Lovemachine pictures

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LoveMachines: Car Lovers Unite!

We would like to invite all car lovers, especially Volksbuddies to participate and support the upcoming inter-club gathering dubbed, "LoveMachines: Car Lovers Unite!". The event promises to be a huge gathering of other car clubs filled with fun and exciting auto racing events. A great opportunity to take photos too! Best time to meet other car afficionados from other car clubs.

Part of the proceeds will also go to help one of the racing icons of the country, Kookie Ramirez in his battle against the big C. Kookie's been a friend and has been an instructor for many of us in driving clinics in the past. It's time we show our support in these trying times for him.

So, don't miss this event!

* What: Race Expo and Car Club Meet

* When: March 7, 2010. Sunday, 6am-6pm

* Where: McKinley Open Grounds, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

* What: Fun-filled day. No entry fee! Although the Volkswagen Club of the Philippines has been allotted 25 preferred parking slots for those who signed up in the forum (http://www.vwcp.org)

* Who: All Car Afficionados. All models of all eras are encouraged to join. The older, the more exotic, the more mods done, the more super kinis finish the better!







*
6:00 am - Gates open
*
7:00 am - Car Clubs Assembly
*
8:00 am - Registration
*
9:00 am - Practice runs; Start of Time Attack;

Start of Drifting (every other hour)

*
10:00 am - Club Games
*
11:00 am - Sponsors’ Segment
*
12:00 pm - Lunch Break
*
12:30 pm - Opening Remarks & Briefing (Slalom)
*
1:00 pm - Slalom Race Proper; Sponsors’ Segment
*
1:30 pm - Sound Check
*
2:00 pm - Concert; Raffle
*
5:00 pm - Awarding



Participating car clubs:

*
Altis Club
*
Beetle Club
*
Bimmer Club Philippines
*
BMW Car Club of the Philippines
*
Club Mazda
*
E30 Car Club Philippines
*
Euro Car Club of the Philippines
*
Grupo Toyota
*
GR1 Race Project
*
Jazz Club
*
Manila Sports Car Club
*
Mazda Tech
*
Miata Car Club
*
Mitsu Lancer Club
*
Old School Pilipinas
*
Club Silvia
*
Team Flatout
*
Team K / Club Nissan Sentra
*
Trackho’s
*
Volkswagen Car Club of the Philippines
*
Yaris Club


Bring your cameras guys. This is bound to be a photo op for all of us!


Club Games:


- Beer Drinking Contest - Vintage Car - Most number of participants in a club


Castrol has also made a donation of a gallon of "secret oil" (to be revealed to those who sign up), a Castrol polo shirt and Castrol jacket and all will be sold at a giveaway price. Proceeds of the sale will go to the Kookie fund. Thank you Castrol! Remember, only those who show up will be entitled to buy these items.

Herbie is Alive!!

Herbie is Alive!!

New Flavors.me Portal

Just signed up in Flavors.me, check it out :)

Herbie is ALIVE!!

After Ondoy, ( http://manilaghia.i.ph/blogs/herbieinmanila/2009/10/02/herbie-not-spared-by-typhoon-ondoy/ ) Herbie is finally roaming Manilas streets.

While mechanically, Herbie is back, there are still a lot of small details that need to be ironed out. I lost my sounds, need new carpets, need to align the headlights, need to grease minor squeaks and rattles, and I need to get some more hubcap clips.

This was taken the day we got Herbie out of the APC basement parking



Taken this afternoon



Let the goodtimes roll!

Dennis and Herbie Photo Mosaic Experiment

The rendered image is made up of Herbie pictures from the web and from our personal photos

Volkswagen Concept: New Woodie

An interesting variation to the New beetle platform

Herbie Revival

Herbie is in the final stages of repair. Jon is doing the final quality work so that Herbie can roam the streets of Manila once again.

Just the electrical gremlins for now :)

Volkswagen Concept: New Hebmeuller RSI (Front Quarter View)

Here's another angle for our New Hebmeuller RSI

Volkswagen Concept: New Hebmeuller RSI

What if Volkswagen resurrected the venerable Hebmeuller?

Volkswagen Concept: Thomas' Novuhair Truck

Fresh from the 24th VWCP Show. A concept VW pickup by Thomas Adam, a German who is a longtime Philippine resident.

