By Marcal Eilenstein
This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the 32nd annual Vintage VW Show & Swap, put on by the good folks at Cascade Kombis. I’m not the biggest VW aficionado, but I love a car show no matter what’s on display. I got up bright and early, grabbed my coffee and camera, and headed out the door. The show organizers promised this would be the biggest one yet, and judging by the turnout, they were right.
Check it out below the jump!
I spoke with the owner for about 20 minutes, and she was able to answer a lot of questions. This Type II is all original except for the front seats, which have been re-covered. The pole tent is original to the van. That’s an authentic Westfalia trailer as well, which she found in Miami. Apparently, very few were imported to the United States. The Germans thought of everything with this trailer; the tongue is removable, and the trailer itself stands on end for handy storage. She told me they have to pack gear on top of the trailer, or they can’t see it and forget it’s there! It’s very light and easy to tow.
This is one of my favorites. This 1968 Type II would be perfectly at home on a Northwest back road or on a sunny beach in Hawaii.
Just don’t get stuck behind one.
Another orange Westy. This 1977 model is a little simpler, but still looks great. One thing I took from this, my first VW show, is how friendly most of the owners are. They invited me to come in their tents, poke around their buses, and ask any questions I had. Very cool, guys.
Here is a 1966 European Westfalia. Per the owner’s notes, it is 95% original and unrestored. The popup top is called a Dormobile. This Westy came from the factory with a trailer hitch, tow hooks, the Cabana room tent, an AM/FM shortwave radio, and a gas heater. Talk about capable. Note also the swing-out doors and the color-matching spare tire cover.
The highly desirable 23-window van. This is a 1967 model is clean, simple, and functional with three rows of seating. Gorgeous.
As I mentioned, every kind of vintage VW was represented at this show – Beetles, buses, Things, Karman Ghias, 412’s, you name it. I look forward to sharing them with you soon. Let me know in the comments what you think of these buses.
[Photos Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Marcal Eilenstein]
Jeff Glucker
I actually have several pictures of the orange and white type 2 truck. I took them in May of last year. The guy who owns it works in Redmond. The hubs have been upgraded (it wears five lug Porsche turbo twists now) and the brakes are monoblock Wilwoods. No idea about the engine though.
Are you in the Seattle area? I'm planning to be up at Bellingham on the 4th for the European car show.
Will you be at tomorrow's All British Field Meet in Bellevue?
http://abfm.com/
If everything goes according to plan, I'll be the idiot with a Metro, a Maestro, and a ZomBee t-shirt.
Well, crap. Of all the weekends . . . I'm helping my best friends move to a farm in Lake Stevens until noon, then going to Bainbridge for their bluegrass festival.
Take lots of pictures. It looks like it will be an awesome show this year – drivers & survivors. Love it.
Bellevue College is conveniently located near the intersection of I-405 and I-90, along a perfectly reasonable route between Lake Stevens and Bainbridge Island. Just sayin'.
You're right. Let me run that by my chief domestic officer tonight.
Yes, I do. Unfortunately, I will be at an autocross in Bremerton that day, so no travels to Bellingham.
That sounds like a good time, too. Need to get over there one of these days.
Excellent. As the former owner of a 72 straight bus and many VDub bugs, air cooled VW's still excite me. I could live in one of those orange ones and that Westie trailer is to die for. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to more from this show. As a side note, I submit this from 2009. Be sure to check out the images near the end of a cool "post office" VDub.
http://oleragtop.blogspot.com/2009/04/bugs-and-su…
Bugs are coming next week, when I get the time to sit down and do a write-up. It was my first VW show, and I went crazy with the camera, so lots of sorting to do.
Thanks for sharing that link! Looks a lot like what I saw, although there is a large Hawaiian population here, and they love their VW's. Da 808 Boyz, they call themselves, from the Kahiko Kula V-Dub Club.
I saw a different kind of vintage VW camper at the Columbus Arthritis Foundation Show a few weeks ago:
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3683/9296182481_a0063c4438_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="1967 VW Beetle Deluxe">
The camper is from a company called CARBAK and the guy purchased it in 1975. The Beetle is a 1967.
Glad you like the show and the bus ( fifth down from the top )