What up, SPACE cadets, hot enough for ya? Well, get use to it! This summer heat will only get worse until late Sept-October!!! But hey, at least we have the 2nd Annual Pass-a-Grill VW Drive-In, Sunday, September 5th, to look forward to. Yep, it's back again! And, it's all sponsored by Classic Camber, Tampa Bay's Premier VW Shop! Visit ClassicCamber.com FOR MORE INFO!

           Last year, we had a HUGE turnout. So, look for an even bigger event this year. Classic Camber is trying to get the WHOLE courtyard, just for VW parking, this year! (YEA, JOE!) So, circle your calendar NOW. That's Sunday, September 5th, Labor Day weekend, 2010...! Hey, NOW you've got something to DO!

           THIS JUST IN... The HOTVW Magazine article is OUT and on SALE NOW! (September 2010 issue) Run over to the store (or the Classic Camber Shop!) and buy 1, it's a GREAT article, tons of photos... We're SO lucky to live here!!!

           Try to stay COOL... drink lots of fluids... I suggest BEER! Hehehe...
PEACE@U ALL...
-Sven out

P.S. PRAY FOR THE GULF of MEXICO, please!

           1st off, THANK YOU to everyone who came out and supported this 3 day event... By any measure, the whole event was a BIG success!!! Friday nite, we saw close to 100 VWs invade the street in front of the Classic Camber shop... The crowd seemed to enjoy the shop, music and especially the bar maid!

           Saturday came FAST, and when my group arrived @ 8AM, there was already 9 bugs parked and ready to go... Well, I had sold 112 spots, BUT, ONLY 73 showed up!? That's why it looked a little weak on the northside of The Pier... Although, we still had a great show, with the VW tatoo contest and VW toy raffle going well... I did move the trophy time up an hour early, so everybody could get out of the heat... YES, it was hot! But hey, remember ALL those 30 degree months we just suffered through? Well, how quickly we forget...

           Anyhow, Sunday's convoy went off without any vehicle fires or crashes!!! (Last year a bus BURNED!) I had 76 buses in the 1st group, and there was 65 (or so) in the 2nd group, so the numbers were down from last year, BUT, everybody seemed to have a BLAST driving over the Skyway. and Boydhill was FULL of every type of vendor and swapmeet need you might have... We had a surf board vendor, a tye dye guy, new and used parts galore... and hey, this was the 1st year that all those OLD houses, that surround Boydhill, were OPEN! I checked out the blacksmith shop and the old store for a snow cone. (It was hot sunday too!) Way cool, eh?! Everyone was doing some serious BBQing, and was well behaved. Plus, I didn't have to do much cleaning up after everybody... THANK YOU!!!!

           Next year should be even BETTER!!! By the way, I am going to take the "Pier Show" OUT of next year's VW Show Spring lineup... Look for it to re-appear by itself, as a stand-alone event, uh, maybe in the fall of 2011, or so. Time will tell... Stay tuned...

           Anyhow, keep posting up those pix and video links on the Forum, everybody... and big thankx to HOT VW for the coverage. Bruce wanted me to ask if anyone happened to get pictures of some Bugs going over The Skyway... Post them up, will ya? He could use a few for the HOT VW story (You'll get a photo credit!) I'm looking forward to next year, ALREADY!!! Can you say, "3 days of camping on the Boydhill grounds?"

And now, here ya go,

Sven's Top 20 Winners - 2010

Congradulations to fellow S.P.A.C.E. member, Jerry Sweet and "Stuka"...

#2 Jeff Rznewniki 1968 Bug
#9 Brian Witt & his 1967 Bug, from Lake Wales
#11 Susan Lester 1964 Bug
#19 Brent Mock 1957 (chocolate brown) Oval, from Bradenton. NICE!
#25 Triker Troy and his creation, the Quad Rod! YOU gotta see this!
#33 Chip Haberkam 1965 Bug vn, from Sarasota
#37 Jerry Sweet 1973 RatRod! Tampavw.net brother
#41 Mike & Serena Reed 1956 OVAL
#48 Shane Johnson 1959 'vert, from Tampa
#54 Bryan Chalmers 1964 Beetle, from J-ville
#56 Gene Stanley and his 1963 Type 1, from Tampa
#59 George Gaskill 1961 Beetle
#66 Tony Silva 1964 Bug, from Port Charlote
#71 Matthew Ceroak 1971 Standard, from Brandon (his birthday too!)
#77 Henry Rodriguez 1956 Oval, from Orlando
#82 jorge Burgos 1973 Super, from Kissimmee
#84 Lang and his 1960 'vert, from Tampa
#93 Mike Fetzer and his 1973 Art-Bug, from Tampa
#97 Gregg Rodda 1971 Bug, from Tampa
#102 Dewey Maas 1963 Herbie, from Orlando

