Exklusively Käfer Kabrioletts
"The Vintage Aircooled Beetle Cabriolets" CMS Weblog
16/04/07
As an executive for the Acura branch of American Honda, Doug Danuser is probably a lot like most of us, with the one notable exception that part of his job puts him behind the wheel of some of the hottest new Hondas and Acuras on the market today (and in the near future). Despite that, he still chooses to run errands and putter around in the Super.
1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle
"I drive the Acuras during the week, and my wife Debby drives the VW. On Saturdays and Sundays, we switch." Doug's wife Debbie is an avid tennis player at their local country club, and on Fridays she plays on a league with the United States Tennis Association. Even with such posh surroundings and high-dollar Mercedes and BMWs at their disposal, her teammates always fight to see who gets to carpool in the "Bug."
When asked what he thought was the best part about owning a Volkswagen, Doug, proud owner of this 1972 Super Beetle Convertible, replied, "Owning a Volkswagen is a lot like owning a Harley Davidson... either you get it or you don't." Well, Doug gets it, as the list of contributors to his project reads like a who's who of the VW industry. The year-long project began as a dependable daily driver purchased in Pomona, Calif., and since, every nut and bolt was removed, refurbished and replaced.
Starting with new floorpans, Jon Chabot of Topline Racing in Anaheim, Calif., added chrome silicon Sport front springs, tower support struts and stress bars and a front disc brake conversion. The trailing arms are stock, but the front 7/8-inch Topline sway bars were added for safety and handling. Topline Adjust-A-Struts allow the car's ride height to be custom tailored. In the front, 185x65/15 Pirelli tires are wrapped around 15x6-inch Fuchs alloy wheels, and the rear tires are 205x60/15.
Motivation is provided by a new 1600cc engine, with German parts present throughout. The case was sourced through Kymco, and was assembled by Mesa-West German Auto Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. The focus of the engine was reliablity and trouble-free roadworthiness; for this reason all tolerances have been kept at factory-issue level. "The top portion of the engine, the carburetor, distributor, coil and doghouse, is completely original to the car. Everything was just rebuilt, cleaned up or powdercoated," Doug assured us. The fuel mixture is stirred by a single Solex carb attached to a stock manifold. A Bosch dual vacuum advance distributor, blue coil, Bosch wires and plugs provide the flame. The exhaust is a Kymco Super Header with a 1 3/8-inch hide-away exhaust; the whole system was ceramic coated silver. The 65 hp is transferred to the wheels via a completely stock four-speed transmission. A good dose of professional powdercoating keeps the engine bay looking clean. Olympic in Santa Ana, Calif., was responsible for this task, baking the Doghouse and engine tins in Porsche Guards Red and the air cleaner and pulleys in Mercedes silver clear coat.
Doug feels the paintwork is the single strongest feature on this car, and seeing the work that went into it, we'd have to agree. The primer coats included a sealer coat, binder coats, etching primer coat, a primer filler coat, a tint primer sealer, and, finally, three coats of Porsche Guards Red and two coats of clear. The work was done by "painter supreme" Ben Cardenas. The bodywork was done by Ed Cobett of Spectrum Collision, and executed masterfully. The original bumpers were rechromed and reattached. New German style running boards and halogen-bulb headlamp assemblies were installed as modern-day upgrades that nevertheless retain the old aircooled feel of quality and authenticity. Within the Super's cockpit you'll find the same level of restoration and detail, from the actual leather-and-white-piping reupholstery scheme to the new tan felt headliner. The front seats are actually "surfer seats" from a Thing...no headrests to be seen. The rear seat remains original equipment. The dash is brand new, the steering wheel has been restored (by Koch's, of course) and the carpet has been returned to its original German square weave glory, with a set of matching floor mats to keep it nice and tidy.
To date, Danuser's red dreamer has racked up several first place finishes in the annual Spring VW Jamboree near his Southern California home. And the car's best quarter-mile e.t.? Danuser claims a 14...14 minutes, 10 seconds, that is! This is one restored Volkswagen you won't see burning up its tires in the drag strip staging area. It is what it is, and that's a full-blooded street cruiser and show stopper.
"I just wanted a beach car, but I ended up with a Boulevard cruiser," Doug stated, but doesn't seem disappointed in the least. Interestingly, he credits Trends with supplying him with all the tech information he needed to put this car back on the road and car show greens.
