Outcast VW Club monthly meet.

The Outcast VW Club was formed in May 2012 by three air-cooled VW owners (including myself) from Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire who wanted to form a VW club and have regular club meets and drive outs to various VW shows throughout the VW season. The Outcast VW Club hold an informal monthly gathering of VW enthusiasts at 'The Charter' pub on the A41 Bicester Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8AW, on the first Thursday of each month from 19.00 - 22.00. It's a chance for local VW owners, both air-cooled and water cooled to meet up and chat about their rides. It's a great opportunity to ask the best way on how to do something, or where to get some parts or even give advise on how to carry out a particular task. The club members are a friendly bunch and will always offer their advice freely. Newcomers are always welcome and will be warmly greeted by the other club members. We organise drive outs to other local VW clubs and events / shows throughout the season, but don't worry there is no obligation to join in. This month's club meet was the last before the clocks go back in October, but even so it's still getting dark by 20.00hrs.

Colin came along to the club meet in his lovely
bright red 1970 U.S. imported bay window. This
really is a nice and clean deluxe bus that I'm
Colin uses as a daily driver.
 

With the all red U.S. style rear light lenses and
front side markers this bus is still in it's original
U.S. specification. I think I'm right in saying that
the deluxe buses had factory fitted reversing
lights as standard.

Sam came down to the Charter in his 1970 off
road trail Beetle. Sam recently went off road
trialing in his Bug and posted some photo's of
him going over the top of a hill climb with the
front wheels in the air.

Being practical is far more important than
looking good if your going to be off-roading
across fields and up steep muddy hill's. Sam
mentioned that when he, and his dad, Kevin
go to another off road event they will let me
know so I can pop along and get some good
photo's of the event, as I think it would be a
good blog entry.

Kevin's off road trial Bug which like Sam's is
sitting high for plenty of ground clearance, to
allow easy access over rough terrain.

Kevin's Beetle is very similar to Sam's, albeit
a bit more shiny. The drilled rear apron is a
a neat touch, I'm not sure if this has any
performance related benefit or whether its
just a cosmetic touch but it does look good.

Its always good to get a good variety of VW's
at the club meet, and Kevin and Sam's Beetles
certainly ensure this. Rear wheels stacked over
the engine lid for added weight which aids
traction on muddy sections of the trial, but they
are also there just in case they get a puncture.

Let's go off-roading...

Simon owns this cool looking red T4, with the
red strobe light in the grill. Chatting to Simon
he said that in a previous post I had said that
his T4 was a 1974.. Doh!. I said it must have
been a typo error or happened when I cut and
pasted some text. I said to Simon he should have
sent me a text and I would have amended the
 post.

The rear of Simon's 1997 T4 (just hope that's
right!) which bears his company's logo. This is
a nice and straight bus that Simon makes full
use of.

John came along in his super straight 1960
split screen. This bus is a favourite of mine and
looks just right. The paint is in a satin finish and
with the chrome trim and bumpers this bus really
stands out.

This splitty is so straight and clean it's amazing.
The chrome bumpers and painted wheels with
chrome domed hubcaps add the finishing
touches that make this bus special.

A nice photo of the rear of John's split screen.
It sits quite low, (compared to my bay) and the
lovely chrome bumper only just clears the kerb.

No blog entry would be complete without a
photo or two of my '69 bay window. Parked
up in the Charter car park, which has plenty
of room for our club meet. I really must fix
that loose Aeriel, at higher speeds (!) the
aerial leans back across the passenger side
door... hence the string to hold it upright.

My bay parked up looking immaculate as ever.
I also need to get a new tailgate rubber as the
one in there leaks when it rains, and as the
rainy season is on its way I'd better replace it
sooner than later.

This is Gary's gorgeous white over turquoise
early bay. Gary hasn't had this long and paid
only half of what bay window buses are selling
for these days. We all think Gary grabbed a
bargain.

Although Gary has had minor jobs done on
this bay, he still has big plans for the future but
as always there never seems to enough time
and money. Still, Gary has got to a few shows
this year so its not all doom and gloom.

One of the jobs on Gary's list is to get his bay
lowered a bit. Riding at standard height at the
moment really shows when parked next to a
lowered early bay.

Early in the evening at the Outcast VW club
monthly meet. We had a total of 15 vehicles
both air cooled and water cooled turn up this
month, which considering its October and the
nights are drawing in is very impressive.

