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Showing posts with label VW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VW. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Monday, June 2, 2014
A tall man in a small car Restoring Lindbergh's Beetle
It's
such an ordinary car, this bedraggled 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, with its
dents and rust spots and an odometer that couldn't register all the
miles.
That ordinariness is a great part of its
charm, considering it belonged to world-famous aviator Charles
Lindbergh. He spent boyhood summers in Minnesota and donated the Beetle
to the Minnesota Historical Society.
"Most of
our visitors are amazed to learn that Lindbergh drove this sort of car,
considering the fact that he could afford to be driven around in a
limousine anywhere he wanted," said Donald Westfall, manager of the
Lindbergh historic site in Little Falls, Minnesota.
Lindbergh
preferred to travel without being recognised as a celebrity, and he
wasn't one to seek out physical comforts, Westfall said. Rather, "He
would appreciate the challenge of not being so comfortable." Lindbergh, a
tall man at 6 feet 4, even slept in the small car on trips to Egypt,
around the Mediterranean and throughout Europe.
The
gray VW is being prepared for display at the Minnesota History Centre
in St. Paul, starting in mid-July. It will return to Little Falls next
summer as a focus of a new exhibit at the Lindbergh House. It's not
being restored; the scrapes, dents and rust will stay. It's being
conserved; the Historical Society is trying to prevent further
deterioration and keep the car as well-maintained as its owner did. The
German VW engine is considered very well-built, and pilot Lindbergh, of
course, appreciated that.
 | ||
| Lindbergh's Trans-Atlantic ?Spirit of St. Louis? |
Added seat belts
Lindbergh
was 25 years old when he made his historic solo flight across the
Atlantic in May 1927. After the 1932 kidnapping and murder of his first
child, he and his family kept a distance from the public. They lived in
England from 1935 to 1939.
He paid about $1,000
for the Volkswagen when he bought it new in Paris in 1959. It came with
no radio, and he never put one in. He did add a ski rack and seat belts
and operated it under a French tourist license for several years. In
his book "Autobiography of Values," he wrote an anecdote involving the
car:
What is it like to live the life of a
Masai? Driving along a one-track dirt road in southern Kenya once, I
overtook two spearmen and offered them a ride. They accepted solemnly
and started to climb into my small Volkswagen, but their sharp-bladed
weapons were too long to take inside. Seeing their confusion, I switched
off the engine, walked around to their open door, and held out my hand.
Each man handed me his spear. I motioned one to the back seat and the
other to the front, then placed the spears, point forward, against the
side of the car. The man in front held them there, through the open
window. My Volkswagen must have looked like an armed knight as it rolled
through the dust and sand.
When he was 68, he
drove the Beetle to Little Falls from his home in Connecticut, stopping
at the Lindbergh historic site. John Rivard, then site manager, left
notes about the 1970 visit:
"Surprise was
expressed that he would drive all the way from Connecticut in this small
battered car. He said that he loved the car. It had been on four
continents, and he had even slept in it on occasions. When someone
seemed to doubt this possibility, he proceeded to take the right front
seat apart and set it up again in a lengthened-out position. He then
placed himself on it full length, like a boy showing off his toy."
The
next evening Lindbergh made a phone call and announced that he would
have to fly to New York to attend a meeting of the Pan Am board of
directors, on which he served. He left his VW in the tuck-under garage
at the Lindbergh house. Rivard noted, "He locked the car, being careful
to leave one window slightly open, then gave me the key for safekeeping
until he returned."
But he never picked up the
car. He donated it to the Historical Society in 1972, two years before
his death. He wrote in September 1972, "In signing the paper of transfer
for the Volkswagen, I am surprised at the nostalgia I encounter."
Save the dents
During the past few months, the VW has been transformed from simply a vintage vehicle into a museum artifact.
In
March 2001 the car was removed from the Lindbergh House garage. It had
been a popular feature of the house tours. (So is the Lindbergh family's
1916 Saxon car, in which Charles Lindbergh took his first driving
adventure. At age 14, he drove the Saxon to California as chauffeur for
his mother and uncle.)
From Little Falls, the
Beetle went to a VW specialist in Stillwater, where mechanics cleaned
the car's mechanical parts and removed the fluids.
Aaron
Novodvorksy of the exhibits staff said, "The car's running gear, drive
train and engine were completely disassembled, and the fluids were
replaced with Cosmoline wax." This is the process the military uses when
it "mothballs" vehicles, such as jeeps and trucks, he said. Although
the car has not been started since the 1970's, someday the wax could be
removed and the car made to run again.
Conservator
Paul Storch is working on the car in his Historical Society lab. (Next
to the VW is an 1880's horse-drawn buggy, once owned by former Gov.
Alexander Ramsey.) A rust inhibitor was applied to all concealed parts.
The car will be cleaned, hand washed and given a wax coating to protect
the finish.
