Airmighty is the name used here for a magazine/book publisher or brand that produces a collectible, high-quality publication with gallery photography. The host is promoting it as a European magazine with annual issues.
The Volkswagen Cabriolet is a Volkswagen convertible—an open-top car. Some owners heavily customize them and add newer technology so it’s easier to drive and more modern to live with. The car is popular with hobbyists because you can keep the classic look while improving the rest.
The Volkswagen Rabbit is a small compact car made by Volkswagen. Some versions became popular with car fans, and many people still talk about them because they’re fun to drive and easy to work on. It may be mentioned because it’s part of the early history of Volkswagen performance culture.
The Volkswagen Golf is a small car that many people use every day. Some versions and generations are also popular with car fans because they can be made to drive more enthusiast-style. In the episode, it likely comes up as part of the timeline of Volkswagen models people grew up with or built.
“Volkswagen magazine” refers to VW-focused editorial coverage where enthusiast cars and builds get featured. Being “featured in Volkswagen magazine” is a credibility marker in the VW scene because it signals the build is notable to other enthusiasts.
“Dubs by Dan” is the name of Danny Allen’s VW shop/company. It’s associated with the cars he builds and the VW community content he’s been featured in.
“VW scene” just means the community of people who are into Volkswagen cars. It’s the group that shares builds, parts, and events for VW enthusiasts.
Term
hot motor
A “hot motor” just means the engine has been tuned or modified to make more power. It’s the kind of setup people build when they want faster acceleration, especially for drag racing.
“UK cow look” is a specific style people did on Volkswagen Beetles in the UK. It’s meant to look wild and custom, with major body changes that make the car stand out at shows.
The “B pillar” is the metal post in the middle of the car’s body—between the doors. Cutting it out or changing it is a big structural and styling change, so it’s a key detail in custom builds.
A chromoly chassis is a race-car style frame made from strong steel tubing. It helps the car stay stiff and safe under hard driving, which is why builders use it for track and drag setups.
A full tube chassis is basically a welded metal frame made from tubes. It’s common in race cars because it can be built strong and stiff for hard launches and cornering.
Term
One-piece body
A one-piece body means the outer shell is made as one main piece instead of lots of separate panels. Builders sometimes do this to make the car feel more solid and easier to fit correctly for racing.
“Pro Turbo” is a category in racing for cars with turbochargers. It’s basically a ruleset that groups turbo cars together so they compete more fairly.
Term
kits and specials
“Kits and specials” is a racing category for unusual VW-based cars that aren’t the typical factory setup. It’s a way to separate the weird/custom builds into their own competition group.
“Water pumper” is slang for VWs that use liquid coolant to keep the engine cool. It’s a way enthusiasts talk about which generation/style of VW they’re into.
Term
swallowtail
“Swallowtail” is a nickname people use for a certain look on the back of some Volkswagen Golfs. The speaker is saying the car’s rear appearance was changed with a different rear panel to match a newer style.
A “rear panel” is part of the car’s body at the back. If it gets damaged, people can replace it, and in this case the speaker replaced it with a later version to change how the car looked.
Concept
Caliq scene
The “Caliq scene” refers to a Volkswagen/air-cooled enthusiast subculture associated with California-style aesthetics and modifications. The speaker uses it to frame how people viewed and evolved Golf styling over time, especially as the scene looked back nostalgically.
Term
Caliq 67
“Caliq 67” is a fan nickname for a certain Volkswagen style tied to the late-1960s. The speaker is saying people argue about which years fit that look.
“17 inch wheels” means the car has wheels that are 17 inches across. Bigger wheels often change how the car looks and how low it can sit, which is why it’s mentioned as part of the style.
“Body kits” are add-on parts that change the outside look of a car, like bumpers and skirts. In this story, they’re part of the classic “show” style the speaker wanted.
A “cow look golf” is a nickname for a Volkswagen Golf build with a particular visual style. The speaker is saying their car matched that style closely enough that magazines labeled it that way.
“Air-cooled cars” are cars where the engine is cooled by air flowing over it, rather than by coolant in a radiator. The speaker is saying their Golf build was inspired by classic air-cooled Volkswagens.
Term
water pump scene
They’re talking about the “water pump” part of a liquid-cooled engine. That’s the system that moves coolant around to keep the engine from overheating.
“2165 turbo” means a turbocharged VW engine built to about 2.165 liters. Turbocharging helps the engine make more power than a naturally aspirated setup.
The Ford Capri is a classic two-door car made in the UK that was meant to feel sporty. People still talk about it because it was a popular style of car in its day and is now a recognizable classic. It may come up in the episode as a comparison point for other classic cars from the same era.
“Customs” refers to personalized builds where the owner’s taste drives changes—often including styling, interior, and mechanical tweaks. In classic VW circles, customs can range from subtle upgrades to full restyle/stance-style projects.
A livery is the car’s “look” in paint and graphics—like the stripes, logos, and color scheme. It’s how people make a car look like it belongs to a team or event.
Place
Kelsey sell the Vauxhall show
They’re talking about helping with a car show connected to Vauxhall, with Kelsey being the group involved. It’s about events, not a car part.
“Volkswagen scene” means the community of people who are really into Volkswagens. It includes the builders and owners who share ideas, parts, and opinions about how cars should be done.
Essex is a place in England. In this conversation, it’s being talked about like a major center for Volkswagen enthusiasts and builders.
Term
Southern California of England
It’s a nickname-like comparison. The speaker means Essex has a similar car-culture energy to Southern California—lots of people building and showing cars.
A “patina guy” likes cars to look naturally aged, like they’ve lived a life. Instead of making everything brand-new for shows, they want the car to keep its original look and character.
A “full show guy” is someone who builds their car to look perfect for car shows. They usually want it to look freshly finished, not worn-in or naturally aged.
A “kit car” is a car you build from a set of parts. Instead of buying a complete car, you assemble it—often to make something unique.
Term
going doors
“Going doors” sounds like they mean a special kind of door that opens in a unique way. It’s usually done to make the car look more dramatic and to make getting in easier.
Term
detail linden
“Detailing” means cleaning and finishing a car really carefully—often to a show standard, not just a normal car wash. “Detail Linden” here likely refers to a specific detailer or shop whose work is known for being especially extreme.
The host is contrasting trophies with the actual goal of building a car: trophies are treated as a small, secondary payoff. In car culture, this framing highlights that the real “win” is the finished build and the process of improving it.
Term
gray carbon gear
Carbon fiber is a lightweight material that’s often used on custom cars for a high-tech look. “Gray carbon” means it’s finished in gray, and “gear” here probably refers to a specific part on the build that stood out.
Metalworking means physically working with metal—cutting and shaping it to make parts fit or to change the car’s shape. Custom car projects often need this before anything can be painted.
A swage line is a molded crease in the car’s metal body. If it’s missing, it can mean the roof or panel was repaired or changed rather than left original.
The deck lid is the rear door/panel that opens to the trunk area. If someone is talking about how it looks or how it’s been modified, they’re usually talking about the bodywork quality.
Indents are the shallow dents/contours in the body panels. Restorers care because the exact shape can tell you whether a panel is original or reworked.
Concept
best modifications are ones that go unnoticed
The best restoration work is the kind you can’t easily spot. If it looks factory-original, it usually means the fit, shape, and finish are done really well.
Chrome plating is when a part gets coated with a shiny protective metal layer. Restorers look for good-quality chrome because cheap plating can look dull or peel over time.
Polish refers to the abrasive finishing process used to refine paint or metal surfaces to a high-gloss look. In restoration discussions, it’s often paired with chrome work to achieve a uniform, show-quality finish.
“Filler” is a putty/restoration material used to smooth dents and make the body lines straight before paint. Good restorations use as little as possible because the metal underneath should be correct.
“Metal finishing” means getting the metal panels straight and properly shaped before you do any putty or paint. If the metal is right, you don’t need as much filler.
“Split windows” means the van’s windshield/upper glass is divided into two sections instead of one. It’s a recognizable early-VW look that collectors talk about.
“Restoring cars” here means fixing up an old VW so it looks right and works properly again. That can include repairing damaged metal and tracking down parts that are hard to find.
“Rust” is corrosion—metal slowly breaks down when it’s exposed to water and salt. On old cars, rust can be a big deal because it can affect the body and even the safety of the car.
A “CNC controlled machine” is a shop tool guided by a computer to cut parts very accurately. It helps restorers make custom pieces that fit like originals.
“Center caps” are the decorative/functional covers in the middle of a wheel hub. For classic Volkswagens, certain center caps can be unavailable, so 3D printing or custom fabrication may be used to restore the correct look.
Metal welding is a fabrication process that joins metal parts by melting and fusing them together. In classic VW restoration work, it’s commonly used for body repairs, patching rust, and rebuilding damaged sections.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is an electric van. It’s meant to look and feel like the classic bus style, but it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It may be discussed because it shows how the same car hobby is moving into modern EVs.
A roadster is a type of car that’s usually open-top, meant for driving with the wind in your face. Here it’s used to describe the style of the custom car they built.
The host is talking about a finished car being featured on a magazine cover, which is treated as a major milestone in the classic VW hobby scene. It frames why the hobby feels meaningful after years of building and following the scene.
Concept
different temperaments
“Different temperaments” in this hobby context refers to how people’s personalities and focus styles affect their willingness to do tedious, precision work. It’s a practical mindset concept: some people can grind through long machining sessions, while others need shorter bursts.
A “single keyway shaft” is a rotating shaft with one groove that helps line up a part so it mounts correctly. It’s like a built-in alignment feature that prevents the steering wheel or hub from twisting out of place.
A “lathe” is a metalworking machine that spins a part and uses a tool to shape it. People use it to make parts fit correctly when nothing bolts on perfectly.
A bearing is a mechanical component that allows rotating parts to move with low friction while supporting loads. In engine builds, bearings are critical wear items and must be selected and installed correctly for smooth operation and longevity.
A “patina car” is a classic car that looks worn in a natural, aged way on purpose. Instead of restoring it to look brand-new, people keep the original look—sometimes because it’s cheaper, and sometimes because they like the character.
Concept
generational thing
They’re saying that liking patina might depend on your generation—what you grew up around and what you consider “cool” or “authentic.” Different age groups can have different ideas about whether a classic should look worn or restored.
