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Volkswagen Beetle Calendar: For the past few years I've
been getting a calendar that has twelve photographs of the classic
Beetle for Christmas. Well it's Xmas and I was lucky enough to get
another one for a gift this year. The From the Brown Trout Web site: Known affectionately as the "Bug," the Volkswagen's Beetle is truly one of the most distinctive cars on the road today, and probably ever. The Beetle was introduced in the late 1930s in Germany, and by 1949 the first Beetle had arrived in America. It became the world’s best-selling car and is still in high demand, as its bright colors and eye-pleasing shape continue to attract attention all over the road, all over the world. This Volkswagen Beetle wall calendar is devoted entirely to these wonderful compact cars.
To get my VW stopping
on a dime I turned to the experts, Top
Line Parts located in Anaheim, CA. Top Line has the well-earned
reputation of being the 'go to' place for Super Beetle specific
needs for over 25 years. My first impression of the front disc brake
conversion kit was simply, wow, this has everything. My biggest
pet peeve when taking on a project is having to stop because you
need to make a run to the shop for parts. Not so in this case, the
only things you'll need are normal shop supplies like brake fluid,
brake cleaner, and wheel bearing grease. The kit includes Ghia rotors
and calipers (pre-loaded with pads), making replacement parts a
breeze to find. Top Line's trick billet aluminum caliper adapters
indexed for right and left hand sides. Also included are a complete
set of SKF wheel bearings, grease seals, stainless steel braided
Teflon brake lines and pair of brake line holders to keep you lines
clear of moving parts. Installation was easy thanks to excellent
instructions that come included with the kit. I would recommend
having the job professionally done since this is a safety issue
and you don't want any problems when you need to hit that pedal
hard. Disc Brake Conversion - Top Line Parts 3M Perfect-It Gloss Enhancer: I got a goodie bag at European Interest Car Show that had a few interesting items in it. There were a couple of small bottles of car wash and interior spray by Mothers and a bottle of Perfect-It Gloss Enhancer  by
3M. As usual I put these on a shelf in my garage thinking that I might
get around to trying them some time in the future. After all, I had
my tried-and-true cleaning products that had been doing a great job
for years, did I really need any more?The next week I washed my Beetle with my pressure washer and dried it. I hadn't waxed it since last summer when I tried Zymöl (an amazing andexpensive wax) so I figured I might as well do it again. I went through my ritual of washing, waxing, cleaning the windows, the interior and adding some shine to the tires - I was done. It looked great and I didn't drive it for about a week or so. Last weekend I attended the Bugfest 2004 VW event in Norval , so I took a peek at my Bug the night before. I am a bit of a perfectionist and wanted to give it a quick dusting off. I figured this would be as good a time as any to try the sample of Gloss Enhancer that I had collecting dust. The instructions simply say, Spray on, wipe off! It sprays on like water and wipes off with one cloth. After I was finished I stood back to take a look at the results. WOW! The color seemed to pop, as they say in the industry. The clear coated gold paint had a shine that was deeper and shinier than I have ever seen. At the last Bugfest my Super Beetle got more compliments on the paint than it had ever gotten before. That was all the proof I needed. I picked up a large bottle of this miracle product to add to my cleaning supplies. Perfect-It Gloss Enhancer is good for anywhere or anytime you want to wipe away dust, smudges, dirt, or surface contaminants between washes or major wax applications. It’s great for turning up the shine, instantly. It helps to extend the life of your wax and helps to repel dirt, dust and fingerprints. And because it's so slick, nothing wants to stick. This is the finish that you have when your car has just been thoroughly waxed. But the difference is, it takes, at most, five minutes bumper to bumper, compared with hours for a complete wax application. 3M Perfect-It Gloss Enhancer, available at automotive parts suppliers everywhere.
