The latest Boxertje magazine

Received a copy of the Dutch/Belgian VW magazine Boxertje today, I'm "well chuffed" as they say in UK :)

Cabriolet Summer

Ah finally. First week of Summer holiday and got the 'Vert out.


I missed buying the hooks that secure the top in down position and the new padding plus the piece of shit TMI hood bag lifts the top slightly, but enough to mess up the rear visibility. Found the worn out original (moldy) hood bag some time ago which is like one size larger than the TMI one. Too bad I didn't realize to have Lenny re-pop one based on original measurements. Anyway when I get the hooks in place they'll do the trick.


While the interior smells like new everything in the rear smells still burned. Probably remains like that for some time before the new paint, rubber etc settle down.


The only trouble with my 25Kkm driven 30hp was oil smelling gasoline when I got the car running for the MOT tests in last October. Assumed first the carburetor causing it as it was oxidated internally beyond belief and cleaned/installed carb repair kit during the Winter, after the Volksworld trip (heh, driving the car on/off trailer 3 times..) oil smelled gasoline again. Oberschlachter supplied (thanks "Rusakko"!) a repair kit for the pump really quickly.

And where else but from Kotten's stash would you expect to find the tool to preload the 30hp fuel pump diaphgram :)

Interior Shots of my Vert

Couple of interior shots I forgot to add earlier. Seat covers and door panels came from Lenny Copp, carpets from Himmelservice. Kai Aulankoski installed the seat covers and modified the carpet kit. Going back to TMI in the future would be very difficult.

Return to Home

Shot from Ghent Holiday Inn on the way back to Finland, Juse checking the Bug was securely attached inside the trailer.

Thanks to TN-Trading for renting the trailer for out of the country trip. Trailer was the most carefree thing we've ever seen giving us 2400 road kilometres without any problems.

Big thanks to Juse for taking part to the trip and making it happen.


Getting the car out of the trailer near our garage. Finally back home after 9 days. We had 1 day more buffer in getting to the playgrounds than on the way back. I guess the return trip was as fast as it can be with a trailer from UK to Finland. We left Sandown around 6PM (GMT) on Sunday, reached Ghent in Belgium around Midnight, left Ghent in Monday Morning and arrived to Lybeck in Germany around 8 PM (CET) on Monday, boat to Finland left around 3:00 AM (CET) on Tuesday and arrived to Helsinki on Wednesday Morning around 7:30 AM EET.

Volksworld Show Trip

Getting it out of the trailer in UK. Very happy with everything apart from the stance, had to make a trade-off with stance as got the tyres on the wheels, new interior, new trim, the NOS bumbers etc mounted during the week before I left to UK. Just ran out of time. Last pieces went on the car actually in UK.

See the rest of the photos from 2010 Volksworld Show.

Off to Volksworld Show

Me and Juse are officially off to Volksworld Show, Sandown Park, UK where the 'Vert will be participating the show. Being accepted to the show etc are a highlight of my "career" in Volkswagens. Just awesome feeling.

My 'Vert

One of the last shots of the car.

Time to get cracking..

In Wallace&Gromit speak; time to get cracking..


Few weeks to season start and some tasks still remain. Biggest thing is the decision about which wheels to run.


New interior is in the plans as the current TMI kit just doesn't cut it.

On the move

Probably one of the last nice, chilly but sunny and dry, days of Fall, so last moment of moving the 'Vert back home to Helsinki. Didn't have time to lower the rear but lowered the front somewhat from the MOT/technical inspection in order to get the tracking closer to where it was originally adjusted for the home drive. Strange feeling to have working heater too in Volkswagen for a change :)


The way 'Vert was moved from Kaitsu's garage to my (in Doctor Evil's speak) secret lair. It was kinda "interesting" to follow that dude through the smaller country roads as the highway was closed due to crashed tanker truck.


On the way from Kupla Kopla garage to Kaitsu's garage for top upholstery.

Better late than never :)

Driving the 'Vert first time since 2003.


Off to the our equivalent of MOT tests.


Well, saved some MOT-mans' time for rust checking :)

Some progress

Bleeding the brakes turned into bit of an ordeal. Big thanks to Takis who quickly identified the master cylinder being not suitable for rear discs, even thought a local parts supplier sold me it as such. Thanks are also in order for CSP who quickly supplied correct master cylinder. Well, after all the hassle the 'Vert finally has brakes. One of the last tasks that remained before attempting the inspection. If I only had more time to work on the car..

