Rare-Fest

Oktoberfest is a German tradition of "fun, friendship and fraternity". What better analogy to describe our favorite pastime and common ground, the lifestyle that revolves around our love for European cars.

Early in the day we start the ‘fest’ with a gas up of our cars and our stomach for a fun run. Meeting fellow gearheads, we haven’t got in touch lately and meeting new ones are more than enough reasons to be present. A rare blast on the road to open the throttle bodies of our engines, is the next obvious reason.

Picture this;
A rare two-door mark 2 VW Jetta, clean and fresh for its era. You don’t see much of this around in our part of the world.

A 40th anniversary version VW Golf 2 of which less than 500units of rare original left hand-drive made world-wide. click to view more of the 40th version VW Golf

A group of late 90’s VW Polo Classic, approximately 400units worldwide, being a Pinoy only model variant. There is no exact model like this outside of our country, thus making this a rare Polo model. I bet you, in due time this will be a real ‘classic’.
Thrown in for good measure is a Karmann made VW Corrado and a VW Transporter Crew-Cab.
A Ferrari as a sweetener of our group? Well this Italian must have noticed the Euro-cars' presence and we didn't mind it mingling.
Us admiring the Prancing Horse's rear motor.
A long double-line of classic Wolfsburg rear engined cars with a hundred gearheads in ‘fest’ mode, a rare fraternity of sorts. The fraternity of warm bodies, which doesn’t mind the slight drizzle to celebrate fun. A mingling of friends, old and new!
Indeed, a rare and perfect celebration of Oktoberfest!

One more reason to like Cinelli

Italian Exotic – VW Connection

I’m into Cinelli ever since I got to have my very own Italian exotic vintage bicycle. Researching and reading about the glories past and the passion that created this cult object reinforced my appreciation for Cinelli even more.

It is of course, a normal route for me to check if Cinelli had somehow, in one way or the other, made a VW connection, apart from my personal VW-Cinelli experience. And, sure enough, much to my delight, it does!

The company a few years back introduced another intriguing creation, very much like they’ve done in previous decades of revolutionary ideas that changed the cycling world. A concept they called “BOOTLEG” and a lifestyle that it suggests. This particular Cinelli was designed revolving on the RAT nameplate, predominantly flat black and exudes a sleek snobbish and creatively rebellious appeal.

Cinelli BOOTLEG Bike, a “Zz Rats”
Checking the Cinelli website, I was surprised (and happy) to find out that the rolling billboard image and support panel is a Volkswagen. Those Italians really know how to reinforce their cool appeal, and they made a perfect choice. Magnifico Cinelli!

Cinelli BOOTLEG Bus, a “baywindow VW-Type 2 Rat”

Ticket to Ride

When : June 28, 2006
Where : Kamias Overpass
What : VW Breakdown
Whew : Need a ride home
Well, I was traveling north from my place of work via EDSA and everything seems normal as usual. Normal apart from a slight sound while stepping on the gas pedal. A faint squeal, much like a rubbing friction sound that I’m not familiar with my Golf Notchback (or more simply put, my Jetta). After a slow traffic in Cubao, I began to accelerate from a rolling start-stop, and was surprised my gas pedal went flat on the floor. Since the car is equipped with an automatic transmission, I was able to limp it towards the shaded area below the flyover. The culprit; a snapped accelerator cable!
Good thing I’m a member of the AAP and got to contact them for a flat-bed transporter to take my car. I commend their fast service and well maintained fleet. While the Jetta is on top of the flat-bed and on our way home, I began day dreaming “Ticket to Ride”.

“Ticket to Ride” feat “Tito Natz”
A Boyd Coddington craft inspired Notch. Ultra smooth black body, sanitary engine bay, chopped top and clean lines. Fitted with Boyd’s Billet wheels and one-off billet aluminum parts, everywhere. A T3 custom this sweet rides to show wins on a custom T2 flat-bed….what else.

Printed Memories

Lithograph tin toys are always charming at least from my points of view. I remember during my childhood having a cowboy figure with his horse, key wind-up toy. When I first saw it in action, it really got me amused that it does move. So too did a lithograph tin car running on batteries, the bump n’ go variety, which I had fond memories of it.

Lithograph printed tin model cars are now sought after by collectors. It goes without saying this toy variety is very rare nowadays. Although most of what I do collect, are Porsche and VW diecast model cars, I keep my eyes open on these treasures. Once in a while I get to chance upon tin toys and I snapped them without much thought. Definitely their ‘days-gone’ charm is something I can’t resist.

