Hot VWs Magazine - 2023年（単品）

On the cover : Jason Field’s subtle custom ‘55. (Photo: Chadly Johnson)

A RARE AIR RAGTOP!
Jason Fields purchased the shell of a late ’55 Oval Window. The once plane jane sedan now sports a ragtop, semaphores, and crotch coolers. Jason not only installed these rare options, but he also manufactured most of them.

BUSES BY THE BRIDGE XXVI
Setting off the new year in a style as only they can, the London Bridge Bullis host over 500 Buses for the annual gathering known as Buses By the Bridge in beautiful Lake Havasu City, Arizona. As one of the largest VW Bus-only camping events in the country, enthusiasts from across the nation journey to the small desert oasis, home of the famous London Bridge.

THE 30-YEAR COUPE
Initially purchased in 1991, this 1959 Karmann Ghia was packed with parts and rolled into a storage unit, not to emerge until 2017. That’s when Steve Richardson finally decided it was time to give this coupe the attention it deserved.

SPECIAL MODEL #16
THE TRUCK FEATURED WITHIN THESE PAGES IS ONE OF THE RAREST VW MODELS. YES, IT LOOKS LIKE AN ORDINARY CREW CAB, THUS EXPLAIN- ING WHY FEW FOLKS KNOW ABOUT THIS COACHBUILT PIECE: A PRE-VW FACTORY-ASSEMBLED TRUCK CALLED BINZ DOUBLE CAB. BINZ GMBH & CO HANDLED THE CONVERSION, BASED ON SINGLE CAB BODIES CONVERTED INTO A DOUBLE CABS. PRODUCTION COUNT IS ABOUT 550, I.E., LESS THAN HEBMÜLLER’S 2-SEATER CABRIOLET PRODUCTION FIGURE. LET’S SEE WHAT’S SO UNIQUE ABOUT THE VEHICLE, COMPARED TO THE VW FACTORY-PRODUCED DOUBLE CAB.

FAST4CARTEL FALL BRAWL 4
THE CARTEL RETURNED TO THE HISTORIC REDDING DRAGSTRIP FOR A SECOND TIME IN 2022, BRINGING WITH IT THE LARGEST SHOWING OF VWS THEY HAVE EVER HAD AT ONE SINGLE EVENT.


And more!

On the cover : The awesome Kiddieland Fire Trucks! (Photo: Shin Watanabe)

THE KIDDIELAND FIRE TRUCKS
The “working class” models of the VW Transporter line, since their release, have been used to haul all levels of business assets. Tall versions for nurseries and clothes cleaners, wide bed models for large items, and even special adaptations for medical use and even firefighting. These serious-minded creations have all been built to do the job that needs to be done, and the Volkswagen basis underneath them did just that.

DUNE BUGGY LEGACY
DUNE BUGGIES PLAYED AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN DEFINING HOTVWS MAGAZINE DURING THE 1960S. MANY OF THESE FIBER- GLASS CREATIONS GRACED OUR PAGES BACK THEN, THOUGH READERS MADE DO WITH BLACK AND WHITE PICTURES. DECADES LATER, WE OFTEN WONDERED HOW THESE IMAGES LOOKED IN COLOR – UNTIL WE FOUND HUNDREDS OF THEM IN A FILING BOX. IT WAS A MAGICAL MOMENT.

GO NARDO!
IN 1985, ANTHONY BELL CHOSE HIS FIRST VOLKSWAGEN FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON – HE SIMPLY WANTED AN AFFORDABLE “A-TO-B TRANSPORTATION” WITH GOOD GAS MILEAGE. HOWEVER, HE QUICKLY DISCOVERED THE PURE JOY OF DRIVING A VW AND BEING ABLE TO TINKER AROUND WITH IT, LEADING TO HIS 4-DECADE- LONG INVOLVEMENT IN OUR SCENE.