And, The People's Choice Winner was...
#58 Chris Perez and his 1971 Super!

           Stay tuned for more S.P.A.C.E. updates...
           PEACE@UALL...
           Sven out

PS, Don't forget, the usual Saturday night S.P.A.C.E. meetup, at the Burger King on US19 & 110th Ave has been MOVED... We're just a little way up the road, at the Quaker Steak & Lube (at US19 & 49th St.). I hope to see ya there!

           OK, from the "check this out" Department... Everyone knows about the Samba Web site, right? Well, for us FLORIDIANS, you really need to check out TampaVW.net. It's a cool Web site for the Fla VW freaks... They have ALL the features of the Samba, but with a local flare. I've already joined up, it's FREE. Check out their Forum (Just click the Forums button on the left side Navigation of this Web site!), plus, ALL the Florida Shows and gatherings... TONS of cool VW stuff, and I can't say enough about it! That's TampaVW.net!

           HOT isn't it? Stay inside and watch the toob! Ya like watching TV? Like watching VW TV? Then, check out SeeVWTV.com! It's pretty cool, so check out the site. They are covering many local VW events and interviewing VWs for the site! I caught up with them @ the Olsen's Swapmeet, last week... It was a great turnout and it was great to see everyone.

           Speaking of VW videos, if you haven't seen the Skyway video from our friend Dave-O, well he's been busy and has put up 2 more Wild Weekend-related vids!!! One is the tatoo contest, and the other is a tour of Spa Beach. BOTH are very cool, you should see them. Look for a DVD to be produced for purchase next year, or so I'm told!

           Sven's Summer advice: Stay cool, drink LOTS of fluids(BEER will do!), and drive YOUR VW!

           PEACE@UALL... Sven out

           So was it good for you? I'm exhausted!, but I wouldn't have it any other way! The weekend sure lived up to its name "Wild"...! Friday nite we saw Beautiful weather to race and over 100 aircooled filled the show car area. I for 1 was glad to see the aircooled support! Thankx guys...! The evening's racing action was full, even though the stands were pretty empty! I blame the economy! Big race koodos to local favorite Dave @ AircooledAutohaus. The local boys ran 4 very FAST passes before the shop motor 1776 gave up the ghost! The fastest car of the night was a 2007 BMW M5-v10. Yeah, he ran a 117.51! SMOKIN', Eh?!!!

           Anyhow, the next day, Busses-On-The-Pier, at the St Petersburg Pier was a total Blast! Over 100 buses filled the Pier and over 150 VWs of ALL kinds filled Spa Beach!

           Speaking of Spa Beach, how nice was it to see actual "girls in bikinis"? Uh, next to VWs in the sand, that is! Anyhow, we had major fun! I gave away my Top 20, plus, Best-of-Show (Pier) and 3 trophys for Spa Beach. All in all, both were a hit! Look for Bugs-On-The-Pier to return next year...!

           Sunday, in the VWs-Over-The-Skyway Convoy, we had 210 toll-taged VWs!!! 105 buses and 115 others!!!

Oh, and thankx to Jason Clark for the next two pics...



           Tons of stories to tell and lots of pix to come real soon... not to mention some VIDEO OF THE WHOLE EVENT. Stay tuned my VW freaky friends!

           Hey, here it is now!!! Check out this video our friend, DaveO, shot: 13th-annual-vws-over-the-skyway Video!!! Thankx, man!




