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

Ep 364 Mark Prossser Auto Techniks The Baddest Bays in the UK Lets Talk Dubs Classic The Classic VW podcast · Jul 4, 2026

Annotations will appear as you listen

0:00

31:48

Term

Fuchs 16

“Fuchs” refers to the classic Porsche wheel design, and “Fuchs 16” means a 16-inch version of that style. Enthusiasts use them on classic VWs because the look matches the retro, motorsport-inspired aesthetic.

Term

rake

“Rake” means the car’s tilt from front to back—whether the nose sits higher or lower than the rear. It’s mostly about the setup and the look.

Brand

Ross Wolf

Ross Wolf is a company that makes aftermarket car parts. In this episode, they’re being promoted for a seal meant to fit correctly and stop rear axle leaks.

Term

wheel bearing seal

A wheel bearing seal is a protective seal that keeps grime out and helps stop fluid from leaking near the wheel bearing. The right seal fit matters a lot for long-term leak prevention.

Part

rear axle seals

Rear axle seals are small rubber/metal seals that stop oil from leaking where the rear axle connects. When they wear out, oil can start leaking, and you need the right replacement seal.

Term

Viton gasket seals

Viton is a special rubber used for gaskets. It holds up better than normal rubber when the engine gets hot and when it’s exposed to oil and fuel, helping prevent leaks.

Term

sump kits

A sump kit is an upgrade to the engine’s oil storage area. It can help keep oil where it belongs when you drive hard, which helps the engine stay properly lubricated.

Term

velocity stacks

Velocity stacks are intake parts that sit in front of the carburetor/throttle. They help the air flow in more smoothly, which can improve engine breathing and power.

Term

pulley kits

A pulley kit changes the gearing of a belt-driven system. That can change how fast something spins—often to make more boost or change how the engine feels.

Term

Icon Pistons

Icon Pistons are replacement pistons made for performance engines. The different sizes and heights affect how the engine is built and how it makes power.

Term

85.5 millimeters

85.5 mm is the piston’s diameter size. Bigger or different sizes change the engine’s displacement, which can affect power.

Term

90.5 millimeters

90.5 mm is another piston size option. That size choice helps determine how big the engine is and can affect how it performs.

Term

94 millimeters

94 mm is a piston diameter size. Using a larger bore can increase engine displacement, which often helps torque and power when the rest of the engine is set up correctly.

Term

piston heights

Piston height is how tall the piston is. It affects how the piston sits in the engine and can change compression, which influences power and engine behavior.

Brand

DanVolks.com

DanVolks.com is a website the host points to for Volkswagen-related parts. They’re connecting it to the piston supplier they mentioned.

Brand

AutoTechnics

AutoTechnics is the shop the host recommends for Bay Window bus fans. It’s tied to Mark Prosser’s work in the UK scene.

Topic

EBI 2026

EBI 2026 is the name of the event happening this year. The host is there and talking about the bus community.

Person

Mark Prosser

Mark Prosser is the person behind the bus-building shop mentioned in the episode. He’s been doing this for many years and is known for making Volkswagen vans look and drive aggressively.

Term

Autobahn

The Autobahn is Germany’s famous highway system known for very fast driving. Mark is basically saying his bus isn’t just for looks—it can handle fast roads too.

Car

Sierra Cosworth

The Ford Sierra Cosworth is a well-known fast Ford from the UK. Mark used it as the reference point for how quick he wanted his later VW bus to be.

Car

Ford Cortina

The Ford Cortina is a classic UK Ford model. Mark brings it up to explain that he grew up around that kind of car before he got into VW vans.

Term

max power scene

The “max power scene” is slang for a car trend where people chase flashy mods and big power in a very showy way. Mark says he didn’t like that vibe anymore.

Car

Type 2 Bay Window

The Volkswagen Type 2 “Bay Window” is a classic VW van. Mark bought one as a project and aimed to make it quicker than his previous performance car.

Car

Volkswagen Gti

The Volkswagen Golf is a compact car made by Volkswagen. It’s known for being practical for daily driving while still feeling good to drive. The podcast brings it up as an example of the kinds of cars people had or talked about.

Car

Peugeot 205

The Peugeot 205 CTI is a small car from Peugeot that was made to be fun to drive. It’s part of the “hot hatch” category, meaning it’s a regular compact car but tuned for better performance. The podcast mentions it as one of the kinds of cars people owned back then.

Car

5 Renault 5

The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is a small hatchback that runs on electricity. The podcast mentions it as one of the cars someone has had or tried. It’s designed to feel like a classic small car, but without gasoline.

Car

Renault 5 GZ Turbo

The Renault 5 GZ Turbo is a small Renault that had a turbo engine. Mark mentions it as one of the performance cars he had before his VW bus projects became the main thing.

Car

Peugeot 205 GTI

The Peugeot 205 GTI is a famous small “hot hatch” from Peugeot. Mark mentions it as an example of the kinds of cars he owned while building his business.

Car

Volkswagen Bus

The Volkswagen Bus is a van made by Volkswagen that’s known for being roomy and recognizable. The podcast talks about the “Bay Window” version, which is one specific style of Bus. People discuss it because different Bus years look different and can be more or less desirable to collectors.

Term

slammed it on the floor

“Slammed” means the bus is lowered a lot so it sits very close to the ground. It looks dramatic, but it can make everyday driving harder on bumps and speed bumps.

Term

2.4

“2.4” here refers to the engine displacement being increased to about 2.4 liters for the bus build. In VW drag builds, increasing displacement is a common path to more torque and faster acceleration.

Term

Santa Pod

Santa Pod is a famous UK drag strip. If someone says they raced there, it means they were doing proper drag runs with timing.

Term

drag panel bus

A “drag panel bus” is a VW bus turned into a drag-racing car. People modify the body and setup to make it faster for straight-line runs.