Top Line Parts has come up with a urethane bushing kit that is supposed to take care of this little problem. The kit contains all four lower control arm bushings plus sway bar mounts. I took my Super to see my friend Emilio at Progress Motors in Toronto to install them. We put the car up on the hoist and removed the sway bar and the mounts. The control arms have to be removed and the old one piece bushings pressed out with a hydraulic press. The new ones are two piece and can be pushed in by hand. They also come with a tube of special anti-squeak lubricant which you apply to the new parts. The bushings that came out were in pretty good shape and had most likely been replaced before with the OEM type. At this point I was wondering if the new kit would even help the problem. We bolted it back together and it was time for the road test. The first thing I noticed is that everything seemed tighter. I tried to get her up to 45 mph but the street wasn't long enough. We drove around until I could find a suitable stretch of road to wind her out. I watched the speedometer as the needle climbed...30, 35, 40, 45....50, there wasn't a shake or shimmy to be found! Top Line recommends inspecting and replacing any questionable steering component before you do this installation. It worked like a charm for me! Check out the Top Line Parts website for tons of parts made for your Super Beetle! Urethane Bushing Kit - Top Line Parts Run
Channel Rubbers from CIP1: The run channels (or window
felts) on my Beetle were getting a bit shabby so I thought that
I should replace them. This is the part that the glass slides up
and down in, on your Beetles front doors. It's a black rubber that
is Well spring has sprung and before I take my Beetle cruising or to any VW events I want it in top shape, so I decided to tackle the installation one Saturday morning. After reading the step-by-step instructions that I got from Jeff Hamilton (www.reVolks.com) I started at it, and here is how it went. First you remove the door handles, trim panel and the moisture barrier. Unbolt the window regulator from the glass and gently lower the glass to the bottom of the door. I put a cloth between the regulator and glass so I didn't scratch it. Make sure that the regulator is wound all the way down. Grab the front section of the run channel and pull it out with a pair of pliers (it's glued in place). After that, you remove the rear section, which is held in by six clips with little grabbers on them. Do not break these clips as they hold the run channel and the chrome frame that holds the scraper rubber in place as well. Clean the front channel and glue (using an automotive adhesive like 3M) the front rubber in place. Now, starting from the front edge fit the rear run channel section in place (you may have to glue it at the front edge) and push it into the clips using a steel ruler and then curve it downwards. Next, slide it into the door and push it into the other clips. After that you shimmy the glass back into the new rubbers, attach it to the regulator and wind it up. Reinstall the plastic moisture barrier, the door panel and the handles and you're done. It took me about an hour and a half to do both doors. The front and rear run channels that I used are sold separately and were of great OEM quality. CIP gives you extra material so you can cut them to the correct length by measuring them against the old ones. Easy to do and the price was right too.
Once you
move on to Part II you can follow changes that turned the little
car from Wolfsburg into a world-beater. Years 1945 - 1967 are covered
with meticulous detail to even the smallest change. Each year is
broken down by chassis numbers, engine numbers and the actual dates
that the Beetle was produced. A paragraph discuses the particular
production year in general and it is further detailed month by month
with all the modifications and improvements that took place. I.E..