           Thankx for ALL the love. Check out the Samba thread, BELOW, for more pix!
           PEACE@UALL... Sven out

HEY!!!
Here's a link to the Wild Weekend 2009 Samba thread.
Please feel free to join in the conversation with any feedback...
http://thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=326980

---

           With the economy bearly sucking air and the big 3 US auto makers feeling the heat (finally!), is this the change we've all been waiting for? Let me know, 'cause it seems like "Wall Street is getting all the attention, and NOT Mainstreet!"

           But, I digress... Did you make it to The Lakeland VW Classic? Here's a pic of my sister, Sheri, and her husband, Rich Davis, running the booth at the Show! Thanks to everyone who came up and said hi! and we signed up 16 buses for the Pier Show... Thanks folks!


           HEY GUYS, CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO... WAY COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a color movie from the VW factory, I'm guessing in the early 1950s... It's really neat to see all the parts come together...
           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIy5Ache9h0

           PEACE@U ALL...
           -Sven out

Oh Yeah, And This Is Why I Drive A VW...

           Happy New Year's, everyone! I hope the holidays were good to you and your family. I'm sure ALOT of us are glad to see 2008 go and welcome in some REAL change. Gina and I spent the holidays @ home, but drove down to Ft Myers friday to campout with fellow VW freaks, Mike & Tanya Childress (aka Foregn Policy). Her father, Robert Simon, has a VW Shop & her mother Barbara runs a way cool 1950s era Diner, in town. If your're down Ft Myers' way, look up the "Route 80 Diner", stop in and enjoy! We had made our way there for the 4th Annual Camping with the Crew & Kickball Game! Most of the "out of town people", there for the New Year's Eve Party, had already left and we had our pick of camping spots... The VW Ranch is a great place to throw down a PARTY! ...fire pit, fishing lake, ducks, turkeys, cows... and, oh yeah, a 80x100' building FULL of VWS!

           Back to Robert Simon, did I mention how LUCKY of a guy he is? Wonderful family guy and 1 HELL of a collection of, well, you name it, type 1s, 2s, 3s, ghias, things, there're ALL represented in his collection. He has several garages around the property and YEP, there're full of, you guessed it, VWs! He works very hard at his paint and body shop business, 5 days a week. And, when a customer comes in needing parts or service, he hooks em up! He can also do a FULL RESTORATION or just a simple tuneup! Oh, I forgot to memtion that his shop is right next to the Route 80 Diner, so ya gotta go next door & get something to eat! I recomend the potato pancakes! YUUMMMYY! Anyhow, I digress... Below is a few photos from the kickball game... As you can tell, they take their game very seriously. Everyone shops at the local thrift store for their uniforms, and what a "Motley crew" we were too! Big thanks to Matt, Zack, Tom, Mike & the Gang...! Gina & I can't wait for NEXT year!

           PEACE@U ALL...
           -Sven out

           Well, on Friday, 9/26, we insured the old bus, Hildagard... And, Monday, I tagged her. Then, I drove her to work on Tuesday, parked her in the painted spot, and walked in to get some co-workers to come out and admire the restoration job... And then, just as we were walking back... BAMMMO!!! (SFX: horrible metal ripping sound!) It's a Jaguar, driven by a woman with a CAST on her right hand!!! She can't make the turn into the spot and she "hits" my bus, right in front of me and my coworkers!!! Well, I... ugh... was... speechless...! Is this some kind of SICK nightmare or what? My bus has been off the road for over 6 years, and to have this happen the 1st day back, is just surreal... Well, she was VERRRY SORRRY and said that she probably shouldn't have driven herself to work! She was RIGHT! So, to get to the end of this story, HER insurance company has mailed me a check$ and Oval D has already ordered the replacement parts, so we should be back on the road in time for the FIXX Fest! So, please let this be a lesson to everyone. DON'T drive with a cast on your hand! Oh, and be sure to PARK your bus back in the corner away from EVERYONE ELSE! (See Pics, Below!)
           PEACE@U ALL...Sven out 4 now


           The "Innocent Victim"



           The Terrible Wounds



           The "Evil Assailant"


           (Scroll down for the nice "BEFORE" pictures...)