Top Done

The Cabriolet top is now installed and have few small details that need attention before the first technical inspection since 2001. I am glad that had time to take part in fitting the canvas top otherwise I wouldn't have any clue how tedious that task is.

Big thanks to Kai Aulankoski for the work with the top upholstery. Kai was one of the three pivotal guys who made the restoration happen along with Kari Kuusharju and Juhani Laaksonen. Thanks are also in order to Frank Stockton and Bob van Heyst from BBT who supplied the correct mohair headliner the car is supposed to have.

Praise for Chuck
One of the tasks we were quite nervous about were the decorative trims that are mounted on top of the rear window and around the rear body. My car came with the rear of the body trim when I bought it 10 years ago but the one over the rear window was long gone. Chuck's Convertible Parts manufactures excellent repros, which were exact match to the originals and very easy to install.




While doing the top we noticed that the 'Vert has frickin' Barndoor Sonderbus colour-scheme or at least similar.

On the road for a while..

(as usual) the sucker won't start.. <in homer simpson's voice>Stupid reserve tank handle..</in homer simpson's voice> Got it eventually running and over the ramp to the street level.


First time driven into daylight with it's own power after 2003.


Big thanks to Juse for trailering the 'Vert to Kaitsu's place.

Decisions, decisions..

Gas Burners vs. Fuchs

While doing the last tasks before the car will receive the new cabriolet top had some time to play with 901-wheels.

Countdown to the Summer

2001 Bug Run, Mantorp Park, Sweden

2009 Summer of the 'Vert? Let's see..

The plan is return to the above photo location in Golf Ru.. eh.. Bug Run for the one last time to close the circle. This summer it has been 10 years since I bought the 'Vert there in one drunken evening with Monsieur Autolanski sparring "do it, do it, do it" :)

Late POC for my Cabriolet Top

Little proof-of-concept for the brown cabriolet top. I got the top material bit too late to fit in the upholsterer's schedule for this Fall and that pretty much screwed the idea about finishing the car this year.



Bit too late now as I have the material on my hands :) Still easier/cheaper to switch back to black in case I change my mind. The black fender beading and running board mats somewhat bother me. One option would be buying beige fender beading and running board mats from Wolfsburg West and getting them dyed to brown.

Gas Burner time

Tested how the Gas Burners from my Oval would look like. Not sure how good they looked due to lack of shine. Maybe repros would be better as I'll never polish them again since maintaining original Gas Burners is bit tedious.

Askartelua paskartelua

One lesson learned was double check that all cable tubes are cleaned from debris while the body is off. Somehow missed accelerator pedal cable tube even I had quite explicit task list. I would have never believed how much crap from sand blasting and old grease it can contain.

Yeah, I am using the cheapo EMPI disc brake kit in rear, I guess they work okay but they weren't as much as bolt on as I had hoped for.

CSP, buy the best and cry once :)

Soldier.. eh.. solderer of fortune

I'm still in process of putting the 'Vert back together. I got a Wiring Works reproduction wiring loom via Powerhaus earlier in the Summer and that's going into the car at the moment (I can recommend John@Powerhaus for Volkswagen parts needs, very good service and fast delivery.)

I have drooled over neat wiring in photos and in shows (Foxy, Rick etc) but I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted and as much as I love neat custom wiring I wanted to have original style colour coding in wires.

So I bought the kit but I am not all that happy with it. As it is exact repro of the factory original for certain year it doesn't offer much alternative routing options nor there is just no extra wire and it is also put into heat shrunk tube. Would have been nicer if there had been little bit more DIY stuff left.


The spaghetti incident. The front 4-fuse box is bit messy.


Buddy from action-cars, Alhoracing, dropped by and we fitted the original 30hp into the engine bay. The rear suspension got sorted along with the extra weight :)

That small diameter 12 volt Porsche (thanks Mikko) generator caused little extra head scratching in dismantling the rear of the wiring loom and re-routing the wires to hidden regulator, as there was no nice way to mount the voltage regulator near the generator. I didn't neither manage to find a period correct looking generator mounted regulator.

Engine for the 'Vert

The touch-up or original-like 30hp engine is also progressing for the 'Vert. That'll be the 4th engine in 9 years in the car. It had 1600cc with all imaginable taiwan-Empi-ping-pong-chrome-crap when I bought it, swapped that to 34hp 1200cc for one summer and from 2001 forward it had 2161cc stroker. I'll try the slow&low approach this time.

Damn 'Vert side windows

Lesson learned; make sure that the ventilation window frame is aligned properly before installing the door window glass :) The passenger side needs more tweaking while the driver's side turned out just fine with first try.