The Vinestard vs Italian lowered single cab

Tonight a friend of mine reached the HH Garage with his lowered ratty VW single cab. It is a pre 62 (bullet turnlights and rear little round taillights). A photoshoot was obvious! My one seems around one inch lower. But I can go lower than this... :-P

I left the doka at the garage to install some accessories... stay tuned!

The Vinestard vs. stock 1967 Italian double cab

Last Monday at Hot Heads Garage my friend Massimo came with his stock Italian 1967 double cab, so we couldn't miss a shot of the two VW crew cab pickups together. They are so rare! and here in Italy his one is the only I could see on the streets... and with original Italian number plates!

You can note the differences, first in height! My one is much lower than stock, thanks to Peter surgery. More evident differences are: the rear window on The Vinestard is of the little type (she's a '63), US bumpers, red US rear lights, 6 volt electrics, side vents and... opps I left my dropgates at home, sorry!
We also drove part of the street home together, it was fun to cruise on Milan's freeway side by side... then his reduction boxes had the worse. :-P

Amber FoMoCo Fog Light

I just bought this nice amber fog light from eBay USA.
It's an NOS FoMoCo FORD VINTAGE 1950s FOG LIGHT MODEL H1

Never mounted and has been stored inside for years. It's beautifully chromed. No dings or pits. About 5 1/4'' tall.

It will fit perfectly the style of The Vinestard VW double cab.

Here is a pic of The Vinestard, recently moved to Milan, where I use it during the week.

Mondays at Hot Heads Garage...

Typical Monday night at the HH Garage in Milan.. chatting with friends and mixing US cars with VWs. say cool.
Now that I live in Milan, I can't miss this.

Eriba Puck!

YESSSSS WE BOUGHT IT!
An Eriba Puck with original Italian papers and number plates from 1973.
Imported from Germany in 1972. But we don't know the year of construction yet. Please help on this.

We were in love with it since we spot it for the first time more than one year ago, just around the corner, from a caravan/camper dealer in our city, Pistoia, in Tuscany.
We've seen a lot of these around Europe, often towed by VWs, but this was the ONLY ONE we could see here in Italy, and now WE GOT IT!
Every time we passed from that street, we always had a quick look at the little object parked among the modern caravans and campers. We were afraid someone could buy it.
Some time ago it was moved about 50 meters and for a moment I had a shock!
But Fabio, the dealer, was not selling it. Once he told us he would use it for show in his next new store. But the new store got stucked in burocracy and so recently the caravan had become his little son's preferred place for playing.
Yesterday he told us: "If you want to buy, you can". And we didn't want to miss this opportunity. So we gave him the advance.
Keep your eyes wide open out on the streets, because soon you might see something like this:

www.caravan.it

Spraying - Part 1

While most people were having dinner, I was at work... I sprayed the bed, then the sides and the roof of the cab.

This morning it looked like this.

Now I still need to spray the front and the back.

Grills installed and some ideas for the future...

Yesterday night I took a pair of pics after installing the headlight grills. My grandpa (he is 95!) created the missing piece from steel, he is an artist.

VW logo is somewhat subtle at night...

She's got the look!

Note the coloured hand-made carpet from Mali (Africa). I and Silvia bought it this summer from DJAMREK just to cover the seat.

She's got the look too...

Pic by Ed Fox (he's got a 'de-colored' doka and makes sexy models awesome portraits)


Some stuff found on The Samba

To IRS the rear I need something like this, from a Super Beetle

I used Photoshop to have an idea of what it would be like when lowered and 'Steinered'

This is really insipiring for me... You know I'm on the kustom side...

The color is great. A Candy Apple Red. But there's time for paint.

This is a model from Jada Toys

Another pic of Der Steiner Rad. I simply love it!

This pics helps to understand what I'm willing to have underneath...

Peter from belgium said can create one 100% new for me. Narrowed 10 cm, adjustable and ready for airbags.

Again photoshopped with Flat 4 Sprint Stars

Another idea is to fit a turbo motor next year. There are some ready to fit. But I have time since I want to begin with lowering and brakes first.

Nice little 'ratty' 1/24 doka from Jada Toys. Soon for sale

To Swansea and back...

I found an agreement with FBI VW and so I and Silvia booked the ferry
Dunkerque - Dover - Dunkerque and organized the trip/vacation to take the doka home
We slept in youth hostels, campings and cheap hotels.
We left from Italy on 13 August with a Seat Altea and an empty trailer...

First stop: STRASBOURG, reached for dinner and visited on the 14th.
Nice one!

On the same day in the afternoon we left for Luxembourg.
We arrived at night. We finally found a place to sleep and on 15 we visited the city.

good for Japanese turists...

After half day we had enough and we pointed to Bruxelles
We slept in a nice Youth Hostel. Beautiful historical views, nice places to visit but also modern buildings

The ATOMIUM...

Completely destroyed after one day (16 August) walking around...
We should have had more time to really enjoy Bruxelles.
We will come again one day, promised!

On the car again. Reached Dunkerque at 8 pm.
Slept in a not so beautiful cheap Hotel, then we woke up very early to take the ferry to Dover.

Unexpected luxury interiors!

Playstation Area...!

Here it is! Dover and its typical white cliffs.

Brief stop at Canterbury...

Then straight west to Swansea, on the other part!

We dined on the beach at the sunset (long sunsets here!)
The atmosphere was so strange, almost spectral that we feeled a little anxious and depressed..

My sister told me this is not a beach, it is a 'tidal plain'...

We spent all night searching FBI VW, where I had an appointment with Mr. Clarke the day after, but we couldn't find anything in that darkness!
The day after we reached the only place that seemed possible for a company like that. And we found it!
Finally I saw my 'new' split crew cab.

We checked all things...

Then we had a cooffee with Graham in his beautiful business. Clean and well organized.

Many many pieces to get your bus alive again!

We put the doka on the trailer and we left Swansea (with a sense of relief)
Then we visited Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bath.
We reached Portsmouth on the south coast in time for the Beach Buggin', a nice VW meeting (20 August)

On 21 August we had time to have a look at the Brighton Pier and enjoy some sun (the only sun we met during this trip)...

Then we slept in a beautiful camping on the street to Dover. We met a very nice family with a Type 25, then we reached the ferry back on 22 August.

We reached Bruges on 23 August. We liked it very much!

I had to leave my doka parked on the street. But everything ended OK.

Many stores with design pieces, clothing and also things for the vw enthusiast

A city full of enchanting corners, buildings, people

Romantic view of Bruges by night. Highly recommended!

I want one of these! In Belgium it is full of these little beauties.

We visited Antwerpen on 24 August, where I could take a pic to this in a store

Then we pointed directly to Spa, where Le Bug Show was to begin...