Car

Beetle Super Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle is a classic small car with a very recognizable shape. In the podcast, it’s being used as a comparison point for another Volkswagen model, meaning it’s considered the top or most iconic one in its category. People talk about it a lot because it’s popular to own and restore.

Term

electric power steering

Electric power steering helps you turn the wheel using an electric motor. It’s often easier to install or upgrade than older hydraulic systems.

Term

IRS

IRS means the rear wheels are connected in a way that lets them move independently. That usually improves how the vehicle rides and grips the road.

Part

trailing arms

Trailing arms are parts of the suspension that hold the wheel in the right position. They help the wheel move smoothly over bumps while keeping the handling predictable.

Term

cut and shut

“Cut and shut” means cutting metal apart and welding it back together to change the car’s structure. It’s a serious fabrication step to make parts fit and to strengthen the mounting points.

Term

ball joint suspension

Ball joint suspension is a common way to connect the steering/suspension parts so the wheels can move. They’re saying the original setup uses ball joints, but they swap it out for another system.

Term

bay windows

“Bay windows” is a nickname for a specific Volkswagen van shape. They’re talking about that van’s front suspension and how builders swap it to a different setup.

Term

King and Link pin

King and link pin is an older front suspension/steering design used on some classic Volkswagens. They like it because it gives a higher stance and more clearance when you’re building a low van.

Term

beam with a race center pin

A beam axle uses a solid axle beam to support the front suspension, and the “center pin” is the pivot point for the kingpin/linkpin geometry. A “race” center pin typically refers to a performance-oriented version that’s meant to improve alignment/strength and support more aggressive driving or suspension setups.

Term

tub the front end

Tubbing the front end means modifying the inner body so the suspension and wheels have enough space. It’s usually required when you lower a van or change the suspension so nothing rubs.

Term

stoker

A stroker engine is an engine build that makes the pistons travel farther. That usually helps it make more low-to-mid torque, which is great for pulling and cruising in a heavy van.

Term

upgrade the ratios

Gear ratios control how the engine and wheels work together. Changing them can make the van feel stronger and also let it cruise without the engine screaming.

Term

three piece, Fuchs

Fuchs are a famous wheel design associated with classic Porsche culture. “Three-piece” means the wheel is made from multiple parts, which is part of why it’s considered special.

Term

two piece Compromotives

These are special wheels made by a company called Compromotives. “Two-piece” means the wheel is built in two main sections, which affects how it’s made and later modified.

Company

Dage Motorsport

Dage Motorsport is mentioned as the group these wheels were made for. It’s basically part of the wheel’s backstory and who originally commissioned or supported the setup.

Term

Westy

“Westy” is a nickname for the Volkswagen camper version (Westfalia). They’re saying they modified their camper van’s rear to make the wheels fit.

Term

tubbed and narrowed

“Tubbed” means the wheel area was modified so wider wheels/tires can fit. “Narrowed” means they also adjusted the body/fitment so everything lines up correctly.

Term

two piece to three piece

They’re talking about changing the wheel design from two parts to three parts. It’s a modification that helps get the right fit and look on the vehicle.

Car

72 changeover van

They’re describing a 1972 Volkswagen van that sits in the middle of two generations of styling. It has later taillights, but many interior details are from the earlier version.

Term

tombstone taillights

“Tombstone taillights” are a specific style of rear lights on these classic VW vans. They’re a visual clue that helps tell which version/year the van’s rear end is closest to.

Place

Bandstead, London

Bandstead is where the shop is based, in the London area. It’s just the location they’re talking about.

Place

M 25

The M25 is a big highway ring around London. They’re using it to explain where the shop is and how easy it is to reach.

Topic

building a VW van budget

They talk about how much money it takes to build a custom van from scratch. It’s basically setting expectations for the budget.

Car

Jaguar Mark I

The Jaguar Mark I is an older Jaguar car from the 1950s. The podcast is talking about restoring one, starting from a bare body shell and then doing the needed work to make it complete again. It’s mentioned because it’s a classic model that people preserve and rebuild.

Term

stance

In car culture, “stance” refers to the vehicle’s ride height and wheel fit—how low it sits and how the wheels sit in the arches. It’s a big part of the look for custom vans and VW builds, and the host mentions it as something that can motivate owners early on but also becomes a reality-check later.

Term

mock up in the workshop

A “mock up” is a temporary, non-final setup used to visualize the end result before committing to the full build. Here, they’re describing a staged process to set the wheels/ride height and show customers photos of what the van will look like.

Car

Chevrolet Chevelle

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a famous old American muscle car. The host is saying it’s already sporty, so it’s easier to make it even cooler than starting with a more normal vehicle.

Term

2332

“2332” is shorthand for the engine’s displacement target—how big the engine is in cc. Bigger displacement usually means more torque, and builders choose it based on how they want the bus to drive.

Term

bus motor

A “bus motor” is an engine built for how a bus is actually used—moving weight and driving smoothly in everyday traffic. Builders focus on torque and smoothness so it feels right in a bus, not just fast at the top end.

Term

2276

“2276” is shorthand for an engine size target in cc. It helps builders talk about how much power/torque the engine will make for a bus build.

Term

2387

“2387” is shorthand for the engine’s displacement target in cc. Builders pick displacement to get the driving feel they want—often more torque for a bus.

Term

K8 cam

A camshaft “cam” controls when the engine’s valves open and close. “K8 cam” is a specific cam choice that VW builders use to shape where the engine feels strong—like more low-end or more top-end.

Term

FK87

“FK87” sounds like a specific camshaft type/build. The point is that different cam choices make the engine behave differently, so builders pick one based on how the bus will be driven.

Term

4,000

They mean engine speed measured in RPM. Below about 4,000 RPM, the engine won’t feel as strong or responsive, so they’re saying to keep it above that range.

