Newsletter

April 2018

preface

Do our politicians have that same feeling? If I look at the smug faces of Poetin and Erdogan, I have my doubts.  Trump however is a special case. If I look really good at him, I don’t believe that he has ever been young. According to me he has never been a hustler, nor had that energy of a young foal in the meadow….

It’s sad, when you see that such a man, without reflection, can shamelessly ‘penalize’ the world’s economy with his protective measures. Everything he wants, has been tried in the past and had disastrous consequences. From famine (and death) in the thirties till the ‘chicken tax’ on Volkswagen buses in the seventies.

I’m not an economist and even less a visionary, but I do know that the only (economical) power behind the growth of the economy in the world and the involved decrease of poverty, can only be achieved through globalization and cross-border cooperation between countries and economies…. I really don’t see any reason nor excuse that it will be worth to end up again in a cold war or an economic boycott, in which we have to bid against one another. I rather see one open field without economic borders, where work and joy of work can be shared. Where labour will be equally divided upon our shoulders and where we can all travel around, discover and live together in all happiness. That’s what good visionary world leaders should strive after…

Do you also have the feeling that everything goes a bit smoother? Springtime makes you feel as a young foal in the meadow, that’s nice… We have nothing against the young blood….

Don’t blame the others, but try out what you can improve. And that counts not only in politics or economy, but it applies on everything… even in our Volkswagen world. During our latest foreign trade missions, we’ve visited a great number of manufacturers, discussing production processes and pointing to the importance of quality and correct production. I hope I have made a difference for our Volkswagen community. I definitely wish to thank all the Brazilian people I’ve paid a visit to for their hospitality!

You can follow all our adventures of our Brazilian trip on the BBT blog https://blog.bbt4vw.com. Please do it!

So one thing remains on my to do list: wishing you all a splendid spring season, release the foal in you, frolic and playful in the early heartwarming sunshine. Enjoy the annual returning feeling of youth!

Good luck!
Bob

New products

Screw side side pop-out frame - Stainless Steel

0397-130  
Bus -07/67
N 10 905 1

The little screw that makes a big difference! Now available brand new. These small screws hold the split window pop out window frame together! Sold each!

Tailgate lock - Chrome TQ

0429-505  
Bus 08/66-07/71
211 829 231G

Brand new and incredibly nice!! These tailgate locks for your Bay Windows are top quality! There are two models to choose from, early Bay Window or late Bay Window. The early Bay Window is about equal to our BBT ref 0429-5, but the quality is a way higher. Both models do come with the correct “R profile” keys just like original. This is the best tailgate lock money can buy!

Antenna Safari - Chrome

0432-800  
Bus -07/67

When your split window bus has safari windows the choice of antenna’s is very limited. Now we  offer the antenna in exact the same model like Volkswagen did back in the day, this is as it should be… time to play that radio Franky!

Cabine door lock catch, left/right

0438-750  
Karmann Ghia 08/55-07/63
141 837 295

Last year we had a lot of problems with the door lock catch for the Karmann Ghia, built before end of July 1963. Originally they came in plastic and they had the intention to break real fast, especially as so many door hinges on Ghia’s have little play and don’t align very well with locking mechanism. We decided to team up with a German CNC manufacturer and designed this door lock catch in aluminum to the highest tolerances. Aluminum has the characteristic, that it will not break of course. At the same time we redesigned, that we could easily make one piece fitting for left as well right side, what made us to rename all under the BBT part 0438-750 and we could delete BBT ref 0438-751. BBT ref 0438-750 will fit left as  well as right as one unique part. We finished the part in anodised black for proper looking to match originals. Sold each.

Door hinge pin 8.0mm (standard) - Stainless Steel

0475-500  
Bus -07/67
211 831 421

Get rid of that play on your door hinges!! BBT delivers the door hing pin for your early bus (split window bus) in stainless steel. Top quality as you’re used to get from BBT at a real decent price. Sold each!

Fuel sender TQ

0493-705  
Bus 02/55-07/67
Karmann Ghia 8/60-7/61 & 8/66-07/73
271 919 051B

We already have the economy version of this fuel sender since a longer time in our program under our BBT ref 0493-7, but most customers want a better quality, as the cheap one was not as good as it looked… The problem is inside, a very thin wire that holds the float needs almost nothing to break… that problem is finished now with this top quality, easily comparable with OEM! BBT cares about quality parts as nobody else!

Radio knob set Ivory

0525-002

For the Vintage lovers we have now the ivory radio knobs to play these Vintage tunes on your car radio in style! We supply these knobs with extra adjusting sleeves, so they will fit most Vintage car radios. These radio knobs come in the classic (pre 67) VW button style to match perfectly with the other switches in your car. We stock the ivory ones and can supply the white and black version of this product on special order. Sold in a set of one pair and all necessary hardware and even a small allen key to fix the buttons exactly to perfection!