Dave and Angela arrived in their very unique
'Comic Relief' Beetle. This car was created
to celebrate the 'Red Nose Day' event we
have here in the U.K. It's a day where funds
are raised for the poor and disadvantaged by
doing almost anything really to help raise funds.

The Comic Relief event was started way back
in 1985 and has raised so far a very impressive
£750 million. The paint scheme on this car is
so unique and features a huge 'Red Nose' on
the bonnet.

Dave and Angela have owned this Bug for as
long as I can remember, and it always parked
outside the main entrance to the 'Volksworld'
show, where it still raises donations.

Dave normally brings his white over blue split
screen along to the club meet, so it was a
nice surprise to see the old bug once more,
which still looks striking in its graffiti paint.

Steve owns this brilliant white beetle with its
smoothed bonnet. I recently made a backdrop
 for Steve, who owns 'Swale Photography' that
might help him in a future photo shoot.

This is a cool looking Bug with it's roof rack
with the deck lid raised off the body. Steve will
soon be putting this away for the winter as he
doesn't like to drive his beetle in the rain...
Which is probably why it looks so clean.

Stuart and Tim arrived just after Steve, in his
1970 beetle. This is Stuarts daily driver and
also a small parts carrier. Stuart owns and runs
the 'Oil Droppers' VW repair workshop.

A better photo using the flash to show the true
colour of Stuarts Bug. I do like this colour, but
then I am partial to a green air cooled VW.

Claude came along in his 1960 split screen
kombi. This really is a nice looking bus that
gets to travel over to Europe a few times a
year. Claude normally goes with another
Outcast club member but unfortunately
he has recently sold his split screen, so Claude
was saying he didn't have anyone to go to a
show with in Belgium with next year. So I said I'd
love to go. So that's that then, keep any eye out
for the first European blog write up early next year.

Claude's kombi looking sweet as usual, with
the 'Tesoro' sign writing. I think I'm right in
saying this bus used to carry fruit back in
California many years ago.

Kerry and her friend Becky came along in
Kerry's gorgeous 1979 orange late bay. This
bay has come good after a few little teething
problems, and both the girls are off to the
'Brighton Breeze' this weekend. Have a great
time girls, maybe we'll meet up if we find each
other amongst the thousands of visitors to the
sea front VW show.

 

A nice photo of Kerry's late bay. This really is
a clean and straight bay window. Kez has
recently had a new windscreen rubber fitted
as the old one leaked, I think you may be glad
of that this weekend as the forecast for Brighton
is heavy rain. Although this will not dampen our
spirits.

A few of the Outcast VW's lined up in the
spacious car park. The pub even put the
flood lights on for us.

A new comer to the Outcast VW club meet
was Jeremy who owns this lovely T4 in red
with a pop top. This really is a nice clean
looking van, that I believe Jeremy hasn't owned
for that long.

I hope the Outcast VW club made Jeremy feel
welcome and that he joins us again soon. I
think Jeremy used to work with Claude, so
hopefully we'll see him and his T4 again.

Amanda arrived later in the evening in her
silver Golf. Work and family commitments meant
she couldn't come along with her partner Simon,
but she got there when she could and that's
all that matters.

Mandy was saying that it's almost time to
remove her red coloured wheels and put them
away for the winter, to stop them getting dirty.

Kevin, another late comer to the club meet came
along in the 'Grinch' Kevin's super clean green
T4. Kevin works all over the U.K. so by the time
he gets home, showered and over to us it's
normally late, but it's always good to see Kevin
and 'The Grinch'

Kevin's immaculate T4, with the new tail gate
fitted and painted. The Grinch used to have
double doors but these were not practical for
Kevin so the tailgate was purchased.The colour
match is perfect.

Looking down the Outcast VW club line up.
A nice variety of air cooled and water cooled
VW's turned up, despite the cooler evenings
and dark nights.


So that was the October monthly meet of the
Outcast VW Club. A really impressive turn out
of vehicles and owners. It was, as always a
fun night with everyone talking to everyone
about all sorts of things. The Outcast VW club
is a very friendly VW club, so if your in the area
on the first Thursday of the month, why not pop
along to The Charter Pub on the Bicester Road
in Aylesbury and join in the fun, you'll be made
to feel very welcome.