Term

964 calipers

Calipers are the clamp parts of a disc brake. When you press the brake pedal, they squeeze pads onto a spinning disc to slow the car down.

Term

944 turbo calipers

Calipers are what squeeze the brake pads onto the disc. “944 Turbo calipers” means they’re using calipers from a Porsche 944 Turbo as the upgrade parts.

Term

drums on the rear

Rear drum brakes use a round drum with brake shoes inside. They’re saying their setups keep the rear brakes as drums and they don’t wear out quickly.

Term

disc kit

A disc kit is a conversion that replaces drum brakes with disc brakes. It’s an upgrade option if you want stronger or more consistent braking.

Term

back space

Backspacing is how far the wheel sits inboard/outboard. Changing it helps the tire clear suspension and body parts.

Term

205/55

That’s the tire size. “205” is the width, and “55” tells you how tall the sidewall is compared to the width—important for clearance and fitment.

Term

spring plates

Spring plates are part of the rear suspension that help support the wheel. They’re saying they had to cut and modify the chassis/spring-plate area so the bigger wheels and tires would fit.

Term

944 rotors

Rotors are the spinning metal discs in a disc brake. The brake pads clamp onto them to slow the car down.

Term

964 hubs

Hubs are the parts that the wheel mounts to and that connect the wheel to the axle. They’re also involved in how the brake rotor fits.

Car

Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 is a sports car made by Porsche that’s been around for many decades. It’s known for its strong performance and for having lots of parts and upgrade options. The podcast mentions it because people often use or adapt parts from different Porsche models when working on brakes and suspension.

Term

servo master cylinder

This is the brake system part that helps you push the brakes with less pedal force. It’s basically the “power assist” for the brake pedal.

Term

Volvo master cylinder

They’re saying you can use a similar brake master cylinder from Volvo instead of the VW one, as long as it fits and works the same way.

Term

second pump

They’re talking about how the brake pedal feels after you press it once versus twice. If the second press is better, it can mean there’s still some air or the system isn’t fully primed yet.

Car

944 turbos

They’re referring to turbo parts from a Porsche 944. Using turbo hardware can make a big difference in power, but it also means the rest of the engine has to be set up to handle boost safely.

Term

split buses

“Split buses” are early Volkswagen Transporters with a split windshield. They’re a recognizable classic VW style that enthusiasts love.

Term

four inch beam

A “four inch beam” is a suspension lowering part for a classic VW bus. It drops the front end by a lot, which changes how the tires fit and how the bus drives.

Term

16, sixes and sevens

They’re talking about wheel size—16-inch wheels, and likely two different widths (6-inch and 7-inch). Wheel width changes what tires fit and how the car sits and turns without rubbing.

Term

low profile tires

Low profile tires have less “rubber” between the wheel and the road. They can look right on lowered cars and handle better, but they can ride firmer and be easier to damage if you hit potholes.

Term

slam bay

“Slam” means the car is lowered a lot so it sits very close to the ground. A “slam bay” is a lowered VW bus/van look that people show off at meets.

Term

burnout

A burnout is when the tires spin and smoke while the car is barely moving. People do it for fun and to make a big show at car meets.

Term

Porsche rims

“Porsche rims” just means wheels that look like (or are) Porsche-style wheels. People swap them onto VWs to change the look and help the car sit right.

Term

sway bars

Sway bars help keep a car from leaning too much when you turn. Here they’re saying this bus setup doesn’t use them, so the handling feel can be different.

Term

static suspension

Static suspension means the car’s ride height is set and doesn’t change while you drive. It’s different from air suspension, which can raise and lower the car.

Term

air ride

Air ride uses air bags instead of regular springs to change how high or low the car sits. The speaker says they didn’t like how it felt—either too stiff, too soft, or too bouncy.

Car

Lucid Air

The Lucid Air is an all-electric car, meaning it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. People bring it up because it’s designed to be comfortable and practical for everyday driving, not just a short-range EV. The podcast is referencing someone who has tried one and liked it.

Person

Neil Lightsteer

Neil Lightsteer is the person the host credits with building the electric power steering setup. He’s presented as the maker of the conversion.

Term

speed sensitive power steering

Speed-sensitive steering changes how much help the car gives you depending on how fast you’re driving. It usually feels lighter when you’re moving slowly and more direct when you’re going faster.

Term

ECU

An ECU is a computer that controls parts of the car. In this case, it uses speed information to decide how much steering help to provide.

Term

magnesium race car wheels

These wheels are made from magnesium, which is very light. Lighter wheels can help the suspension work better because there’s less weight for it to control.

Brand

BBS

BBS is a brand that makes aftermarket wheels. People who care about cars often like BBS wheels because they’re made for performance and look great.

Part

rear hub

The rear hub is the part the wheel bolts to, and it connects the wheel to the rest of the rear axle. If it gets damaged, it can ruin the bearings and cause the wheel to wobble or fail.

Term

tracing arms

Those arms are part of the rear suspension that help position the wheels correctly. If they’re bent or misaligned, the car can handle badly and the tires can wear unevenly.

Term

rear end

“Rear end” means the whole rear section that includes the rear suspension and axle. Swapping it can change how the rear wheels sit and handle.

LIVE

Happy Friday guys and welcome to another episode of Let's Talk Dubs. I'm your

host Bill T. Well this one's getting out a little bit late to you guys and wanted

to make sure I got something out for you guys this week. I did a couple other

podcasts while I was at Lufzigen. I hadn't had time to edit those because right

away the following week I was at MP for a week and then ended up hopping a plane

the following Monday and I've been here at EBI for the past few days and I was

also at Hesse, Joldendorf the week prior. So it's been pretty busy week for me.

