Ep 364 Mark Prossser Auto Techniks The Baddest Bays in the UK

“Rake” is the fore-to-aft tilt of the vehicle—how much the front is higher or lower than the rear. Builders use it to achieve a particular look and sometimes to influence weight transfer and handling feel.

Ross Wolf is an aftermarket parts brand mentioned here for its wheel bearing seal product. The host claims their “unique wheel bearing seal” is engineered to be the correct fit and to prevent leaks on rear axle applications.

A wheel bearing seal is the seal that protects the wheel bearing from water/dirt and helps retain grease or prevent oil leakage. If the seal doesn’t fit correctly, it can fail early and allow leaks around the axle/hub area.

Rear axle seals are the seals that keep gear oil from leaking out around the rear axle shafts. If they fail, you’ll often see oil seepage around the rear hubs/axle area, and the fix is a seal replacement with correct fitment.

Viton is a brand of high-performance rubber (a fluoroelastomer) known for resisting heat, oil, and many chemicals. Using Viton gasket seals helps keep oil and fuel leaks down in engines that run hot or see harsh fluids.

A sump kit is an aftermarket oil-pan/oil-sump setup that changes how engine oil is stored and scavenged. On air-cooled and performance builds, sump kits are often used to improve oil control during hard cornering or spirited driving.

Velocity stacks are intake trumpets fitted to carburetors or throttle bodies to smooth airflow into the engine. They’re designed to improve airflow efficiency and can help power by tuning the intake’s pressure and flow characteristics.

Pulley kits are aftermarket sets of pulleys (often for superchargers or belt-driven accessories) that change belt ratio. Changing the ratio can alter boost or accessory speeds, which affects how the engine responds and how much power it makes.

Icon Pistons is an aftermarket piston brand used in performance Volkswagen builds. The host mentions multiple piston heights and specific piston diameters (85.5, 90.5, 94 mm), which matter because they determine compression characteristics and how the engine is built.

85.5 mm is a piston diameter size used in Volkswagen engine builds. Piston diameter is a key dimension because it affects cylinder displacement (how much air/fuel the engine can move).

90.5 mm is another piston diameter option the host lists for Icon Pistons. Choosing a diameter size is part of building an engine’s displacement and can also influence clearances and compression.

94 mm is a piston diameter size commonly used in performance Volkswagen stroker/bore combinations. Larger bore sizes generally increase displacement, which can improve torque potential depending on the rest of the build.

Piston height refers to how tall the piston is from crown to skirt, which affects deck height and compression ratio in an engine build. Different piston heights can be used to achieve the desired compression and clearance with a given crankshaft and cylinder setup.

DanVolks.com is presented as the UK/US distributor connection for Icon Pistons via Dan Volks. The host frames it as a Volkswagen parts distribution site.

AutoTechnics is named as Mark Prosser’s shop/resource for Bay Window buses in the UK. The host uses it as a place to check out the builder’s work.

EBI 2026 is the specific edition of the event the host is attending. It’s used as the context for meeting and discussing the bus scene and builders.

Mark Prosser is the builder behind AutoTechnics, known here for creating highly modified Volkswagen buses in the UK. The hosts frame him as a long-time specialist, with decades of experience turning vans into “baddest buses.”

The Autobahn is Germany’s high-speed highway network, often associated with long stretches of very fast driving. Mark uses it as a punchline to say his “mean” bus builds can still handle real high-speed road use, not just look good.

The Ford Sierra Cosworth is a performance-focused version of the Sierra, famous in the UK for rally-bred engineering and strong aftermarket support. Mark mentions it as his earlier “fast car” benchmark before he moved into VW van building.

The Ford Cortina is a classic British Ford family car, popular for decades and especially common in the UK enthusiast scene. Mark mentions growing up around Cortinas to set the context for how he became a “Ford man” before moving into Volkswagen projects.

