, his widow
reached out to me a few years back and asked if I would be interested
in purchasing the Bus back. Purchasing the Bus, figuring the price was
right and I could always sell it.
I slowly come to realize that the history connected with this Bus in
Las Vegas. I feel a sense of obligation to keep it here in the city. The
pinstriping lettering in details that are on it were done by famed, hot
rod, pinstripe artist Bob Spina. The Bus itself is very rare, a 1956 walk-through
mango colored. The back half is a 1959 Combi sunroof that was palm green
and sand green. Since owning this Bus, I've put an interior into it and
I've made it more of a comfortable driver. I even took it out to Moab
and drove it on the trails with a large caravan of other VW buses in 2022.
This must be part of my collection for this foreseeable future to represent
my hobby, my city and my friends.
Herbie Fully Loaded - Owner : Tom Cuzzubbo
This is my 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, modeled after Herbie from the movie, "Herbie: Fully loaded." In Australia, VW Beetle models were not updated after 1963, so this 1966 body is exactly the same as the 1963 that appeared in the film. This VW has all the aspects of a 63' Beetle, from the narrow indicators, sloped headlights, right down to the nose lid. This Bug has received a full restoration, involving the body and floor pans being sanded and painted. Sections of the vehicle that make contact with debris from the road, such as underneath the floor pans, underneath the fenders have a special textured finish to protect the bodywork.
They also have rust protectant paint layered underneath. The '63 Bug has a brand new wiring loom setup, new wheels and axles and sway bars being serviced. It wouldn't be a Herbie replica without all the important movie details! This Herbie has all the key features that make the "Fully Loaded Herbie" unique. These include, the angled eyelids, widened wheels, the custom graphics and the extremely rare 200mph speedometer. The speedometer was a defining feature in determining the difference between a replica or a tribute. The speedometer's rare value holds a strong place in the car.
Herbie also has a full custom interior which contains period correct colours
and tones to the original VW interior colour palette. He also has a custom
built 1915cc engine which has an estimated 120 horsepower, which is three
times the original! From rag top to floor plan, this VW has received a
complete restoration ensuring its life span triples, and will continue
to make people smile for the next 50 years.
San Diego Family Shop Truck - Owner : Lee Hedges
DISCOVERY: In the summer of 2014 the World Cup soccer championship
game was underway when the phone rang … "Dude, did you see that
1963 Double Cab just listed on the Samba in Missouri?" Lee Hedges
had regretted selling his 1963 Double Cab in 1997 when he bought his first
home and he'd recently told his good buddy Jon House that he had to find
another 1963. Double Cabs are the most versatile VW, able to carry six
passengers, surfboards, beach gear, VW parts, and home improvement supplies.
Lee read the ad, liked the price, and called the Missouri seller during
half-time and told him "I'll take it! Call you back in an hour."
BACKGROUND: Lee Hedges has a long history with old Volkswagens.
His parents bought a new 1963 Panel Van when he was born, took his driver's
test on the family 1972 Westfalia Camper, and attended college at UC Santa
Barbara with his 1971 Super Beetle Automatic Stickshift. Over the next
35 years he has owned & restored over 25 air-cooled VW Microbuses,
Beetles, Notchbacks, and Type 34s. He even worked as the Historical Editor
for VW Trends in the 90's. But he's best-known for his passion for Type
34 Karmann Ghias & helping T34 owners worldwide. His 1400 square foot
workshop in northern San Diego now has three T34s, two 1963 Variants,
and this 1963 Double Cab shop truck.
HISTORY: Arrangements to get the new 1963 Double Cab home from
Missouri took a couple months, as a running engine was fitted to enable
it to drive onto the transport. He learned this truck lived its life working
on a central Missouri racehorse ranch through 2012 when the longtime owner
decided to sell it. They used to load it with feed and alfalfa, lower
the gates, drive across the ranch, kicking feed off for the horses. The
truck had its share of dents and rust but it was unmodified and most importantly,
it was Lee's birth year. Always interested in preserving its history Lee
discovered the previous owners Thomas and Dustin as well as the mechanic
Jay Grim that maintained the truck through the 80's and 90s. They shared
photos of the truck being saved, driven home, being used in a college
play, and going to the Illinois FunFest for Air-Cooled VW in 2012. To
honor its Missouri life Lee found a large AAA Missouri badge for the rear,
window decal, and Missouri 1963 key tags. Mechanic Jay Grim even visited
the truck in 2016 while on vacation in Southern California to share a
cold beer and many stories.