Fuse box for 8 fuses

0662-502  
Bus 04/60-07/67
211 937 037

Cable grommet boot

0799-300  
Bus 05/79-08/92
321 971 840

For all your T25/T3 Vanagon lovers….

Front floor pan complete (LHD)

0890-134-0  
Bus 03/55-08/59
211 801 051

Cab floors… another work of quality, perfect fit well-tested and at least as high quality as original NOS parts. The floors have been made on patterns of BBT buses… and fitted on BBT buses. Your sign for quality! Check our quality and finishing, incomparable with all the “repair” panels on the market. We, at BBT, are not developing “repair” panels, but we produce only “RESTORATION PANELS”, different philosophy for a better product! Available for Left and Right hand drive.

Heatingtube central

1097-650  
Bus 03/55-07/72
211 255 785/A

This tube is the long metal tube that goes under your bus from front to rear to guide the generated heat of your heat exchangers to the front cabin. This tube is indispensable for a good working heater system in ANY bus made between 55 and 72. Fits split and early bay windows, all models from deluxe, panels, pick ups and trucks. If not rusted out, many times this tube is missing or totally dented. We offer the perfect replacement restoration product here! We supply as well the insulation that originally covers the heating tube system .You can find it under BBT ref 1098-500

Brake line reservoir to master cylinder 81cm

1208-140  
Bus 08/67-07/72
211 611 805E

After long research and looking for a correct supplier, we finished these new brake lines in all correctness! These brake lines guide the brake fluid meticulously between your brake fluid reservoir and the master cylinder from your Bay window bus. Very often they suffered from heat and weather elements or just went old and cracky and so are no longer trustworthy and reliable, what they really should be. We give you here the possibility to replace them by a correct replacement part. Our brake lines are made to resist brake fluid. This is NOT your ordinary garden hose!! Looks, feels and smells like original! As always we predict that brake systems are the most important thing to sort out on classic cars. It really matters. If your engine dies that’s one thing, but if your brakes fail, you can get in a lot of trouble! Prevent your brake system from failing. It starts with a good and thorough inspection at least once a year. If you have doubts about certain parts, don’t hesitate but replace them at once. This can cost lives, maybe not yours but others too! Brakes are no “play zone”! Three models to choose from….

Trailing arm front Left complete

1334-060  
Beetle 1303 08/73-
133 407 151A

Complete trailing arms for later 1303 “Super” beetles… in very good quality at unbeatable prices!

Front axle bearing

1396-350  
Bus 07/63-07/67
211 401 301A

This needle bearing sits in your front axle housing and lets turn your trailing arm smoothly and freely in your front axle housing… These are the outer needle bearings that will fit the front axles of your split window bus with the “big” trailing arms built from the 1964 model year (starting at the 1st of August from the 1963 year of production) all the way up till the end of the split window bus production. Sold each.

Gasket kit transmission - German

1415-080  
Beetle -07/60
Karmann Ghia -07/60
Bus -04/59

BBT offers now a full gasket set for the split case transmission up to 1960. Proudly made in Germany this is the best money can buy!

Gearbox oildrainplug magnetic

1493-030113 301 141 B

When two metal parts are running over each other, you will always have some metal micro parts (metal filings) coming loose. In transmissions, it’s that little left over filings that get absorbed in the oil… Well, this magnetic drain plug will get those micro-metal parts out of your oil and hold onto it for you until your next oil change! I don’t think we have to tell you this is in direct line with the life span of your transmission? Prolong life of your tranny for very little cost!!

Front engine tinware, singleport

2250-180  
Bus 08/67-07/70 (1600cc)
211 119 517D

Early bay windows or T2a as we call them in Europe have a different front engine tin than beetles and early buses. Front engine tin is located between engine and transmission. To make your engine airtight against your firewall. BBT has this special tin now available and is happy to distribute it! We have two models, for in fan shroud oil coolers (single port engines) and for Dog house oil cooler systems (dual port engines).

Fuel gauge mechanical - Beige

2655-050  
Beetle 07/61-07/67
113 919 029

We’re happy to introduce our brand new mechanical fuel gauges! Quality made with a perfect fit and a life time expectation at least as long as the original… comes complete with a brand new reinforced cable for flawless operation. Available in two different dial colors, beige and green. Extensively tested product that ensures an extreme high quality. Exactly as that old original fuel gauge ,which served a way longer as VW engineers ever intended when they developed that fuel gauge light years ago.

Switch cover in dash

2670-515  
Beetle 1303 Bus 04/79-07/92
133 957 087

For your 1303 or “SuperBeetle” we made the “dummy switch”, the blanks to fill up the holes in your dash, perfect fit and finish, exactly like original. Perfect fit with good tension so definitely no rattle or noise which you don’t need…. replace that old scruffy one now, fill up those empty holes or switch that disabused one…

Dashboard clip holds dashboard cluster to dashboard

2675-700  
Bus 08/67-07/79
211 957 089

This is the little clip that holds the dashboard cluster into your Bay window bus dashboard. 

