Best wishes for 2010!

I wish you all the best for the new year!

And who knows, maybe 2010 will see a Nostalgia corner update… Let’s cross our fingers…

The period VW Gassers on YouTube…

I‘m getting old now, and I sometimes remember 10+ years  ago when I began working on the now famous Nostalgia website (Yes, I know I need to post updates more often…), I would have spent nights on the Internet looking for that never seen before period picture of the Inch Pincher or the Dynosoar gassers. The web was not the never ending source of informations it is today. Some guys were already trying to compile facts and pictures but if you were looking for specific pictures, it was harder.

Time flies and things have changed a big way… Old VW racing pictures are now everywhere. Sure, forums and old guys now exchanging on the web helped.

But, these days, you can even find awesome material on video… I believe the quest is a never ending one…Of course, the famous EMPI Inch Pincher is most likely the one you will find. Two videos are now well known, the second one being outstanding to say the least, in particular because of the EMPI single cab push bus :

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HbUFa7l3DM (at 4:20) : Thanks Guillaume for the link.

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpCLpsHzdMU : Thanks Hervee for the link.

But I found another very interesting 8mm video on Youtube filmed in 1977 by Hugh Greeson : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfhTySQoa7A ! The scene took place at an old Georgia track, called “Drag City”. Have a look at 0:54 minutes and look closely. Is it a Mc Garity bug or what??? That name sounds familiar? Sure it is. I never seen that bug on picture before. But, you remember the Race Shop Ghia that now resides in Scotland. Ever seen a Mc Garity paint on it? Of course yes. Look at the section I compiled in… 2003… : www2.cal-look.com/nostalgia/rsghia.html . That’s the same paintscheme! Very interesting. Now, I have no idea who Mc Garity was, or who owned that bug racer. Can someone help? I heard John PRESTON was still around…

And don’t forget : Have fun looking for VW Gassers on period movies on Youtube. You never know what you will find in between 2 american funny cars.

EBI #3 pictures are online!

At least, I found some time to upload my EBI#3 pictures on my FlickR account! I decided to upload only the best and most representative ones for your viewing pleasure, of course! Hey, better late than never right?

Enjoy as much as I did attending that AWESOME show last summer! Can’t wait for 2011 edition! Promise to be something special after that 2010 break!

The Mach 1 : Another very special bug!

As stated here before, Hessich meeting was very special and saw many one-of-a-kind VW cars attending. Geoffroy LHOEST Mach 1 was one of those! If you read this, I’m sure that you already know that special edition bugs are rarer than ever. Belgian D’ieteren Mach 1 bugs are no exception. Only 2 original ones are supposed to be in existence today : Mike’s faded red one, and Geoffroy java green.

So when Geo showed up at Hessisch, my heart immediately went “boom”… This car is AWESOME in every corner! Its was the first time out, and being the first long travel, a little engine issue appeared for Geo that found, after many bla-bla-bla-bla with Hessisch residents, a faulty fuel pump… Too bad… 

Pictures of this “one of a kind” bug on the trailer sure is a rare sight… Fortunately, the car is now back in Belgium in his confortable home!

Want to read more about Mach1 bugs : Have a look at Mike’s blog : http://mach1.skynetblogs.be/ , and don’t forget to check Geo own blog at : http://aircooledvwstuff.skynetblogs.be/

The GTV first (and last?) run ever (?)…

Making a pass on the dragstrip with the GTV was not expected at all when goin’ to last EBI… So when Kobus came and said he wanted to see some GTV action on the strip, I have to confess I felt a little apprehensive, knowing my 2nd gear syncro was very tired… But, who cares, let’s go go go go…

It was such an experience to come side by side with Tim yellow 1302 GTV on the now world famous Chimay dragstrip! But being the rookie that I am with so much horsepower under rear decklid (1500cc… Lol), I missed badly the second gear thanks to my poor syncros… Time for a gearbox upgrade in the near future, and before the next run for sure…

Well, this pass was a good opportunity to try the dragstrip experience (something I had never experienced before…), and it was very cool to see those GTVs bugs on the track, just like back in the days!

But, I’m not sure that its was the first dragstrip experience for my GTV! Yes, the bug may have made one passe sometime in its life. From what Larry McKenzie told me a while back, its supposed to have a prep gearbox and had some 48IDA under the decklid at a time (cut outs in the engine compartment are still there…).

The first GTV display!

Last EBI was a good opportunity to try to gather at one place as many GTVs bugs as possible. And this was a success if you ask me : 4 GTV were there for a very cool display and a first time in Europe : two cars came from France, one from England and another one from Luxembourg!

THANKS for coming guys! The japanese boys and Hot VWs Deano were impressed from what they told me! Cool! I made very cool pictures, and met very cool guys by the way. We made some plans regarding the future of our common & particular interest : the EMPI GTV stuff !

Would be great if more GTVs join us next time… Watch this Space…

The GTV on the move…

… to a friendly & cool local meeting held every 2 years in Troyes…

A rare (…) picture took by my friend Mike W. while driving the Auto-Haus bus to the show! We sure had great times last week end!

Notice the smiling face of my lil’ boy Antoine behind the quarter window. He enjoyed the trip to the max!

Love that picture!

Trip to the fatherland…

Attending Hessich was something really special, as it was my first time there, after 4 Camberg editions. It’s different from Camberg as you’re in the middle of the old town, instead of an anonymous soccer playfield. Saw many well known faces there : Mike, Kob & Monica, Speedwell, Geoffroy, Dokke, Georg… Cool!

The just found Lituania Type38 in the middle of the town church just deserved the distance travelled. If you add the awesome row of rare Hebmullers (27 at the same place), you get the picture! Not to mention the greatest Porsche Pre-A I have ever seen.Without any doubt, Paul Rui is the most influencal guy you have chances to meet.

I just uploaded some pictures on my Flickr account. It worth a look, even if you’re not into Vintage VW! I’m not, but those old VW desserve a fatherland trip every 2 years!

A GTV display at EBI#3?

Guys, EBI #3 is just around the corner and I was just wondering how many GTV will attend the event this year. A little GTV corner would be cool, no?

I recorded 3 GTV last year : mine from France, another one from England and one other from Germany! Pretty cool!

So, let’s make a bigger GTV line up this year!

Back from the USA!

It’s been 10 days we are back from the US west coast, and it surely was the greatest trip Magali & I ever made. 16 days in sunny California, Colorado, Utah and Nevada… It means a lot of pictures of beautiful landscapes. Not much to tell regarding VW… Yes, it was not a VW trip, even if the plan was to meet DAS Mike to spend the first evening in L.A. Small world expected and we missed him… Too bad.

This said, of course, I couldn’t resist looking for sign of past VW life in retired areas… And I saw a lot of rusty bugs and buses… Above picture speaks by itself… I managed to make a little shop tour in L.A., but memorial day week end means a lot of shop were closed for 3 days… Fortunately, Carlos from West Coast Classic was there wrenching on his AWESOME ‘57 deluxe bus and was kind enough to let me take some pictures of the VW there. Watch out for this bus when it will be finished. I had never seen a bus like this one before.

This little shop tours reminded me my last trip there in June 2001 when I visited nearly all the VW places in Orange… 8 years ago…