Wanted to get this podcast out to you guys because I know you guys been looking

for something and this is the first one we're kicking off at EBI. So if you've

ever been into bay window buses, dropped looking good stance with some nice wheels

and a big motor and you're in the UK, Mark Prosser's the guy to go to you. He's

got a company called Auto Technics and they do bay windows right. I mean he's

probably got the baddest bay windows on the street out here and they're built

for speed. They look good. They've got a six stance usually on fuchs 16, sixes and

sevens with a nice little rake but before we get into that don't forget to

support those support let's talk. That's VW Trends magazine back on the scene

after a long hiatus. VW Trends magazine for issues a year. Go subscribe today at

vwtrendsmagazine.com also. Ross Wolf high-quality aftermarket parts built for

enthusiasts by enthusiasts. Don't forget go to the website and get some of the

cool latest stuff they've got out. They've just released and made for

themselves their own unique wheel bearing seal. So if you guys have been on your

rear axle seals, if your rear axle has been leaking, everybody's been swapping

those out with something that's just not the exact fit. They've put some time

effort in engineering into having a rear main axle seal made that works right

and doesn't leak. So go check them out today at RossWolf.com. They've also got

plenty of other cool stuff. All the Viton gasket seals, the sump kits,

velocity stacks, pulley kits, you name it they got it. So go check them out at

RossWolf.com. Also for the best pistons on the market go check out Icon Pistons

available. Most retailers anywhere available in 85.5, 90.5 now and 94

millimeters. So go check them out. Multiple piston heights and the highest

quality aftermarket piston that you can get 40 Volkswagen is Icon Pistons. One of

their suppliers at Icon Pistons is Dan Volks, Boulder City and Southern Nevada's

VW distributor. So go check them out. Veteran owned and operated. Check them out

at DanVolks.com. I want to welcome another sponsor of the podcast, Air Mighty

Magazine, a high quality coffee table style book, the likes of Rotterd Journal,

button the Volks wagon scene and it features cars from all around the

world. It's translated multiple languages, Dutch, German, French and English and you

can get that magazine today and subscribe at AirMighty.com and use the

code LTD5 for a 5% discount on your subscriptions. Go check them out today

at AirMighty.com. Well let's get into it guys this week. If you're talking Bay

Window buses, some of the raddest stuff on the street, Mark Prosser is the guy

if you're in the UK. So you guys want to check him out at AutoTechnics. I'll leave

a link in the description down below. Appreciate you guys for listening. There'll

be more coming from EBI plus some stuff that I did at Lufthagen. So without any

further ado guys let's get into it. AutoTechnics, Mark Prosser on Let's Talk

Dubs.

Well I'm here at EBI this year and it's EBI 2026, EBI number 11 and I'm here

sitting down. If you've ever been to EBI or seen some of the pictures you see

some of the buses, this is a quote from Russell Ritchie. He said, Mark Prosser

builds buses hard as nails. And so if you've ever seen the super dope Bay

Windows, if it's a bus and it needs to look cool, it's got to go to AutoTechnics

which is Mark Prosser. Mark, welcome to the podcast. Thank you very much. So the

way we typically start this podcast, now you build some of the baddest buses in

the UK and these buses have stance, they got a look and they're just mean and

that. It's the epitome of the oxymoron, right? This big pickle looking thing but

it looks bad as bad as could be and that it could just bomb down the Autobahn. Now

the way we always start the podcast is what's your VW story and how did you

get into Volkswagen's? I was a Ford man, grew up around Cortinas, Escorts, ended up

with a Sierra Cosworth, Sapphire. Then the whole scene got too max power for me,

didn't like the max power scene. So I sold the Cosworth and bought a Type 2

Bay Window and all of my friends thought I'd got absolutely crackers. Yeah, where's

the car mark? They said it's gone. I'm gonna make the Bay Window drive as quick

as the Cosworth. They're like, no, you're never gonna do it. Yeah. And here we are

today. We did. Made it run quicker than the Cosworth. And now you've been at this

game for a long time, especially with the buses. When did you first start?

When did you get start the business itself? The business itself when I was

about 21. I'm now 62. Wow. So a long time. Yeah, so you've been doing it for 41

years. Again, we used to do whatever car that I owned at the time. May it be a

Ford or a Peugeot 205 GTI or Renault 5 GZ Turbo or any of these cars we used to

have outside the workshop. People would bring them into me. And then the whole

story with the Cosworth sold that, bought the van and then the van thing just took

off. Just took off like crazy. So some of the stuff, I mean, when you started, so

what year would you say you did the first van, the first Bay Window? The first

Bay Window. Or the first, first, the first bus you did is what year? The first bus I

did 35 years ago. And whatever year that is. Do you remember what bus that was?

Blue and white, late Bay Window, 75. And what was the plan when you went for that

bus? Big engine, make it look cool, polish-fush, painted the bottom half a BMW

color and the top half the original white, slammed it on the floor, put a big-ish

engine in it and drove it. Then come across people that

had more engine parts and it got bigger and until it was 2.4

and we used to go racing with it. Really? We went to the pod with it, racing,

we used to run, people were trying to run a sub-18 and we run a 14. Oh, 14 and a

fully loaded bus? Fully loaded bus. At Santa Pod. That's nuts. And then we

chopped it all in and put it all in a panel van. And then built a drag panel bus? A

built drag panel bus, which you still got today. Really? The green bus, people will

know the green bus. And now with, you know, one of those things with back in the

day, how was it first received when you showed up? Especially with the bay window,

right? Like bay window is kind of the super beetle of the bus world, right? Yeah. And so

you come in, you clearly have to have a little bit of self-confidence, right? Because if you

walk in, absolutely. Well, when you walk in with the... A bay window, they've all got race cars.