Storch will save the little dents,
such as the one Lindbergh's daughter Reeve wrote about in her memoir,
"Under a Wing." Recalling her first visit to the Lindbergh House in
1975, she wrote, "I was amused to see our old Volkswagen, the one I had
learned to drive in, with a dent still in the left front fender where
I'd run into the stone wall at the curve of our driveway."
A
collection of items shows that he planned his trips carefully. He
carried maps with hand written notations. Inside the car were: two
suitcases, a flashlight, gas can, canteen, machete, inflatable air
mattress, whisk broom, small shovel, plastic canteen, miscellaneous
tools, wire, metal tubing, spoon and cans of dried beef, sardines and
baked beans. Under the Connecticut license plates, which expired in
October 1972, are European ones, probably French. The odometer reads
30,051, but Lindbergh said the car had about 130,000 miles.
"It's
an early-model Beetle, and in reasonably good shape, so a collector
would buy it," said researcher Paul Blankman. "But its real significance
comes from the fact that Charles Lindbergh drove the car on four
continents and personally donated it to the Historical Society.
Disney's Movie Rumour
Herbie the Love Bug
Title Note: The title, Herbie the Love Bug, is tentative, as the title may change when Disney decides upon a script.
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures Cast: None announced yet. It's unknown if Dean Jones, who has played Herbie owner Jim Douglas in all versions except 1980's Herbie Goes Bananas, and 1974's Herbie Rides Again, will be returning in any capacity.
Director: Unknown.
Director/Screenwriter Note: Back in 1999, it was announced that J. Max Burnett (1998's Possums) was working on a script titled Herbie & Millie, but it appears that Disney isn't going ahead with that project, as they are currently seeking a writer to start from scratch.
Screenwriter: Daniel Gerson (copywriter of Monsters, Inc.), Robert Baird (debut; he and Gerson have worked together on TV's The New Addams Family and 1999's Misguided Angels); rewrite by David Berenbaum (debut; he's also working on the movie version of Disney's ride attraction, Haunted Mansion)
Based Upon: This will be the fifth feature film in the Herbie series that started with The Love Bug (1969), followed by Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). These movies were followed in 1982 by a very short-lived TV series called Herbie the Love Bug, and in 1997 by a Wonderful World of Disney movie, The Love Bug.
Car Note: Though this is the first Herbie movie in 20 years, and that time has seen the advent of The New Beetle, Disney is currently leaning towards keeping Herbie an older model car, with racing stripes, labelled with the number 53, though they're still open to a possible redesign. The Hollywood Reporter quoted Disney sources as saying they don't want this movie to merely serve as ¿a commercial for the new VW Beetle (10/18/00).
Premise: There are no details yet known, as Disney has not yet hired a writer. The only thing we can count on is that this will be about a VW Bug, Herbie, that can drive itself.
Filming: 11/26/00 - Though there is no script yet, Disney does hope to get filming started sometime in the spring of 2001 before the expected SAG strike. (5/8/01) Well, it looks like that isn't going to happen, and there's no word about when it will... it could be a while.
Source: wheelspin
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
New Book On The Block
Performance Bus
 |
Suitable for practical enthusiasts and professional mechanics. All information based on the practical experience of specialist VW mechanics and tuning shops. Includes a guide to VW Bus chassis numbers, and gearbox references. Over 250 illustrations, mainly in colour. Covers all T1 & T2 buses, vans, campers & pick-ups 1950-79, and much applies to T3 models 1979-82. *17
CONTENTS
THE AUTHOR
RETAIL SALES
(0044 1305 260068 from outside UK),
or e-mail - sales@veloce.co.uk.
www.veloce.co.uk
How to Modify VW Bus Suspension, Brakes & Chassis for High Performance
Published March 2003
ISBN 1-903706-14-9/UPC 36847-00214-5
Source: ltv-vwc.org.uk
Monday, December 2, 2013
2014 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line
Vital Stats
- Engine:
- Turbo 2.0L I4
- Power:
- 200 HP / 207 LB-FT
- Transmission:
- 6-Speed Automatic
- Drivetrain:
- All-Wheel Drive
- Curb Weight:
- 3,591 LBS
- Towing:
- 2,200 LBS
- Seating:
- 2+3
- Cargo:
- 23.8 / 56.1 CU-FT
- MPG:
- 20 City / 26 HWY
- Base Price:
- $37,400
- As-Tested Price:
- $39,625
What it provides is better looks for the same heart: every Tiguan carries a 2.0-liter four-cylinder TSI engine up front, turbocharged and intercooled, sending the same 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet either to the front wheels or to all four via a Haldex-clutch-equipped 4Motion system. Volkswagen touts the option of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, but such buyer discretion only applies to the front-wheel-drive model. If you want 4Motion, you have to get the automatic, and the R-Line cannot be had with a manual. Both FWD and AWD models are rated at 26 highway miles per gallon, but in the city, the manual FWD returns 18 mpg, the automatic FWD gets 21 mpg and the AWD gets 20 mpg – none of which is terribly pleasing for a compact crossover, particularly when premium fuel is recommended.