The “max power scene” is UK car-culture slang for the late-1990s/early-2000s style of heavily modified cars focused on loud visuals and big power claims. Mark says he got tired of that scene and moved toward building a VW van instead.

The Volkswagen Type 2 “Bay Window” is a classic VW van generation known for its distinctive side window shape and retro styling. In this segment, Mark explains he sold his Ford Sierra Cosworth and bought a Bay Window to build a faster, more aggressive bus.

The Volkswagen Golf is a compact car line that became a benchmark for everyday usability and driving dynamics. In the podcast context, it’s mentioned alongside other classic performance cars as part of the broader set of cars people owned or used at the time. It’s often discussed because it’s common, practical, and has a long history of enthusiast support.

The Peugeot 205 CTI is a compact hot-hatch from the 1980s known for its lively driving feel and strong enthusiast following. In classic car discussions, it often gets grouped with other small, driver-focused performance cars from the same era. The podcast references it as an example of a car someone might have owned or enjoyed.

“5 E-Tech Electric” refers to the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, a modern retro-styled electric hatchback. The podcast mentions it in the same “cars we used to have” type of context, suggesting it’s part of a lineup of vehicles the hosts have owned or tried. It’s discussed because it blends a familiar small-car shape with an all-electric powertrain.

The Renault 5 GZ Turbo is a turbocharged variant of the Renault 5 supermini, known for being a compact, punchy performance car in its era. Mark lists it among the cars he owned and had around the workshop before the VW van focus took over.

The Peugeot 205 GTI is a legendary hot hatch known for its lightweight feel and sharp handling. Mark says that early in his career he used whatever car he owned—like the 205 GTI—while people brought cars into his workshop.

The Volkswagen Bus is a classic van platform best known for its spacious interior and iconic styling. The podcast specifically references the “Bay Window” era and asks about the year of the first bus, which highlights how different generations are identified and valued. It’s discussed because these buses are popular for restoration, customization, and long-term ownership.

“Slammed it on the floor” is a custom-car term meaning the vehicle is lowered aggressively, typically by changing suspension components. The goal is a very low stance and visual impact, though it can affect ride comfort and clearance.

Santa Pod is a well-known drag racing venue in the UK. It’s where enthusiasts go to run timed acceleration passes, so mentioning it signals the bus was built for drag-style performance.

A “drag panel bus” is a VW bus converted for drag racing, typically with bodywork changes (like panel-van style) to reduce drag and improve packaging for performance parts. It’s a niche build category in the classic VW scene.

The Volkswagen Beetle is a classic compact car with a long production history and a huge enthusiast community. In the podcast context, it’s being compared to the Bay Window Bus, with the Beetle treated as the “super” version within its own family. It comes up often because it’s one of the most recognizable classic Volkswagens and has strong support for parts and restoration.

Electric power steering (EPS) uses an electric motor to assist steering instead of relying on hydraulic pressure from a pump. It can make steering feel more consistent and can simplify swaps in older vehicles.

IRS stands for independent rear suspension, a setup where the rear wheels can move somewhat independently rather than being tied together. Converting to IRS changes ride quality and handling characteristics, which is why it’s a common enthusiast modification on VW buses.

Trailing arms are suspension links that locate the wheel and control how it moves through bumps and cornering. In this build, they’re using early trailing arms as part of a rear suspension conversion, likely to get the correct geometry and strength for the lowered/modified setup.

“Cut and shut” is a fabrication method where sections of a chassis or body are cut apart and welded back together to create a new shape or mounting points. Here it’s used to modify the rear chassis so the shocks can be mounted properly without the structure failing in the usual way.

Ball joint suspension uses ball-and-socket joints to allow steering and suspension movement. The speaker says the bay windows (VW Transporter/“bay” vans) originally use ball joints, and they change that to a different front suspension design for better fitment and ride height.

“Bay windows” refers to the Volkswagen Transporter/van body style with the distinctive window shape on the front. In the segment, it’s used as shorthand for that VW van generation, specifically discussing its original ball-joint front suspension and the common conversion to king and link pin.