WHAT'S IN A NAME: Naming their vintage VWs is a family decision
& all their VWs have special meaningful names. The Ruby Red T34 Cabrio
is Ruby and the Pearl White Variant is Pearl. So when discussing the truck's
name they stated the facts: an old German workhorse, raised on a farm,
and lived a hard life, deserving of a fresh start. The kids great-grandfather
Gustav had all those attributes and so Gus was born and adopted into the
Hedges family.
FAMILY AFFAIR: With five kids Lee always likes to get the kids
involved in hands-on restoration work. Learning to use tools, have patience,
take things one step at a time, and be prideful of taking something old
and making it new again. One panel at a time was stripped to bare metal
with a DA sander and the kids took turns learning how to strip paint and
apply primer without drips, then hand-sand it and reapply. This process
took months but was so satisfying to see the gleaming bare metal and the
smiles of success on his kids' faces. Once the body was stripped it was
painted with Wolfsburg West's L345 Light Gray spray paint to get it into
one color until the real paint job could be done. Kids helped with restoring
& adjusting the brake system then going for test-drives. Electrical
system was cleaned-up with fresh 6V parts and ground contacts. Original
transmission was serviced and the sloppy steering linkage was fixed by
Lee's favorite local shop VW Paradise Motorsports.
DETAILS: Lee got lucky with finding a replacement engine since
the original was long gone. He searched theSamba.com and found a case
built five days from the truck's original one. This stale-air 1200cc engine
was built to stock by buddy Ron Smith with the big-bore 1385cc kit from
Wolfsburg West. The old 1961 motor was disassembled with the help of his
daughter Tessa (11) and all the authentic engine parts were sourced, cleaned
and powder-coated to look new again. Reassembly was done with his amigos
Pedro Sainz and Jack Fisher and the results were fantastic. A full set
of gray interior panels were sourced from Clara. Rust-free side gates
and front and rear cab floor mats came from buddy Jacin Ferreira. A full
set of seals, seat belts, and painted hub caps came from Wolfsburg West.
And a restored steering wheel was found at Prado. Wood slats were found
in Georgia for the cargo bed. Wanting to run a set of original California
black and gold license plates for commercial vehicles, Lee got lucky while
searching eBay. He discovered a pair ending in 265 which matched the Model
265 for the Double Cab. Nice touch!
METAL and PAINT: The rust along the rocker panels and dented right-rear
corner were the worst areas. Lee ordered 25 fresh pieces from Klassic
Fab and Jack Fisher took-on the rust removal, welding, and painting tasks
himself. Single-stage enamel Light Gray L345 paint was purchased at TCP
in San Diego. Lee, Jack, and Pedro spent the morning going around the
exterior panels using 600 then 800 sandpaper to get a smooth surface.
And then Jack applied three coats of the enamel. Color-sanding and polishing
was handled by Auggie Martinez over 25 hours for the finishing touch.
Lee believes trucks look best in working-class colors and the Light Gray
is perfect for this shop truck.
HARD WORK: Working trucks also need to earn their living so Lee has kept it busy hauling lumber, rocks and stones, CostCo purchases, mulch & plants, as well as VW engines and transmissions. Two of the kids have learned to drive stickshift with Gus. And it has transported the toy donations for their annual San Diego Christmas Cruise for the past five years. Working hard for another 50 years just like a good VW truck was designed for.
Q&A with Ismael Membreno and La Casita
ACVWS: What are your earliest VW memories?
IM: My father and my mom were always into VWs. I remember them
taking us to Costa Lake, Big Bear up north and Sequoia National Forest…
so I've always been in a Volkswagen.
ACVWS: How long have you owned this cool Camper Bus?IM: I've owned this Volkswagen for five years now.
ACVWS: Did your Bus come with that one-of-a-kind camper
on the back?
IM: When I got the VW, it was already built on it. I have the very
first pink slip (first title) and it was already converted, so rumors
say that this was converted by a dealer that took it to a conversion company,
and then brought back to the dealership to sell.
ACVWS: Do you have any future plans for your Camper?
IM: Plans for my Bus? Hell yeah! I want to travel more with it,
maybe drive to Chicago. I've already driven to the border of Canada and
back as well as to the border of Mexico.
ACVWS: How long did it take to do the restoration?