Driving Notes
- On the outside, beyond the badging, R-Line spotters will take note of body-color side skirts, black wheel arch extensions, a roof spoiler, HID headlamps and power folding side mirrors.
- R-Line interior extras include leather seating surfaces and power front seats along with a flat-bottomed, leather-wrapped steering wheel, stainless steel pedals and aluminum sill plates. The interior is a premium VW affair with leather that exudes all the right vibes and everything else feeling soft to the touch. The choice materials and two-tone instrument panel overcome the minimalism of the center console and the huge sunroof keeping the cabin bright. A very nice Fender audio system is standard, and so is a trial of Volkswagen's new Car-Net connected services suite (the People's Car version of OnStar).
- VW charges the Tiguan with "putting the 'Sport' in SUV," crediting it with having the soul of the GTI (but not the same heart), and we didn't scoff at the bombast after a couple of hours behind the wheel. As we mentioned in our recent First Drive of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee – even though we drove the Tiguan before it – there are crossovers that are finally and truly delivering on the promise of a car-like ride, the Tiguan R-Line being a prime example. We threw it at the same scrunched-up Sonoma Valley curves we had just tackled in a base-trim 2014 Jetta with the new 1.8-liter base engine. The 115-hp Jetta got a gold star for being capable and fun, but the compact crossover that looks like a big shoe is a perfect hoot to drive.
- It's almost always mentioned that the R-line doesn't add more horsepower, but few mention that in applications like the Tiguan, the R-Line can do more with its power - it has larger 19-inch wheels wearing 255/40 R19 Pirelli Scorpions (versus 17- or 18- inch wheels on less aggressive rubber) and a firmer, sport suspension tune means it isn't only about appearance. Plus, the Tiguan R-Line is the only trim to get shift paddles on its steering wheel.
- Yet we almost never touched the paddles. That 207 lb-ft of warthog grunt comes on from 1,700 rpm, same as the 200 hp, and the six-speed transmission didn't need help knowing where to be in the rev range when called to attention. With 4Motion all-wheel drive there for the assist – the Haldex center diff can move almost 100-percent of the torque to the rear wheels, during acceleration, for instance – they easily get the 3,591-pound crossover connecting one uphill ess to the next, that firmer suspension and those Scorpions taking over to get one through those corners as wished. On milder runs at highway speeds, the cabin is quiet and composed, and the staccato flow of urban drive is like being in a VW sedan with a booster seat.
- For 2014, there are five Tiguan trims, with a healthy price climb from bottom to top. The base S starts at $22,995 and the range-topping R-Line begins at $36,535, or $37,400 after you add $865 for destination. Check the 4Motion box and you're at $39,355. The Tiguan we drove had been optioned up to $39,625 with the addition of four Monster Mats, a trunk liner and a first aid kit. That's more money than a base Audi Q5 with the same engine.
- A quick run through a few configurators put the Tiguan at about $1,400 more than a similarly equipped Chevrolet Equinox, about $3,700 more than a Ford Escape and roughly $7,000 more than a Mazda CX-5 – the first two of those being among the eight vehicles VW lists in the Tiguan's competitive set. All of them have more headroom, legroom and cargo space than the Volkswagen. They are also all down on power compared to the Tiguan, in some cases quite a bit down, and only the Mazda can come close to the driving experience. But the competitors (in four-cylinder guise) do get better gas mileage on less-costly regular fuel. If you don't need the R-Line features, the SEL trim omits the look-faster and turn harder kit and provides an instant $4,000 discount with an MSRP of $32,670. It will take more than that to explain the huge disparity in sales between the Tiguan and its competitors, of course.
- The Tiguan – any Tiguan, but especially the R-line – strikes us as a lifestyle choice in a segment guarded by the twin sentinels of Practicality and Value, those watchmen ready to disembowel the sales of non-conforming competition. Remember when the Internet's circuit boards glowed red because of enthusiasts raging at the 'dumbing down' of the 2011 Jetta, livid that VW acceded to market dictates and unveiled a vehicle that was a far better competitor for a segment also guarded – even more intensely – by practicality and value? The Jetta has sold in five-digit quantities every month since that happened, something that could not be said of it before. In fact, its sales are still climbing two years after it hit the market. The Tiguan, meanwhile, remains representative of the VW that demands premium money for a premium product no matter the trim and no matter the segment, and it has sold more than 3,000 units in a single month only once since January 2010. As a lifestyle proposition, though, the Tiguan R-Line is a good one; it's slightly smaller and less frugal, but it's good looking, more powerful, nicer inside and a lot more fun to drive than most of its rivals.
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