Treating The VW Bug

My Volkswagen Beetle GSR, affectionately known as "Grandma", as well she is a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing has been away getting some tasteful and more grunt modifications. The work was carried out over at BTG Performance and I have to say they have done a cracking job.

These guys come highly recommended

As anyone in the VW scene will know the Bug's come from the factory looking rather like they are prepped for some 4x4'ing as they do sit rather high. 

This is how the car sat when I bought her

And how she is now sitting

Upon buying my car back in April the then owner, William mentioned if he had hung on to his car, the next mod would have been some H&R lowering springs. Well I decided to go one step further and get "Grandma" sorted on a set of KW Variant 2 Coilovers. I chose this route as it then gave me the option to tune the ride height and quality a little more than just slamming the car and it being stuck there.

KW Variant 2's

Originally I had wanted to put my car on an Air-ride system, however as I only work part time and I am not exactly made of money a £4000 to £5000 price tag was just a bit too much for me.

As for the coil-over set up the car feels and drives awesome, BTG Performance having fitted the new suspension, then carried out Hunter wheel alignment. Jordan from BTG Performance did let me know that there was a slight scrub on the rear arches, when accelerating or going into corners hard. This is due to the rear wheels being huge for the car. They are 20 x 10's, where as standard rims for this vehicle would normally be 19 x 8.5's. Upon the drive home I did hear some minor rubbing, so my plan is to see how I get on with the car and worst case scenario I will have to head out and buy a new set of wheels and tyres. I suppose some people may look at that as a huge negative, however there is also some positives in that smaller rims and tyres would allow me to lower the car a little more and get and even more aggressive stance, plus the rims I am looking at are performance based, so are a lot lighter.

These are the rims I think I would go for, what do you think?
 

RV019 Wheelset 19 x 8.5, 5 x 108, ET45, 63.4mm CB
  

Mmmmm whether to change rims or not???

Now to more power. BTG are a dealer for REVO. My car as I understand it was a development vehicle for the first Stage 1 mapping of a Beetle. So when I asked BTG to remap my car to a stage 2, alongside a stage 2 DSG map they were only to happy. Of course when carrying out these mods, it is also recommended that a few exhaust mods are done. I already had a Miltek Cat back exhaust and asked BTG could they marry up a Revo front pipe with a 200 cell race cat. "No Problem" was the reply. However upon fitting the front pipe there was one small problem and this was to do with the flange, where the pipe fits the turbo. Again BTG were excellent keeping me in the loop and informing me they had sent my front pipe off to The Exhaust Doctor. This is a well established place over in Shiremoor. A bit of fettling and the exhaust came back and was ready to pop on my car.

Next step was to get my Bug on the rolling road and dyno test it to see how much extra power the stage 2 remap could achieve. The car was pushing out 264.1 HP and 417.5 N.m of torque. This was with a stage 1 Revo remap, a Revo Induction kit and a Miltek Cat back exhaust. With the new front pipe and a Stage 2 remap of engine and DSG my car is now pushing out 290.6 Hp and 437.5 N.m of torque. 

 

Stage1

Stage 2

I didn't really get a chance to have a proper blast in the car on the way home, but man you can certainly feel the difference. This car is so addictive to drive. It can be driven as a daily driver and acts quite sensible (although the un-resonated exhaust does drone a bit), however if you stomp on the gas, she turns in to a complete hooligan and the power delivery can be brutal.

All in all very happy with my desired tweaks and very happy with BTG Performances work.

My aim is to now use the car for a little while and see if once the coil overs settle the rubbing issue stays the same or gets worse. If so I will invest in new wheels if not I think a Big Brake kit is on the agenda. I am also in the process of trying to track down someone to supply a Larger Intercooler. From there possibly looking at a Larger KO4 Turbo and a front active Limited Slip Diff.



From what I have read the Beetle is going out of production next year so hopefully I may have a future classic...

She's back and on the road....Yay!

So early on in July, the 3rd as I recall, whilst on my way home from work in Tango I got rear ended at the roundabout at Stanley. The damage wasn't to severe and as the young chap who bumped me was with the same insurance company as myself, things got sorted out relatively quickly.

