Corona make our lives expensive. Not as much by the rate of unemployment or extra investments in healthcare, but strictly by over consumption.
That’s right, all retail sales moved up since March last year and not by a little bit.

Furniture, interior, garden, clothing, online sales peaked of all sort.
That makes an over demand for producing and shipping goods from the industrial countries, in the Far East and in South-America.

Resulting in a giant price increase in raw materials and shipping costs.
With raising prices, worldwide that is.

Scientists give as reason that people want to please themselves, not so much by services now (holidays, dinners, parties) but with personal goods, like a new car or a set of garden furniture.
Seems in Brazil delivery time of a new car was never longer than today and suppliers of the assembly lines are overbooked, they don’t have time to fill our orders.

And if the shipping was getting better regulated last couple of weeks one of world’s largest ocean container liners blocks the Suez Canal now as it was hit by stormy winds last Tuesday, and hit the shores.
As it looked easy to get the vessel floating again, more problems occured during rescue and it seems they should unload 7000 containers from the liner monster… in the middle of the desert that is!

30% of worlds ocean traffic passes through the Suez Canal, the detour around Africa takes 10 days longer costing remarkable more fuel.
By the time of reading over 200 vessels are in the queue now by this incident not able to move North or South.

We have several 40 footers on different vessels in the cue, with more delays for infill on our stocks.
We monitor daily and work hard with suppliers, manufacturers and shippers to keep price increases to absolute minimums and move up manufacturing and shipping procedures.

We should get a lot of products in the month of April… if not all lined up in the Suez Canal…..

But even with all global problems we manage every week to add products to our ever growing product line.
Let’s start with T25/T3 Vanagon news this week, as we add the rubber collars in the gas tank, which seals the filler tubes.

Three different sizes exist, we start with two most popular and the third one coming any time soon.

0492-858 Seal filler neck (70/57.5mm) – Bus 05/79-07/92 – metal fillertube

0492-859 Seal filler neck (70/57.5mm) – Bus 05/79-07/92 – plastic fillertube

For our real vintage lovers we add the typical Split window beetle ashtray.
Export model split window beetles got this typical cylindrical ashtray in the dashboard  starting chassis n° 1-0169714 (June 03 1950) till the start of the “zwitter” production in October 1952.

Split window ashtrays, made of aluminum, many times victims of heavy corroding, have broken knobs, are deformed, distorted or simply missing.  They  can  now be replaced  with our high quality reproduction ashtray.
If you are only behind a new knob on the front of the ashtray, we sell these separately under BBT # 2674-005 for white/Ivory & BBT # 2674-006 for black color.

2674-000 Ashtray in dashboard ivory – Beetle -09/52

2674-001 Ashtray in dashboard black – Beetle -09/52

This week we add something for most popular late model beetles too.
After too many requests we decided to add these camber compensator link rods.

In perfect quality and nicely finished we’re proud to add them to our program permanently.
Many times these link rods are over used where the steel of the shaft erodes away and gets to thin, or the bolt at the bottom snaps off trying to unwind.

These brand new state of the art Z-bar or anti-roll bar support link rod are easy to replace and will make your camber compensator do his job right again as it was new.
We have left and right to choose from as they differ in length.

Find HERE all other parts to rebuild that Z-bar or anti-roll bar and make it fully functional again.

1456-020 Z-bar link compensator rear left – Beetle 08/66-, KG 08/66-

1456-021 Z-bar link compensator rear right – Beetle 08/66-, KG 08/66-

We got our state of the art original Hella headlight reflectors back in stock.
Fitting most Hella headlights 1967 and up for aircooled Volkswagens, in fact it is the reflector of our complete Hella headlight BBT # 0660-5.

0660-9 Reflector for #0660-5

This chrome valve stem is a nice finishing touch to your rim instead of your standard black one.
Because not everyone can replace a complete valve by themselves, it is also possible to use only the separate chrome sleeve and valve cap if your current valve has a length of 30mm.

We have a new giga load in, resulting in better prices and we add also quantity pricing on this item.
For the perfect little touch of your car…

2590 Chrome Tyre valve diameter 11.5mm

This time around we’re looking at parts for one of the most beautiful cars ever built, the Karmann Ghia.

Early, late, Coupé or Convertible we love them all!
The 1^st part here is the hinge found on the back rest of the rear seat..

We found that this is often missing, rusted or in poor condition.
So we made a perfect copy of the original.

Competively priced and by piece.
In case yours are missing – you need 2 of these and 6 screws per hinge which you can find under BBT # 8761-3516 on our website.

These hinges are specifically made for the Coupé as well as the cover of the rear seat area in a convertible without the back seat option.
If you need hinges for a convertible rear seat please use BBT # 3190-500.

3190-640 – Rear seat backrest hinge – Karmann Ghia coupe

Next up is our front logo fixing kit for Karmann Ghia’s built from 08/62 onwards.
For proper installation of the front logo you will need the base BBT # 0440-21 which this kit is used for to secure it to the bonnet..

As well as the seal BBT # 0759-35 that goes on top of the base and underneath the logo.
And finally the spring clips BBT # 0440-205 sold each, to secure the logo to the base.

0440-215 – Mounting kit base, front emblem – Karmann Ghia 08/62-

Our last shout out is the clip that holds the inner rear wheel bearing.

This circlip “clicks” into the IRS A-arm to secure your inner rear wheel bearing.

These circlips are used on Beetles, Ghia’s and Type 3’s and fit left & right, with IRS suspension.

– Sold each-

1447-310 – Clip for inner wheel bearing ‘IRS’ – Beetle/Karmann Ghia, type 3

And remember, if you can’t find what you’re looking for or need a particular part you can call us on +32 (0)3 633 22 22 or email info@BBT4VW.com.

The BBT NEWS team wishes a really cool relaxed early spring weekend.

We get deeper in our Bay window cab door project.

We’re milling the toolings as we speak….

Do You reconise a door already? ….:)

26 toolings, a hell of a job!!

Stay tuned for further updates, You read it here on BBT Blog!

Friend of Da Houze Lesley send us this old picture he found locally where he lives….

Place Mac Auliffe is the center of Bastogne where the heart of WWII at the end. (The battle of the Bulge of Ardennes).

Under German leadership of “the most cruel man of Europe” SS-colonel Otto Skorzeny Germans want to attack again and no longer defend.

Thanks God General Patton and Field Marshal Montgomery could stop this German madness and keep Antwerp (the ultimate goal of this battle) in allied hands….

Shortly after the war there was still a Sherman tank on this market square, as a souvenir… frequently visited by German Split window beetles…. nicely together….

What did the world change a lot in such a short period of time…:)

Enjoy your Sunday