August 4, 1955 - Chassis/Unit Number 1-0929746 - The generator pulley
is secured with a 31mm bolt instead of a 36mm bolt, making the 36mm
ring wrench obsolete and allowing the spark plug wrench to do double
duty. After reading this book you'll be able to go up against
almost any VW historian in the world. This book is an amazing accomplishment
that you just won't be able to put down. The
Beetles - Greatest sounds of the 60's and 70's: When
I got this CD I didn't know what to expect. It wasn't the Beatles
(unless that was a typo on the cover). So I reasoned that it may
be a collection of 60's and 70's tunes that you could The liner notes had instructions on "How to use" printed on the back."Pull up to a stop light on Melrose Avenue, roll down your window and hit track 2 and share the revs of your vintage Beetle with the car stopped next to you. While cruising down Santa Monica Blvd. at 35 mph, hit track 4 (unless, of course, it happens to be rush hour, then hit track 8: idle). With the sun on your face and the wind in your hair, ride along PCH at 50 mph with track 5. Heading north on the 101 at 65 mph, just hit track 6 (unless, of course, it's rush hour, which would again require track 8: idle)." My Beetle was still in hibernation for the winter, so I decided to play "The Beetles" while on the way to work. I put the CD into my unit and sat warming up my SUV to the sounds of a Beetle idling. This immediately took me back to the summer, the engine revved a few times and off I went, listening to that sweet sound that I'd been missing for so long. I stopped to pick up my morning coffee at the local drive thru and switched to track 8 or "Long Idle". The guy at the drive thru window stuck his head out as I switched to track 3 (gears 1-2) and drove off. What a hoot! Three different Beetles are featured on the CD, a 1973 1600cc, a 1978 1600cc with fuel injection and a classic 1960 1200cc. It takes about 10 minutes to listen to each Beetle go through the gears, and if you time your driving just right, you can cruise in sync with the sounds. If you want to enjoy that sweet feeling of driving around in a classic Beetle or just miss the sound of yours, pick up "The Beetles - Greatest sounds of the 60's and 70's" and put a great big smile on your face!
A great reference tool if you're restoring your Beetle or shopping around for hard to get parts at a local VW event or swap meet. If you've every wondered if your Beetle is 'correct in every respect', then this is the reference guide that you have been looking for. Funky-Dub
Jewelry: I've been to countless VW events, and looked
through hundreds of air-cooled web sites. I'd thought that I'd seen
it all, until I came across Jason R. Jones and his company, 9 Moons
Jewelry in the UK. It's pretty easy to Jones is a silver/goldsmith and designer all rolled into one. His designs are all unique and include charms (that can be made into a key chain for you too) that come in the shapes of a Cabrio, Beetle, Bay, Karmann Ghia, Split-Screen, Beach Buggy, Pickup, Type 3, and the list goes on and on and on. Other handmade items include rings with a Bus or Beetle on it, 7mm or 5mm stud earnings and a super cool VW cutout ring. Jason is constantly working on new designs and invites you to check his web site for the latest designs that he has come up with. What really surprised me is how reasonably priced all of these handmade gems are. A pair of the 7mm earnings are only £3.00, (about $5.50 USD) and Jason will ship them anywhere in the world. I asked Jason to send a pair of stud earrings for my wife. She was thrilled and intends to wear them to every VW event that we attend next summer. If you're looking for something unique for yourself or for a gift, then you should pay a visit to Jason Jones at 9 Moons Jewelry.
To use this innovative drink holder all you have to do is remove your existing ashtray (who needs it anyway?) and slide this slick drink holder into place. Viola, you're ready to sip and drive. What's nice about this drink holder is that it's right at your fingertips so you're not feeling around the floor when you need a coffee fix, and you can still get at your radio to crank those tunes. The cup holder is black in color and has a pebble finish like your dash. You can remove it easily if you need to reinstall that ashtray (who needs it anyway?) for a VW show or a smoke. A great idea that would make a great gift for any VW or coffee lover. Ashtray Cup & Cell Phone Holder Zymöl
Automotive Enhancement Products: I
love to wash and wax my Beetle. My idea of a great Sunday afternoon
issunshine, a bottle of wax, some music and an adult beverage to
top it off. Like
most people I use whatever product I find I got the Introductory Kit which is designed to introduce you to the Zymöl Automotive Enhancement System. It contains sample sizes of each of the basic products: 5 ounces HD-Cleanse™, 5 ounces Clear™, 6 ounces wax, wax applicator and a pre-wax applicator. The kit even came with an owners manual and to be quite honest, I felt a bit intimated after reading the instructions for the application of each of the three steps. Step one, "washing", starts with Zymöl Clear which made up of Spun Tallow Soaps, Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Cocoamide (derived from coconut oil), Lemon Peel, Pure Lemon Extract and Titanium Dioxide (opacifier). Two full squeezes in bucket of warm water and I was good to go. Clear™ gave a great lather, smells great and other then rinsing the car a couple of extra times compared to a normal wash, it went on exactly the same. Wash time: 9 minutes. After drying the car
with a clean synthetic chamois I started step two or "cleaning".