My keyed-up T2 Bus….
Wind ‘em up VW, bobbing as it goes along….

My Other Jetta…

Mine is the famous….
….waterpumper there is….
It is mint….
….and very clean….
Fast looking….
….while staying still….
Cool white….
….but blue-flame hot….

Mine is worry-free….
….maintenance-free….
Does not leak oil….
….or spew out fluids….
Don’t do funny noises….
….as much as me….
No gassing up….
….that is the best part….

My Other Jetta…
....If only I can ride in it….

Dub Country

A diecast toy company really hit the big time in recent years. Apart from collectors taking the stocks off the racks briskly, so too were the competition, briskly taking a serious interest into the 'Dub City' look. Even the mighty diecast company, ‘Hotwheels’ was prompted to release the 'HIN series taking cue from the same style. What is the Dub City style anyway?
Most of it seems to revolve around custom treatment and big shiny wheels. Bling is big on this look. Muscle cars, Hot-rod, Euro, you name it, are fitted with 20 inch wheels, in scale of course. On the 1:1 cars, the ‘Dub City’ look has caught on too. Especially with the rap artist, Hollywood brats, pimps, thugs, care-free rich and just about anyone into bling.
If our local Vdub guy wants to be in the act too, a refreshing bling of choice should be a Sakbayan aka Country buggy. Clearing those wheel wells is mandatory. Body channeled and dropped with narrowed beam and bagged suspension. Everything is spruced up, from the exterior and down to the tiny interior details. To complete the local flavor, Malabon stainless craftsmen were tapped to hand-form the alloy body. In keeping with the custom-look, fiberglass panels are created making for one rust-free coachwork. And last but not the least, the meat of this transformation is of course, the TIS wheels.

Dub Country, Rolling Big

Campagnolo

Italian Exotic – VW Connection

Campagnolo is a much respected name in cycling. It is also much revered and prized to say the least. Cult following is very passionate, very Italian and very loyal. I would add from a point of view of a collector, very collectible but pricey, much like the great Italian bicycles outfitted with Campagnolo parts.

Campagnolo for decades manufactured alloy wheels also for famed Italian cars like the Lamborghini, now a Volkswagen owned car company. The wheels are as exotic as the cars, they were mounted on. Campagnolo alloy wheels were available also for the VW air-cooled models, and now these are very collectible and desirable. Sadly the company doesn’t produce anymore car wheels, thus increasing the value of alloys it once manufactured.

The company now focuses on the bicycle parts and groupset market, as this is their core business. The product line-up offered is really a deliciously fantastic marriage of technical and aesthetic solutions, and will not disappoint the fanatic. Curiously the company’s branding of their products particularly the bicycle wheel-sets are names of cars.

From the range are three Volkswagen nameplates which caught my attention. Somebody in Campagnolo must have liked VWs!

Scirocco (VW water-cooled sports car, Guigaro designed-Karmann Built)
Vento (Mark3 Euro-version of the VW Jetta)
Bora (Mark4 Euro-version of the VW Jetta)

Fast-Back to the Future

Conspiracy Theory Series

Covert Meeting Place:
Porsche-Piech Family Villa, Austria

Grand Conspirators:
Ferdinand Piech, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, Porsche engineer par-excellence, Member of family owned Porsche AG, and Chairman for life of Volkswagen AG.
Bernd Pischetsreider, CEO of VWAG, he can’t resist conniving with Piech.

The Conspiracy:
Piech can’t shake off his desire for swift VWs, bringing back driving excitement and creating passion into the Wolfsburg brand. He thought he did this by bringing the New Beetle into the line-up, thereby lending coolness and craving, back to the marque. The maverick that he is, wants to do it again, being inspired by the hot response merited by the new Golf5 GTI. Piech also noticed the success of the co-op effort with the VW Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne. He also admires the way the Porsche Cayman was designed and manufactured. Alas! Porsche owns 18% stake of VWAG shares and more joint developments are forth-coming. This convinced him to do a co-op again, this time around a VW coupe as a brother of the Cayman but with a twist; a 911 positioned engine.

The Project name: VW Neu FastBack

Accessory to the Conspiracy:
Wendelin Wiedeking, CEO of Porsche AG, he must connive with Piech.

New Fasty....

The available colors are 'Lambo' swift Orange, Green and Yellow for the
'S' model....

