BeachBuggin 2015, The Ultimate VW Show By The Beach. Part 2 of 2.

Regular readers will know that I should be in hospital at this point, but my pending operation has been put back a few weeks due to complications but on the bright side at least this means I'm able to post this weeks blog review which is part 2 of 2 about the 'BeachBuggin' VW show. (If you missed part one of the review, simply go to 'My blog archive' to the left of this page where you will see part one) BeachBuggin is the ultimate VDUB show by the beach due to the amazing location on Southsea Common in the heart of the Portsmouth seafront on the South coast of England. You can walk on and off the site all day and make the most of all the local attractions including the beach, (which is only about 50 feet from the show ground) amusement arcades and of course the pier. This show always attract plenty of enthusiasts, clubs, and general public, and of course plenty of quality Volkswagen's of all descriptions. The show is unique as it's free to the walk on public who come on mass attracted by the amazing displays. The show originated with a group of beach buggy owners displaying their vehicles way back in 1998 and is run with 3/4 of all the money generated from the show going to nominated charities. This show since 1998 has so far raised over £64.000 ($99,936) and although the show is called BeachBuggin, you get an incredibly diverse display of Volkswagen's as well as Hot Rods and American cars / trucks, bikes and scooters. This is one of my favourite shows of the year mainly due to it's location but also for the sheer diversity of quality VW's. Allyson O'Connor who is one of the organisers and she posted on the BeachBuggin' facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/?q=#!/groups/beachbugginfans/ that in 2013 (the show was cancelled last year due to bad weather) the show attracted 1600 vehicle's, at this years show the attendance was almost 3000! A fantastic turn out to a show that has to be one of the best shows on the VW calendar. The review continues as I wander around the show looking at all the amazing Volkswagen's.
To see all my other blog entries, go to ‘My Blog Archive’ to the left of this page. Simply click on an arrow for a particular year, then click on an arrow for a particular month, this will then give you a drop down menu for all the blog entries for that month.

You don't often see a cool looking LT35 at a
VW show, but this black beauty sat high and
proud next to a nice white T4.

Southsea Common, the venue for this annual
show is huge and with almost 3000 vehicles
that attended this years show, it needed to be.

Even with that number of vehicles attending
there was still enough room for everyone.

This is a good photo showing just some of
the variety of Volkswagen's at the show.

Early bays, late bays, Beetle's, T4 / T5's this
show really does have it all.

A gorgeous baby blue 1967 beetle with steel
wheels painted in a cream colour with white-
wall tyres next to an early bay. 

This stunning 1966 white Beetle looked great
in the sunshine. I did like the red Paris sun-
roof with matching custom wheels.

This red high top late bay looked fantastic, I
do like these high top bays. The truck mirrors
were a nice touch that suited the look.

Karmann Ghia's don't necessarily need a
mega expensive paint job to look cool, as this
light blue ghia proves. This was a nice solid
example of a very desirable car.

Another Karmann this time painted in a very
bright green with a white roof. This one is an
earlier model than the one above, as the air
vents in the front are different.

Looking from across the road towards the show
to show just how big the BeachBuggin event is.

This really is a great venue for the show, which
is just across the road from....

...The lovely clean pebble beach of Southsea.
After a few hours wandering around the show
in the heat of the sun I needed to sit down on
the beach and cool off.

The sea was as still as a millpond and the
waves were gently breaking against the shore,
I knew I should taken my swimming shorts,
but as I didn't I had to make do with a paddle.

Two red buses parked up side by side at the
BeachBuggin show. A lovely red T4 with black
wheels next to an early pop top bay.

There were plenty of T25's at the show, and
like the early and late bays, everyone was
different from the previous one. 

Old and new parked up side by side. I did like
the pop top roof on the grey and white T25.

This lovely white over light blue 1967 split
screen looked great with it's pop top, 3 bow
roof rack and the neat cycle carrier.

The BeachBuggin show is a really relaxed
chilled out show, which on a sunny Sunday
is perfect for everyone.

This bright orange crew cab pick up looked
great with it's 3 bow roof rack and the wooden
side panels.

This yellow paint on this spit oval Beetle was
so bright it was almost luminous, and looked
great giving off a glow in the sunshine.

This really was a nice looking bug. I did like
those louvres in the rear wings and the chrome
nerf bars.

This old Chevrolet step side truck in matt
black looked great. It looks like a 1941 model.
It belonged to a local mechanic from
Portsmouth.

This really was a cool looking truck. The cream
coloured banded steel wheels look great
against the matt black painted body.

The variety of air-cooled Volkswagen's at the
BeachBuggin show was immense. The variety
of water cooled VW's was the same.

I do like this photo of a late bay with twin sliding
doors with a bright yellow Beetle parked
behind it. At a quick glance it looks as though
the Beetle is inside the van.

I have to admit, that although there were
hundreds of water cooled cars at the show, I
took very few photo's of them, I guess I was
too preoccupied with the air-cooled vehicles.
However this super bright yellow Golf caught
my eye for 2 reasons. First the colour.. WOW
it was bright and second, how low it sat.

I'm guessing this must have an air ride for
suspension because when the car was parked
those lovely custom wheels actually touched
the wheel arches.

By the late afternoon some of the scooter crew
decided to leave. It was great to watch them
ride slowly past as they filtered between the
vehicles parked up towards the exit.

There was a couple of reasons why I took this
photo, but I can't remember what they were!
I'm not sure what these two beauties were
promoting, but they were more than happy
to pose for my camera. Thank you girls.

If the RAT look rocks your boat, then this 1960
mango split screen should tick all the right
boxes. This was originally a German bus that
found it's way to Sweden where it was used
as a taxi for many years. It then spent many
years sunk up to it's axles in a field where it
was used a chicken shed.