Right, right. They thought I was crazy. And so you've done, I mean, look at some of these

bus over here and you've got a lot of really cool parts, a lot of really cool stuff that you've

done to it. And I saw the one bus, particularly you had some electric power steering and stuff

like that. But you're kind of into that whole recipe. Big, big brakes, big wheels, big motor,

and a lowered stance. Now, what, from your standpoint, the recipe for a bus is just,

I mean, your buses just kind of have a look to them. So our buses all look. You don't ask me

what you want. You come to me because this is what you want. So your bus turns out,

if whether it's a bay window or a split like Harold's, you've seen the look. That's how they

come out. There's no Andy's bus in the States. Yeah. That's how they come out. And you did the

suspension on Andy's bus. I did everything. Yeah. And you're a fan of converting the IRS in the

rear, all that stuff. On a split, definitely. Yes. 944 stuff in the back. So you do 944 trailing

arms, all that stuff? We use early trailing arms and then we cut and shut the rear chassis to

mount the shocks properly rather than, you know, they break the rear chassis normally. But we put

all those in board and you've driven an Andy's bus. Well, what's crazy is how low that bus was

and how much suspension it had. It's not easy to get that, to find that point, you know. Now,

there's been a lot of, you know, there's, with the bay windows, they've got ball joint suspension.

Yeah, we change all that to King and Link pin straight away. So even on all your bays, you do

King and Link pin. All King and Link pin. So you're a fan of the King and Link pin front end.

And why do you like the King and Link pin over the ball joints?

Because it sits higher in the chassis on the front of the van. So you've got that much more

road clearance to start with. And then you buy a beam with a race center pin and, you know,

or you can raise the beam in the chassis, but it gets a bit complicated. So for a normal road going

van, just convert it to King and Link pin, get the right shocker ball. There's a right setup.

You have to tub the front end. You got no choice. So you take care of all that. Somebody shows up

and they want, they just show all of that. Yeah, they get all of it. All of that. Yeah. And who

builds the motors? You guys build the motors? Yeah, you build the motors. We build our own engines.

Yeah. So what's your, like, what's your preference with respect to like what, what motors your motor

for a bus? You're building the ideal bus motor. What is it? The bigger, the better in a bay window

because of the size of them, what it is. So I don't mean like a race engine. I mean a big,

powerful stroker that will just pull in fourth gear, third gear around roundabouts,

sit on the motorway without changing down, just cruise, upgrade the gearboxes, upgrade the ratios,

and sit at 70 mile an hour at three and a half thousand RPM. Yeah. And your buses here,

you drove all these buses here, you guys? Yeah. How far did you guys drive to get here?

This side of the wall to five hours. So five hour drive? Five hour drive this side,

hour and a half back to home from the channel tunnel. Now your beige bus, I think that's Savannah

beige and that's got a pretty unique story to it. The beige bus you got right here. Now that's your

bus, right? Yeah. I have another Savannah beige one, which I've had for 20, 25 years, but this one

we bought from an import from Texas with no paperwork, just for the shell. 20 years ago,

for a friend of mine, they had an English bus that was absolutely rusted out, said to him,

buy this bus, it was 700 pounds, put all of your stuff into the shell away you go. And he did

for 20 years. And then he called me, said, Mark, can you do something with this van for me? Probably

need to sell it. And I didn't even want it. But he turned up with it, towed it into the workshop,

I looked at it and I was like, we tossed and so we argued for a bit, we come to a price,

and he just left it there. And I kept looking at it outside the workshop thinking,

it's really not that bad. It's really not that bad. So over the winter, this winter, I pulled it in

and this is what you get. And this is, it's got quite a stance on it. I mean, you've got,

you've got three piece, Fuchs on there, right? Three piece, they were two piece

Compromotives. So Compromotive is the name of the company. Compromotives, Dage Motorsport,

they were built for Dage Motorsport. Built for Dage Motorsport and they made a two piece few.

Made them two piece. 16 inches, right? 15 inch. Oh, they're 15. 15s, they were in

sevens and eights. And I bought the first year years ago, couldn't fit them on the bus because

they were too wide. As time's gone on, we narrowed the rear end of the Westy that we own and put

the eights on the back and then the sevens on the front tubbed and narrowed and, you know,

it all worked. And I was like, wow, we've got these on at last. And then recently a company in England

make these bands to change them from two piece to three piece and step them up to six things.

So that's what you see there. Yeah. I mean, the bus has just got such an incredible stance on it.

And this is a, this is a later bay. What year is this bay? This is a 72 changeover van. So it's

all early apart from that back end. All the knobs and everything inside is early way.

So 72 is the first year for the big, for the tombstone taillights. That's it. That's it. And

people are like, and I'm like, well, why not have one? I've got earlys. I've got a 68, a 69,

a 70, it's like, let's do it. Let's do it. Yeah, they're incredible. Now your shop is in,

you're in, you're in Bandstead, London. Yeah. And that's just, just, just inside the, the M 25,

the M 25, which is the big circular highway that goes around all about in London. And then

with something like this, somebody brings you a bus like this, they just roll in a shell.

Mark, I want you to do the works to it. What kind of, they're going to range from where to where

to do, to do the, do the business. What, what, price wise? Yeah. To build the van,

no parts to build the van to a kind of, what I'd be happy with, 15 to 20,000 pounds to start.

That's the start figure. If you go in any more than that, people think I'm never going to be

able to afford that. Sure. Well, it's a bit of a time, time. And that's

the thing. I mean, I think, you know, everybody, everybody's into it until they start to see the

stance, which, you know, I'm a big fan of getting the car stance real quick. So you get, stay motivated.