King and link pin is an older VW-style front suspension design where the steering axis is supported by kingpins and a link mechanism. The speaker prefers it because it sits higher in the chassis, giving more road clearance—important for lowered vans and big wheel/tire setups.

“Tub the front end” means cutting and reshaping the inner front body/inner fender area (“tubbing”) to create clearance for suspension components and wheels/tires. The speaker says you have to do this when converting to king and link pin, because the parts won’t fit without modifying the bodywork.

A “stroker” engine is built with a crankshaft and internal parts that increase stroke length, which typically boosts torque. The speaker wants a “big, powerful stroker” for a bay window van so it can pull strongly in everyday gears and cruise without constant downshifting.

“Gear ratios” are the numerical relationships between gears in the gearbox/differential that determine how fast the engine spins at a given road speed. Upgrading ratios lets the van cruise at lower RPM while still having enough torque to pull in higher gears.

Fuchs wheels are iconic Porsche-style alloy rims, and “three-piece” means the wheel is built from separate sections that can be serviced and refinished. The speaker is highlighting a specific, higher-end wheel construction that changes how the wheel can be built and fitted.

“Compromotives” is the company name the speaker associates with these Fuchs-style wheels, and “two-piece” describes a wheel built from two major sections. The point is that the wheel started as a two-piece setup and later got converted to a different construction.

Dage Motorsport is mentioned as the entity the wheels were “built for,” implying a specific wheel program or fitment direction. Here it’s part of the provenance of the wheel setup on the van.

“Westy” is shorthand for the Westfalia camper conversion used on Volkswagen Transporters. The speaker uses it to describe their own van and how they narrowed the rear end to fit wider wheels.

“Tubbed” refers to modifying the wheel wells/body so wider tires and wheels can fit, often by reshaping or adding metal “tubs.” “Narrowed” indicates additional body/fitment work to bring the rear track width in line with the wheel setup.

This describes a wheel conversion from a two-piece construction to a three-piece construction. The speaker also says it was “stepped up,” meaning the wheel was reworked to a different size/fitment configuration for the van.

A “changeover” Volkswagen Bay refers to a transition year where parts and styling moved from early T2 details to later ones. Here, the speaker says it’s a 1972 van, notable for having the later “tombstone” taillights while much of the interior is still early-style.

“Tombstone taillights” is the enthusiast nickname for the later T2 rear light design that looks like a tombstone shape. In this context, it’s used to identify the van’s later rear-end styling even when the rest of the interior is early.

Bandstead is a town in the London area, and the host is describing where Mark Prossser’s shop is located. For listeners, it helps ground the conversation in a real UK tuning/build scene rather than a generic “shop somewhere.”

The M25 is the major ring road highway that circles London, connecting many suburbs and radial motorways. Mentioning it gives a sense of how accessible the shop is for customers bringing in vehicles.

This segment focuses on what it costs to build a custom van from a shell, including a starting budget range. It’s useful context for listeners because it frames expectations for how expensive “baddest bays” style builds can get.

The Jaguar Mark I is a classic British sports saloon from the late 1950s, known for its elegant styling and period-correct driving character. The podcast mentions receiving a “shell” and having someone do the “works to it,” which suggests restoration work and the scope of bringing one back to life. It’s discussed because these cars are restoration projects with a strong identity and dedicated parts/support ecosystem.

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a classic American muscle car line known for its V8 power and strong aftermarket support. In this episode, it’s used as an example of a car that’s already “cool,” so the builder’s challenge is making something more ordinary feel special.

In VW engine building, numbers like “2332” typically refer to a displacement target in cubic centimeters (cc) for an air-cooled VW “stroker” or big-bore build. The host is discussing what displacement and cam choices are ideal for an “ideal bus motor.”