ABURATSUBO VW SHOW & SHINE
HOSTED BY HOTVWS MAGAZINE’S PUBLISHER SHIN MUKAI, THE INAUGURAL ABURATSUBO VW SHOW & SHINE CATERED TO VOLKSWAGEN FANS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE. IT PROVIDED A CAMPOUT, A SHOW & SHINE, A SWAP MEET, LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES, A HULA DANCE SHOW, AND MANY OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES IN A UNIQUE LOCATION – A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE FOR THE JAPANESE VW SCENE.

HOT ROD 36HP MOTOR V2.0
Last month, we showed you the process of taking my 1397cc 36-horse hot rod V1.0 motor apart. After inspection, we gladly discovered that the components were in good shape – nothing was wrong with the engine. Then, we mocked up the new 74mm stroker crankshaft, AA Performance H-beam rods, and smaller base camshaft. But before starting the assem- bly, we still had another important step: getting the parts balanced.


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On the cover : EMPI & Meyers Manx dream project Buggy (Photo: EMPI)

DREAM TEAM BUGGY
If you read Dune Buggies and hotVWs Maga- zine or own a classic Volkswagen, the name EMPI will no doubt ring a bell. Yet how many of you expected EMPI to build a Manx buggy and showcase it at the SEMA Show? Without a doubt, it was a major surprise within our scene in 2022!

YOKOHAMA HOT ROD CUSTOM SHOW
AFTER A THREE-YEAR HIATUS DUE TO PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS, THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY MOONEYES YOKOHAMA HOT ROD CUSTOM SHOW RETURNED AS A PREMIER INDOOR EVENT. IT ATTRACTED OVER 20,000 CUSTOM CAR AND MOTORCYCLE ENTHUSIASTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, EAGER TO SEE SOME FANTASTIC CARS, INCLUDING A SPECIAL DISPLAY OF VWS SPONSORED BY FLAT4.

TOPLESS ’66
THE YEAR WAS 1986. FERNANDO RAMOS’ COUSIN HAD JUST PURCHASED A 1966 BUG THAT HE WAS CRUISING ALL AROUND TOWN. FERNANDO WAS ONLY 16 AT THE TIME, BUT AFTER TAKING A COUPLE OF RIDES IN IT, HE WAS ALREADY HOOKED. THE STYLE, THE RIDE, THE UNIQUENESS ALL PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS NEW FOUND OBSESSION. HERE IS FERNANDO’S LATEST CREATION, A ‘66 ROOF-LESS BEETLE.

SHAKA! VW WEEKEND
AFTER A TWO-YEAR HIATUS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE VW CLUB OF HAWAII FINALLY GOT THE GREEN LIGHT TO BRING BACK HAWAII’S “HAPPIEST VW WEEK” IN 2022. THE 20TH ANNUAL SHAKA WEEKEND MADE HISTORY, AS THE CLUB FILLED THE ICONIC ALOHA STADIUM WITH HUNDREDS OF VWS AND BID FAREWELL TO THIS LOCAL LANDMARK, WHICH WILL BE TORN DOWN IN 2023.

STRIKING GOLIATH
NOTCHBACK STYLING, DETAILS REMINISCENT OF OTHER VINTAGE VOLKSWAGENS... CONFUSED? TO BE CLEAR, THESE TWO AUTOMOBILES BUILT IN 1957 CAME FROM A GERMAN MANUFACTURER CALLED GOLIATH. BUT ADAPTING COMPLETE VW BEETLE UNDERPINNINGS GAVE A NEW LEASE ON LIFE TO THIS DUO, COURTESY OF UTAH-RESIDENTS MITCHELL FULLER AND HIS DAD BOYD!


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On the cover : Olivier Boggio’s 219hp Ragtop, shot on the French Riviera. (Photo: Kiki Bois)

THE MAGNIFICENT ‘67
Some Volkswagen enthusiasts get deeply attached to certain air-cooled models. Take DKK club member Darrin Dugan who has only owned Cal Look ’67s since the 1980s. Here is his latest project car, a superbly finished sedan equipped with a furious 227-horse 2386cc motor!