           Hildagard's Home!!! (finally)... Man, what a LONG strange trip it's been! As many of you know, Hilda was our 1st VW, and we took her off the road 6 years ago to get a QUICK paint job!!... Well, many many moon cycles later the body work and paint and headliner are in... now comes the seat upholstory and a short list of needed parts... but hey, she's back and I'll be getting her tagged soon! Look for us next week @ the BK!... Now, many of you will remember the white clouds over blue sky painted bus, her new skin is "l360" or "Gulf Blue", as the VW chart said!...

           YouTube Alert!!!
           Hey all!!! I invite everybody to check out the V-double-YouTube video of local VW freak chick, Ms. Teri Ent, at the Miami Show, this past February. The Producer's name is Jeff Hacket and his Series is called "Volkslore". This is #2 in the Series. Check it out! Click this link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZGq1mp9gtI
Maybe we'll see him next year @ the "Wild Weekend, April 2009"... Which, by the way, will be the 50th Birthday of the Type 2 Bus!!! BIG PLANS AHEAD! STAY TUNED!

           Thanks for all your love and support...
           Sven out.

P.S. Look for the September Issue of Hot VW, covering the Wild Weekend 2008! Coming Out SOON!
That's the September Issue, on sale August 5th, 2008!

           Also, I'd like to welcome a few NEW SPACE Sponsors to the SPACE Page... Well, they aren't really new... Jack Flash with TBACS (Tampabay Air Cooled Society). Visit his TBACS site @ Just-Buggin.com...

           And, I'd like to welcome back Kathy Jacobs and the South Eastern Volkswagen Club... If her name isn't familar to you, it should be! She does alot for the VW scene in the whole Southeast of America... Visit her site @ SEVWC.com for ANY VW Show info...

           And, don't forget Bert Smith Volkswagen, located in St Petersburg @ the intersection of 38th Ave & US 19. They service ALL watercooled VWs and will get you behind the wheel of a NEW VW, if that's what your in need of...! Call Bert Smith Volkswagen @ 727-527-1111.

           Or, if your aircooled VW is in need of service, and you live north of the St Pete area, well my friend, there is a newer shop called "Aircooled Autohaus", the People's Shop! Located at 4308 Louise Avenue, in Holiday Florida. Call Dave Angleroth @ 727-943-7180 and tell him you heard about Aircooled Autohaus on the SPACE Page!

           Thanks for stopping at our little corner of the world wide web, stay in touch! ...see ya @ the next show!....& please support our sponsors!....they support US!!

...Svenout


Click Here For
Trailer Park Calendar Girls for 2008!

           Well, its 2000 and friiging eight! and Im still not done with my restoration on Hilda (my 1970 bus)... Oh she's close to getting her 1st coat of primer, but the swiss cheese kacoon that we had to put her through is almost over! ( See Hilda Pics HERE )... It was over 3 months ago, when Chopper Joe and I rolled her into his shop, and the "to do" list was WAY-LONG! Now, we're close to the end, and my main driving force is local favorite "Oval D"... that guy can do wonders with a welder and grinder!... I thought he was a top notch motor guy, but woooow, he can do it all!!! Team him up with Chopper Joe and back up!! because here comes the magic!!... "Volkswagens Rejoice!"... Yes someone does know what they're doing and YES they can restore that old bug or bus!!... or weld in those repair panels that you've had for too many years now!.... If this is starting to sound a little like a commercial, then sorry, but I gotta get the word out, NOW!.... Call "Chopper Joe" if you have any questions about services or pricing @727-542-5267.... Oval D and him are planning a new shop together on the horizon, but for now its "Chop's Shop"....they are located in North Largo, off Alt19 and Bellaire Blvd. Your VW will thank you!

...now back to our regular scheduled update...

So, what do you call 2 Honda drivers in a shoe box?
A pair of loafers!


Click Here For The Results Of
The 2007 Greatest Ass in the World Contest!