I, I, I do a mock up in the workshop where I'll say, bring the wheels to me,

strip everything out on the ramp, set, set the thing down on the ramp on the wheels. So you get

that look, send people photographs, send people photographs. This is what it's going to look

like. This is what it's going to look like. And then that gets them pretty fired up. And then

they're like, when's it going to be finished? Well, I didn't say that, but it might be six months,

it might be a year, but this is what it's going to look like. Now in your shop, you stay pretty

busy at your shop. All the time. Yeah. Don't advertise. How many people, how many people you

got working there? Only two of us. Just two of you guys. And then you, you've got obviously

customer projects rolling and all the time. And then you guys do maintenance and stuff like that,

too? Or are you just, so you do all around everything, whatever you want for your bus,

bring it down, work on bugs and stuff too, whatever. Everything. So in your neck of the

woods, you're kind of the shop to go to. With these things, there's a few around us, but people

that have got buses and they see what we do, they roll in. Yeah. Now, how'd you come up with the

name auto techniques? I think that was, I worked for another garage when I was younger. Then I was

working for London Transport. I was an engineer on London Transport. And I thought, you know what,

I've had enough of this. I want to start working for myself. I had 60 pounds and the rent for a

workshop, the friend of mine found was 60 pounds. And I was like, I'll leave this job and I'll go

there and I've got the money for the rent. Let's go. The name, I don't know, the name just,

just took a long time between friends. And all of a sudden we were like, that's it, auto techniques,

that's it. Every other name seemed to be getting too complicated. It was like, that's it. That

works. That works. And then you go start this. So you leave a secure job, pension. Lifetime job.

All of that. That's the job people crave to get over here. Lifetime job with a railway. Lifetime

job it was. No problem. Yeah, pensions, everything paid for. And I'm like, well, fuck that. Let's go.

You were just, you were just passionate about doing this. Yeah. Like this was what you wanted to

do was like, just taking something that most people don't think is cool and making it cool.

Yeah. I mean, that's anybody can take, anybody can take a Chevelle or a hot rod or something

kind of cool. That's already sporty and make it sportier, right? But to take something that's,

you know, the family breadwagon. A sauseur to a silk purse.

Yeah, that's right. A sauseur to a silk purse. Absolutely. No, it's never been,

I think it's never been more, more apparent than this. And what I love the most is the fact that

they're bay windows. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's like, what's more punk than making a bay

window call, right? Bay windows. I've had splits. Yeah. Let me wrong. They're too small for me.

I find I'm cramped in a split. I don't like it much. I build them for other people. But

for me, it's a bay window all day. All day. I don't know why. Yeah. It's just got me.

And then your motor, the motors you like to build, somebody's looking for the ideal bus motor.

You're going to 2332 or what are you doing? Yeah, 2276, 2332 or 2387.

You go like a K8 cam or what do you do for 7, 7, 8 or 10, depending on how they're going to drive it?

Really? Yeah. Not like an FK87. K8. K8. You're talking about K7.

Yeah. I've got engines with 87s and 89s and that, but just, you know, big rev monsters.

Yeah. Don't do anything under 4,000 and it just, you know, hits you in the face.

Now, do you guys do your, so do you guys, what do you guys do for brakes on these buses?

Front end is usually 964, 944 hubs, 964 calipers or 944 turbo calipers. The rear ends, we re-drill

the hubs, slot the drums, put a servo and I find that works absolutely fine. If people want to go

to a disc kit, then we can put a disc kit on, but all of ours are running drums on the rear.

You've not had a problem. And you, and the drums last quite a while. Yeah. Not too much,

not too much issue with the drums. And you don't have to add, you add no extra width. No. So on

this bus, this bus we're looking at here, the 72, is that stock trailing arm everything for this one?

On the rear. Yes. So that, so that, those sevens bolt right up. Oh no, these are seven and a half.

So I built these to seven and a half, these ones. Oh, you did. So five and a half inch back space.

So a little deeper, a little deeper. A little deeper and a back to put that bigger tire on.

There's a 205, 55. Yeah. Does that drop, does that drop out all the way? Yes. You can get the wheel

on and off. Yeah. Really? Yeah. Yeah. On spring plates, you know, we cut and mess with the chassis,

notches and, you know, cut half the casting off and yeah, just all those little trickery bits

you've got to do, but it, it works. Yeah. And then so you do the 911 brake or the 944 rotors,

964 hubs, and then you, you make all the brackets, all that stuff for to work. Yeah,

we can buy the brackets. Oh, so now you get everything right off the shelf. You can buy the

brackets to do that. And then the master cylinder you're running on this thing. You said you're

running a servo on it? A servo, yeah, just a late bay servo master cylinder that you can put other

things, Volvo do one that's pretty similar. On my bus, on the carbon cab that I have, I have,

I've got four of the 944 turbos all the way around and I'm using the stock master cylinder

with no. And it's fine. Yeah. And it's, they do work. The second pump's always a full, full pedal.

The first pump's better than any bus you'll ever drive. But the second pump is like,

you've probably still got a little air or something. It shouldn't. Yeah, it should be.

Yeah, it's pushing the pads out to the disc, isn't it? That's what it's doing on your first pump.

Well, no, the second ones. No, the first one's good. The It's just, if you do a

second one, it gets a little, just a tiny bit more pressure. But yeah, well, it's interesting with the

servos that, you know, both my buses, my first bus, the bull run bus has an NA 944 brakes. Yeah.

The carbon cab has the 944 turbos and neither bus has a servo. And of course,

I'm running split buses on those, but I do have, I do have a 70 bay that I'm getting ready to

put on the road. I've got the 16, sixes and sevens. I've got the four inch beam. I've got the whole

thing and it's a bit of a camper. But I saw you had another camper over here too that's looking

pretty sharp in your camp. So yeah, no, it's, it's fantastic. And then as far as interior

fitting, like you get them, like this one that we're in right now, this is your, this is your

son's bus here. That's the one you made from Spares or this one? That one from Spares. You made

that one from Spares, built this one for your boy. Totally from Spares. We built this one from a sun

and we made this interior. Did you? To make it look like an original Devon. Yeah. Like he's always

been in here. We've put these back in, made this, put the trim on. There you go there. One saw

interior. We've only got one saw. We're not carpenters. We've got one hand saw. I love it. And we made

all of this with one hand. So yeah. No, it's a, I mean, and the cool thing is like, you know, you

make these things that look like, they look like they're doing 80 mile an hour standing still.