Tango

When you think the universe is conspiring against you

It has been quite some time since I had a ride out on the Fat Bike, well one of them.  It has been a case of just when I think I am feeling ok I get a sniffle, which leads to a cough, then my throat and ears start acting up. I can always tell when I am going to come down with something as I get an itch in one of my ears, then earache and then this horrendous throat. I never used to be like this, it's just since having all that horrible treatment.
 
Anyhoo I am not going to let a measly sore throat stop me from going out. So plans were for today, pop on my spiffing new  Icon Shorts and Jersey alongside my new Icon Back Pack and head out for a spin on my Silverback Synergy Fat Bike.

Liking my new matching Icon kit

 At the moment I am really struggling socket wise. My last BTK socket which I received from Pace Rehab is no longer fitting. Due to the fact I have not been riding and I have been eating way to much chocolate and Moams I am basically a fat git. Something needs to be done hence starting to motivate myself to get out on the bike and get into a regular routine. Also aiming to get back into swimming now my immunity is a little more on track.

Getting back to the socket situation. As I desperately wanted to go out I decided to try and use my everyday socket alongside my BTK Crossover with new Integrated Cams. I initially thought everything was ok, may be a little tight on my hip, however after about a mile I experienced severe chaffing right on my hip, resulting in a skinned area....Ouch!. Unwilling to give in I about turned and rode home, thinking may be I could rotate the socket and knee a little. This appeared to do the trick, it wasn't quite as sore and I proceeded to head out on my adventure.

I rode over to South Moor and headed for the Black Path, leading up to Langley View , where the old brick flats used to be. Man I could sure tell I had not been out on the bike in like ages. Last time I ventured up this way I believe was in my last blog entry and that was on my electric bike. I rode up in top gear and was not out of breath at all, just shows how much the ebike helps you with. I used to consider them cheating, however now consider them a great tool for just having an enjoyable jaunt out. No need to beast yourself and they are great if you are may be not as fit as you were or struggle riding longer distances.

At the top of the black path, named because it used to be black, obviously. Sure I have mentioned this before. There used to be huge coal slag heaps and the coal dust made the path way black. There is now a sign post, which indicates what is called the South Moor Heritage Trail.

South Moor Heritage Trail

 I turned left at the sign and headed downward towards what is called Shield Row Drift Mine. I do not know enough about the area, or as to why the mine was called Shield Row. I mean Shield Row is way off over the other side of Stanley. May be someone who reads this and is in the know could explain.

Ahhhhggggg there is a geet big hole

As I approached the "drift" as we used to call it I branched of right and headed through the woodland. This has been cut back in certain areas and just does not look as pretty at all. Sure it will grow back, well hope it does as it is a nice route, with all the wild flowers and trees. As I headed along the winding path I kind of felt my rear end feeling a bit sketchy. Upon closer inspection I thought I had a puncture. " Awww crap" Typical, new back pack on and in my haste to get out didn't put any real gear in. It has been ages since I had a puncture, Grrrrr dodgy socket, sore hip and throat and now a puncture. Never mind I was not going to let it dampen my mood. I thought "It's not the universe conspiring against me it's just plain old physics and nothing that couldn't be sorted, especially the puncture as I have a secret weapon, he's called "The Ern". My dad is a bit like the RAC or AA, but exclusively for me. One quick phone call and we arranged to meet up at Quakies and the bus turning circle. I rode frantically to get there before my tire was proper flat.

Super Ern

When Ern arrived not long after we had a quick examination of my tire and couldn't really see any thorns or stuff that may have caused the tire to deflate. So Ern just used our track pump to pop a bit of air in my tire and off I went on my merry way. Of course I gave my dad a farewell hug as well he is a bit of a star when it comes to doing stuff for me.

  

Wild ponies, they won't come to the fence, the cows on the other hand

Checking out the cows who were checking out me

Yoooo Hooooo

I then continued to have a nice tootle around Chapman Wells Nature reserve, planning my route so that I would take in the off road, rocky uphill route. I just wanted to have a go at doing a bit of gentle climbing, it is good to get the old lungs working and will aid in me becoming fit and hopefully getting rid of this unwanted Shwalbe, Maxxis or whatever other tire you would like to refer to it by around my gut. Mind you I take offence at being called a Michelin man.