Thomas bought this project at the end of 2008 from Raymond Bayer who's father had started it but, unfortunately, passed away and Raymond had no time nor interest to finish it.

At the time he bought the car the body was almost done. The idea of a VW pickup had been decided. However, Thomas injected a lot of personal touches. He replaced the late fenders, hood, and doors with the appropriate early parts. The paint chosen was 'coral red', an original VW colour of 1953 and 1954. The Dupont paint used was purchased from Highland Trading.

The tinsmithing took almost 4 months and the painting likewise. The project was very much delayed by last year's rainy and typhoon season. In fact, Thomas' place in Taguig was flooded for almost two weeks after Typhoon Ondoy's wrath.

Thomas chose a 1500 engine that he overhauled completely. He also upgraded Other mechanical parts to later era VWs like the bolt joints, dual circuit brake system, high torque starter, etc.

Many of the interior parts were ordered thru TheSamba.com like the very rare oval armrest on the passenger side and the oval ashtray, speaker grill, tachometer with transparent needle, oval sun visor and rear view mirror, handles, etc.

The rims are also special: they come from an early split Kombi (owner decided to upgrade his to Porsche mag wheels), The Alberts outside mirrors are stainless steel reproductions made here in the Philippines (likewise, all the trims, etc.) The steering wheel is an original very early (split) standard steering wheel of Volkswagen which we were able to exchange with Christian (who owns one of the most accessorized beetles in the Philippines) against a new Banjo Steering wheel (Flat4 reproduction). The interior (seats, sidings, headliner, etc.) was made by Mang Rowen in Ortigas. The mechanical installations were done by Mang Bert. The overall supervision of this project had Audwil, who is a fellow vintage volkswagen aficionado. The pick up beetle (no name yet...) has won this year in the "special interest" category.

All in all this project has taken us about one year to finish. There are still many things that Thomas wants to improve, and, of course, has cost him quite a lot more than anticipated. But that's the 'fate' of any restoration project.

The pick up beetle is planned as an advertising vehicle for Thomas' all-natural hair grower (which is being marketed under the brand name Novuhair by Mercury Drug and World of Wellness).

Merry Christmas to One and All

Volkswgen Concept: Terracotta Slamma

If given the opportunity, this is what I would have done.

Don’t get me wrong, I love what Thomas did with the bug. It’s just, if it were me, I would have taken this truck to another level.

Volkswagen Concept: Teracotta Slamma builds on the great foundation of the Terracotta Truck and applies my own design cues to interpret the design into something my own.

First off, the things gotta be slammed! Stock is good but this VW’s attitude is a lot meaner, more purposeful. Another big change is the meatier meats on body colored Gas Burner rims to replace the wide 5 rims and ‘caps.

For me, the big change is in the body itself, We start off with a little off the top. A 3 inch top chop and matching “shorty” ragtop makes for a prettier profile. Instead of using flat sheet metal to define the pickup portion of the truck, I opted to use, pieces from another VW icon, the Type2, particluarly the corner windows, jail bars and the side intake vents. The re-design makes the truck look that much more in the 60’s VW design language.

A strong 1835, dual Weber fed, bullet-proof Type 1 handles the load quite well. A Narrowed KP/LP front end tucks the front wheels nicely into the early fenders, while a couple o clicks in the rear make the stance simply tasty.

Volkswagen Concept: Thomas' Terracotta Truck

Fresh from the 24th VWCP Show, December 6, 2009

Volkswagen Club of the Philippines (VWCP) All-VW Classic and Custom Show 2009

Volkswagen Club of the Philippines (VWCP) All-VW Classic and Custom Show 2009, Naval Parade Grounds, Fort Bonifacio, Sunday, December 6, 2009

UPDATE: 12/07/09

The turnout was great despite all the calamities that happened earlier this year. It was good to see the Vdubbers enjoy this day even if we had some real bad experiences. It was a time to tell our stories of how Ondoy devasted our community and how we coped, and how we got together to put all the bad things that happened behind and move on.

It was nice to see some cars already up and running but it was also sad to know that there are still some VDubs out there that have yet to recover. We miss them.

Some pictures

more pictures here: http://manilaghia.multiply.com/photos/album/94?mark_read=manilaghia:photos:94

Volkswagen Concept: LOWNSLO

Got Camber?

LoWNSLO is a rusty, lowered 1962 Volkswagen Beetle. Rat-look, slammed vintage Volkswagen.