“Faux patina” means someone tries to make a car look old using tricks or products—like spraying rust—rather than letting it age naturally. Some people like the look, but others feel it doesn’t make sense or doesn’t reflect the car’s real condition.
They’re talking about a shiny chrome ring detail near the edge of the wheel and tire. On classic VWs, small styling touches like that can make the car look more polished or more “finished.”
Cutaway wheels are wheels where parts of the metal are removed so the wheel looks more open and airy. People like them because they change the look of the car a lot.
“Cutaway Fuchs” are a special kind of wheel based on the classic Fuchs style, but with extra cutouts. The cutouts make the wheel look more unique and show more of the brake and suspension behind it.
A “17 inch hoop” just means the wheel rim is 17 inches across. Changing rim size affects which tires can be used and can change how the car looks and rides.
Stamped steel wheels are made by pressing steel into a mold-like shape. They can be cheap and tough, but some older versions are collectible, even if they’re not perfect or super fancy.
Concept
pursuit of being in a hobby
They’re talking about how car hobbies are about more than just driving—you want your car to feel special. So people hunt for rare parts so their build looks different from everyone else’s.
It means the wheel bolts to the car using four bolts/studs. If the bolt pattern doesn’t match, the wheel won’t fit without adapters.
Term
gas burners
“Gas burners” sounds like a hobby nickname for a particular wheel style. The point here is that one style is rarer than another, so people chase the look.
Here “cosmetics” means the look of the car—like trim and styling parts. The host is saying they bought the car mainly because those parts were rare and looked right.
“GTI” is a Volkswagen badge for their sportier, more performance-focused versions. A “GTI club” is basically a group of owners who get together around those cars.
“Edition 38” sounds like a special name the group gave itself. The host explains it’s based on 1938, the year the factory was built, so it’s meant to connect the club to Volkswagen’s history.
LIVE
Happy Friday guys and welcome to another episode. Let's talk tubs. I'm your host Bill T. Well, it's Friday and we're back from being in Europe
Two weeks in now finally acclimating back to the world
There's been some terrible tragedy to inform you guys of but just a couple weeks
I'll leave in the loose Zegan show late at night driving home somehow. I hit a little boom shebang and
the
rear tunnel cover on my truck came off and damaged the roof of Zorba the Gia so
Pretty frustrated about that did some pretty serious damage to it and
Pretty heartbroken all the way across the board. So that's got to get fixed and dialed in but
Then it's just a sad situation and we'll get over it, you know, luckily
I got Haggerty insurance said this is not a plug for those guys, but we'll be doing something
I got a claim submitted some stuff like that. So hopefully we'll get this thing back on track soon enough and
You never know what the future holds, but plenty of other things on the horizon
I want to remind you guys to support those to support your favorite podcast
But also support your podcast as well. You can go get the America 250 shirts today American
the shirt says VW's as American as Apple Pie and
Those are for sale on let's talk doves.com. They're super rad white crispy white tees with a red white blue logo on the back
three Volkswagen's the Bull Run bus white flash and Zorba the Gia and it's on there
It's really cool design to celebrate America's 250. It all says America 250 on it. So you'll love it
You get it if you got it post a picture of you wearing it and tag us in it
And I'll send you I will send you a free sticker pack with some other cool stuff stickers that I pulled from Europe
So make sure you guys tag tag tag me on Instagram with
with
You sport in your shirt and you will get sent
Care package and maybe a poker chip from a previous one crazy weekend
Heck, I might even throw if you didn't get another shirt from one crazy weekend last year from the poker
I do have some poker on black shirts left over with the bull run bus and black and white and
Might send some of those out too
So make sure you guys tag me on Instagram or Facebook and make sure I see it tag me in it post a picture of you wearing your
T-shirt and I will send you guys out some freeze-wag. So that's how we support those of support. Let's talk doves also
VW trends magazine Dan's out on the road today
He's cruising the nation to go ahead and get the latest coverage updated to shows all across country for you
So don't forget to subscribe to VW trends magazine comm
That's a VW trends magazine comm get your subscription today for issues annually now
Ross Wolf high-quality aftermarket parts built for enthusiasts by enthusiasts
I don't know if you saw that post that they did but they switched the heads on that motor that posted create a little bit of
Controversy switch your heads on that motor and that was about it and they have some horsepower results that they were anticipating
They may or may not be assembling a motor for one of my cars coming up here
using their theories and technologies to put me behind the wheel on some full usable street power not high rev in
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Go check them out
They've got plenty of cool stuff to get from the velocity stacks that are new foam air cleaners
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Also wanted to tell you guys
Airmighty magazine are you looking for a magazine a high quality book like magazine completely collectible that you'll get four times your plus
Their gallery photography issue that they send out once a year. So it's five issues a year high quality magazine that comes out of Europe
It's got some of the most
It's got some of the best photo shoots in it from photographers and contributors all around the world
Some unique stuff that you might not see in some of the other magazines
So go check them out at air mighty calm and don't forget to use the code
LTD 5 for 5% off LTD 5 for 5% off
And if it's not up on a site so much to be like, hey man, where's my let's talk dubs discount?
So go subscribe today at air mighty dot com. Well, there's lots going on
Two-second blurb reviewed the new hot VWs. I'm liking what I'm seeing as far as the changes that are coming down the road
the new
intro page was decent as far as the table of contents and
Couple of photo features a little bit different
You can tell there's been a change of the guard over there and I'm liking the directions going and a lot more readers ride
So pretty cool stuff. And so props to Vegas local Eric Arnold on his new position as editor over there. So
That's what we got going but I this interview I did dubs by Dan his Volkswagen a
Volkswagen that he built was on the cover of Volksworld the latest issue of Volksworld and it's called the cabster
pretty
Customized intensely customized
Cabriolet Volkswagen be able with latest technology all over it. You want to check it out
It's on the latest cover of Volksworld magazine
But that's who is on the podcast today Danny Allen long time being subscribed to Volksworld
You know the name because he's a contributing article writer and he's been in the VWC for a long time
Build Volkswagen is being involved if you're in the water pumper game
You'll know he had a GTI back in the day or early rabbit that was all over the magazine
So still drives it still has it 30 years later
but check him out
Dan's a cool dude and got to met him several times came here for the race of champions some other stuff
He just signed up to get over here to one crazy weekend
So if you're to give you guys are coming from all over the world for one crazy weekend
There must be a reason and it's not just my pretty face
It has to do with the exciting time that we get to have here in Las Vegas
Plenty of cool stuff happening lots of extra added bonus features to do during your free time here
Not to mention cruiser strip and mob your Volkswagen around in Las Vegas like a pimp. So
Danny's a cool cat. He'll be down here for one crazy weekend
And he's been in the scene a long time dubbed by Dan is his company. He's been building a lot of super cool stuff
Keeping on his shop because matter of fact, it's not the only car he had features
He had several featured cars over the past few years that have been featured in Volkswagen magazine
So if you got your subscription check it out Danny Allen does by Dan, but I'm excited to get him on. He's a pal of mine
We've broken bread before hung out really good
dude him and his missus and
Really appreciated getting a chance to sit down with him and talk folks
Ebi was just crazy didn't get a ton of time to sit down and chat with people
But luckily I hammered out two podcasts while I was there. Hopefully next time I'll get a lot more Steve Walker
I'm still looking for you, but this episode is good
History in the VW scene in the UK check it out
You get to know you get to learn all about Dan Danny on from dubs by Dan. So let's get into it guys this week
Danny Allen on this week's let's talk dubs
I
Care buddy so on today's show I'm here at Ebi again and finally sat down with
Buddy Danny Allen and he's been in the VW scene for quite a while here in the UK
He's a contributing rider custom car builder drag race enthusiast
I mean you name it this guy's got hardcore passion for the VW scene
So today's podcast we've got Danny on with dubs by Dan here in the UK Danny welcome the podcast
Thanks, Bill. How are you doing? I'm fantastic, man?
Well, I'm glad we finally get to sit down and chat and you know
The way I mean, you know how the podcast goes, right?
So you've you've done you've done a lot in the VW scene in here in the UK
And a lot of that is driven by your passion for the hobby and the way we always start the podcast is what's your VW story?
And how did you get into Volkswagen's so in 1975 when I was born my dad had a 49 split bug
Brought me home from hospital in it and to him it was just a an everyday normal car and
They think that something
Rubbed off on me and I've been into Volkswagen since I was a teenager your parents were trying to figure out what was wrong
It's like what would you want to be into those cars works to basic passenger car? Yeah?
Yeah, that's kind of their thing. They didn't really understand why I wanted an old-fashioned car when
Modern more modern cars are about so what year do you get your first Volkswagen?
I was 14 so 1988 so 1988 you pick up your first Volkswagen and
You end up what what year Volkswagen was it?
Did I was just it was just an old bit of scrap me and my friend dragged out of a field and
Sort of thought we were doing something with it and ended up scrapping it again
yeah, and then so you buy a vehicle and
You buy a vehicle you and your buddy mess around with it
You guys scrap it now. Do you remember the first time you see a magazine or a show car anything that just like
Completely locks you in you're like that's the direction. I'm going if you're your car magazine that stands out
So it was summer nationals in
1988
Madeleine some friends who had a beat where they'd put a hot motor in
And they were going to summer nationals and my dad went do you want to go to a show with these two guys?
I'd never met him had no idea they were they picked me up at summer house at four o'clock in the morning
We made our way to Avan Park and all of a sudden all these people had seen in books and magazines were suddenly in my face
And it's like oh my god, there's Bernadine you be this look for your car
He does you know, there's there's the guys from you know, whatever drag car
I'd seen in a magazine the guys from front pump, you know, Joe you've had a new podcast
Yeah, see seeing bill a bug in real life as a kid is unbelievable now
and the first year you go to a show one of these shows what year was it 1980 so in 88 you go to the show and
You start to and that's like you guys are a couple years behind the states
But they're still doing it's it's the custom cow look stuff or more not the cow look but more the custom 80s look like
Yeah, what sort of what they called the UK cow looking
Yeah, the UK cow look was a little bit wild because you guys had the car
What was the name of the car with no B pillar and was completely open with the Maui and Sun's interior billa bug the billa bug
That's the one there's a car here today. Like it. Have you seen it?