The product used here is called HD-Cleanse™. It removes lightoxidization,
moderate scratches, accumulated road film, tar and acid rain deposits.
You apply HD-Cleanse liberally onto a three or four square foot
section with a straight-line with side-to-side movement. You may
want to use the traditional circular motion but don't, it's important
to follow the instructions carefully for best results. Next you
work it into the paint finish using medium/heavy pressure and then
buff it off like you would any other wax. At this point the paint
on my car looked amazing, I noticed that a fine scratch on the left
fender had almost disappeared. Applying HD-Cleanse™ was the
same as applying any other wax product except for the side to side
application, no problems. Cleaning time: 44 minutes. It is important
to note that step 3, feeding, must be completed within 24 hours
of the cleaning and not to drive your car until it's done.
Lindsay Lohan stars as Maggie Peyton, the new owner of number 53, the freewheeling Volkswagen Bug with a mind of its own. Lohan puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor. Herbie's got some new tricks under his hood as he takes you for an action-packed spin in this high-speed comedy. As a third generation NASCAR family, racing is in Maggie's blood, but is forbidden to race by her overprotective father played by Michael Keaton. Lohan is offered a car as a graduation present and almost chooses an old Nissan, but a certain rusty '63 Bug gets her attention and she leaves the lot with Herbie. As Maggie prepares to leave town for a job with ESPN she learns that Herbie has a mind of his own and an alternative route for he future. My wife, grandson and I went to see Herbie: Fully Loaded and give it "Three Thumbs Way up". Now if we can only find a drive-in theater so that we can watch Herbie from the comfort of our own little "Love Bug". Buy the DVD online! The
Absorber: We
all wash and wax our cars and there's not much that you need to
do this chore except a bucket, sponge, hose and a chamois to dry
with. The traditional chamois by definition is a "soft, pliant
leather, prepared originally from  The
Greatest VW Show on Earth by Bug Me Video: For
those of you that don't know Rick Higgens, he's the guy from Bug Me
Video that shows you how to maintain your vintage Beetle with his
informative instructional video tapes. Rick had just released his
latest video on wiring your Beetle, it's a fantastic tool to have
when you're trying to sort out a short or replace the wiring harness
in your car. Rick has decided to take off his coveralls and get out of the garage this summer with a visit to the Classic Car Show in Irvine CA. With Rick's new video you can ride along to the DKPIII cruise night where you will meet the legendary cars and their builders. This portion of the tape shows some pretty wicked burn-outs as DKPIII Crew departs for the night. Next stop is a visit to some of California's top VW parts and accessory vendors. You get a chance to tour the Empi warehouse and visit the showroom of Bill & Steve's Auto Parts. The action keeps on going when you meet crazy Lenny Copp of West Coast Classic Restoration and then travel to see the West Coast Metric building and some of the rare cars in their museum. Other stops along the way are Kymco Motorsport, BFY Obsolete parts and another tour, this time at Gene Berg Enterprises. The footage shot at these famous locations is worth the price of the video alone. The classic weekend continues with the O.C.T.O. vintage Bus show, a visit to the VW Toy and literature show and a huge gathering with nearly 300 others at Fudruckers restaurant. On Sunday of course is the grand finale with the VW Classic. After watching this video you'll feel as if you've been there and want to attend again next year. Available on VHS and DVD this is a must for anyone that is into the air-cooled VW scene. I absolutely loved it! To have your book or product reviewed here please contact us at mail@superbeetles.com Product reviews
are opinions of the author and are for informational use only
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