PICTURE THE PAST ‘75-’89
For this California Look-oriented issue, we went digging through hotVWs Magazine’s extensive archives for photos related to the topic. Boy, did we find some gems! Our selection, which covers the 1970s and ’80s, shows the fast evolution of the style, influenced by technology, fashion, and custom trends.

THE RED ALERT ‘63
Living on the French Riviera where you typically need a fancy Italian supercar to impress the crowd, Olivier Boggio chose a different and seemingly humbler route with his 219-horsepower ’63 Ragtop. And locals absolutely love it.

2022 SEMA SHOW
WELL, THE DUST HAS SETTLED ON SEMA (SPECIALITY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION), THE BUILDINGS ARE EMPTY, AND THE BOOTHS ARE PACKAGED AND READY TO BE SHIPPED BACK TO THE DESIGNATED COMPANIES THAT DISPLAYED FOR FOUR DAYS AT THE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER.

EL SAPO!
BORN AND RAISED IN MADERA, CALIFORNIA, FRED ESPINOZA GREW UP WITH CLASSIC AMERICAN CARS AND TRUCKS AS HIS PARENTS ALWAYS OWNED DOMESTIC CARS – HE STILL DRIVES AND WRENCHES ON A V8 TRUCK TODAY. BUT WHEN TURNING 28 YEARS OLD, HE GOT HOOKED ON A LITTLE CAR FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE...


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On the cover : Rally-ready... or possibly an outing along a Hawaiian beach ! (Photo: Shin Watanabe)

HOT VWS HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you “be of good cheer”... The 2022 Holiday Season is around the corner! Are you looking for a holiday gift? Let us assist you! Here is our selection of a variety of VW-related, fun gift items for our Vee-Dub friends and their family!

ISLAND SCORCHER
LIVING ON O’AHU ISLAND, HAWAII. A FATHER OF TWO CHILDREN. A HAPPY HUSBAND FOR 18 YEARS. AND DRIVING AN AIR-COOLED VOLKSWAGEN... SANG KIM IS ALL THAT. HIS INTEREST IN VOLKSWAGENS STEMS FROM WATCHING HERBIE IN “THE LOVE BUG” MOVIE. HE THEN TOOK A LIKING FOR A WORLD-FAMOUS VW RALLY CAR, THE SALZBURG RALLY 1303S BEETLE, WHICH INSPIRED HIM TO OWN THIS RALLY-STYLE 1966 SEDAN TODAY.

THE EUROPEAN BUG-IN 9
HAVE YOU EVER DREAMED YOU COULD FLASH BACK TO THE VOLKSWAGEN SCENE’S 1970S AND ’80S GOLDEN ERA? IF YOU DID, WHICH OLD VW EVENT WOULD YOU WANT TO ATTEND? I AM SURE MANY OF YOU WOULD PICK THE BUG-IN HELD AT ORANGE COUNTY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY UNTIL 1983. WELL, OCIR HAS BEEN LONG GONE, BUT THERE IS ONE MEET THAT OFFERS ALMOST THE SAME ATMOSPHERE AS WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED IN CALIFORNIA BACK IN THE DAY.

THE BBT OPEN HOUSE & CONVOY
WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT EUROPE TO ATTEND A PREMIER VINTAGE MEET IN GERMANY, THIS IS WHERE YOU MIGHT START YOUR JOURNEY. ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE SUPPORTERS OF OUR HOBBY, BBT IS LOCATED NEAR ANTWERP, BELGIUM. THE COMPANY HOSTS AN OPEN HOUSE AND CONVOY PRIOR TO GERMANY’S INTERNATIONAL VINTAGE VOLKSWAGEN SHOW IN HESSISCH OLDENDORF.

A TRANSFORMED TRANSPORTER
IT'S EASY TO FORGET THAT TODAY’S HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER AIR-COOLED VWS WHICH ARE BEING RESTORED AND CHERISHED WERE ONCE JUST DAILY DRIVER CARS, OFTEN DISCARDED AFTER THEIR USEFUL YEARS WERE BEHIND THEM. SUCH WAS THE CASE FOR ERIK THORSEN’S GORGEOUS ’60 DOUBLE CAB.


And more!