No, I haven't seen it here at the stock blue for you know free until they with no wind up a license really
Really and they've opened it all the way. Yeah, but you know, that was the UK
The UK 80s look definitely had its own thing because you guys were kind of doing doing something completely different over here
Now
You're I know you're big and you're really hot on drag racing history and some stuff like that. Now you do you still own the
The 356 car. I do. Yeah. Yeah, and that we're building car. Yeah, what's that? What's the history on that car?
So
Trouble and built in the late 80s raced over there, and I think it went 10
We're going 10-01 back in the 80s. Yeah, two 007 turbo motor
Some guys from England were looking for a pro turbo car bought that car
I think they bought it Phoenix brought it back to England. It was an extortionate amount of money at the time
Yeah, and we know I'd watched
Cars like Luke Fiercari's moody car race
There was something about that 356 that made me go wonder I'm gonna own that because it's a it's a stretch
It's a stress 356 right stretched and widened. Yeah, so stretch and widen into it's a full chromoly chassis on the thing
Yes, full tube chassis
One-piece body
It ran in the it ran the pro turbo class or what class that run like dragster class
I think in the states it went in pro turbo. Okay, and in this country started off running in
We had a class called kits and specials, which if anything that wasn't a beetle, right?
So buggies rails fugitives and those and those were in a separate class out here
And then that car you picked up a few years back. Now. What's your first car that you finish?
First car finish that a yellow mott one golf. Yeah, cuz you're a water pumper guy, too
You're being the water pumper scene for a while. It's got Volkswagen on it. It's both looking. Yeah, absolutely a lot of guys
It's funny because I look at the scene and I look at both sides that can appreciate both, right?
There's a little there's a little different characteristic between the two kind of people
but some of those guys can bridge the gap pretty good and go back and forth between the two and appreciate the heritage but also appreciate the
forward thinking of the water pump cars because really I mean the hatchback Volkswagen was probably the first hatchback that was out the rabbit, right?
And so from that point on and there's there's a whole different level of underground scene in the water water pumper scene right now and
You start out you get your first couple of Volkswagen's
We talked about the drag car you had but when when do you start making it kind of your job folks the Volkswagen thing?
To explain I'd got involved in
We set up a water called club and called edition 38. Yeah
Which promoted our own few shows. I had the orange golf
I've still got now then and that became sort of magazine famous
Yeah, and that was in a lot of magazines now what I think I had 18 features in total 18 features and what year golf
1975 so first four year of production. So it's a way they called a swallowtail, right?
I think in the states, right?
But it's not I haven't got a swallowtail where panel because when the car was new it had been crushed in the back
And they put a later rear panel in it to make it look like a more modern golf, right?
That was that that was that even if a lot of people don't realize is
From Caliq to the 80s look to everything it was always about advancing the modernization or Volkswagen
You know a lot of people say oh Caliq 67 earlier
There was a lot of 68 69 70 71's all the way up to 73 Volkswagen
So that we're in the Caliq scene and and as we look at it
Nostalgically right of the way that a lot of people today see it like they put rules or regulations in those classes
Just like in the water pump stuff like if you had an older car you like dude
I'll put the new panel on to make it look newer
I mean that's kind of what people did back there
And then when you start going back to this this retro phase everything's got to be like you know these custom car guys are like
No, but it's not it's not quite correct unless it's pretty this and that's what was happening when I built that orange car
Every car you saw it's 17 17 inch wheels big sound systems big body kits and I
Built that car went to a show out in Germany and when I want to put a car like theirs
But like a hot rod or a cow look golf, right?
So you were inspired by air-cooled cars when you did your goal, so you're so your golf was kind of a monochromatic like like a
Kind of if you do the cow look version of that
That's what it was at the time one of the magazines referred to as a cow look golf really
I'm not quite sure how well it went down with a cow look pure is but right right no
That's awesome. And so you're in the water pump scene and then what's your first air-cooled car that you that you kind of break out in the
Scene with for your son. I'd always drifted in and I'd always had a be all
and then I built a
67 bug drag car
Game set same color orange as a golf. Yeah, 2165 turbo. No, I
Ran that down into the lower leavens really and then sold that to start the business
Oh, yeah
So you sold that and then you started dubs by Dan and how long you've been doing does by down 18 years ago 18 years last week
18 years and that's a long time to get into something. That's a hobby
No, but before well, I guess it's during that or maybe before that
What when do you start writing for the magazine and doing some stuff like that?
I'd always written a bit for pvw. I'd written a bit for golf plus
Few bits for folks world and obviously Paul the editor of folks always a good friend of mine
So it's nice to help your friends out. Yeah, no question
And because I remember seeing some of your articles in Volkswagen
But when did you start doing that? Like what year do you start doing the?
Probably 10 years ago or something for folks. Well, we had a little local meet up where we
There's an area in Essex called Southend and it was it's in the you know
It's very very well known for people with modified cars to go
But back in the 80s as well as Volkswagen guys go so the seafront would be full of Beatles and campers and
Type 3's and it gradually got taken over by British Air Scorps and Capris and now modern hatchbacks
And so we organized a meet
Called taking the seafront back
So we just all turned up in our Volkswagen for the whole seafront in front of Volkswagen
There was there was the first sort of thing I wrote about so they couldn't get their water pumpers in there
Yeah, and now with
Your with your current set up now
So does by Dan when you started that company
Or do you did you start up like helping your friends work on their cars and doing all that stuff?
And I thought you know I should turn this into a business or how does that turn into a business?
What you just drop and do what it was what I've been a design engineer, so he worked on some huge design products projects
And and then off the back of the the orange Golf and the orange race car
I'd build another golf for someone else and
Then just the local car clubs had sort of started saying I could can you ever look at this?
Can you ever look at that and then I was sort of beat all for a friend of mine at my single-car garage and it just
overnight became a business and
Then you were starting you were doing everything from restorations to customs and everything in between
So they needed to be wrenched on you were doing it
And so you start doing that because you've got a demand for it, but you just walk away from this job that
Yeah, yeah, pretty much. I'd worked for a massive engineering company for
Sort of ten years and they wouldn't they folded up and the company didn't exist to exist
And I had to panic and get another job and it was never quite the same that this yeah
When you work for a big company you you you start working with family everybody knows everybody and you know
Which person to turn to to get the job done and you know
Who will let you down and who won't let you down and then leaving that and starting another engineering company just never felt the same
And then so deciding to start your own company really turned into like the thing that you needed to do
You're like this is the direction. I'm going and then
What's the first car that you work on when you're building cars obviously some of the goal is to get at the magazine
Now are you writing for the magazine? So you've been running for days for ten years
Now has that ever created any conflicts for you people go? Oh, yeah, that guy's a friend of Dan's
That's why he's in the magazine or anything like that. I mean, I'm sure there's always
Something like that happen or you got to be careful with that whole situation
I haven't written them for that continue for that ten years. I don't know if you're like a livery now and then
But what I do do is I help Paul and the guys at Kelsey sell the Vauxhall show
So there has been the odd snidey comment made about doing that, you know
There's a lot of anti-essics in the Volkswagen scene because always because of well
The VW scene started in Essex in England, you know, it's right and everyone goes
Oh, don't another Essex car not
But the cars are being built in Essex because that's where the talent is and not not just the talent the passion, right?
And then you your friends who Andy is
Insanely passionate. Yeah, well, that's and that's what I've noticed from a lot of guys out of shops over here, right?
These guys are they're incredibly passionate about what they do like Malia
They built because a lot of guys in the States they build them
But don't drive them like because it's kind of their job and they create that divide what I've noticed here is
You know, I did I talked to Mark Prost or yesterday and he's just he's all in you know
I mean like he's into the buses drives a bus lives of the bus, you know does all that stuff
But I find it interesting that
Over here in the UK, there's a lot more
Commitment to the hobby all the way through, you know what I mean? And so
Now I learned it's something new that Essex was kind of like it was kind of it's like the Southern California of England
Yeah, we were very lucky to have a guy who you've interviewed Richie King. Yeah, and if Richie Richie and Jay Townsend
If they've those guys and they're done what they were doing, I don't think would have as big of ox wagon scene in the UK
So you give those guys a lot of props for really pushing the scene forward because they were they were the guys getting
Influenced from the States bringing that stuff over and kind of getting all you guys fired up about and they were guys that you know
And anyone of my generation will tear we looked at those cars in the magazines and went one day
I want to be like that and then we brought our own cars and those guys became our friends
Yeah, and at first it's like oh my god
We're sitting down in a cup of tea with Richie or Jay's poxons in a workshop and then you realize that they're just normal people
Right, and we're all the same kind of mad. Yeah, so like you're saying, you know
The whole thing with this with this hobby is where you realize, you know
You meet these guys that you think like these guys are doing really something special and then you find and I think there's I think
There's a point where they see something you've created and they realize this guy. He's committed to the hobby
Yeah, I think so I think that's the line that it crosses right because a lot of us especially this hobby
We meet the fly-by-night enthusiast that just buys a super nice car because he won't he sees that these guys are in this cool group of
Cars right he goes up buys a cow look hard, but he doesn't really care about the car
He just wants to hang out with these guys once friends. Yeah. Yeah, and and and sometimes that comes through and
Not to not in a bad way, right?