"VW Trends was my primary informational support during the project," he said. "I would read about the 'Sloppy Shifter,' then call Topline and tell them to put in the tunnel supports and bushings. You name the tech article...I had it done!"
It seems that someone is listening after all, Doug.
1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle
"I drive the Acuras during the week, and my wife Debby drives the VW. On Saturdays and Sundays, we switch." Doug's wife Debbie is an avid tennis player at their local country club, and on Fridays she plays on a league with the United States Tennis Association. Even with such posh surroundings and high-dollar Mercedes and BMWs at their disposal, her teammates always fight to see who gets to carpool in the "Bug."
When asked what he thought was the best part about owning a Volkswagen, Doug, proud owner of this 1972 Super Beetle Convertible, replied, "Owning a Volkswagen is a lot like owning a Harley Davidson... either you get it or you don't." Well, Doug gets it, as the list of contributors to his project reads like a who's who of the VW industry. The year-long project began as a dependable daily driver purchased in Pomona, Calif., and since, every nut and bolt was removed, refurbished and replaced.
Starting with new floorpans, Jon Chabot of Topline Racing in Anaheim, Calif., added chrome silicon Sport front springs, tower support struts and stress bars and a front disc brake conversion. The trailing arms are stock, but the front 7/8-inch Topline sway bars were added for safety and handling. Topline Adjust-A-Struts allow the car's ride height to be custom tailored. In the front, 185x65/15 Pirelli tires are wrapped around 15x6-inch Fuchs alloy wheels, and the rear tires are 205x60/15.
Motivation is provided by a new 1600cc engine, with German parts present throughout. The case was sourced through Kymco, and was assembled by Mesa-West German Auto Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. The focus of the engine was reliablity and trouble-free roadworthiness; for this reason all tolerances have been kept at factory-issue level. "The top portion of the engine, the carburetor, distributor, coil and doghouse, is completely original to the car. Everything was just rebuilt, cleaned up or powdercoated," Doug assured us. The fuel mixture is stirred by a single Solex carb attached to a stock manifold. A Bosch dual vacuum advance distributor, blue coil, Bosch wires and plugs provide the flame. The exhaust is a Kymco Super Header with a 1 3/8-inch hide-away exhaust; the whole system was ceramic coated silver. The 65 hp is transferred to the wheels via a completely stock four-speed transmission. A good dose of professional powdercoating keeps the engine bay looking clean. Olympic in Santa Ana, Calif., was responsible for this task, baking the Doghouse and engine tins in Porsche Guards Red and the air cleaner and pulleys in Mercedes silver clear coat.
Doug feels the paintwork is the single strongest feature on this car, and seeing the work that went into it, we'd have to agree. The primer coats included a sealer coat, binder coats, etching primer coat, a primer filler coat, a tint primer sealer, and, finally, three coats of Porsche Guards Red and two coats of clear. The work was done by "painter supreme" Ben Cardenas. The bodywork was done by Ed Cobett of Spectrum Collision, and executed masterfully. The original bumpers were rechromed and reattached. New German style running boards and halogen-bulb headlamp assemblies were installed as modern-day upgrades that nevertheless retain the old aircooled feel of quality and authenticity. Within the Super's cockpit you'll find the same level of restoration and detail, from the actual leather-and-white-piping reupholstery scheme to the new tan felt headliner. The front seats are actually "surfer seats" from a Thing...no headrests to be seen. The rear seat remains original equipment. The dash is brand new, the steering wheel has been restored (by Koch's, of course) and the carpet has been returned to its original German square weave glory, with a set of matching floor mats to keep it nice and tidy.
To date, Danuser's red dreamer has racked up several first place finishes in the annual Spring VW Jamboree near his Southern California home. And the car's best quarter-mile e.t.? Danuser claims a 14...14 minutes, 10 seconds, that is! This is one restored Volkswagen you won't see burning up its tires in the drag strip staging area. It is what it is, and that's a full-blooded street cruiser and show stopper.
"I just wanted a beach car, but I ended up with a Boulevard cruiser," Doug stated, but doesn't seem disappointed in the least. Interestingly, he credits Trends with supplying him with all the tech information he needed to put this car back on the road and car show greens.
"VW Trends was my primary informational support during the project," he said. "I would read about the 'Sloppy Shifter,' then call Topline and tell them to put in the tunnel supports and bushings. You name the tech article...I had it done!"
It seems that someone is listening after all, Doug.
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