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A Texan visits Australia... (and wants to see your veedubs - who's up for it??)

57HotrodVW - October 6th, 2008 at 06:41 AM

Hi all,

My name is Eric Ellis and I am now in your great country, while on a trip that is part business, part vacation. This is a follow up to my visit earlier this year.

I'll be here for a total of ~3.5 weeks - Sydney to start (through the 13th), then down to Canberra (through the 17th), up to northern QLD (through the 23rd), and back to Sydney again until the 27th.

If some of you guys are up to it, I'd love to check out some of your cars and/or just grab some food and beers when time permits (did the same recently while in Finland)

I'll be free on weekend days and after ~6:00pm during the week. If you're interested in getting together, reply to this post or send me an email and I'll give you my contact info.

I already got a cool/different taste of the VW scene in Australia when I went to the King Edward Park Hillclimb with Greg Ward. While there, I met Nathan Abbott, his brother Mick, and dad John. It was very cool seeing Nathan running some very quick times in his VW - not much better than seeing a Volkswagen beat up on all kinds of other sports cars and purpose built racers.

Unfortunately, a brush with a curb and the resulting collapsed trailing arm ended Nathan's quest for a win late in the day.

Nathan decided that he'd like to check out the damage to the car, so we headed over to Glenn Torrens' place. Upon arrival, I met Glenn, who proceeed to show me around his shop. Glenn has got some nice veedubs. In addition, he has a killer, custom VW front and rear disc brake setup (big binders!), which he's been designing and building for some time. Glenn also had a 'fridge full of beer when we got there, but the beer seems to be missing now... :-) Thanks, guys.

I'll be helping Greg Ward with his car later today - working on minor stuff as well as installing some killer new parts from Big Wig Race Cars - bling, bling!

Here are a few pics - more to come...

--Eric

57HotrodVW - October 6th, 2008 at 06:44 AM

Nathan winds his way through the hay bales

Rounding the corner - what a view!

Up the hill

Top of "The Pinch", and about to go 'round the bales

More curves and awesome views

Me and the tow truck "captain" in a cool, old Jeep truck

57HotrodVW - October 6th, 2008 at 06:54 AM

Hmmm, looks like an alignment may be in order...

"Supervisor" John Abbott keeps an eye on Nathan and Glenn

Glenn Torrens and his hillclimb VW project

Glenn's big front disc brake setup and some of the missing beer

Aussie built '67, along w/Glenn's oval in the background)

Another of Glenn's cars - a US export late 'vert

dangerous - October 6th, 2008 at 07:03 AM

Wow Eric, great pictures.
Welcome back!

BiX - October 6th, 2008 at 08:02 AM

Hi Eric,
To ask you a question, I will be spending a few days in Austin later this month, what are some good sights, pubs, etc to see? I will get all day sunday, monday and tuesday night and wens till about 4pm?

Cheers

Drew

57HotrodVW - October 6th, 2008 at 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dangerous
Wow Eric, great pictures.
Welcome back!

Thanks, Dave. Wish I could have made it up to Warwick, but did have a good time at New Castle.

57HotrodVW - October 6th, 2008 at 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BiX
Hi Eric,
To ask you a question, I will be spending a few days in Austin later this month, what are some good sights, pubs, etc to see? I will get all day sunday, monday and tuesday night and wens till about 4pm?

Cheers

Drew

Hey Drew,

I spent a number of years in Austin while going to school at the University of Texas there, so I know the area well.

Where will you be staying and will you have a car? Public transportation is available, but will likely be lacking compared to big cities in AU.

6th street in downtown Austin is where a lot of the bars are. If you go a little further north, you can visit the Texas state capital building.