But maybe in in a in a desire to get something that you can't force
You can't you can't force it's something that's in you right and you find that
Similar people get drawn to each other
So yeah, the people that are here are all here for we're a similar reason, but yeah
I often make the equation where it's like
Like because because I'm pretty involved with my church group or something like that
And I said like like church and vw people are the same because
We're both into this thing that not a lot of people are into
But we both know about by us being into this
we're willing to
to sacrifice having
A reliable car to have this thing because we're into this thing so much that you know
When you meet someone that's gone through the paces in this hobby that you know that they're cut from a certain kind of cloth
Yeah, you know what I mean
And we all think along a similar line and we all strive for not necessarily perfection
But we we strive for to build something beautiful right to create
There's a level of creation and whether it's a patina guy or a full show guy
Or a guy who's mental and off the charts like linden creamer like that guy
I mean he linds insane, but a good guy
But he's you know, I had him on the podcast and I said so you've never like he's never started the car or that kind of stuff
And you've got that guy
Who for him building that thing was a personal
A personal challenge and to him he's so obsessed it had to be so perfect some level to where like a patina guy
is
Has a certain same level of commitment although different because they're both creating something that's in their head
You know what I mean? Yeah
And I think that's that's something to be to be said for like
The passion behind the scene and how every car is like a blank canvas for each person
You know whether it's just a person who their whole ideal is to build a car that looked like one in the magazine
And make an identical car to somebody who's trying to do something completely different and you know, you saw
The guys from type 2 had that kit car that I don't even know what the brushpoint
Yes, yeah the one that's like all tri-colored. I mean it's a thousand colors on it
It's got going doors and all stuff, but it's just like something
It's something insane and there's there's people that pursue the insane
You know, so that's what I love about this hobby is the difference
Everybody talking earlier
No, what do you think separates like guys so you said you doing this once you realize that everybody's kind of normal
Like they're just these are just vw guys. Yeah, people just become friends. Right and because you're all drawn to the same
silliness and the same kind of cars you just
You realize that there are no superheroes in this game. Everybody's at doing it for the same reason, right?
right and in some circumstances
It's the same in every scene, right? Like I've interviewed people from all generations of the hobby
And in every generation, there's the same cast of characters, right?
There's the guy that gets the notoriety that doesn't do any of the work that steals ideas from everybody
There's always those guys in there and then there's the guys that are just the salt of the other guys
Just grinding stuff out on a regular consistent basis and just doing what they do
And it's not for notoriety. It's not for it's because they love what they do, right?
And I think that makes a big difference in our hobby when you get the crazy crazy
Detail linden. Yeah, if you see linden's car in the flesh that car is insane
Yeah, I understand with that because you get to a point where you've built a car you're happy with and you go
What about what if I just go that little extra step further and
You know, no one no one is a massive infuser ever builds a car to win a trophy. The trophies are a bonus
They're they're a three pound bit of plastic. Yeah, but
It's building the car to the best you can and that that there becomes a level of obsession
At every level to get even with the gray carbon gear that I had my original my original idea with that car
I was like, I'm gonna build this car budges 20 grand. Let's get it done
And a few decisions went sideways and there was a ridiculous amount of money into it
And then my justification for everything from that point forward was like
Well, there's this much money in this car. I can't skimp on this now
I now have to just make it where it is and the funny part is that car
I was I was inspired when I saw randy gates split window
And and I saw that car and I was just like, you know, the gates of heaven car and I'm like
You know, what what cars do you have in your history that you've seen that really had an impact on you?
Like like if you could name two or three top cars that you've seen that you're just like man
Bill of bug bill of bug jay's red target. Yeah
The the randy car you were just on about that. That was pretty special
There there are those cars that like when they come out
They're so unique and different right that you're just kind of like or they're taking to such an extreme level like
Like the the gates of heaven car. I think that car is just like
So so far over the top
It's so far over the top that it's just one of these things where
You just keep looking at it thinking like man, I I cannot believe someone with this deep on something
And then the bill of bug car where it's like I know I mentioned bill of bug a lot, but recently we went back to it. Um
Me and the guys at work so we we when we built cabs that we were discussing some of the tricks on bill of bug
And it was like let's go back and look it and got the magazines out again and went through and went
Jesus there's a load of stuff that 19 year old us didn't notice on bill of bug
And you look back at now and go
And you're looking at it now from a different side where you're now creating these cars
You're now metalworking and filling and painting and you look at bill of bug and go there's something wrong with jay
Yeah, they're there whether what's funny is because when you're that young and you're not doing it every day
You're looking at it and there's an overview of like this is this is what this car is all about
And then when you start getting in the hobby to start doing it you start to notice all these different things
that
You never noticed before right like all these all this body work of this modification that you didn't know was done before because
to you you're so overwhelmed by the
No no b-pillars, you know what I mean just like the openness of the car like oh, wow, that's cool
That's cool. You didn't even notice but like 20 other things look at bill and no b-pillars is its easiest modification
Right if you look at the roof it's got no swage line in the roof
Okay, it's a metal worker. That's not a bad job, but then they did it on the deck lid
Oh, you're talking about the the indents it's got no
Relief and it comes all the way down the deck lid and that's gone and for jay to think of that
Well, we've nearly 50 years ago. Yeah is insane. It is it's just something it's just one of those things where it's like
Most people wouldn't even notice it. No
They're so focused on the big thing the b-pillar thing standing in their face
They don't even notice the other modifications because
And there's something to be said for that right when you modify something to the point where people have a tough time
Figuring out if that's the way it came or if that's been custom modified
Yeah, I think sometimes the best modifications are ones that go unnoticed. Yeah. Yeah, no, absolutely
It would have been some of your biggest challenges in the hobby with with respect to
Some of the cars and stuff you've worked on or anything that you've
That's created significant challenges in your in your building of cars on my own cars or
Customers cars whatever
either or
Finding the right people to do the stuff you can't do right finding a good chrome plate or find a good polish are
Finding good materials of liars, you know
Do you think it's hard for them to realize the level of expectation for a volkswagen?
Like they just think like oh, it's just a volkswagen. They're not that picky. I think 10 15 years ago
It was yeah, I think now you sort of bring up a pain supplies and go. I'm a vw guy that oh, okay
You weren't our best stuff. Yeah, yeah, of course we do
So have you noticed things change?
Have you noticed a lot of things changing in the restoration process that they're doing now that they weren't doing 10 15 years ago?
Just doing it properly
Like doing it to a pebble beach level
Because you're looking at cars that were built in the 90s and those cars had tons of filler like
Instead of metalwork. They're just like we don't need to waste time doing metalwork
We got this filler and then just smoothing stuff out with filler and that's kind of the design
The design of filler right is to like eliminate labor time
metal finishing stuff, but now everything's gone back to like
Metal finish the car and the least amount of filler possible
Any bodywork guy will tell you that if your metal is correct
Then you haven't got as much filler in it. You know, it makes you make your life makes your job easier
It's never going to rust. It's never going to fall apart. It's the filler's not going to lift if there's none there
Now with uh
Restoring some of these cars
Are you seeing people start to put more money into late model cars because the earlier cars are less available or do you have
Kind of clients that are that are doing whatever. I think the earlier cars are becoming more available
Well, there's a lot more earlier cars on the scene than there was if you go back to look at the you know
1988 uh bug jam and you count me split windows are there versus how many split windows are here today
That's a big difference, right?
And I think and it's interesting because you see in this hobby like
And some of these other hobbies like the early fords and stuff like that those hobbies were
Those hobbies were they were into the model a's they were always into the model a's
It's like we started
In the late 60s and then we started getting deeper and deeper into the hobby appreciating some of those cars that were
Only old by the only owned by the old guys
Yeah, and you know back in the 80s when we all first got into it. No one knew what a barn door van was right, you know
I saw my first barn door in
1999 2000 belonged to a friend of mine called julian hunt. And I was like, well, what makes it different?
I I don't know what barn door is and he explained to me. So he passed his knowledge on to me now
I know you walk around here. There's 25 30 of them. Yeah, there's a there's a lot
People are restoring them from a roof. Yeah
And now with restoring cars in the uk you guys battle with a lot of rust out here a lot of rust
And sometimes working with clients, I mean you might need to have the conversation of like it makes more sense
If we just buy another car if you had to have those hard conversations with people before
Yeah, quite recently. Yeah, we've we've had to reach a
customer's well-known show car, but
That customer loved his car. I'd owned it for many years and was like we need to do whatever we need to do to save it
Sentimental though. Yeah. Yeah, there's there's always there's always a lot of that
Um, but I think it's funny because we look at the hobby 20 years ago
And then we look at the hobby now and we look at how many things have changed with respect to
What the average guy has access to like now if you thought 20 years ago
Well, why don't you just ship a car over from the from the states? It's like, oh, that's impossible
Well now it just seems a lot easier as well as like
Having new pieces of metal made having stuff
3d printed water jetted like whatever you can do now because when we saw you know
We saw a rod buster back in the day. It was like this crazy car that
You know, it's because this guy was an architect and understood cad
And then the machine shop had a cnc controlled machine and he was using that at night and how teaching them how to use the machine
And make it his own parts. They're like chris adkinson. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that is unreal
Well, you look at he had to know special people in special places to make that thing and now today
I mean you could have you need center caps for a certain will that are unavailable. You can have 3d printed
You know, I mean like the technology has gotten to the point where where we're so lucky in today's day and age
It we're able to rebuild and salvage these cars from
From nothing, you know, I mean you saw the barn door here, right that was built from like
A bee pillar in a dash or I don't know what but I mean they put the whole thing back together
and it's and it's interesting because in that
in that particular project it was
Rebuild the car that was that everybody thought was lost forever
Just to rebuild it and get it back on the road with what's now available with him
I mean who would have thought 30 years ago if you did somebody who said hey, I'll bet you they'll be making barn door metal
You're like why yeah, yeah, exactly that because no one really knew what I weren't no one really cared
Yeah, the the the volkswagen
I hate the words seem but the volkswagen world has changed so much
It has big with with the way engineering has changed and productivity has changed. There's nothing you can't build
Now your specialty for for you personally. Are you painting body guy? Are you more mechanical guy? We do everything
Apart from interiors, right?
And we'll we'll we'll have a guy everything so you you you'll you'll put your hands on the car and do
metal welding whatever bodywork all that kind of stuff
and
I mean obviously we talk about finding the the right trades to support you because
Looking back the way you ran your shop in 18 years
I mean I look it back in my business and I look at where I'm at today and if I would have made a couple tweaks in the beginning
Where I'd be different today is a whole another ball game, right?
With respect to like things that I know based on the wisdom that I have from the years of knowledge and experience
But that only comes if I each right and looking back on that
What if you were back going back to talk to the the Dan 18 years ago?
What advice would you give or what advice would you give somebody that's looking to take something?