IM: When I got it, I just got the shell, so I had to do transmission,
motor, suspension, and I had to do everything right. I needed to be road
worthy and to be able to drive at 70 mph. I'm happy to have a motor built
by @Lizard_Motorsports, transmission by @borjonventura at BM Trans Axles,
exhaust by the one and only A1 Exhaust and of course I couldn't do it
without my Gene Berg shifter.
ACVWS: Where have you driven your Camper?
IM: I actually just did the Airhead Parts event, which is called
Boarder to Boarder. You drive from the border of Canada and Washington
all the way to the border of Mexico and California. If you watch my videos
@volksfamilia_official, you'll see pictures and clips and stuff. I've
also taken it to Buses by the Bridge, New Mexico, Las Vegas, the Grand
Canyon…. I've been everywhere with it.
ACVWS: Everyone that owns a Vintage VW has a name for
it. What did you name your Bus and why?
IM: My Bus is named "La Casita" which means "Small
House" in Spanish.
ACVWS: Do you own any other Vintage Volkswagens?
IM: Yes, I own a '52 Split Window Standard, a '51 right hand drive
Standard, a Double Door Sub Hatch, a Single Cab finished in Sealing Wax
Red and a VW Fridolin.
ACVWS: It's obvious you love your Bus. Would you ever
consider selling it?
IM: If the price was right, why not?
Sun-Kissed Type 3 - Owner: Aaron Slim
This is my 1973 VW Type 3 Fastback. I purchased the car from a guy who was importing 911s from the US. The car originally belonged to an older gentleman who, as a result of his failing, eyesight had decided to part with his 911 on the condition that the new owners also purchased his daily driver up until 2016 - the Type 3. Both cars were imported, but the Fastback wasn't registered, making me the second owner from new. Being from the sunny climate of California, the Type 3 had very minimal rust and the paintwork is sun-kissed showing lovely signs of wear and patina.
As soon as the Fasty was in my ownership me and my friends set out to get the car through an MOT test and ready for UK roads. I enjoyed the car in stock form through that summer, before diving head first into the project through the winter months. The beam was switched out for a Type 1 4" narrowed beam from Limebug, combined with 2.5" dropped spindles and Gold Top air shocks. At the rear we welded in an Evaresto bag mount kit. For use with double bellow bags, gas adjustable shocks, and Red 9 Design spring plates.
An Airjax paddle block controls the system with two Viair 444cc compressors, a polished five gallon skinny tank and 3/8" lines. The wheels are 3 piece BBS RS, originally from a Nissan 300ZX. 17x8.5" and 17x9" 5x114.3 pcd. I changed the inner barrels of the 9" wheels to make them 6.5" for the front. Then squeezed the 8.5's under the rear of the Fastback with careful trimming and persuading here and there.
The discs and drums/hubs were drilled and converted to studs to suit the wheels. Inside I have fitted a Momo California steering wheel, and built a custom console to house the air ride gauges and paddles. This VW gets used well and is driven to shows all over the country on a regular basis. No trailer queen here!
The Goat - Owner: Thomas Mahady
Being a child of the 60's and 70's VWs were everywhere. I don't know why but I always loved them, I was the only one amongst my friends that thought they were cool. Everyone else wanted the muscle cars and the fact I was over 6'3" it made it more ridiculous to them that the biggest guy in our group liked the smallest car. I remember riding my bicycle around town and spotted a metallic dark blue Bug for sale, it leopard skin seat covers and steering wheel cover, I fell in love with it instantly. The for sale sign said $1000, I took all my savings and my dad lent me the rest and I bought it.
My friends had Camaros and Mustangs and Mopars, but I didn't care, I had my sweet little 1971 Super Beetle. I put a 200 watt stereo system in, I added air shocks so I could slap on giant Mickey Thompson size 50's tires on the back with wheel adapters and slotted rims, added a Monza exhaust and I thought I was the coolest kid in high school. The VW fever never left me, I always had to have one, through the years I've owned '58 Rag Top, '66 Bus, '74 Bus, '79 Bus, '74 Bug, '70 Karmann Ghia convertible, '62 Karmann Ghia convertible etc, etc, etc, which brings me to my present baby, my '71 Volkswagen Bus.
