Nancy ‘72 Yellow bug
Name: Davey Jones
Location: Barry Island
Three words to describe yourself?
Laidback, Enthusiastic, Positive
How long have you been in the scene / interested in VWs?
I’ve been in the scene since 2004 but the interest in VWs started as a small child.
What sparked your interest in VWs?
I blame Herbie, that little car has a lot to answer for.
Aircooled or Watercooled?
I go both ways but lean mostly towards aircooled.
What’s your daily drive?
T4 Doka - Truckasaurus
Anything else in your collection?
72 Beetle
64 Splitscreen Devon
77 Bay Window & Bay Window Trailer (soon to be for sale)
Are you working on any interesting projects right now?
The big project is the Bay Window & trailer. It’ll keep me out of mischief over the winter.
Anything still on the wish list?
Realistically a Baja as I’ve got a kit tucked away. I’ve also got unfinished business with a Mk1 Caddy. Money no object it has to be a Hebmüller but I’d settle for a decent Wizard.
Other than BVF, which events do you attend?
I try to get to as many as I can to be honest within reason. My staples are Volksworld, Barryfornia, Bug Jam, Cowbridge Cars & Coffee and Slough Swapmeet.
If you could only go on one roadtrip, where would it be and what would you drive(VW)?
I’d love to take my beetle over to Germany with my good lady Bryony. We’d go to the Wolfsburg Museum for a tour & a hotdog (the sausages have an official VW part number!!) Most definitely a zoom up the autobahn too.
What does the future of the VW scene look like to you?
It’s vibrant and there are a lot of cool VWs being built/rescued at the moment. I worry that it’s becoming more unaffordable for younger people to get into. The cars and the parts are a hell of a lot more expensive than when I started out. There are a lot of big expensive builds in the magazines at the moment so I’m hoping that people who can’t afford to or wont spent crazy money will tackle their cars themselves and produce some pretty cool builds. Creativity will always be cooler than whatever the latest trend is.
Vehicle Details:
How long have you owned: I’ve had Nancy (named after my Grandma) since March 2005.
Model: 1972 1300A Beetle
Engine Size: 1915cc
BHP: Awaiting a trip back to the dyno for an official figure but definitely a couple more ponies than stock.
Wheels: The fronts are black 4.5j smoothie steels with 145/65/15 tyres. The rears are polished 5.5j Centerlines with 205/70/15 tyres.
Colour: Texas Yellow
Modifications: All of the modifications and restoration work have been carried out by Custom Classics in Barry. My plans changed a lot over the build & they had plenty of patience with me. Body wise the car has had a fair bit of smoothing with the front indicators, chrome trims, ariel, half-moon vents & exhaust cut outs disappearing. The rear lights have been swapped to 1200 style lights. The rear valance is now removable for easy access to the engine. The decklid has standoffs at the top and bottom to aid with cooling.
The inside has been converted to take a 1200 headliner to expose more paint (good job yellow is my favourite colour!). The dash has been extensively modified to house three additional gauges and a monster tach with shift light. The stereo hole has also been welded up along with the dash top vents. The front of the car has been lowered with a 2” narrowed front beam with dropped spindles.
Special Feature(s): The main feature of this car is the engine. With twin 44 IDF carbs and a merged header it produces all of the right noises. It gets up and boogies down the road rather nicely. I’m hoping to get it to the dragstrip at Santa Pod next season after a few winter tweaks. There’s a line lock fitted for the all-important burnouts.
There is also a hidden stereo system in the car. The head unit has been relocated to the glove box. Speaker wise there are two 4” speakers hidden in the front foot wells and a pair of 6x9s in a stealth shelf/tool box all built by my Dad. He also recovered the seats in his garage. I’m very lucky to have him as my Dad and technical supervisor.