That's a passion or a hobby and turn it into a business surround yourself with good people. Yeah
Don't
Don't try and surround yourself with people you think are gonna help you right surround yourself with people that are gonna help you
Right
And don't be afraid to ask for advice. Yeah
I mean some of the
And I've often I've often found that people that are genuinely successful
They love to share their success and give you the insights to save you the time because
they've put the time and energy into something
And they see another person that might
Be in the same field there and they say hey, here's some quick information to do a b and c and you can just you know
Save yourself lots of time and headache, you know, so
I've often found really successful people will easily give advice people that are maybe hiding something
Also, there's people that don't want you to succeed and they're not they're not people that are ever gonna be in my circle
Yeah, I'm quite fortunate in
I'm 20 minutes from Andy's. Yeah, and we bounce ideas of each other all day, you know, what can we do that kind of fix this?
You know, have you tried this new process? Have you tried that new process and Andy's got nothing to hide?
Yeah, we're sitting there looking at his karma gear. That's just one of the priors at the biggest show in europe
That guy's got nothing to hide. Yeah, and his advice is legendary
Yeah, I think some of the stuff that i'm taking away from this
You know coming across the world and meeting a lot of you guys that are here from doing
From being the hobby over here is you know, like you said earlier, like we're all that we're all the same
We're all just a bunch of knucklehead guys that are that at some point in our life. We saw a guy in a Volkswagen. I thought
That's cool
And I want that's exactly what happened with me. So
when I was
school, I sort of knew knew what a beetle was
But there was a guy who drove past my school every day in different color beetles. He had a bahar. bright blue beetle
he had
A white one with like torn paint all across it
And I made him a mission as a as a kid to find out who this guy was
He's now one of my closest friends and works with him every day really and it doesn't ever feel like work
Really? We're just dicking around all day. Yeah
Well, I mean that's that's that's always a good
A good way to live your life right if you're able to do some do some things that you really enjoy
And it's it's a means to an end to get you through life because you all got to earn stuff
You know to get through this life
But if we can do it and when you're done, you know, you you produce a car the car you guys just finished recently
You had a cover car just recently, right?
And what's it called cap star capster cap star
It's a cabster like a like roadster cab caberle roadster
So cabster you just finished that car now when you when you land on the cover the magazine, which obviously
Is a it's a big deal for all of us that are in our generation because we started out
At least for me, I started out looking at these magazines thinking like one day
How cool would that be to be on the covered magazine?
Now 18 years into this thing when you when you sit back and you look at this hobby
How does it make you feel already?
Are you so in the moment? You're not even reflecting to that point where you're like looking at this car and thinking how far you've come in this hobby
I don't look at it like that. I think I don't understand if I can build it. Why can't other people it's
I'm a simple guy. I like I like food or like beer like cars
Yeah, and if you can see that car in your head
You know what it's gonna look like when you when you finish it and you're very rarely deviate
Yeah
I think I think part of it is you know with people
In this hobby we're all we're all at different levels of skill
In addition to we all have a different temperament like me. I'm I'm
I don't have like I I'm a sheen the boss for my double cab
I had to try to make this sprint car steering wheel fit on my crew cab and it's it's a single keyway
Shaft on an early bus
Or you know 62 bus and so I went to my buddy at the beetle bar
I went to the shop and he's and I said hey, I'm gonna just cut the ends off this and then can I clean?
I took a hammer because that's my number one working tools a hammer
And I bashed all the plastic off of the or the bake light off the hub
And then I said happy things like it was yeah, I just put it in that
Put in that lathe right there and just chuck it up in there and then just machine it
I'll show you how to use it and then just do that after about 30 minutes
I was done because it was such a painstakingly tedious process to do it
I was like that's round looks good enough for me. It's like you clean that you can clean that up a lot more
I go no that's good because for me
From a mental standpoint
I'm more like a squirrel. You know what I mean? I'm like here here here, you know
And unless there's a lot of pressure, it's hard for me to focus. You know what I mean?
I don't want to say it's hard for me to focus because it's just we have different temperaments
Like some people can work can machine a single piece and spend
14 hours machine that piece and feel good about it me after like five minutes. I'm like
What's next? You know, so I think that's part of the thing
Why there's a lot of different people that rely on other people in the hobby to be able to build their creations because
Like me. I'm an idea guy. I know what I want in my head. I can do certain things
I know where my limitations are body work 00 skill for body work pain
No, but like I could do anything if it was just do that one task
But every task in this hobby requires so I mean building an engine is justice assembling parts
It's like making sure the case has gone through that the pieces are machined correctly that you're checking and testing and fitting and doing that
Because and so that's that requires a certain level of patience that I think a lot of you builders have that you can do something
And stick with the process to make sure that it's right because your commitment at the end your focus is
This is leaving with my name on it and it's got to be right. You know what I mean?
I deal with it with notebooks
Oh, do you every car in a showback design notebook? Oh really regardless of what job it's going for as a notebook
Right all the jobs in the notebook cross them out as you do them
Right another load of jobs that you forgot right some ideas in the back of something you can change and do it differently
and
That way you've got you've got a permanent record for you
So you can look back in 10 years time go. I'll do that job on that car right open that notebook and go
That's how we did it. Yeah, that's a good idea
And it's it it took me a long time to get into that organized process
And now that you found yourself doing an organized process like that
That's one of the things that you if you could tell younger you something like yeah, definitely
Pay attention because you're going to find yourself doing stuff year over year
And you won't remember everything but having this stuff will save you a lot of time
You know because part of that organization process is you know, you can go back to that five years from now
Say oh, you know on this car. We used this bearing or this
You know this seal or that you know, this is what we did to overcome this
Thing that didn't seem like a big deal that turned into a big deal
What what's what are some of the trends that you see today that you
That you like and are there any that you look at that you don't like that you just and not that you don't like but that
You don't understand
You've never been a patina fan
It's it's it's been interesting to me because
I I had one patina car and it was a 66 that I had
And it was a really clean original car and that car was the most comfortable to drive around because I wasn't stressing out when I
Parked it. I parked it. It was just there
But yeah the patina car and I think it's a generational thing too. Maybe I think don't like it's probably a strong too strong
It's not your flavor. It's not my but I like I like a shiny beautiful car. Yeah
You know, I'm never going to go into a dealership and buy a shiny beautiful brand new car
Right, but I'd love to get an old or I love to get old cars make a shiny beautiful again
Yeah, and and that's not my thing. It's like what don't you like?
But just something because I I don't understand a lot of the patina thing
I can't understand some people's appreciation of it
I can I can absolutely understand it when it's budget based like
I'm leaving it as is getting the whole chassis dialed in and then little by little I'll work my way up
because there's some people that are in that in that boat, but uh
I saw a couple faux patina cars here, which is like spray or spray on rust and some stuff like that, which is a little
Doesn't make it doesn't make a lot of sense to me
but again looking at it from the standpoint of every one of these cars is
Is uh, is somebody's hobby what I tell you what what throws me for a loop is
Like black wheels on a car like all black like when you there's got to be that chrome lip around the tire
Define the tire from the wheel
Without that it is the strangest look to me and I just for me. I just it just makes
No sense like a police car with black wheels. Yeah. Yeah
And and what's been interesting? I think one thing that maybe in the hobby
I've seen enough of at this point was is like the cutaway wheels
The cutaway fuchs maybe because there's been a lot of those
They stood they the 1552 had the I was the middles cut out right they had the cutaway on those
On the early cars, but I've seen
It's one of those things where people will not take it too far on another level, right?
Everybody's putting windows into this wheel and that wheel and all the stuff. So it's been interesting
But you don't need to do it because if you
If you take the wheels on your razor right
We've now got the technology to design your own wheels. That's the crazy part. That is the craziest part
And that's what we were talking about earlier like the technology that we have today with the razor
It was something that sort of has an idea and and what my first thing was
We're just going to get some wheels cut the face off put them on a 17 inch hoop and be done with it
And then Andy says well, you these guys rims carnated it. They'll make wheels. Let me see what it costs you that
It's about it's about the same price if you're trying to track down a set of rare african sprint stars
It seemed to be
Not so rare that they're on a lot of vehicles because I've got friends that have spent $4,000 on a set of
stamped steel wheels made in the 70s from South Africa
Because they're super rare and it's a steel wheel that may or may not be straight
You know, I mean it's but that that's part that's one of the things in our in our hobby, right the pursuit of being
In a in a hobby that there was millions of Beatles
What can you have that differentiates yours from everybody else's and what could you find that one rare thing?
That could be a hit or could be a miss
You know because I now being on this four lug wheel kick just finding some really cool
Off look four lug wheels. Yeah, because it started with the wheels for zorba because when I did the wheels on the gray car
I saw Randy had gas burners and I thought gas burners will be more rare than gas burners
I thought cosmetics are more rare than gas burners. I wasn't a fan of the look of the cosmetics at first
and then I
I bought a car paid too much money for the car bought
the car just for the cosmetics
and then put the cosmetics on the car and then
A year two years later they two or three years later. They started reproducing the cosmetics
But it's like it was just one of those things where it's like it's one more tick to where it's like, okay
Somebody else might have a razor, but will they have a razor on cosmetics? You know what I mean? So it's it's always in the pursuit of being
Being unique in an individual. What's the rarest thing you've been trying to find that you haven't been able to find?
Is there anything you've been on the hunt for? Yeah, recently
Um
Mark Payne's
Oval's engine packed up
And Andy dropped that to me and went can you fix it?
And the this is the Ocrassa the Ocrassa. So mark had another Ocrassa in his garage like you do
That turned up at the shop and we had to find a clutch for it
And good old ebay found us a clutch right local to where we live and local where you lived. Wow
Yeah, because where you guys live there's not like auto
We're so spoiled in the states because like I gotta I got five auto parts within two miles of where I live
We've got nothing. Yeah, we were like heavily on my loader. Yeah, because you guys are kind of out there
And they don't uh, what everyone doesn't realize is out here in the uk compared to the states
Like we've got the luxury of convenience in the in the states like everything is available
All the time really quick and even even for amazon for you is not next day like us in vegas
It's next day. We have a there's a million square foot amazon facility in las vegas
So it's like whatever, you know, I mean like but you guys there's a little bit of uh, a little bit of of time and delay
And especially if you if you can't get stuff and you've got you've got a car stuck on a ramp and you're
You're panicking because you can't get off the ramp because you've got enough a job to do and
Sometimes it's a phone call to a mate if you've got one of these or you know
We're lucky to have some very good specialists in the uk to do next day ship
Yeah, but sometimes even they can't get the stuff you need now
What would you if you could build any any Volkswagen? What would you build? What would be what would be your ideal?