Out the saddle up a canny hill, with loads of small rocks

Trying to get a bit traction

Does my bum look big in these shorts?

At the top of Wilka's bank a lovely rally down the steep hill "Wheeeee", then up the other side of the Moor. I decided to pop in to the Haven Community Centre and see if some of the people I used to visit when I was doing my voluntary walk group were there. And yes indeed they were. I was invited in for a lovely cup of tea and a bit of a catch up which was smashing.

Back on the bike I headed up the back of South Moor passing my old school Greenlands. There is a bit of a debate going on as someone has tried applying for planning permission to make it into a 109 bed hostel. Not a good idea for the community as there are already a lot of outsiders and riff raff ruining poor South Moor. It appears to be a dumping ground for undesirables. I was pretty much brought up in South Moor and still have fond memories, so seeing it's demise is very sad.


Once at the top of the South Moor, and at  the "Arch" again I don't know why it is called this, always just has been. I turned towards Stanley, a place I affectionately call Mordor and headed down the front street. It is Market day on a Thursday and it always appears to be busy. From there it was a ride through underground tunnel and onto Wear Road, down the Bank to Durham Road and home. My tire appeared to have stayed up, will check it tomorrow and see if it is a slow puncture.

A Blast on the Buzzraw

Well I got up this morning with the intention of having a blast out on my Coast Cycles Buzzraw, this is my small funky, retro type eBike. My idea was to try and get some drone footage of me just fooling around.

Coast Cycles Buzzraw E250

Needless to say unlike the A Team's Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, when he would say "I love it when a plan comes together", well my plan just did not come together at all. For starters it was way to windy. Poor little Sparky my drone was getting blown all over the shop. Then there was also the case that I am very much an amateur at flying and using the drone. As the battery only lasts between 10 to 16 minutes I kind of panic as soon as I turn the Spark on. I mean even before I proper take off I am fannying on trying to set the manual camera exposure on the screen of my smart phone.

So what I discovered today was that although Sparky has quite a few autonomous modes, called quick shots. I think there are like 4 in all, 

Dronie – Your aircraft will fly upwards and backwards whilst fixed on your chosen subject.
Rocket – Your aircraft will fly directly up with the camera facing down on the subject.
Helix – Your aircraft will fly upwards whilst circling your target with the camera facing it.
Circle – Your aircraft will orbit your chose subject once whilst focussing the camera on it. This mode is currently only available on the Spark.
After your drone has finished the chosen action it will return to the starting point unless told to do otherwise.

and they work really well like described, for quick shots. The problem I had when I choose the selected shot was that it only gave me 3 seconds before it started recording and going on to complete the chosen routine, which lasted about 30 seconds. I just did not have time to pop my remote control inside my jacket, clip into my bike pedals and set off, before Sparky was off trying to do his thing.

I am therefore going to have to invest more time in experimenting with active track and preferably on a less windy day.

Anyhoo moving on. I got to have a leisurely if somewhat wind swept pootle around Chapman Wells Nature reserve. The Buzzraw makes it easy to get around without becoming too knackered due to it's 250W electric pedal assisted Banfang motor. I love the whole design of the bike, my only gripe is that it is a little too small for my 6 feet tall frame. I am very cramped. However as I rode around and upon returning home and having a look at some pictures I had taken using my Gopro I realised just how ingenious the BTK Crossover actually is.

I can recall when I first started riding using an Ossur Total Knee. The amount of flexion was limited by both the prosthetic knee and the socket, as the knee would only bend as far as the socket. This meant I could not ride certain bikes and quite often as not had to have my seat really high to get the total revolution of my cranks. Well just check out the BTK Crossover in this picture. The knee does not limit you in the least in flexion. Great stuff as it doesn't then limit what I can potentially ride.

BTK Crossover with Integrated Cams

I found it quite difficult trying to ride along with a mobile phone in one hand and a GoPro in the other, my camera set to 30 photo's in 6 seconds LoL Oh and lets not forget the wind.

