New workshop • Walls 1

Ive started building the walls, making holes for windows and such. Its a long way round, but as you stand, working in the dark, you imagine how comfortable the garage meetings of next winter will be. Slowly you start thinking about where to hang what and so on.

New workshop • The roof 2

This weekend was spent laying out the steel profiles on the roof. I borrowed a "Hilti-Gun" which is kind of a scary, yet very effective tool. It is just like a regular gun - you put explosives in a champer, a projectile at the end of the barrel, pull the trigger an BAM! you shot an extremely hardened nail right through the I-beam. On one picture you can see the new windows and all the gear I used when climbing the roof.

Hello fasty..

Just before new year I had to move the fasty from one storage building to another. She fired right up and looked as good as ever. Thank you so much John for letting me use your premises another winter.

New workshop • The roof 1

Today the roofprofiles arrived. 12.250 meters of strength. 865 kilos of shelter from the rain. The guy with the crane had a really hard job getting the supersize truck close enough to lift the package. When we finally got the job done I invited him in for a cup of coffee. As we waited for the coffee to steam off he told me that he had a 25 hp motor standing in his garage. It was pulled from his parents barndoor bus in 1963. He said that he would love to part with it if it went to a good home. I told him "Thats exactly what i an building".

The coolest project I ever saw!

Every summer I go to the local weekly vintage car meet and an old IFA is one of the regulars. What´s a IFA I hear you say. You know Audi? - before it was called audi it was called Auto union. The four rings symbolize four different brands getting merged: Horch, Audi, DKW and Wanderer. The DKW was, as many other western cars of the period, copied on the other side of the Iron curtain. In DDR the car was called IFA. I just stumbled upon this project on a blog. This car will be awesome! Take your time and try to envision what this guy is doing. A distant cousin placed on a type 1 pan. Porsche headlights are a straight swap, wide-5 wheels will look right. I will follow this project closely.

derluftboxers.skynetblogs.be

Contractors van

Today my friend Guller and I got the iron crosses welded in the steel structure and got the special concrete at the bottom of the pillars layed. Roof will be delivered from France next week. I tried to get a good shot of our work but the contractors van kept getting in the way.

Ready for paint

Having a spanner in your hand is a great thing. The sense of accomplishment - the feeling of being able to help your self. But have you ever taken time to appreciate the "mates", "buddies" you share your shop with? Or the effect they have on your progress? My friend Lars have been kind enough to lend part of his workshop to long time compadre and beetleowner Ole who in return has rubbed some of his enthusiasm on to Lars. The result is that Lars has got the 356 ready for paint and is currently looking at swatches and websites for inspiration. And how about those wheels? A few months back Lars has lost his fire. I now the feeling and if you ever wonder where i get my energy from it is indeed from friends with similar interests. Maybe they need a helping hand or your oppinion and suddenly you feel the urge to fix up a car again. Keep your friends happy.

Wanted...

I am looking for one of these batches.

New workshop • Tons of steel..

More progress on the workshop. The steel structures were done for the holidays and after a breathless drive through my hometown with the overriders we could finally start assembly. Next is the roof..

Bugs Funny video

Please find the biggest marker you´ve got and circle the date of the next Bugs Funny. Its all smiles, I tell ya!

Merry x-mas from Air-mike

Sometimes checking your mail box is not all boring. Sometimes there is a fresh copy of Ultra VW in postman Pats van, sometimes new parts. Sometimes your e-mail box is full of Viagra and Rolex but at other times theres a hallo from nice people. Today I got this christmas card from Air Mike who is actually the guy who inspired me to do this blog originally. On the Gustav_t-scale-of-cool sending a bus christmas card is way up there.

King of kool! to me anyway...

Hannover 2008

A feeble attempt at video making. You know I love Hannover. Its less than 150 days away, you know.

Vwe miss Skagen 2008

I loaded a tripod into the lugage area of the type 34 and overtook the entire convoy of v-dubs on their way to Skagen. You should come next year.

Are you getting bored yet?

I admit things have come to a grinding halt at my blog and in my vw life in general. The cars are all put away where I can´t reach them, the garage project is waiting for the steel structure to be delivered. I saw them a couple of days ago and they are huge! While waiting I have bought a couple of small things for the cars. I have a thing for yellow lights and have bought yellow foglights for the ghia. I also purchased a set of NOS yellow 6V bulbs for the splitbeetle. In genuine vw boxes. The NOS rev counter in box for the fastback is sitting on the mantelpiece. I would love to put it in the car but its standing in a storage unit somewhere waiting for better times. Due to the financial turmoil the garage project gets cheaper/more expensive from day to day. Follow your dreams through today and save money!

Freezing fingers? No more

Please find me one of these? I will be your friend for quite some time, then.

Happy Birthday Peter!

Yesterday I attended my good friend Peter´s 30 th birthday party. The party gave me access to his stash of parts. Looking at all the nice stuff got me thinking. Not one of the neat parts Peter own is younger than himself. In fact most of the parts are twice his age and highly desirable. I thought to myself that when Peter will be an old man and has to part with the stash many of these parts will be way beyond 100 years old. I will off course attend that party too and have lots of dollars ready.. On the picture is also Barndoor guru Tonny Larsen. Picture is taken on one of our many cross country raids for parts.

44.000 hits

Sorry about all them girls - no time for any vw-action at the moment..

43000 Hits

Hopefully soon..

I sort of stopped buying parts for cars, as long as i´m building the new workshop.
But something tells me i´m about to let this one fly under the radar.