Your ideal build
Can't answer that. Yeah, there's so much
So
What about your your drag car?
One i'm going to finish out and i'll bring it here. And so do you plan to run the drag car when you get it done?
Yeah, it's got a 29 19
model craft motor a craft turbo motor in it that made 800 horsepower on the dyno get out of here and it's got a
That's been gone through since you got the car like you built the motor pull
I bought the motor built really. Yeah, and i know the motor the motor belonged to an old friend of mine, Paul Jackson
It was in his dragster. He went seven 70 in that thing
So one day you'll have that car Santa pod make a run. Yeah, that'll be rad. So what when's that happening?
Uh pass when work comes down a little bit
Yeah, so since you've opened the shop you just recently moved recently to a new shop to a bigger workshop
And we've already filled that up and we've took the unit next door as well
And there's three of us there now and so business is good for you right now
You don't see any shortage slowing down and it's not like you're doing all kinds of marketing
I've been lucky in the fact that when we opened
When I opened the vision 18 years ago, I've never had a quiet day
Really sometimes I go into work and think I'd like to just sit in the office and do nothing all day, but it never happens
Interesting and it's great. I'm not mowning. It's really really good
Sometimes you just think what am I doing wrong and it's just you and you're you and one guy in the shop
Me and Nigel my friend from when I was a kid and we're just gonna young apprentice on nice
How do you find you finding you finding young people that want to get into the hobby?
Much very very few really um the young people that we do find getting the hobby their parents have got vulgar phones
Yeah, so they've sort of been pushed into it and
Nice
Now anything we didn't discuss that you want to do chat about since it's your time to
Yeah
What do you want to talk about?
I mean
Have you been involved? Uh, I know you've you've been involved in helping on a lot of the shows
And you started the one take over the what you call the sea wall
So take over the sea front. So but my involvement in car shows goes back to
Or 2000
2001 I think what and 2002 yeah, was that with the take over the seawall the seawall? No, no
To Germany and notice in Germany
You had loads and loads of different clubs
Um
Whereas in England all we have is club gti. Yeah, and you even remember a club gti you weren't
And we gave ourselves this stupid name edition 38 and it came from 1938 was the year the factory was built
Right, right, right an addition was a special name that volkswagen used on various models of golf
Yeah, and that was just seven of us and we were just a bunch of idiot kids who went to car shows
We were all like mine and we all had shiny show cars. We'd all been in magazines and
Off the back of that we created our own show, which I mean, I haven't been anything to do for about
12 years, but their show still runs every year now and really massively attended. What's the show called?
Um, they called they do too. They want to do one called early edition and one just called edition
Oh, really?
And that's up in northampton in England. So very very proud of the legacy that's left behind
Yeah, that's awesome left left that to work with a guy called Brian burrows
Yeah, Brian burrows did the uh, he had the
He had the 996 the square back square. Yeah drove that
Fun car. Yeah, really? So what with him for 10 years? Uh, running helping him run shows at centipod
Um, northwild, you know all over the uk and that was great
Yeah, and then when I when I started the business that had to stop because
Business comes first. Yeah. No, it's been uh
It's it's it's the number one thing you got to keep going, right? Everything's got to have you got to keep the bills paid, you know,
unfortunately
Well, that's awesome, man. I'm glad we got to sit down and chat about
About you your history and all that stuff. What do you see in the future for doves by dan?
Just doing the same thing building
I love a phrase a but building beautiful cars are beautiful people. Yeah, we're we're lucky to have some amazing customers
And you have you've got more cars in the works that are going to be some show stoppers coming up
Yeah, yeah a few secret ones. I can't talk about now. Do you like now?
How much of a hand do you plan in work in designing the cars?
Like do you have customers that come in? They're just set to their way or do they just kind of say dan?
What do you think give me some ideas? What should we do?
Everybody can be led a little bit
Uh marker we built cabster for so cabster was a show car back in 1994. Yeah
That was mark's first ever car. He came back to school bought a beat bought the beat all
Had it made into cabster by a company called paintbox who are no longer with us anymore
Um two years ago and moved into the new workshop. We sort of chatted back and forth with mark about
Maybe rebuilding it. Maybe modernizing it putting a folding chop top on it
suicide doors
still 356 Porsche dashboard
And a hundred percent detail in it and then in when do we start it?
March March April last year
So we built the car in 10 months completely from scratch
Wow, so, you know me me and iich were loggerheads a few times deciding what what we're gonna do things with
You know, we chop chop the screen chop the roof
Extended the seals extended the wings so the wings come down to the bottom of what would be the running board right right?
Um
Custom roll cage. Yeah, there's a there's there's hours and hours thousands of hours in that car
I've got a list of hours are somewhere, but I can't remember
Um and mark was a great guy because we'd we'd be chatting chatting crap to each other at work
I mean iich was like, I wonder if we can get mark to do this
If anyone would go mark we've got an idea. We want to hide the wiring looming tubes around a petrol tank
Yeah, do it. What color are we gonna paint them? I don't know. That's that's your decision
And we went through green and black and they went to paint them something black because they
They're hidden in the black body work, but you want to just see the slight difference
Yeah, an amazing customer to work for he never said no
No, that's good when you get it when we have an outlet to just like because you know as car guys
We walk through a car show and we see little bits of inspiration on every car like something that oh that's well never thought of that
That's a unique look in that and that's something to everybody
I think that's something that everybody contributes to the hobby, you know
There can be some guy out here today that thinks his car is no big deal
But something that he did on his car inspired, you know, 10 other people working on stuff
So I think and I think that's it, you know, if you walk through walk through this show or walk through the vox world show
Yeah, you can walk through the vox world show and look at 100 cars and each one of those cars something will go
I like that. You know, yeah
And and for for us the vox world show isn't about
Isn't about competing it's about showing people what you can do and what your customers ideas are and
I'm just having a laugh. Yeah
No, it's definitely you guys over here. You guys are definitely about the good time
It's about the community the the volk's like community getting together, you know during the
You know, this is the break for everybody the builders everybody and it's nice to see so many people that are building cars
Actually here participating in the show just enjoying it because most people it becomes such a job
They separate themselves from the hobby, you know, I mean and that's what I've noticed here
A lot of the guys in the hobby that are building cars and doing cars are part of the hobby as well
You know, I think you've gotta be I don't think you can just build a car and not be involved
Yeah, you know and and you know you take last night you saw a drunk we were last night
That was that that was a massive let off of steam for a couple of weeks of hard work by us all and yeah
You know like we needed that. Yeah, it's a good time. You know the just stand around the burnout box and just get
Covered in tire smoke, you know
Pretty much what it was now, but it's good man. You guys it's definitely a different show scene here
And you've been to some shows in in the states, right?
Yeah, we come over for the races champions when you're quite happily at us at your house for a day
And and you what did you notice different from the shows there to hear from your perspective?
Very much much more professional on the drag racing side
And hugely welcoming. Yeah, so you
You were thinking it might be different
Yeah, because I got to walk around the pits and look at cars and speak to people like that
Again, I don't even see any magazines
You know got to speak to folks in shoo. I only ever read about right though the nicest guys ever and you
Very kindly took us to adam wicks. Oh, yeah
That was a dream come true. You know seeing adam's car in hot vw's and volkswell back in the day and
I remember opening the magazine and it was like, oh my god, it's got a chrome interior
That is insane
And then following that car up until adam crashed it and then not knowing whatever happened to it
Yeah
And then actually coming to meeting adam and adam being the loveliest human on the planet
But sam's still like I can't believe how nice that man is. Yeah, you know and just
Then then hanging out with him at the track and hanging out with you at the track and yeah, just feeling very very very welcome
Yeah, and it's the same for me. I think I think that's the vw community, you know
Like we show up wherever and it's and it's that thing like oh, you're a vw guy. You're in the volkswell. It's come on
Come over here with us, you know, that's I felt the same over here
And this is me the first time I was here is 2014
And I didn't have a podcast in 2014 and I came over here and Ivan
Took us all around. Ivan McCutcheon was around at the time and you know took us
We went to dinner went all over the place
And I'd known kiki from photo shoots in the states and just seeing people visiting people in france
And it was just such a good thing and and each one of these guys kind of plugged me into the scene like oh
These are these guys over here and those are those guys and even when I went to france and went to this this guy rudy
Uh, I think his name is rudy oliveris the guy in france who just has like a shop that he just does custom cars
He's like he's like the the spikes or buddy hail or you know of the
French area and he's in the middle of the French country side just this
Old building, you know, I mean you'd never expect anything like that happening in it
But it's just been cool to see the same amount of people really really committed to
The hobby like this, you know and and you know it started out with always being inspired by
magazines that were going around and now it's inspired by other people who are now our friends
And now it's and now it's the internet's made the world smaller so we it's more influence happening that much faster
So I don't necessarily think the internet's always a good place right it gives
It gives idiots a platform to attack people they've never met and you can make your the internet helps people make a
What is that?
Oh, is that I was like we're we got problems. I think it was godzilla godzura
I think the internet gives people who aren't capable of building those kinds of cars a platform to attack those people
When if they come and spoke to any of us at shows
They'd realize we're just the same I've always I've often found it interesting that the internet the internet is the
it's the car
That takes this little lady that's 105 pounds
She gets behind the wheel of her car and turns into a raging maniac because she's she's in her car, right?
And it's like there's this barrier between reality and her and that's the car right so she just
Getting frustrated, you know
And you know, you just see these people like getting their car and they're a completely different person
The internet's the same way for a lot of people think they're safe going to cable. Yeah. Yeah, and unfortunately
You know that that that's what kind of turned me off to the samba
Like I just bailed on the samba like 2010 because I was posting some stuff up with my double cab
So we came on there popping off a bunch of stuff and I said, why am I sitting here?
I'm sitting here can just throwing stuff out here to kind of get other people hyped up
And the only thing I'm hearing back is
I'm hearing a lot of good feedback
But it's those one or two comments that people make that just you're just like, why are you even here?