G-T3 Zagato

1963 Type 3 (T3) 1500S Chassis # 3 was finally located and transformation went briskly. Brisk performance is the order of the day and akin to the car that took form in the Italian ‘Zagato’ auto works. Extensive use of aluminum panels employed, all hand-beaten over wood-molds, the traditional Italian coach-building way. Chrome trims were selectively applied, making for a period specific 1960’s look, of course hand formed. Cockpit and interiors received the period Grand Turisimo (GT) racing treatment; Italian ‘Nardi’ wood-rimmed steering wheel, full instrumentations with chrome rings, leather racing buckets and aluminum faced panels.

Running gear is a different route altogether. Modern suspension, 6-cylinder boxer engine and 6-speed ZF transmission are from Stuttgart. Beefed-up structural boxed frame, radically upgrades the Type3 chassis. Transferring all the torque unto the pavement is via massive 17” alloy wheels specially manufactured for this GT car by ‘OZ Racing’, with special ‘Pirelli’ rubber; thereby rolling on all ‘Italian Job’.

And one more thing…this G-T3 Zagato was flagged down in the Autostrada due to speeds in excess of 230kph…a ‘Fastback’ indeed.

FB3 GT Zagato

Urban Legends Series

A filthy rich British entrepreneur with German ancestry got hold of an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, from an auction for US$ 2.7 million. For the uninitiated, the 6-cylinder DB4 GT Zagato is regarded as the rarest and the most beautiful Aston Martin. It was originally offered from 1960 to 1963 and very exclusive, since only 19 examples were built.

So smitten by this Zagato that an obsession soon followed and further complications developed. Having a soft spot for Deutsche-made cars due to his German mother, he suddenly fell for a VW T34 Fastback. Flaming that enthusiasm is the fact that the roof line resembles that of his DB4 GT Zagato, so he pestered the owner to acquire that car. Unfortunately that VW owner won’t sell the T34 Fastback as it is the only one in existence and he is also an eccentric billionaire collector himself.

Not a guy to let go off his passion so easily from a slight setback, he embarked on having his own, no matter what. The solution with a vengeance; built his very own and exclusive to him only!

He set out to look for a period correct base for his creation and found it in the form of the very first chassis numbered 1963 VW Notchback 1500S to roll out of the Wolfsburg factory. The base car could have been a VW Fastback, but the first one came out in 1965, thus missing the correct era of 1960-63 for the DB4 GT Zagato. Incidentally, the T34 Fastback was derived from the original ‘notch’ configuration, so all the more the 1500S became a correct route to make the transformation. Contracting Zagato, the firm is easy enough as he has handsome ‘donation’ already in that company’s coffers. The result is a 1963 Zagato styled VW FastBack Type3, so exotic it is worthy of the name ‘FB3 GT Zagato’. So well made, that he commissioned another one, for his vintage rebel racing adventures!

FB3 GT Zagato, Street version using chassis #1

FB3 GT Zagato, Mille Miglia version using chassis #2

This guy is still pursuing chassis #3…….to complete the last of the FB3, the GT3 Zagato…….

A few of my favorite things

As a teen growing-up north of the metropolis, I was exposed to the simple life. Life that centered on family, good values and no-frills, is my foundation. I was much into cars very early, since my family’s business revolves around automobiles. With this exposure, appreciating and driving one became sooner than most kids my age.

My fondness to VW in particular, was a result of a Notchback being part of our family during that formative early adulthood. A 1963 VW 1500S to be exact, that contributed to making those years memorable. It has transformed from one color to another, from one style to the next, but it was better remembered as a dark blue Cal-look VW. My father named it ‘Mad Max’ due to its dark color paint,the black ‘banana’ centers its wheels sport and brisk acceleration.

Everyone recognizes ‘Max’ and was a constant companion on teenage fun and curious misadventures. I always had enjoyable errand-rides with it, while listening to new wave music on its cassette player radio. I can still recall how punchy the engine was and the unexplainable special ambience of just being inside.
‘Max’ was sold one infamous summer, much to our regret now. All of us miss ‘Max’ and are keeping our eyes open if it suddenly reappears. For now I’m Notch 1500S hunting, to get me back to where I started in VW. I’ll be patiently waiting for the right Notch to come my way.

Meanwhile, this NotchBox is regularly gracing my desktop till the real deal comes along.
NOTCHback-BOXster in my favorite ‘Max’ color….dark blue.

