Five “DLV” air-cooled Volkswagen (including Herbie) visited the 19^th VW Bug Show in Lengenfeld, Lower Austria, today. We had a good time, even though it was a bit rainy.

Yesterday, the newsmagazine “Heute” published something about Herbie’s World Tour.

The picture was taken in the Atacama Desert of Chile on our trip across South America.

We’ve already done 150,000 kilometers so far and our 34 horsepower are still running.

It is time for the 19^th VW Bug Show in Lengenfeld, Lower Austria. We’ll be there on Saturday. If you are interested in following our convoy, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Domi had a glorious past when he was participating at “Gas Saving Competitions”. From 2004 to 2006 he was always one of the best drivers until he won it all in 2006.

The deal was to drive a car for about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) as gas saving as possible. There are many tricks how to save gas, especially with a manual shift.

In 2004, when Domi attended this kind of tournament for the first time, he surprisingly finished third. At that time he didn’t know, that his lucky streak would continue.

In 2005, he came in second and was even faster than his fellow champion. Now his dream was to reach the last step. Domi was anxious to win the following year.

And he did! In 2006, Domi finally won the entire competition and got country’s “Gas Saving Champion” . He just used a bit more than three liters of gas for 100 kilometers.

The first prize was a brand new Smart ForTwo Coupé, which he sold in order to afford a car for his mom. With the remaining amount of money he could buy himself Herbie!

Yesterday, we, “Die Luftverkühlten” (or DLV), took a ride. Four Bugs and a LT followed the route of our “Late Summer Ride” (LSR) which will take place in September. Afterwards we sat together in Domi’s former family home chatting about VW stuff.

At present, Herbie No. II runs with a fuel injected engine made in Brazil, powered by 1,600 cc. Our plan is to change that. Herbie should get back to his original 1,200 cc.

The motor with fuel injection (above) runs really great! Domi says, it’s the best engine, he has ever driven. Its power during acceleration is truly amazing. And it was for sure a pioneer work by Domi and his friend Friedrich to install such a motor in such a Bug.

At the moment, Domi reactivates an old 1,200 cc carburetor engine he got from another Beetle, which burnt out, went for sale and Domi bought just couple days ago (see post). Therefore, Herbie will ride again “with 34 horses around the globe” very soon.

Herbie’s World Tour just got featured a second time in the so-called “Camping Revue” by the Austrian Camping Club (ÖCC). The first part was a printed version (see “Press”). But both parts are also published online. They are written by Domi in German and you can find them by following this link or clicking the picture below.

Although we were not camping across South America this time, the ÖCC was excited to tell its readers another adventure made by Herbie and his owners. And we, as we are back in Austria, are now looking forward to going on tour very soon again.

After several years of driving within Austria and touring across Europe last year, Herbie finally got new tires. Domi bought ones made by the Asian brand Hankook. But we had problems to get them on the rims. Due the storage, the tires got deformed, so it wasn’t possible to inflate them. But Friedrich had a special trick (see below).

We sprayed brake parts cleaner between rim and tire and ignited the area by using a lighter. The sudden expansion put the rubber into the right position. Sometimes you simply have to improvise, even though the idea sounds a bit weird!

Herbie No. II and Flo’s ‘66 went for a ride, with two trailers in tow, the other day.  They picked up a completely disassembled VW Bug from 1984 and a moped, which they got from various auctions. Domi bought the old Beetle just because he needs its engine. We’ll have to figure out what we’ll do with all the other parts of the car.

Last weekend Domi and his good friend Flo from the air-cooled community DLV drove in his Bug from 1966 to Upper Austria to pick up Herbie No. II and the other “QEK” camper. They were stored in an old farmer’s barn. After that they visited their friend and mechanic, Friedrich Hübsch, in Waldhausen im Strudengau, where Flo’s Bug got a new gas tank and where we tried to clean out his plugged-up fuel line.

It was time to say “goodbye” for us, as we left Herbie No. I, “QEK” the camper and Ridgecrest, California. We went back home to Austria, Europe.

The Love Bug set-up will remain in the US while we are preparing Herbie No. II and ourselves for another adventure and continuing Herbie’s World Tour.

We’re flying back home to Austria! Our plan for there is to activate our Love Bug No. II in order to continue Herbie’s World Tour on the other side of the globe. Domi and his friend Michael Lee Phillips went on a last trip in Herbie No. I for this year. They visited Trona in Searles Valley, where Michael was born and raised. He also showed Domi the local cemetery and the graves of his parents, Ruth and Frank.

Domi went shopping again. At the local junk yard he found three engine lid scripts for just ten Bucks. We’ll take them back home in order put one of those on Herbie No. II.

As Herbie No. II is powered by a fuel injected engine, this script would perfectly fit.