Why would you make that comment? You'd never say that to someone's face
And I think people that make those comments don't realize how much this means to people like us
You know, this this isn't just a hobby. This is our life. Yeah, you know
You come to my house my whole house is volkswagen. Yeah, all my friends are volkswagen. There's volkswagen stuff everywhere
Yeah, and it's not a hobby. It's not something I'm ever gonna fall out of love with right
You know for someone to go in there and go, oh, you're an idiot because you're painting your wheels red
You take it even though you shouldn't because it's just somebody on the internet
Just some guy that's under one on the keyboard. Just take it so personally
And they don't realize the damage that can do
Yeah
No, it's uh, and I think that we saw that in the rise and fall of the foreign boards
You know what I mean? And now there's just facebook groups and with the facebook groups you sign up to a set of rules
You start tracking on people you're out of the group. You know what I mean? And it's just like it's that simple. So
Um, yeah, it's it's it's been interesting to watch the hobby over the past
You know 25 30 years just be changing, you know
Ever changing in the hobby between and things that happen in our world between the internet technology and all stuff
And how that's affected an influence hobby because from a restoration standpoint
It's really pushed it especially people
Recreating and restoring and creating vintage cow lookers and stuff like that. They're able to find resources pull resources together
You know, you got that guy
L dub who's got a page. It's just got yeah
He's got so much history and you can see the passion he has in the hobby and just the effort
He puts in his website and that's and that's the hobby to a whole right? There's there's
A hundred of us here and we're all we all seek different different things that are pet. We're passionate about in the hobby
so and
You know the plus side of the internet and the forums and stuff is you wouldn't
He wouldn't have people like russell. Yeah, you know russell's car collection is second to none and
Russell's just one of us. Russell's just a normal guy and he does a lot for the hobby
He does and he could be putting his money into ferraris and Lamborghinis and
Bentley's but he's not he's putting his money into these cars that we love and you know, we have people like russell a massive thank you
Yeah, yeah, I know he does it. He does it
You know, I'll tell you a bit of a silly story. So when he when he bought the white car to england, right?
Um, I think it was a voxel show you came to
2014 was the one that came to you. Yeah, the white car. Now you come to him more recently. Well, I did 2014 and I did
2018
Was it before kovac? No, I thought you did one after kovac. Maybe maybe 2022
And you know to see that car in the flesh something I never ever thought I'd see
And sort of standing around looking at me and me and Sam my wife were looking at and I was explaining to her, you know
That car was on the cover and the significance of the car. We don't use a couple of months before we were born
And you know, we've known that car all our lives
Not not saying but me and and I asked, you know, I speak, don't call her and to think that
It was lost and we were never gonna see it and and then for someone like Russell to buy it and turn up with it and
Not be very precious with it. You know, we stood down. I was like Russell, can I and he went?
Yeah, and he took the barrier down. He opened the door. He let me sit in it cuddled me when I had a bit of a cry and
Got out of the car and you know, he just went you get it. Yeah, thank you. You know, thank you for what you do
Yeah
Never ever thought I'd see that car. Yeah same with Taba even you know the the other cars that Russell's restored or
Recreated, you know that that's a legacy saving the hobby, right? And a lot of those cars were discarded
Way back when yeah, no one really cared about them back then. Yeah, it's crazy
Now it's been uh, it's it's definitely it's definitely good to see that all of us as we're all getting older
We're all starting to preserve the things that are valuable to us with respect to the history of the hobby
You know, so and that's the reason why I do this the podcast is to just to just get the history of the hobby
You know the subject of the podcast. I've learned stuff from the podcast. I never knew. Yeah, and listening to um
I can't read his name now the drag race guy you read on all of the drag race guys you've read on but listening to
Who's the chassis guy?
Ron Lemus listening to Ron Lemus's podcast and like yeah, that's how they got them to go fast
You know when they were building those big the rear wing those big cars with odd displacement engines
Yeah, oh, yeah, we found a piston out of a truck and use that right. It's how how do they know that right right?
The resource when they had to get through because everybody is so hyper focused on their direction that they're putting all their energy
Looking for a piston. Wow. Most guys be like, uh, let's just go use that one
Because it's not available and some guys just refusing to let go or or when he talks about
You know in that particular podcast that I never do the turbo motors a D stroke motor
I think he said he had a 64 stroke on that notch back, which I was just blown away
But you know, he had his reasons for doing what he was doing
But it was it was a different way of thinking that all a lot of other guys were thinking about back then
yeah, and they're the guys that you know, they've they've
They've set this stuff in stone for what we now do. Yeah for us to build a stroke. I'm out now as easy
Because they did the hard work and they do the graph right right?
So, yeah, that's it's definitely a lot of hidden history that nobody knows about that is salvaged forever
For the hobby my other favorite part because the head muller one. Yeah, I've listened to that multiple times
Yeah, the story about finding the one in Switzerland. Yeah in the garden. Yeah, that is insane. Yeah, you know and again back
Back when we got into there's no one who had muller was no
They thought it was someone that something had made you would look at me like I mean
I had a car my first car is it like had a gouge in the quarter pound like it's done
It's totaled never get a welder never fix that
You know, I mean like there were these levels of like these things could not be overcome
And now it's like these guys are starting with
Two halves of a car and then building a quarter million dollar head muller out of it
You know and in 10 15 years time some kid's gonna buy himself a car and he's gonna go
I need to know what can I do and he's gonna he's gonna get on google and he's gonna go head muller and your podcast
Is gonna come up and he's gonna run we're gonna listen to that and all of a sudden he knows everything
He needs to know he knows how many were built. He knows where they went. He knows they went to switzerland and he's gonna go
This bill is great. I've learned everything I need to know about my car and yeah, there's not enough of
there's not enough
Of your top podcast in the Volkswagen world. Yeah easily easily accessible
historical
databases from the guys that lived and we have a huge
backstory in england
And then you know you've interviewed keith you've interviewed andy, but
You know your guys up burnin uber who were
Completely out there with some of the stuff
I need to get him on there. Yeah, but he's brilliant
And then calling burnem like there's a lot of guys that need to get on the podcast because let's talk calling burnem
Then yeah, so I was 14 years old my mom was there for context calling burnem wrote the book
He did the bible right the picture book that all all the guys in your generation from the uk have gone to is like
That's the book that tells you what you're doing, right?
So 14 15 year old me gets a book from my mom and dad for christmas
Say we've bought this book. It's got one of those cars in the front you like
Open that book and ruined it just every page was bent backward
Every every single thing looking and going oh my god. Oh Yeah, the kid dean square back. Yeah
um
Dennis hides gear
You know, that's a special car. Oh, yeah, I remember seeing that and then when Andy said to me
I think i'm buying that pink gear
But don't be daft
I think i'm buying that pink gear and then to see it in england right
your head can't make sense of it and then
Two weekends three weekends ago. I took my son over to Andy's my son's a bit of an Andy fan boy
Yeah, and it doesn't care what dad does but likes what and right right and I was like, oh look the pink gear is here
And he's oh, that's nice dad and I started telling him the story
So, you know, this car was in this book that we got when we were kids and
Andy reaches into the car grabs the book gives Tommy the book
We're standing there looking for the book and there's the three of us dead quiet. Yeah, and like
Me and sort of Andy are going
I remember the the gray type three in there the blue tiger bug. Yeah
Colin Burnham's own car in there, you know all those cars made what we are now
Yeah, they're all seared in your memory of what you know, because we didn't have the ease of access for all this stuff for
The internet for all the I mean just the database on the samba pictures
You can find from vintage stuff from back in the day that you would have no idea how it went together
Who did it or what they did, you know, but it's not a book
Right, it's not a book. You can pick up and fold the corners over
We need this and the book the crazy part about the book is you would be motivated from one picture for five years
One picture motivate you for five copies of it
They've got the original copy of my mom and dad bought me at home on the shelf
I've got a copy in the workshop. I've got another copy in the workshop in case we lose the workshop copy
And we pick it up and reference it so much because that
You know, we have a lot to Colin Burnham. Yeah, we have a lot to Keith. We have a lot to Ivan McCutcheon. Yeah, you know
Ritchie King jay towns and
The guys from the paint box, you know all all those guys that were doing it when we were young
Yeah, you know without them we we wouldn't be doing this
And I think it comes from like your parents took you to a bookstore like no more toys
You can get a book and you're like, what book am I getting?
That's how I got my first books world
My first folks world, um, is the copy with billabug on the front. Yeah, my dad's in we had a shop in England called
John Menzies
Yeah, he's looking at his
PC world monthly his computer magazine. I'm like dad look
Is it there's a magazine with that car on the front I like
Dad dad dad dad look and he's like if I buy it will you shut up and I think it's like one pound 20 at the time
Right. I've not missed the issue since
But that one issue is still my favorite copy of Volkswagen because that's the one that got me into it. Yeah
Yep, I get it. It's like it's like the 89 uh, how to
Customize your Volkswagen hot vw's issue for me because it had all the
Year by year changes of all the Volkswagens and production numbers and everything in between it
So that for me was like you just go to that book and add all your data in the middle that you needed
So yeah, it was cool, man. It was definitely, uh
Definitely it was those things that kept you going that you would have for your reference
It's like, oh, let me see how they did it in this car because that's kind of the car that inspired me
So no, it's great, man. It's you know, it's it's it's awesome to see the hobby go full circle
I've interviewed a lot of older guys when we talked about like did you ever think 35 years later?