VW Street Day

Last Sunday is fun-day! As akin to warming up to a cup of coffee on a very fine early morning, an ideal fun-day starts with an ideal fun-run. Meeting up with old friends and making new ones, is always a recipe for delight. We began by blasting through the Metro Streets in our VW waterwagens, like boarding-school boys on a sem-break loose, we were in for unadulterated gear-head rush. With the Euro-wagens in a brisk convoy it seems as though we were on the Autobahns or Autostradas of Europe. A feeling of maybe a surreal road racing course like ‘Monte Carlo’ comes to my imaginative mind. After that blast of a fun-run, the Euro-wagens met up with their brethren down south for an all VW Gathering. Initially a gas station ‘pit-stop’ was in order, for a regrouping of more convoy members. Posing, parked and lined up with Old-Skool VW machinery, got merits of happy stares from on-lookers. The highlight of that day and the destination course is ‘VW Street’. A street officially named after a hardwood but for now it is designated as VW Street (I had the liberty of renaming it for you Volksbuddies) every last Sunday of each month. Fittingly that strip was packed with eighty-one Vdub of every type, style, stance and most of all with friendly owners having a fun time. Surreal? I tell you, this is real!

Dropped Riding

Custom Selecta Series

Low scraping the road is a style so cool. There is something about the mean dropped stance that is worthy of praise and obsession. Again, afflicted with never-ending creative obsession (for the nth time) I’m back to playing with Custom Selecta. This time, focusing on the weed-killer stance of VW and the lifestyle it represents.

Lowrider. A vert ‘Labaja’ T34 with speckled bright paintwork and pinstripe, chrome goodies and that smallish wire-wheel. Viva La Raza.
'Labaja Salsa'


HoodRide. A Panel ‘Bodega’ Bug with patina all around and stencil logo-sprayed on, shiny Randar wheels. In Rust We Trust.

Hog Bug

Conspiracy Theory Series

Covert Meeting Place:
A rebel outpost in Sturgis, South Dakota

Grand Conspirators:
Willie Davidson, grandson of one of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s founders and the designer of the 2002 Harley Davidson Vrod.
Fred Hidalgo, artist responsible for one of the most influential Hot Rod VWs, the 2002 ‘Stink Bug’ Vrod.

The Conspiracy:
The two artists realized they both have significant contributions to the gear-head society. Knowing they are part of the most influential ‘mutual-admiration-society’ of rebel designers, decided to join creative juices for a project vehicle codenamed, ‘Hog Bug’.

Accessory to the Conspiracy:
Martin Smith, designer-builder tasked to undertake the construction of Hog Rod Beetle in SoCal.

Harley-Davidson Owners Group Hot Rod Beetle, the Hog Bug

Up-close, front end

Up-close, rear end

‘Targa Florio?’ Revisited
My Points of View

My first ever bug-run was documented in an article I made in ‘BugsEye’, the official news-letter of VWCP. Had a blast joining the mountain road run to a lake resort and surely, the first is always the most memorable one.
I do hope that the article rubbed on to my fellow Volksbuddies, what it was like to join the ‘running of the pack’. But as they say, “pictures paint a thousand words”, so I’m sharing photos of that run from my vantage point, inside my car.

Early part of the run


KG preparing to pass me


On course to the Lake resort


Tail-gating the Karmanns


My Golf over-looking the lake

Euro-tuner

Custom Selecta Series

European flavor to customizing is distinct as they come. What’s tasty to the Americans might not be as delectable to the Europeans. Take the VW Beetle as a case study. The Yankees go for the pre-’67 Bug as their basis for custom rides, and generally frown on the obese, bulging later models which are great to capture the German-look.
I’ve gone trying to capture some Euro-tuner look in Custom Selecta from scratch again. Tune in to some of these wacky suggestions, or maybe creative obsessions.

Auto Motor Und Sport look
Swiftback Scalpel
Schweizer Fernsehen look
Swiss-Army Speedster
Top Gear look
Lotus 7-T1

Rebel Vrod

Those who love two wheels definitely know Harley Davidson. This bike is hand-built in the US, and it is an icon of the American way of life. Freedom and mobility, is what it stands for. A loyal following, which shares the same passion of ‘easy riding’ and ‘brotherhood’, fuels this legend. A brawny image of ‘tough as nails’ is akin to it, surviving the test of time and change. Or so it seems.
In 2002 the iconic company decided to rebel against its rebel image. A revolution in evolution, I might add. In decades of seemingly resisting technology for technologies’ sake, the legendary marque introduced its Vrod. A bike like no other in its history, a potential shaking of its image is inevitable. The Harley Vrod came with all the new technology to rival its Japanese competitors, and the biggest revolution is that the engine is water-cooled. A risky proposition indeed, in the eyes of the purist.