“Bus motor” means an engine built specifically for a Volkswagen bus’s typical use: carrying weight, driving in traffic, and needing strong torque rather than only peak horsepower. It’s a builder’s shorthand for matching displacement, cam choice, and gearing to bus-friendly drivability.

“2276” is another displacement target used in VW engine building, usually meaning a 2276 cc configuration. Builders use these numbers to quickly compare how different builds will feel in the bus—especially torque and drivability.

“2387” refers to a displacement target (about 2387 cc) commonly discussed in VW air-cooled engine builds. Higher displacement builds are often chosen to improve low-to-midrange torque for heavier vehicles like buses.

A “cam” is the camshaft profile that controls valve timing and lift, which strongly affects how an engine makes power. “K8 cam” here refers to a specific camshaft grind designation used by VW engine builders to target a particular powerband for street driving.

“FK87” is a camshaft designation mentioned as an alternative to the “K8 cam.” In VW air-cooled engine building, different cam grinds are chosen to match intended driving style and to balance idle quality, throttle response, and high-RPM power.

They’re talking about engine RPM (revolutions per minute). “Don’t do anything under 4,000” means the car should be driven/used without expecting good response below about 4,000 RPM, because the engine’s power and throttle response come on higher in the rev range.

“Calipers” are the parts of a disc brake that squeeze the brake pads against the rotor to slow the car. Using Porsche 964 calipers (or matching calipers) is a common swap approach to get stronger, more consistent braking on a modified VW.

These are brake calipers sourced from a Porsche 944 Turbo application. In this context, the shop is using them as part of a front brake upgrade for VW buses, aiming for better braking performance and fitment.

“Drums” are rear brakes where shoes press outward inside a drum to create friction. They’re saying their builds keep drum brakes on the rear (instead of converting to rear discs), and that the drums last a long time without adding extra width.

A “disc kit” is an aftermarket (or conversion) package that changes a brake setup from drums to disc brakes. Here, it’s offered as an option, but the shop’s standard builds use rear drums.

“Back space” (backspacing) is the distance from the wheel’s mounting surface to the inner rim edge. They’re adjusting backspacing to fit a wider tire without rubbing, which is a key part of wheel fitment on classic VW builds.

“205/55” is a tire size code: 205 is the tire width in millimeters, and 55 is the sidewall aspect ratio (sidewall height as a percentage of width). They’re discussing whether that tire size will clear and fit on the bus with the wheel/tire setup they built.

Spring plates are the components in a VW Type 2’s rear suspension that connect the torsion spring to the wheel/axle assembly. They’re describing cutting/notching the chassis and modifying around the spring-plate area to clear wheels and fit wider tires.

“Rotors” are the disc brake surfaces that the pads clamp onto. Using Porsche 944 rotors as part of the conversion indicates the shop is mixing Porsche front-end brake hardware to achieve the right fitment and braking performance.

“Hubs” are the wheel mounting components that connect the wheel to the axle and often carry the brake rotor mounting interface. Here, they’re using Porsche 964 hubs as part of the brake conversion hardware stack.

The Porsche 911 is a long-running sports car known for its rear-engine layout and distinctive handling. In the podcast context, it’s being discussed alongside other Porsche parts and brake/rotor/hub components, which suggests a focus on how different generations share or swap parts. It comes up often in classic and enthusiast circles because it’s both performance-focused and heavily supported by the aftermarket and restoration community.

A “servo master cylinder” refers to a brake booster-assisted master cylinder setup that uses engine vacuum (or a similar assist method) to reduce pedal effort. They’re describing a late-bay VW servo master cylinder as the brake hydraulic/assist component for the bus.

They mention a Volvo master cylinder as a similar alternative to the late-bay VW servo master cylinder. The point is cross-compatibility: using a different manufacturer’s hydraulic/booster component that matches the needed function and feel.

They’re describing a two-stage pedal feel where the “second pump” provides a fuller pedal. That often points to residual air, brake system bleeding/air management, or how the booster/master cylinder circuit is behaving after sitting.