But Domi actually bought three different Volkswagen emblems for the engine hoods.

We’ll might put an original motor (1,200 cc with carburetor) back into Herbie No. II. For that case, we could easily change the “Fuel Injection” script into the “Volkswagen” one.

Very soon we’ll have to leave Herbie No. I and his fellow camper behind. They will be waiting for us here in Southern California, while we are in Europe or somewhere else.

Today we did our last laundry. The clothes are hanging on a tree to dry, right besides our Love Bug in front of the apartment. On Friday we’ll leave Ridgecrest, California.

This is the new spot where Herbie and “QEK Junior”, the camper, are going to stay, while we are gone, preparing Herbie No. II for another adventure, exploring the world.

We received a package by mail from South America the other day. The Classic VW Club Paraguay sent us a copy of the “ABC Color” magazine featuring Herbie’s World Tour. But the package also included a gorgeous handcrafted pin. Thank you so much!

With over 21 million manufactured in an air-cooled, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive configuration, the Volkswagen Beetle is the longest-running and most-manufactured car of a single design platform anywhere in the world. Let’s celebrate!

Herbie’s World Tour got featured in the latest edition of “FUSCA & CIA”, a Brazilian magazine about the air-cooled Volkswagen Bug. The story goes over eight full pages and includes a lot of pictures from our travels around the world. The article is written in Portuguese by Luiz Guedes Jr. from Brazil.

We just rewarded Herbie with the so-called “Safety Star”. Domi found a very nice reproduction of this vintage accessory on an online auction website.

The “Safety Star” was given out as a reward to excellent drivers by their insurance companies in the past. We think, Herbie deserves that too!

Normally, people would have the “Safety Star” as a license plate topper. We’ll put it on top of Herbie’s right rear bumper guard serving as a third brake light.

The original “Safety Stars” were introduced in the 1930ies and were exclusively manufactured by “National Safety Devise” in San José, California.

After traveling around the world without seeing passing cars on both sides of the camper, we finally found the proper extension mirrors for Herbie at an American retailer.

The only mirror we used was the interior one looking through three windows – the back of the VW as well as the front and the back window of our “QEK Junior” camper.

The Love Bug might looks a bit odd with these new mirrors, but they really work and are easy to install. Back in Europe we couldn’t find those – in the US we got lucky.

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Herbie has no blind spot anymore! We were driving hundreds of thousands of miles blind sided around the globe and back in Austria before. We finally improved that!

“Tow-N-See” is the name of the product, Domi discovered at an American retail store. We’re looking forward to pulling “QEK” with seeing what’s going on in the back.

You just place the vacuum cup against the surface of your existing mirror. We tested the strength by hitting the freeway with maximum speed. Everything worked out!

Herbie will remain in the Great State of California, where also his brother from Walt Disney comes from. He enjoys the dryness in the desert of the Golden State.

California is the third largest and by far the most populous state of the United States.

If California were a country, it would be the eighth-largest economy in the world.

Ridgecrest in Kern County, is where Herbie’s camp is located. Although we’ll get home in two weeks, we’ll be back here in 2013, after we’ve traveled through Africa.

At this year’s “VW Classic” show in Irvine, Domi bought new chrome running board moldings for Herbie. So now he got new stripes besides the red, white and blue ones.

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After…

Michael and Domi checked out the lower section of Kern River near Kernville and Lake Isabella in the Sierra Mountains of Southern California last week in order to find out more about its white water rapids, because they want to kayak down there. While observing the flow of the river, they discovered an actual gold mining camp.

It was very interesting for Domi and Michael meeting and talking to the gold miner. He was telling them that he’s making money for all his daily needs by chasing gold.

The Kern River is one of the most storied rivers in the West, as well as one of the most dangerous ones. Merle Haggard actually wrote a famous song about the Kern.

Above you can see one of the signs put up by the miner including his mining claim and its number. Gold mining is obviously getting back in trend, as the stakes are high.

Gold was discovered for the first time along the upper river in 1853 and is still a hot spot for gold rushing men in the West. Below a picture of the miner’s home.

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While we spent time in Veracruz, Mexico, Domi bought a complete hall effect distributor kit (including ignition module) for our American Love Bug. Just a couple days ago Herbie got his new feature installed and he seems to feel very well with it.

Before…

After…

Our neighbors and dear friends, Diego and Pablo Ramírez graduated from Ridgecrest’s Sherman E. Burroughs High School this year. It was a great honor for us getting invited to their commencement exercises at the school stadium.

Today Herbie and Domi visited the reportedly “greatest VW show on earth”, better known as California’s “VW Classic 2012” in Irvine, near Los Angeles. Hundreds of air-cooled Volkswagen showed up and the Love Bug enjoyed being part of the show.