Hot Rod Designer Sets the Look of Dune Buggy-love!   I don't normally post cars for sale, but Jimmy's a good friend and GREAT hot rod designer. So... when he tried his hand at a dune buggy (and pretty much set off a mini-dune-buggy craze here in Phoenix) I had to see it! It was at the Goodguys show first, the "FISHBONE" featuring custom paint and trick pinstriping to match. Want to know more about what's going on in the head of hot rod designer Jimmy Smith? Take a look at these stories featuring Jimmy's Designs   Or, you can own his dune buggy! "I've always loved the whole, late 60's-early 70's California lifestyle thing. I was a child of that era, so things like skateboards, dune buggies and hot rods have been on my mind since pretty much day one! Of all the impractical types of cars out there, dune buggies rate right up there, thing is, while they may not be great for hauling groceries or going to business meetings with, what they do deliver are smiles. Climb into one, and the stupid grin starts right away....

Who doesn’t love dune buggies? You could have gotten a good healthy dose of buggy envy at the Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals which was held last weekend in Carlisle, PA. Dig that metallic green finish!  Wow!  There were two seaters, four seaters, white ones, blue ones, green ones, and just about every color imaginable. If you strolled over to Building T you could have chatted with Bruce Meyers, the designer of the first fiberglass dune buggy known as the Meyers Manx. Bruce Meyers was present all weekend to sign autographs and pose for pictures if you asked nicely enough. The good news is that you can once again buy new Meyers buggies like the Manxter 2+2, which is capable of doing 0-60 times of just over 4 seconds. Want something with a little more displacement? How about a Cobra replica? The Cobras dominated the kit manufacturer area and there were plenty of them on the show field as well. Throw a 4.6L motor in a Factory Five Racing 1965 Cobra replica like Anthony and Robin DiMemmo did and I bet you would have a smile plastered on...

I think its time for some more aircooler LOVE!!!  Remember our German Facebook friend, Pascal Hein?  We blogged about his cherry Lemon (lemon is what he named the car) classic 1973 BMW 1802 Touring.  Pascal took these pictures at a big VW Bug and Bus Meeting in Germany, home of the "People's Car" brand.   Most of the bugs you'll see came from Great Britain, Belgium or from Netherlands. I thought I'd grab my favorites from Pascal's photo website  http://www.vipallica.deviantart.com/. This is my favorite picture.  I'm really likin' this blue Cal-Look big window bug.  It's got the big single turbo muffler, nerf bars, narrowed front beam with all the chrome trim.  Bugs with a nice raked stance are one of my favorite cars of all time. One of the coolest vdubs is the early buses or Kombi's.  When slammed, they are saweet kruzers!  This rust-a-rific bus is rockin' some white painted Porsche Fuch wheels on low pro tires.  I think this is a barndoor model.  Also, check out how you can see right through this car with the barndoor open.  ha ha Gold Member anyone?  Polished Fuch Porsche wheels are always...

Bonneville Salt Flats Race Car: I arrived at the Salt for World Finals 2009 right as the sun peaked over the mountains.  What a beautiful sight.  I pulled up to the start line where there were race cars and bikes waiting to make their record return runs.  The first car I walked up to was this bright yellow VW Karmann Ghia owned by Larry Monreal from San Bernardino.  I asked the gentleman standing next to the car if he was Larry, and he responded that no, he was Jim, Larry's friend and driver.  As with any Bonneville Salt Flats land speed race car and team, there is always a big, long and interesting story.   No long  stories today, but I do want to share some details I learned by spending a few minutes with Jim that I hope will display what dedicated hot rodders and land speed racers these guys are. I chatted with Jim Bradshaw for like 10 minutes.  Something you'll experience when you attend a land speed event at the Salt Flats is the people.  It's almost sounding cliche attending my 4th event, but the people are the heart of this amateur...

I'm a huge air-cooled vdub nut at heart.  My first car was a 1972 Standard Beetle that I bought for $500.  With my dad's help we turned it into a nice Cal-Looker with new bright Corvette yellow paint, black 8 spoke Empi's, freshened heads and new interior kit.  I was even a member of the Wasatch Vintage Volkswagen Club for about a year until I sold that Bug to get wedding/honeymoon money. On to this past Saturday, where I took my wife and 3 young sons to the No Show in Kaysville, Utah.  This was the 4th annual show and is put on my the Northern Utah VW Club.  I've been to the 2nd and 3rd annual shows as well.  This year's show was at a new venue and it seemed bigger and better, with more cars and people.  This No Show is a laid back affair, just the style of VW owners.  They have a Hot Wheels track set up for the "kids" to race and the trophies are miniature vdub scenes using rusty hot wheels.  As we were driving up to the Show, we pulled off the freeway...