We made this product simply because we had a LOT of demands for used parts… These days are over now (and our used stocks down to zero) so we can easily supply these clips brand new in a real good quality… problem solved. We can all mount our dashboard clusters again as it should. Sold per piece and you need 4 per panel.

Exhaust Abarth 25/36hp 'Vintage Speed' with pre-heat risers / Stainless steel

3280-070  
Type 1

We replaced our Abarth exhausts with the Abarth style exhausts from Vintage Speed. Quality made in high-grade stainless steel made to last. It assures perfect looks! This is the must have exhaust for your old speed style engine… looks cool and sounds even better! The best Vintage style sports exhaust money can buy. Get yours now!

Seat padding, backrest, front

3500-100  
Beetle 50-55
113 881 775

We enlarged our seat padding line dramatically with all the seat paddings you need for your pre 55 Beetle, split and early oval window. Same quality as all our other ones. Our seat paddings have been recognized as very well-fitting and perfectly preformed. Now you can get that seat job done properly on those early cars!

Tow hitch - (with TüV)

4850-100  
Beetle
Karmann Ghia

These towbars come with TÜV approval, the German quality control label. This means that these towbars are manufactured under official licence and that you will not have any problems with them at any car inspection in Europe.  
The tow bar can be easily mounted without drilling and is supplied with all mounting materials. Only the electrical connection has to be bought separately, available under BBT reference 4850-000.
Suitable for Beetle, Beetle convertible or Karmann Ghia.

Westfalia louvre window knob (black)

6620-100  
Bus 08/67-07/79
231 845 901

Bay window Westfalia louvre windows are operated to open and close the turning section by a big knob, which was made from plastic, but which didn’t withstand time very well. Plastic became hard and broke especially on buses baking in the Californian sun, which have been lately imported into Europe with so many. BBT has now the perfect solution for this problem with these brand new knobs. They are perfect in any way and UV resistant as well! Look and feel like the original, this is the real deal, no compromise!

Catchplate doorwindowfasterners - stainless steel (pair)

7437-600  
Bus -07/67
211 837 813A + 211 837 814A

These small plates are many times missing or totally worn out on many split window buses. Originally painted, but we’ve decided to stock them in stainless steel. 

For those who don’t like scratched paint on their bus, just buff them up and they will become all shiny! If you don’t like them shiny, you can still paint them. This is a two in one solution this way.

Sold by the pair, and proudly tested on several buses out of the BBT collection.

Buffer dome lightswitch sliding door

7570-025  
Bus 08/74-07/79
211 947 575A

This little rubber duck switches off your dome light switch in your Bay Window. Mounted in the sliding door for Deluxe models. It makes sure that the dome light switches off at the moment you close the door. Many times missing,suffering because of age, or just missing after an extensive restoration, we now deliver the right model!

Front window seal 'Deluxe' (Plastic trim)

7800-100  
Type 3 08/63-
311 843 121

New seal for the real Type 3 lover … This Deluxe seal is a very high quality seal that is made with a groove to accept a deluxe window moulding. It’s the only rubber to give your car back that factory look! If there’s enough demand for this one, we would also love to bring back the side and rear window rubber with the groove.
logo BBT

BBT produced

#0438-750
Cabine door lock catch, left/right
Price modifications are indicated on the pricelist itself!
NLA
#0465
NLA 'Baby Bravo' mirror left

#0511-530
NLA Classic quick shifter (straight) 13.8" T1,KG (Ivory knob) Vintage Speed

#0811-1
USE Bumperretainer rear left -67

#0821
NLA Hinge reinforcement left

#0822
NLA Hinge reinforcement right

#0840
NLA Inner sill right

#0891-051
NLA Front wing rear part right Type2 68-72

#0892-344
NLA Rear wheelarch left T25 79-92

#0892-345
NLA Rear wheelarch right T25 79-92

#1249-56
NLA Adapter 1/8" NPT -> M10x1 (wrench size 14 mm)

#1740
Valve seats 35.5 mm
by 4

#2614
NLA Autometer 3.75' 8000 RPM

#6000-321
NLA Key ring with bottle opener the design of the VW T1 Bus - blue

#6290-022
NLA STICKER L 595
Price modifications are indicated on the pricelist itself!
SOO
#0538-730
Cargo doormats, as pair (black)

#0539-3
Carpet kit, Karmann Ghia convertible, black

#0601-201
NLA Marchal lampcover (set)

#1854
NLA Oil suction kit

#2908-350
Headlining, perforated vinyl, for sliding roof

#3110
Universal seat frame

#9100-11
Convertible outer hood, Vinyl, beige

#9200-15
Headlining for Beetle convertible, cotton / beige

#9496-29
NLA Airmighty 29

#9496-PO-16
NLA Airmighty Portfolio 2016
Following items are still available @ BBT but due to low demand they are now available as special order what might be subject to longer delivery terms.

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