Here are a few links that you might find helpful:

6th Street - http://austin.about.com/cs/sixthstreet/p/sixthstreet.htm
The bats on Congress - http://austin.about.com/cs/bats/p/bats.htm
The 'Dillo free downtown shuttle - http://austin.about.com/cs/tours/p/vt_dt_dillo.htm
Self-Guided Tours of Austin - http://austin.about.com/od/tours/tp/self-guided_tours.htm

The Continental Club is a good bar to visit, and depending when you go, they'll have a variety of things going on:
http://www.continentalclub.com/Austin.html

It'll be a bit of a drive, but the Oasis restaurant on the hills that overlook Lake Travis is a great place for sites and Mexican food:
http://www.continentalclub.com/Austin.html

If you like barbeque, try Rudy's or County Line - good stuff!
http://www.countyline.com/
http://rudys.com/

Feel free to send me an email if you'd like more info - hotrodvw@need4speed.com

BiX - October 6th, 2008 at 10:40 AM

I will send you an email, but one quick question, any good leads on VW parts in Austin? with the aussie dollar going downhill fast, it may be to lat though

Sides - October 6th, 2008 at 10:48 AM

Heh - Brutal doesn't need any more parts added.... it just needs to be taken out and raced !!!

:lol:

ang3lsholocaust - October 6th, 2008 at 11:29 AM

HAHAHA. Typical John Abbott Style. always the Supervisor
:P
Good to see a few shots of heath and christine's orange bug and Ben durie and grant cooks red and white bug too.
Will have to make the trip back to newi sometime to catch up with these guys.

Hey 57HotrodVW. Get glen to hook you up with some hood jacks to take back to the US. They are a top little ozi product that he has got there. Along with the brake kit he has been developing.

Jace

57HotrodVW - October 7th, 2008 at 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BiX
I will send you an email, but one quick question, any good leads on VW parts in Austin? with the aussie dollar going downhill fast, it may be to lat though

There are a few VW shops in Austin, but I don't imagine that their general inventory of aftermarket parts is very big.

You'd probably better off ordering parts from one of the big vendors in California, having them shipping to an address in Austin (your hotel?), then bringing them back w/you.

Ric Campbell of Big Wig Race Cars lives on the south side of Austin, while longtime VW racer David Crow lives on the north side of town (Link 1 and Link 2)

--Eric

57HotrodVW - October 7th, 2008 at 11:49 AM

Anybody in the Sydney area up for meeting this week for beers and/or to check out your veedubs?

I'm staying at the Shangri-La in The Rocks area, but have a rental car and don't mind driving a bit.

--Eric

Brian - October 7th, 2008 at 06:59 PM

Great pics
thanks
:crazy:

LIFE IN THE LOW LANE - October 7th, 2008 at 08:13 PM

Pay Westi a visit at his shop and have a peep at the Junka. Westside mufflers in Padstow I think??

Dak-A-Tak - October 7th, 2008 at 10:23 PM

Full Throttle Friday is on at Western Sydney Dragway (10/10/08) . Check out there web site for details .Normally a good turn-out .
Jump in Sydney guys !

57HotrodVW - October 8th, 2008 at 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dak-A-Tak
Full Throttle Friday is on at Western Sydney Dragway (10/10/08) . Check out there web site for details .Normally a good turn-out .
Jump in Sydney guys !

Thanks for the heads up, Peter.

I think that I will go out to the drags on Friday, and it would be awesome to see some Aussie 'dubs running there.

According to the track website, it looks like gates open at 4:30pm/5:00pm, and racing will go on until 11:00pm.

If anyone is going and would like to meet up at the track, drop me a line and I'll give you my cell number -- hotrodvw@need4speed.com

--Eric

dangerous - October 8th, 2008 at 06:12 AM

Perhaps a trip out to Penrith to CBB (Custom Bugs & Buses)

Mike has a very awesome shop and this is worth a look too!

vw54 - October 8th, 2008 at 07:27 AM

PM sent

57HotrodVW - October 10th, 2008 at 08:16 AM

Hi all,

Looks like I'll be over at Greg Ward's in Abbotsford this afternoon, helping him install his new interior gear from Big Wig Race cars, then out to Western Sydney Dragway for Full Throttle Friday in the evening/night (any 'dubbers going??)

On Saturday AM I'll be in Penrith, visiting Custom Bugs & Buses. In the afternoon, I'll be at Vintage Vee Dub Supplies in Campsie.

See some of you guys soon!

No plans for Sunday yet...

--Eric