“944 turbos” refers to Porsche 944 turbocharger hardware being used on the VW bus. Turbo setups can dramatically change how the bus makes power, but they also require matching supporting systems (fueling, intercooling, and engine management) to work reliably.

“Split buses” refers to the early Volkswagen Transporter/Type 2 style with a split windshield. This is a specific classic VW body/era, and it’s a big part of why these buses are so popular in the UK scene.

A “four inch beam” refers to a lowered front beam axle setup on a classic VW bus. Lowering beams are a common suspension modification, and the amount (like four inches) strongly affects ride height, steering geometry, and tire clearance.

This sounds like wheel sizing shorthand: “16” for 16-inch wheels, with “sixes and sevens” referring to wheel widths (6-inch and 7-inch). Wheel width affects tire choice, stance, and how much the tire may rub when the bus is lowered.

Low profile tires have shorter sidewalls than standard tires. On lowered buses, low-profile tires help maintain overall wheel/tire fitment and can reduce sidewall squirm, but they can also make ride comfort harsher and increase the chance of rim damage.

“Slam” in car culture means lowering a vehicle’s ride height to sit very close to the ground. A “slam bay” here refers to a lowered VW van/bus setup that’s part of the show scene.

A burnout is when a driver spins the driven wheels while the car is stationary or moving very slowly, usually to heat the tires and create smoke. In meets, it’s also a spectacle that shows off power and tire grip.

“Porsche rims” means wheels styled or branded as Porsche wheels, which are commonly used on VW buses because they can improve the stance and visual fitment. In this context, it’s part of the van’s custom wheel-and-fitment identity.

Sway bars (anti-roll bars) reduce body roll during cornering by linking the left and right suspension. The host is saying this setup runs without sway bars, which can change how the bus feels in turns.

Static suspension means the ride height is fixed (not adjustable on the fly). In the VW scene, “static” setups are often contrasted with air suspension because they prioritize a consistent feel and predictable handling.

Air ride (air suspension) uses air springs and an onboard system to adjust ride height. The speaker dislikes it because they feel it can make the ride too hard, too soft, or bouncy compared with a more traditional fixed setup.

The Lucid Air is an electric sedan built to deliver long-range driving and a comfortable, modern ride. The podcast mentions it in the context of trying an EV and being happy to “call my own,” which points to ownership experience and how it feels day-to-day. It’s discussed because it represents a mainstream, premium approach to electric performance and usability.

Neil Lightsteer is credited in the segment as the person who manufactured the electric power steering system. The host frames him as a “very clever guy” who built the conversion himself.

Speed-sensitive power steering changes the amount of steering assist based on vehicle speed. Typically, it provides more help at low speeds for parking and less help at higher speeds for stability and feel.

ECU stands for Engine Control Unit, but in modern conversions it can also refer to a dedicated electronic control unit for a subsystem. Here, the ECU monitors vehicle speed and uses that input to control the steering assist behavior.

Magnesium wheels are lightweight alloy wheels made from magnesium, often used in motorsport because they reduce unsprung mass. Lower unsprung mass can help the suspension respond more quickly over bumps, improving ride/handling feel.

BBS is a well-known wheel manufacturer, especially respected in enthusiast circles for motorsport-style alloy wheels. The host is describing early BBS wheels on the van, implying a period-correct or performance-oriented wheel choice.

A rear hub is the mounting point where the wheel attaches and where the wheel bearings live. If a hub fails or is damaged, it can destroy wheel bearings and make the wheel unsafe or impossible to align correctly.

Tracing arms (often called trailing arms in rear-suspension setups) are linkages that locate the rear axle/suspension and control wheel alignment angles. If they’re “at funny angles,” it usually means the suspension geometry is off, which can cause poor handling and uneven wear.

“Rear end” here means the rear axle/suspension assembly of the vehicle. The speaker is describing a swap to a different rear-end setup to fix the van’s suspension and geometry problems.