I bought this 1971 Standard Bus over eight years ago and has been a labor of love. The first week I bought it I took the rear seats out, put in a blow up mattress and I drove it from New Jersey to Vermont to go camping. The engine leaked oil bad, the brakes were barely working and the rear shock tower was stripped. She got me back home and I named her "The Goat" and my restoration journey to make her into the camper began. I did everything myself except for the new motor and trans rebuild. I rebuilt the suspension, new brake system, including master cylinder, rotors and calipers. I did all the body work and painted her Royal Blue and white with a thin red pinstripe. I cut the original roof off and welded on a 1979 pop top that I refurbished so that now I can sleep up top as well. I Installed an entire camping interior I found here in Jersey, added a diesel heater inside my jump seat for winter camping to stay warm and welded in 1984 front swivel Vanagon seats. I had a new 2180cc full flow long block built and added dual Weber 40's, external oil filter and oil cooler, rebuilt 002 Freeway Flyer transmission.
I put on big General Grabbers, Koni shocks and raised the rear end up so when we camp I don't have clearance issues. I've put almost 25,000 miles on over 8 years traveling all over the east coast and looking forward to many more camp trips out west. You can see the entire journey on my @vw71westybus Instagram.
Unkle Bob - Owner: Todd Getty
Spring of '21, in the midst of Covid, I stopped at an estate sale on my way to work. I went into the small basement workshop first, the kind of room with one light bulb hanging from a wire with a pull chain switch, to hunt for "guy stuffs". While looking through the dimly lit shelves, another fellow turned to ask me "do you know the name of this tool?" I didn't know what it was as it was non VW related. After a short discussion he asked me "are you into old air-cooled VWs?" I was baffled as I had no idea where that question came from and by the look on my face as he pointed at my Covid mask... which had a VW Bus front end image. We shared a laugh and he told me "I have an old VW that was my Uncle Bob's." We exchanged numbers and over the next several months had a text string "bromance" and random calls, before he invited me over to meet "Unkle Bob" his VW Thing.
At that time he asked if I was interested in purchasing it. It hadn't been registered since 2011 and upon further discussion he hadn't driven it since 2010. It was left to him in his Uncle's Will as he was the only relative that showed interest and always enjoyed riding in it as a kid when visiting. Uncle Bob bought it for his wife Nancy here in Portland and it was driven daily and later towed behind their RV in retirement travels around the PNW. When Vinnie received the car, he and his cousin (a fleet body and paint specialist) did a complete paint job to it, replaced the top and seat covers but never addressed the mechanical needs. Unkle Bob was driven very little after that. Fast forward to June '21 and after coming to an agreement on price, I tow bar'd it home and he followed behind and we rolled it into my work shop. After giving him a tour and assuring I'd keep him posted on its progress, he left and I put it on the hoist, tearing to see what it needed and start the LONG punch-list of repairs. Complete new brake system including OG master cylinder, hard line front to rear, four wheel disk brake upgrade (Ghia style front/Porsche 944 rear) and a CNC turning brake installed and used for hydraulic E-Brake. I installed a all new 2" narrowed beam, tie rods, ball joints, TRW steering box and Karmann Ghia spindles. I lowered the rear one spline and installed all new bushings.
Next was new KYB shocks on all four corners and new Continental tires mounted on 16x6" and 16x7" Porsche Fuchs. A four-wheel alignment was done by my "lil' brother" Beau at Stuttgart Autotech. I did get the original engine and transmission running, but the engine had very low compression across all 4 cylinders and the transmission popped out of 2nd and reverse gears. After a few local trips on these worn out OG parts I knew they had to go. I built and installed a balanced and blueprinted 1835cc engine with dual Dellorto Twin 36mm carbs, 043 40x35 valves, Scat C35 cam, DPR C.W. crank, along with a ProStreet 3:88 transmission, a Super differential with a heavy duty side plate, built by German Transaxle of America in Bend OR.
Now that my Thing was running like a champ I installed new LED headlights with incorporated turn signals, "bubble style" LED taillights from Brazil and LED bulbs throughout the car. I also replaced the worn out shift rod bushing, rebuilt the pedal assembly and installed new clutch and throttle cables, mounted a NOS Formuling France steering wheel, Autometer 5" Tach with shift light, rubber "bar mats", located and mounted a real VW Thing roll bar and added a Gene Berg shifter, phew. My Thing really drives and stops very nicely now and best "Thing" of all, is the miles of smiles as we're driving it! I recently met with the previous owner, who also followed along on the rebirth, approving all of the mods and upgrades, and took him for a long cruise He was SO happy about all the changes, and excited at how much power it has and how well it stops compared to the way it was.