That's the idea. And that's the idea. It's just one of those, those things that people

aren't ready for, especially when they see you bake. And what's the weirdest thing somebody said to

you when you drive one of these things, like old Percy pulled the gas pump or whatever?

Your front tires are flat. Always your front tires are flat. Because of how low you're sitting?

Yeah, your front tires are flat. No, they're not, mate. No, there's low profile tires. There's

more one over there. Now, on, with these buses, what's the furthest you guys have driven these

things? The furthest I've driven probably drove to Spa one year. I went from Spa to

Southern Poland. Oh, really? This is my other house from Poland. Nice. Stayed with the family

for a week at a house that in the country. And then we drove all of Poland up to the Baltic coast.

Really? All of the Baltic coastline. And then we come home around the coast all the way from the

Baltic Sea into the Netherlands, rock coast road, coast road all the way back to London.

All in a slam bay. All in a slam bay. So we're here, while we're here right now, everybody's in the

burnout. So Mark's posted up at the burnout, but this is kind of your home base right here.

So if you're at EBI, the center of the madness is happening right here. As soon as the sun goes

down, this place gets kind of, kind of bananas, right? No, it's, listen, it's too cool, man. I'm

glad we got to sit chat for a bit. I really love what you're doing. I like your, I like your originality.

I like, I like your attitude. I like the whole thing because you know, that's, that's what it's

about. It's about taking something that most people discard and making other people like, man,

maybe I'd like a bay. I mean, how many people, how many people do you think you've turned bay?

Quite a few, I'd say. They were like, I wanted a split bus. So here's a funny story for you. When I

first went to Poland, when I met my other half, they called them the cucumber. Oh really? It's

called the cucumber. They all love them, but it's called the cucumber. How fun is that? So that's

the name they, they call it the bus, the cucumber in Poland. And then they, they were surprised when

they saw the cucumber putting out some moves. Exactly. They're like, what the hell is that mark,

you know, on the Porsche rims, land on the floor, that it ain't not seen anything like that there.

Yeah. It's super cool. And that you run sway bars on these things or no? No. So no sway bars on

these things and no, I mean, they're, they're pretty hooked and low to the ground. Now you run

all static suspension, no air. I tried air. Yeah. I don't like the drive. I've not been

in anything with air on it that I'm satisfied with the drive. It always seemed either very, very hard,

very, very soft or bouncy. And I like to feel, I like it to be like a GTI. I want to feel what's

going on, you know, so I might be wrong there, but I've not really been anything that I would be happy

to call my own with air on. I've tried it. got a van with all the stuff on,

but I took the air ride off the front end and went static again with it because it was just,

yeah, I couldn't cope with the, the ride. It looks cool. I know it looks cool. You park up and they,

you know, the seals are touching the floor, but yeah, it's not for me. Now the power, electric

power, talk to me about the electric power steering. Where did that come from? The electric

power steering is done by a friend of ours that manufactured the whole thing himself.

Very clever guy, Neil Lightsteer. It just transforms a bay window drive.

It's one of those things I've done for customers and the customers always phone me and go,

Mark, that is life changing. Life changing. And the interesting about it, you were telling me,

is it's, it's, it's speed sensitive. Speed sensitive. Speed sensitive power steering.

All run for an ECU. Yeah. So it's got its own ECU that picks up the speed of the car.

And again, that's, that's the, you know what, it's the fast people can, they know we're right

the thick of it right when they hear this. But yeah, it's, we have our guys doing an exhibition

on the monkey bike here. Easy to do a burnout on that only minute. Yeah. Yeah, so no, there is life

changing that really is like some massive thing. We'll let, we'll let you guys hear the burnout

as we're sitting here. The guys, guys got a mini bike with a, it's got about a probably eight

inch rear wheel on it and it's got a, it's got a probably a 20 inch 15 inch front wheel. Yeah. So

it's the reverse chopper stands with a coon tail on it and it's got a backrest on it. So you can

believe that it's, it's exactly what we're talking about here. And nice to offer burnout number two

because he's here to bring it to the people. So yeah, it's quite, quite a, quite a, yeah, I like it.

So listen, so Peacock just showing its feathers. Exactly. But it's awesome. You know, that's what

it's all about here at EBI is like everybody's, this is kind of the big get together in the

summertime here, but he kind of comes out here, lets their hair down and just kind of,

it just kind of is about the most organic, non pretentious show that it is, right?

Absolutely. Not a bunch of stiff collars over here. No. Looking down their nose of people's stuff.

If you're like that, you're probably not going to have a good time here, right? No, you're not.

No, you're not. So anything you knew you guys are working on developing?

No, developing, not really developing. We're building vans. This, this split,

do you see for Harold, we've just done this year that we've done the same chassis mods as we

done sanded. Yeah, like a 65, 65, 13-win of deluxe with some BBSs.

Harold would tell you exactly what they are, but they're magnesium race car wheels.

Early BBSs, yeah. Yeah, I can't tell you the name because I'm not really a BBS freak, but

his van rolled into my workshop, broke down, left the festival and it broke in a rear hub,

smashed the wheel bearings and pieces. It come in, I said, all the rear hubs are old bay window

ones. It was a very old fashioned IRS. I said, Harold, I can replace that, I can fix that for

you and you can leave, but you can have other problems. Tracing arms all at funny angles and

he said, what can you do to them up? I said, well, we'll have to put 944 rear end to it,

discs and, you know, do the whole IRS thing. Yeah. And he just agrees over the phone straight away

and he says, by the way, have you seen what's in the back? I'm like, no, mate, I haven't looked in

the back. It's opened the doors and those wheels are piled up on the floor, all with the big fat

tyres on all round, come off of a right race car. Yeah. And he's like, do you get them on there?