People would give a crap about a b or c and some of the nice things that happened was I interviewed
Ron Rosevere from Otto Haas
He passed away about six months ago
and his wife his wife sent me a message his
11 of his
His wife had sent me a message through like there's um through someone in the family and she said hey
I just wanted to let you know, but I think it was the wife
I want to let you know how much it meant for Ron to be on his pot to be on your podcast to talk about
His history in the Volkswagen. She says
He was so excited about he talked about it so often about being being on the podcast for that history because
Imagine doing something 40 years ago and it's over. It's a chapter past your life
And some guy digs you up and no one wants to talk to you for hours about
What you did back then why you made the decision and stuff they didn't think was any special
They were just doing what they did just do it and the the the interesting part is if you actually go through and dissect that podcast
you learned so much about
this this
You know private labeling boxes from fortune to exhaust for
For his Otto Haas and then figuring out how to keep selling his product when people want to quit start their own business
Then he becomes like a non-formal franchise or
Franchising the business out, you know what I mean letting him open an Otto Haas here and Otto Haas there and it's
It's interesting to watch all that stuff, but it meant so much
She said it just had meant so much for him to be on the podcast and the same with you know, gary emory, you know
Just to just to get his story and he's recently passed away
And it's so great because those are those are cherished stories that he's probably told a thousand times
But they're they're solidified. They're locked in history
Goes back to what I was just saying they're never going to go away. Yeah, they're on the internet now the internet is never going to disappear
yeah, and
God forbid anything happens to any of us right, but then someday some silly kid at school is going to be
On the internet. Oh, look at this. There's this bill guy and
This is this Russell witches this keep soon
There's there's Andy there's Danny and they've all these people have only ever read about in a book
But now I can hear what they sound like right I can make my own decisions on what these people are like and find out
What what led them to do what they do you can kind of pull together
An idea of who they were from listening to somebody for an hour or two, you know, I mean, so it's great man
I love it. I mean, I'm I'm happy to come over here and grab people over here
Sit chat with them and just get some of this history because it's as much as people look at his two different histories
It's all the same history because one pushes another and so it's been great
and I think I think it's not competition, but I think
You look at the stuff buddy's building. Yeah
You look at turmoil, I mean it's it's another this is another branch in the tree of the hobby
That's just starting to go another direction right now and it's it's pushing other builders. You know what I mean
Yeah, it's been pushes us. Yeah me and me and Annie talk about buddy's cars all the time
Yeah, but like when I first saw turmoil I saw little pictures of it on instagram right like he's got me hooked
That's that's that's the that's the bait. I'm hooked. I've got to keep watching
And slowly release little bits and
Then when the when the car came out it was like, oh my god
That's that's the the most complete the best Volkswagen dealer ever seen
He's never gonna beat that. Yeah, and then Wayne Callaghan 60 came out. Yeah 60
The floor pan on that is insane. They did the bitch you can remove to clean inside the tunnel right right?
It's like that's that's mental. Yeah, and then the gear came out and buddy was very clever with the gear
We only put ever such tiny pictures right so you had to try to figure out what it was didn't know what he was building but there was a
when I'd gone back through his
Storkly gone back through his feed and found a picture from blocking a gear. That's gotta be a gear
It's gotta be a gear and then when that when the pictures came out from the Oakland roaster show
Of that it was like
It worked same same as the green gear everything works about yeah, and then
Over the day
I don't know didn't he work that day
But over the over the day I kept looking at buddy's
Account and then finding people to take buddy in pictures and and looking and looking it's like oh my god
Look at the steering arms. Look at the braver system. Look at the dash pins and everything and every single thing about that car
That is a hot rod. That's not a Volkswagen. There's no question
I mean the amount of notoriety that that car has to date. They just there's been
Multiple other podcasts on the car. There's been multiple interviews. It's been an it's it's bridged the gap from Volkswagen to hot rod
to custom car magazine because
It has been interviewed for so many
Custom car magazines and hot rod magazines and there was just recently another video. I saw out on the car
It's it's incredible the notoriety that has but the effect that that is going to have on other people getting into the hobby
Because they grab a hot rod magazine. You see a car me go. I'm doing it. I'm doing a vw thing
I'm gonna do a bus I'm gonna do a bug and I think a car. I want a car that do that car won't only make
Volkswagen guys aren't they gain. Oh, absolutely hot rod guys will look it in go. Oh, we've let it slip
Yeah, you go back to boyd connan's cars, right?
My busy stuff by dan is named after cotton's hot rods by boyd. Oh, yeah
That's where the name came from when I was looking to set up. I was like that was a cool name
I'm gonna nick that
Yeah, but because I was a big boyd fan back in the day and you looked at everything that he did and everything that
Everything was that level and that can't when boyd connan died
that kind of drifted away, right and
That common gear that is equally on a level of anything that boy doesn't know
No, it's it's it's incredible and it's awesome to see the hobby getting pushed that direction
You know what I mean because it kind of deserves to be yeah, and it feels it feels like we're not a little guys anymore, right right now
So now
I think to myself how hard it's one thing there was the other car that won the road show the year before which is a
1960 Buick Invicta which from the factory that looks like a custom car crazy wings headlights
60s looking rocket controls inside the car from the factory
And and that was a unique car in 1960 61 the bubble top Buick
The Buick Le Sabre
I'm sorry the Invicta Buick Invicta
But now take a carman gear like one of a million cars that are just the same old same old and make that car
Punch it out with that car that a brand in the showroom floor. There are two different worlds two worlds apart
And now in the hot rod scene they've been leveled up. They're now in equal footing
So it's interesting to see that evolution take place in the hobby, you know with
And sometimes with cars like that. They just work. There's no there's no reason why
Right, you know, if you if you said to someone I'm painting a carman gear sort of yellow
I'm gonna put loads of shiny bits on it and I'm I'm gonna make some wheels that no one else has got
everyone I think you're mad, but
That that car has it
And I can't explain why some cars have that when you look at when you go. Yeah, that works. No, absolutely. I think
I think I think it's good
It's there's there's a lot of influence that that buddy's pulled from a lot of different places that
That have culminated on that car. I'm excited to see what he does next, you know
He's always doing something crazy. So and it's good to have somebody out there just pushing the hobby so hard, you know
So yeah, and and again the fact that it wasn't all over the internet
Right, in fact, there was a little tiny snippets and you had no idea what it was and there was
The anticipation kind of makes it worth it. So and that's how it was when we were kids
We had no internet. We had we had volks. We had one crumpled picture in your pocket for five years
Yeah, well, that's great, man. Well, Dan, I appreciate you sitting down with us and taking some time and it's been fun
And uh, you know, look forward to seeing you again next time we're out here next time you're out in the states, man
It'll be awesome. We might be out in october. We're not sure october. Listen, you will not regret it. That's for sure
So, well, cool, man. Thanks for thanks for taking some time with me, brother. Thank you, bill. All right. Thanks
You
You
You
You
You
You
You probably don't know that there's a new Volkswagen out that doesn't look like a Volkswagen
I
Even if you don't want to come down for the whole weekend, but you're here locally in Las Vegas
Bring your bohub bug friday morning to the orleans hotel in casino
We're gonna do about a 20 mile trail ride going from blue diamond road over to the good springs
The over the good springs to the pioneer saloon. So that'll be a great time
She's made see how many bohas we can get on that trip friday morning at seven o'clock
So you got a call to work
But you got to do what you got to do to have some fun with your volks wagons and friends from all over the world
So
If you want to support let's talk dub I have a new shirt out for this year being america's 250th birthday
I have the shirt that says volks wagons as american as apple pie go to let's talk dubs.com or click the link below to purchase a shirt
Support your favorite podcast. They're limited to 250 for america's 250 the birthday's just not the fourth july
We celebrate all year long make sure you get these shirts crisp white tea with a red white and blue car on the back
Matter of fact, it's the bull run bus
white flash and zorb the guia
Those are on the back of the shirt on the front
It's got a nice little let's talk dubs with a star and stripe on it
So jack them out if you want to support your favorite podcast, you know where to go and what to do
So anyway guys look forward to seeing a lot of you guys
Coming out for one crazy weekend. It's going to be a monster this year
So you make sure you want to book your rooms
We have exceeded last year's bookings
If any of you get on there and you try to book a room and you're not getting to DM me messaging on facebook
You can get at me six different ways from sunday
Send me a message and make sure you let me know because I will have the hotel
Open up rooms again because we keep going past the the blocks they do so
I'm excited hoping to really blow out the room sales this year
So we have the hotel completely filled with bw people. So I'm sure you guys would like that as well. So
But yeah more to come and I will also
Let's see after one crazy weekend. I'm going to be over
Down in Temecula, california for imps
off-road
competition that they're doing for their their dune buggy round up so
That I'll be hosting that as well this year. So it's the dune buggy rodeo 2026
That's going to be taking place down to mecula and impi is going to allow one. Let's talk dubbs listeners
To get a free pass down there. So we're going to figure out you all have more information on how you can win coming up
So make sure you guys get ready because it's a private event. It's on a closed course
But they're going to give somebody a vip experience down there at the dune buggy rodeo 2026 this year
So it's open to all the shops that are impi dealers if they want to bring a dune buggy down there and
Run it through its course out there. Come on down and check it out at the
At the dune buggy rodeo, but they'll be live streaming this year. So looking forward to that and I will be hosting that
So exciting things coming up guys. So be ready for that
Much more to come and until next week guys
later
About this episode
A lively conversation with Danny Allen (Dubs by Dan) and other builders that moves from personal VW origins to the culture around shows, tracks, and magazines. The hosts connect Danny’s “cabster” feature on Volksworld to UK scenes like Essex and “cow look,” then dig into build philosophy—patina vs faux patina, metalwork vs filler, and why “the best modifications are ones that go unnoticed.” Along the way, they trade stories about engines, machining, and community, plus a few event and merch promos.
From the day he was brought home from the hospital in his father's split-window Beetle, it seemed Danny Allan was destined for a life surrounded by Volkswagens. As they say, he was born with the "VW Bug."
For decades, Danny has been a familiar and highly respected name in the UK Volkswagen community. Many enthusiasts first discovered him more than 35 years ago when the Mk1 GTI he built himself earned magazine cover status, establishing his reputation as a talented builder with an incredible eye for detail. Since then, he's become one of Britain's most recognized air-cooled Volkswagen enthusiasts, creating an impressive collection of beautifully crafted Beetles, Buses, and Cal-Look inspired cars. Whether he's building award-winning show cars or dependable drivers for close friends, Danny's work is known for its exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Beyond the garage, Danny has spent years sharing his passion through the pages of VolksWorld magazine as a contributing writer, producing feature stories, technical articles, and in-depth coverage of some of the UK's finest Volkswagens. His influence on the British VW scene extends far beyond his own builds, helping preserve and celebrate the rich history of the hobby.
In this episode, we get into Danny's lifelong journey with Volkswagens, the evolution of the UK VW scene, the stories behind some of his most memorable builds, and what it takes to create cars that continue to inspire enthusiasts around the world. We also discuss his work with VolksWorld magazine, the people who shaped the hobby in Britain, and why the Volkswagen community remains as strong as ever.
If you're a fan of vintage Volkswagens, Essex UK culture, air-cooled performance, or simply love hearing stories from someone who's lived through decades of VW history, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