A similar proposition happened in the 70’s with VW. The air-cooled cars were steadily declining in demand, the tougher government regulations making them harder to compete, and the Wolfsburg Company is bleeding financially brought about a revolution in evolution. Thus the water-cooled cars came into being, and this proved to be a wise decision on VW, as it has grown to be a better company after that.

What prompted “Hallmark” of Kansas to do a collectible diecast of this Vrod is a guess as good as mine. Maybe their company signifies “hallmarks in time’, as this motorbike is precisely that in Harley’s history. The model is supposed to be an ornament for Christmas, a décor you might say. It’s was meant to be hanged, yet it’s downright heavy to say the least. Maybe it’s too special to hang as it is delicately detailed and really more apt for a glassed-up display case. I find it to be really cool and mine will be on display the whole year round.

Hallmark Vrod

Rebel Racer, Weekend Warrior

Everyone has this other side of his persona. Some dudes are downright docile most of the time but let loose once in the company of cheerful friends. Such can also be true with automobiles. There are in some ways, Mr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde cars, which reminds me of this double persona. The type of car that can be used practically everyday yet on weekends let loose its secret in another venue.

The early Shelby Mustang personifies just that. It is an everyday car, one that was even offered as a rent-a-car in its heyday. Owners and those who rented it eventually raced this on a weekend, as this performance car was really tuned to take the track. Of this genre, my favorites of course would be the cars from Stuttgart, the everyday sports cars from Porsche. First would be the 356 Speedster, a lightweight delight that was favored by the weekend racer. Another is the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS a very desirable stormer at the track in the 70’s. Both are at ease on the street as well as beating club racers with bigger engines on a Sunday. Now, this is what I call ‘Rebel Racer’ and it comes to mind, images of James Dean in his Porsche.

An ideal mold of a ‘Rebel VW’ would be a body beaten, bruised, rough on the edges 1965 Karmann Ghia. No glam-up car here, just real scars and scratches showing it was meant to be driven…fast. A reliable and bulletproof 2.7liter boxer motor with multi-carbs, is blueprinted for daily drive and weekend sorties. The radically reworked suspension is beefed up with tubular space frame stiffening the aging chassis and rolls on massive wheels. Obligatory roll cages, bottle of fire extinguisher, bonnet straps are outfitted for safety not vanity. Just plain, ‘keeping it real’ would do just fine, and this surely is what this “Rebel Yell”.

Karmann Ghia 2.7 RS…. Rebel Speedwagen

Lotus bug gag

Remember the BBC Top Gear episode, wherein Jeremy Clarkson (in typical British humor) trashed a stock Lada for a total makeover by Lotus Engineering....and that certainly made for one expensive joke.
Replicate the same plot, with a '71 VW (T1) 1302 turned over to Lotus for tuning. The talented team sought inspiration from their legendary Lotus 7, the epitome of hot rod Briton-style. The result is a very sick joke, the Lotus 7-T1 (Seven-T-One).

Gag bag contents:
From VW
1971 Type One 1302, radical chopped. Type 4, 2-liter boxer motor.
From Lotus
'Seven'-fenders, OEM ‘chrome orange’ paint, OEM side markers, OEM side mirrors, Xenon headlamps, Custom rear wing, Double-wishbone tuned suspension, Custom light alloy wheels.
From ECM
Creative Boredom, Comic relief design.

Lotus 7-T1 bug

Lowrider T-tres

Saw this custom 70's Benz once cruising along Ayala Avenue and was amused that it was given the Lowrider treatment.
To begin with, the Lowrider movement emanated from the Hispanic Pueblo in North America. Their distinct culture is evident in their cars which slowly captured the fancy of gearheads world-wide. It's a total lifestyle in itself, termed "La Raza". We Pinoys have this affinity to the Hispanic culture, having been a 300 year colony of Spain. A quick look at our well decorated indigenous vehicles will assert this. For me, I envisioned a Lowrider to be an early model Chevy Impala slammed so low and capable of hopping about. But this style can now be applied to a variety of vehicles.
Why not on a VW? To capture the low-slung profile, a Type3 Fastback is chosen. Fitting "Airkewld" bagged suspension and smallish wire wheels to capture the desired slammed stance. For the attitude, throw in rear wheel spats, visors, opera windows, chrome goodies, fancy airbrushed paint and just don't hold back. If you're still unsure, check out our glitzy Sarao jeepney; a bit of inspiration from this, might do the trick.

"La Raza" Fasty