A Rat-look Vdub is an old vintage Volkswagen that's been lowered and has original faded or worn paint. In the best case, the car will also have rust and patina. Mismatched panels, dents and missing parts enhance the look because they add more character and originality. Driving a Rat-looker is about making use of a car everyone else would avoid because it's "ugly" or "beyond repair" and being able to love it for what it is. It's enjoying your car because you built it the way you want, and not how everyone else thinks it should look.

LoWNSLO is a little 1962 VW thats crusty and slammed to the asphalt. Sitting outside some old boys house, uncovered for 27years, you can imagine the tin worm has got in and well and truly had a field day. But luckily the floor and heater channel bottoms completely rotted out so all the rain water just ran out and kept it pretty dry.

The build began by taking the fenders off, dropping the body off the chassis to the ground, new floorpans and heater channels welded in, Cut, turned and narrowed beam, dropped spindles for the front and three clicks at the rear drop the chassis low enough to scrape the pavement with even just a hint of a dip.

We may as well have a tasty little stock 1200 motor up for it and a set of well-worn 5.60x15 Denman Elegantes on rotten 5 bolt rims sans 'caps. Completely worked over braking and steering systems and a new set of Bugpac shocks finish off the rolling stock.

A bargain roofrack with a vintage cooler, a hat box and period suitcases, flanked with a thermador vintage "swamp-cooler" adds the distinctive style popular with many ratty rides. LOWNSLO is smothered with crusty surface rust that just adds icing to the cake.

Well it boils my kettle i tell ya!

More Schwimmer Illustrations

Can't get enough of this.

A side view with Emmy and Deano driving with the top up




Side View with the top down



Finally, driving the Ondoy flooded streets of Manila

Volkswagen Concept: Kupferner Kopf (Copper Head)

Do you remember the classic Volkswagen 411?

Even though the VW 411 did not break any sales records, this model has an important role to play in Volkswagen’s automobile history as the last large series model with air cooling and a rear-mounted engine.

The Volkswagen 411 began its life as Heinrich Nordhoff's attempt to penetrate the luxury-car market and expand VW's image to include upscale and highly developed products on a far grander scale than previously done. It was to follow the typical VW layout with a rear aircooled engine and rear-wheel drive and to establish the new vehicle in the upper midsize segment which was beyond the reach of the Beetle and the Type 3.

A drivers dream?

Yes and no. It was fairly quiet and comfortable and the front seats were particularly comfortable. The interior was roomy and made for an ideal family car. Since much of the car's weight was over the drive wheels, the car performed well on snowy roads. For this reason, the publicity concentrated on technical innovations and the high level of comfort as well as highlighting typical Volkswagen characteristics such as quality, economic efficiency and service.


The Type 4 was larger than the Volkswagen Type 3 and had a more powerful engine. The ads claimed there had never been a VW like this before. And they were quite right. This was the very first model with a unibody, a four-door option, more space than any other Volkswagen and a longer wheelbase than the Beetle. The innovative sporty chassis with MacPherson strut front suspension and rear suspension with double joint axles, also used in the Porsche 911, made sure the car hold the road well. The midsize saloon featured “the luxury of a luxury car”. “Wolfsburg’s biggie” offered customers space and ride comfort, enhanced safety, a total 570 litres of luggage space in the front and rear and an optional automatic transmission.

Volkswagen Concept: Kupferner Kopf pays tribute to all the technical improvements Volkswagen had made to the 411 but also introduces modern tuning techniques. Radically lowering the front and rear uses fairly common Porsche 911 struts. The engine itself is a much modified Type4. the engine block is native to this car but with performance modifications that were born on the racing circuit. Massive 103mm pistons, counterweighted crankshafts, and a fuel injection system make the stout engine a performer as well.

The wheel of choice are restored 4 bolt Sprintstars shod with Michelin radials on all four corners. The reupholstered VW 411 seats speak volumes on the comfort of these seats.

Forty years have passed since Volkswagen presented the VW 411 in Wolfsburg, at that time the company’s largest and most powerful model yet. All these points make the car so fun and interesting. Someone must take care of these cars, they are Volkswagens, and there aren't many left...

Volswagen Concept: Schwimmer on Dry Land

Volkswagen Concept: Schwimmer on Dry Land

Fishing at Lake Caliraya