My collection of Volkswagens.
1. GT Beetle - Classic Air Cooled
RYK has been with me for around 3 years now. Registered in March 1973 this GT was born in October of 1972 so enjoys Tax Exempt status as an Historic Vehicle. Nice to have something free for once.
One of 2500 GT Beetles built exclusively for the UK market she is resplendent in the Tomato Red Colour. Other colours available were Apple Green and Lemon Yellow. This is the only 'Beetle' actually to have borne the name as of course, I'm sure you realise, Beetle was a nickname as Volkswagen actually considered them to be the Type 1. Not quite as evocative.
The last of the classic Beetle shaped cars has now been built and only quite recently recently the marque has slipped into automotive history with no more models being built in this shape in Mexico or Brazil.
Picture taken at Marazion in Cornwall with St Michaels Mount in the background
2.1974 Baja Beetle - Mid engined 1600cc Ford Crossflow engine, water cooled
The Baja styled bug is designed to be used off road and sports wider fibreglass wheel arches capable of accommodating larger wheels and tyres with off road tread patterns. Normally the engine used is the conventional VW air cooled flat four but, in the case of my machine this has been converted to a mid engine configuration using a 4 cylinder cross flow Ford motor [Kent series]n driving the rear wheels via a reversed Volkswagen gearbox with the gear linkage being of the rose jointed type usually used by single seat racing cars such as the super V's.
I have yet to drive the car as it has been a bit of a project having been bought with no engine fitted. I'm looking forward to using the car as it should exhibit good balance due to the min engine laypot and with additional horsepower from the Ford unit and the light body panels for wings, bonnet and engine cover the power to weight ratio should be good.
I understand the car was built in the early 1980's in the Launceston area of Cornwall but has had little use and is in excellent overall condition. As it has been sprayed in the Dukes of Hazard colours it should turn a few heads too once the wheels have been changed to alloys in white. As the car is a bit smaller than a Dodge Charger the name on the roof is actually 'General Flea'.
Whilst the load area is not too big it is still useful and having a roof over your head is quite nice but, unless there is someone able to pop the side screen on when you are ready to depart you are driving with an open wagon as fitting the poppered screens from inside is just impossible.
I have a little work to do to tidy up the buggy but overall she is in good fettle. If you see me come to a halt stick around as watching me get out must be quite entertaining.
Have you ever wished you could run your car on water instead of petrol ?
Click on the link below, it might just be possible with the Water4Gas system!
It's worth a look, links to some interesting video footage too.
Click Here!
4. My 1979 early small rear light - Mk1 Golf 1600 GTI
The Mark one Golf is widely acknowledged to be the first ever of the 'hot hatches' and was available in it's GTI guise in the UK from 1979. Even today the 1.6Lt engine propels the car at modern day traffic velocities and the handling is still reminiscent of a big go cart, loads of fun and lots of smiles every time you drive it.
This example underwent a full bare metal restoration in 2000 and was treated to a coat of Peugeot Blaze Gold that suits it very well. The interior was transformed by having all the seats covered in black leather whilst the mechanics enjoyed a full rebuild and the suspension was lowered to give the car a very purposeful stance indeed and of course improved handling.
The power from the 1.6 fuel\ injected engine is only a few horse power less than the 1.8 and the difference in performance is virtually unnoticeable. Basically like the Beetle a motoring icon.
5.My 1984 Scirocco Storm in Havana Brown
The low stance gives a sporty stance on the road and you feel part of the car sitting low to the ground just like any sports car. The Storms were available for one year only and 300 of each of the colours were available in Havana
Brown or Cosmos Blue, until recently I had a Cosmos Blue model too but sold this a few moths back to help fund a then ongoing project.
Below - At Run to the Sun Show and Shine in May 2006, two Storms together. Note the non standard 17" rims
6. 1994 Corrado 2Lt 16v
The 2Lt is a good compromise between performance and economy returning around 30mpg for local trips and more on longer journeys. The G60 supercharged version produces more power at 160bhp and the VR6 almost 200.
The G40 is a car that puts a tremendous smile on your face each and every time you drive it. Its 1.3Lt supercharged motor propels the car at a tremendous pace with the power being delivered right across the rev range unlike the turbocharged motors that only come alive at higher engine speeds. With a 0 to 60mph time of around 7 seconds and, with my own having a stage 4 supercharger and a power level of around 125bhp the power to weight ratio is excellent.
Less than 700 of these cars were imported into the country originally and many of them met their end taking part in the G40 racing cup series so a good example is well worth holding on to, its a dying breed.
8.Type 25 Transporter - Custom Bus
Entertainment comes from two sources. The first is a dash mounted dvd player with inbuilt 3.5" screen to watch the films and MP3 capability.The second source is an Icom IC706G Mk2 HF all mode transceiver that enables me to talk to the world on amateur radio as I drive along.
A very practical 'wagen' indeed the Crew cab is constant 4 wheel drive and has been used extensively by utility company throughout Europe and Scandinavia s their go anywhere abilities made them an invaluable resource.The Syncro is capable of climbing slopes of up to 47 degrees and when fitted with the appropriate wheel & tyre combination.
My DOKA spent its working life in Sweden and was still on Swedish plates when I bought it. It now sports an age related Cornish registration mark. The engine is a 1.9Lt Wasserboxer petrol but I hope to change this in the coming months when funds permit and hope to fit a diesel motor that will give improved torque and of course economy as the Wasserboxer tends to return sub 20Mpg.
.See more at my other site http://www.vwaddiction.co.uk