And I just went, leave it with me. Six months later, no engine, no gearbox, all new suspension,

wheels, tyres. Yeah, it's a wild look. Yeah. And he's loving it. He's absolutely loving it.

Yeah. No, I, listen, I mean, all these buses got a nasty stance to them. They just look aggressive.

But you see these buses come down the road. It's like you're in trouble. You know, these,

I mean, I don't like to think that. I like to think we're all rolling on the most, but it's

probably quite something to see. Yeah. You know, holding along a reasonable pace. Yeah. Absolutely.

And surprising people when you're in the passing lane, right? Yeah. So, yeah. People try and

always try to overtake it. And then they slow down. Right. What are you doing?

No, it's too good, man. I mean, you've definitely got it. You've got a rad style

and everything that, everything I see here in your camp, man, it's just,

it's got all kinds of attitude and it just looks so good, man. So I'm glad we got to sit on and

chat with you a little bit. Cool. Anything that you wanted to say or anything that we might have

forgotten about? No, I don't think so. Yeah. You think everything's covered? Everything's covered.

And you, you and your shop is got Matt. You said it's at your shop? Matt. So you and Matt at your

shop. Big shout out for Matt Brown. Yeah. He's top man. Top man. Well, you got to have a good hand

around, right? Exactly. He knows exactly what he's doing. Yeah. Exactly. And if he doesn't,

you work it out. And then you guys are doing drop spindles on these things? Drop spindles?

Yeah. Yeah. Drop spindles. So drop spindles and then drop spindles, disc brakes, anything you're

doing besides a power steering? Have you done any rack and pinion steering stuff like that?

No, again, I've tried that and I don't really like the feel of that either. I think if the,

if the box setup is good and all your joints are good, your steering box is fine. Put the power

steering on. It just works. It works. The rack and pinion stuff was tried in a split. It's got no

return. It's turn the steering. It just stays there. There's no, no returns and really they're happy

about that. And on the baby window, why do you want all that hanging out at the bottom of the

van as well? Right. You want to keep everything tucked. Yeah. So, yeah. Well, Mark, I appreciate it,

man. It's been so great to chat with you. It's a long chat. That wasn't a quick one.

Well, it's not that long. Listen, we've done some that have gone an hour plus. So,

No, we haven't. Yeah. Well, we haven't gone that far. No, no. It's good. Yeah. A little

shorter than normal, but it's all right. I like it. That's something we've had a proper conversation.

That's it. It's fantastic. Well, listen, I love what you're doing. You know, if you guys see any

of these buses, especially the big bad bays from the UK, then you see the auto technique

sticker. You know, these buses aren't to be fooled with because they're all business, right?

Let's hope so. That's cool. Okay. Thanks for taking some time to come on, brother. Thank you.

All right. And this is actually coming out on Saturday. So, happy birthday, America 250. I

have some America 250 shirts celebrating with a red, white, blue Volkswagen on the back that says

VWs are as American as Apple Pie. So, go get it today at Let'sTalkDubs.com. Support your favorite

podcast. Limited quantity, only 250 left. They've been selling pretty quick. So, make sure you get

yours today. Go to Let'sTalkDubs.com and click on the link as soon as you see it for your America

250 shirt. Well, there'll be more podcasts coming from EBI. So, I appreciate you guys for listening

and also don't forget to support those and support Let'sTalkDubs. So, until next week, guys, later.

About this episode

Mark Prosser of UK shop Auto Techniks talks Bay Window obsession at EBI 2026, sharing how he went from Ford/Cosworth life into building fast, stance-heavy Type 2s for decades. He describes early projects that evolved from big-engine street builds to drag-style buses, plus the “recipe” he sticks to: king-and-link front end, upgraded brakes, big wheels, and custom rear suspension/IRS conversions. Mark also covers building his own stroker-style engines for relaxed highway cruising, and the story behind his Savannah Beige bus imported as a shell.

205/55 2276 2332 2.4 4,000 944 rotors 944 turbo calipers 964 calipers 964 hubs air ride

Chevrolet Chevelle Ford Cortina Ford Sierra Sapphire Jaguar Mark I Lucid Air Peugeot 205 CTI Peugeot 205 GTI Porsche 911 Porsche 944 Renault 5 Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Volkswagen Beetle Volkswagen Bus Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen Transporter Kombi (T6) Volkswagen Type 2

Original notes

For over 40 years, Mark Prosser has been proving that you don't have to build a split-window Bus to create something truly unforgettable. While most enthusiasts chase the iconic early buses, Mark has dedicated his career to transforming 1968-and-later Bay Window Buses into some of the coolest, most performance-oriented Volkswagens on the road.

Think slammed stance, serious horsepower, perfectly dialed suspension, and a no-compromise attitude. Mark takes what many people once overlooked and turns it into something that stops people in their tracks. One look at one of his builds, and you may find yourself shopping for a Bay Window before the episode is over.

From routine tune-ups and mild performance upgrades to full, ground-up custom builds, Mark has spent decades perfecting his craft and earning a reputation for creating Bay Window buses that are as exciting to drive as they are to look at.

But this episode isn't just about incredible Volkswagens. It's also the story of a man who walked away from the security of a steady career, a guaranteed retirement, and the safe path in life to pursue the thing he truly loved. That leap of faith led him to build a business creating some of the most inspiring Bay Window buses cruising the streets of London.

Join us as we get into Mark's 40-plus years in the Volkswagen scene, the evolution of Bay Window performance, the challenges of building custom buses, and why he's made it his mission to show the world that Bay Windows deserve just as much respect as their split-window predecessors.

www.vwtrendsmagazine.com

www.airmighty.com

www.rosswulf.com

www.damvolks.com

https://www.facebook.com/Autotechniks/

Lets Talk Dubs Classic The Classic VW podcast

Bill Tsagrinos

View classic page →

0:00

31:48