This bus was then shipped to the U.K. in 2010
where it had the complete bottom 10" replaced.
It also had new axles, running gear and a new
1775cc engine with twin 40 carbs.

Quote " yes the outside could be filled +
painted + shiny in about a 1 weeks work, but
it takes a lot of time and effort to create a unique
 looking van and with 55 years of use to get
this look". Well said and I agree.

A unique use for a bay window. This bay had
a neat conversion into a burger van and looked
great. I never tried the burgers, but the queue
was long and constant all day.

As I wandered around I heard the sound of a
banjo playing. I followed the sound and found
this 15 year old lad playing to a small crowd.
He played a rendition on 'Duelling Banjo's'
which was really good. I asked him how long
he had been playing to be that good, and he
replied 'only 4 years'  WOW, very impressive! 

This really is a fantastic show. Be sure to put
it in your calendar for next year. The weather
was in stark contrast from last year, where
the show had to be cancelled due to the storm
that ravaged the south coast of England.

This T25 Gipsy looked great. I do like the 
Gipsy, as it has to be the ultimate camper.
I have a friend who has  T25 Gipsy and having
had a good look around his, I would to own one,
maybe one day... 

I spotted this ultra cool 1932 Hi-Boy roadster
parked up. This, although it's not a VW, has to
be in my top 10 of the cars at the show. I loved
it. It looked like it had the original chassis and
suspension. The tall skinny wheels with white
wall tyres looked just about perfect.

I don't think you can beat a fenderless Hi-Boy
for looks, they are so beautiful. I did like the
use of the original fuel tank in between the
chassis rails at the back.

The interior was as it should be, very sparse.
This one didn't have the original dash, but a
very nice period alternative. I did like that gear
lever made from a  twisted bar.

A lovely 1972 Beetle parked up in front of an
early RAT looking split screen.

This early white Beetle looked fantastic, it sat
nice and low and possibly had a narrowed
front beam. The paint work looked as though
it could be original, it was a very nice car.

Black over turquoise is an unusual colour
combination for a split screen bus, but
doesn't it look good. This bus really stood out
in the line up of buses at the show.

This split screen panel van was painted in the
Fire truck livery. I'm not sure if it is an ex Fire
van, but it did look so nice.

This really was a nice straight panel van, the
huge roof rack looked great and suited the van.

Another Fire bus, this time it''s a T25 version.
Again I'm not sure if it was an original but it
didn't really matter as it looked so cool. The
yellow and white split screen in front also
looked so cool parked up.

A nice photo of just 3 of the air cooled buses
at the BeachBuggin show.

The gorgeous profile of a classic Beetle. I did
like the slight rake on this cars stance.

A lovey pop top late bay in white. I do like
these front hinged pop tops, they just look
so cool and probably my favourite version
of the pop tops.

This white over light blue split screen bus stood
out, not because it had a flashy paint job or
custom wheels, but because it was just a really
nice looking standard bus.

I do like this photo of a late bay and a split
screen parked up under the blue sky at the
BeachBuggin show.

A gorgeous pair of early Beetle's parked up
enjoying the sunshine.

This is another bus that didn't need a mega
expensive paint job, as this split screen looks
just about perfect as it is.



Since taking this photo of this lovely white
over pastel yellow early bay panel van, at
the BeachBuggin show I have attended
another show, 'Endless Summer' VW
show, and have photographed the same
van from virtually the same angle! I must
really like this 1970 panel. !

This white over red pop top early bay looked
great with it's colour coded visor and side step.
This really was a nice looking bus.

The owner of this white over blue late bay had
the right idea, put the sun canopy up and get
some much needed shade from the hot sun.

This lime green Lamborghini Huracán was at
the show. OK it's not a VW, but it did draw
in the crowds.

I do like this photo of a couple of bay window
campers with the pop tops up enjoying the
chilled vibe at BeachBuggin.

I knew it wouldn't be long before I bumped into
someone I knew, and as it happens Vince (on
the left) and his mate Steve and Steve's family
were parked up just in front of me. It was good
to catch up with Vince who I haven't seen for
what seems like ages.

I recognised this dark purple beach buggy, it
belongs to Andrew who is a member of 'The
House of Dub' VW Club based near Milton
Keynes which is just down the road from
 my hometown of Aylesbury.

Andrew's gorgeous buggy is one of the best
buggies I have seen. It was also nice to catch
up with Andrew who like Vince I haven't seen
for a while.

This dark blue buggy looked great with the
surfboard strapped to the roof rack. Although
I'm not sure the driver has a valid licence to
drive a motor vehicle.

This 1967 S042 split screen was imported
from San Francisco and had the original
factory westfalia interior. The bus was in
fantastic condition and runs and drives
superb.

This bus needed no work what-so-ever and
had a reconditioned engine with 0 miles. It
even came with a 12 month warranty. It was
U.K. registered and had a current M.O.T.
The asking price for this beautiful bus?
£31,495  ($49,500 approx)

Over the back of the show field I spotted this
bunch of cool Harley motorcycles. I did like
the hard tail in the centre of the photo.

As I left the show , and the queue of traffic
heading out of the city was again full
Volkswagen's, it really was a cool sight.

So that was my 2 part of the BeachBuggin
show review. This has to be one of the best,
if not the best VW show in the south of
England. (and no I'm not in any way associated
with the show or the organisers) It is simply a
perfect location for a VW show, it has a very
relaxed chilled vibe to it and the amenities are
excellent. Add to this almost 3000 Volkwagen's of
all descriptions and this adds up to an brilliant
show. Apologies to the hundreds upon hundreds
of water cooled VW owners whose vehicles I did
not mention or photograph but without you guy's
also attending this show just wouldn't be what it
is today. Thank you.