Have a safe new year. Party on!....Svenout

           1-Hot Summer and a 1-Hot VW issue?Hello SPACE cadets and welcome back,boy its sure hot ugh? and speaking of HOT have ya seen the latest issue of HotVWs yet?You havent well then check this out!....We got 4 pages of stellar coverage from Bruce and the boys out in California who put this great magizine together.Go out right now and get your own copy because they are sure to sell out!....Total preformance/Classic Camber gottum and so does Fischer Buggies,I got mine @ Barnes and Noble so get out and buy 1.sVENOUT

           The Birthday Bash was a BLAST! Thanks to the 40 or so VWs who came out to the Hymie Ranch and took in a beautiful day of sunshine, food and VWs...oh and 2 gallons of BEER!!! YUMMY! Big thanks goes out to Ollie Parker, who is the clubs official beer brewer, you da man! Those of us who consumed it, are looking forward to the next batch (my B-day party BASH July 21st @ Tombstone! More info coming!). Anyhow, I always look forward to hanging out with you all, and Sunday was a real good time. I hope you feel the same!
           Click the thumbnails below to view some pics from the Party!

           The last 10 years in this scene have changed my life in so many ways, I can only imagine what the next 10 will bring. I'm already planning next year's Wild Weekend flyer...! Yeah, I'm thinking about a vintage "VW BUS model kit-look"... Stay tuned...

           Hey, do you live in the St Pete area and need a VW mechanic who makes house calls? Well then, you should call my friend (& Club Member) Duane Yarbrough (aka, Oval "D") He is the BEST @ what he does... He knows these motors from front to back, and only charges $25 per hour! (2 hour minimum.) Call him @ 727-501-3798, and tell him Sven sent ya!
           Or hey, do you need some BODY work? Need some pans welded in, or RUST cut out and replaced with METAL? Hey, you & I both know that shit happens, right? Then, you need my other best friend, Joe Morton. He has opened a small shop called, "Chops Shop". He drives that black 1969 baywindow bus with air, that was on the Pier Show! If you saw it, you know what I mean when I say that it's some of the best paint & body work I have ever seen! Call Joe @ 727-542-5267. Oh yeah, he also makes custom roof racks, too!
           Both of these guys will NOT do you wrong! And, your VW will thank you!!!

           Peace @ you all,
           -Sven out

PRETEND MUSIC... IT'S REAL!            Hey, go to PretendMusic.com to checkout & buy some great "Space Music" CDs by my friend, Chris Duffecy. He's just released his 9th CD of original music, titled "A Trick Of Light". It's really great music to get **** to...      Chill.

           Have you heard of Brandon Volkswagen? They are located at 9816 E. Adamo Drive, Tampa, Florida, and if you live in the East Tampa area, this should be your source for parts and service. My wife & I recently purchased a 2004 Passat - 4motion, and let me tell you this, they treated us RIGHT! Sure, it was a long drive from St. Pete to Brandon, just to buy our car... but it was WORTH IT!!! S-E-R-V-I-C-E!!! Our salesman's name was "Reggie", ask for him by name... and, tell him Sven & Gina sent ya!!!

           Have any of you heard about a Web site called, MySpace.com? Chances are, if you have teenagers, they have... It's a place for anyone to connect and network with other people who think alike! Sounds cool, right? Well, they have a HUGE VW fan base, too. The Clubs and Groups Section has a VW Forum for its members to post to and use. And, the whole thing is FREE! Now, it's NO Samba, I'll tell ya right now. But, it is a whole new world for us VW FREAKS who just can't seem to get enough of all things VW! ("Yes Honey, I'll be off the computer soon!")

           And, while you're on the MySpace site, click on the Music Section... It's huge, too! Note: My band has a Page on MySpace! Click this link to view the Page and download MP3s of some of our songs and jamms! MySpace.com/3tribesofthemoon

           Again, it's all about MY SPACE and YOUR SPACE! So, go out there & explore the cyber world around us... This digital domain is yours to control and use!!!

PEACE@you all,
Sven-out

           If your looking for a coool VW gift, then check out this VW-Partsman! They're perfect for the garden, or front yard. They're made out of 100% VW motor parts and will last a lifetime. The creator of these little works of art is "5$ Robb", or Robert Webb, as his mother calls him! The going rate is only a mere $50 each. Call him NOW to reserve yours... He's only gonna make a few, so call NOW... Operators are standing by... Call 727-544-3690... (Also, ask about the "$350 turnkey 1600 rebuilt-motor" special!!!)

The VW-Partsman by Robert Webb

And, if you want a cool Web Site Design for your business, Contact my friend, Chris Duffecy, at CJD Productions / Lucrative Internet Services. He does our Web site.