BTK Crossover with Integrated Cams

BTK Crossover with Integrated Cams

Playing around doing little ride by's 

Electric Power

Coast Cycles Buzzraw

Upon almost getting to the top of the trail I encountered these friendly girls in the field. They were really inquisitive and checking out my ride.

Coast Cycles Buzzraw with the girls

Some friendly cows

Will definitely have to try and experiment with Sparky a little more. Had a little play around in the GSR Yesterday with my friend John. We were up on the moors near Smidey Shore and i got this bit footage using my drone.

A toy not used...

I think I have had my DJI Spark mini drone for about a year. Poor little thing has been sitting on my shelf basically just gathering dust. When I first got it I attempted to fly it in my bedroom. This is not recommended , it attempted to attack me, coming at me with an angry buzz of it's little rotor blades. I then managed to fly it into a wall and it ate my beloved dream catcher which used to be hung on said wall.

DJI Spark

VW Beetle GSR

I am terrible at reading instructions. I just do not have the patience. And I am of the same opinion as Elon Musk who stated "Any product that needs a manual to work is broken."

Shot with my DJI Spark

Shot with my Samsung Galaxy S9

Anyhoo yesterday evening both Ern and I had a ride up the moors stopping near Smidey Shore reservoir and I had a bit play with my little drone. To be honest it was a tad windy, so no real footage. I did mange a few snaps.

 

Today I went somewhere quiet at the top of Wilka's Bank, the Stream Valley. There is a little car park there and again I had a bit play with the drone, trying to get used to the controls. 

Oot with the drone

Crap I know it's around here somewhere

VW Beetle GSR "Grandma"

I also placed the drones gimball in Follow rather than FPV, so the images were a lot steadier when flying. This little aircraft is so cool, just wished the batteries lasted longer than 16 minutes. By the time I set stuff up and figure out how to fly it, it is time to land the thing LoL Sure I will get better with practice. I have to figure out which joy stick is up and down and which rotates. I know it sounds easy enough, but when you are trying to fly and adjust your camera, well I find it difficult. I just cannot multi-task LoL

When a design becomes even better.

Hello
As usual I have neglected my blog for quite sometime. Oh sure there have been things going on, but unlike people who like to tell you on Facebook they are on to their 3rd Jaffa Cake  I figured I would contain myself until I had something of interest to share.

I have been off work, almost all of this month after being rear ended in Tango my Smart car and suffering from a spot of whiplash, so that hasn't been great. Especially as I just thought I had turned a corner health wise. The respiratory consultant I visited, appears to have done the trick with a combination of anti-acid tablets and a nasal steroid spray which makes me sneeze. I guess a cough is a fair trade for a sneeze. I think what has really helped me of course is knowing I am clear of requiring further treatments for the Non Hodgkin's. Back to watch and wait.

Anyhoo rather than bore you with why I have not been around, here is some news and info that I know a few people will be excited to read, well those missing legs, for the rest of you....Err did I happen to tell you I am on to my 4th Jaffa Cake LoL

Some of you may recall that last year I was blown away when Fabtech Systems announced, without my prior knowledge that I would be one of the first people to receive the new BTK Crossover Integrated Cams. It came totally out of the blue. I just happened to pop Facebook on and that is when I found out. Well that was well over 6 months or so ago. Greg Mattson the founder and CEO of Fabtech Systems had been keeping me up to date alongside the designer Brian Bartlett of the situation with the new design.

BTK Crossover Integrated Cams

"I Have a Dream"

As many of you know this is a famous quote by Dr Martin Luther King Jr from his iconic speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Well I too have a dream, and whilst it may not bring me fame and hopefully will not lead to me being shot,for me it is no less ambitious.

My particular dream started back in 2016, when I took a few days annual leave from work and decided to visit Scotland with my then girlfriend. We choose to visit Oban and the surrounding islands of Mull, Staffa and Iona. Oban is a lovely part of the Sottish mainland, however nothing could have prepared me for the beautiful Isle of Mull. I was in total awe of the isle as we trundled along in our tour bus. I believe I have Scottish ancestory, going way back, the Johnstone name being associated with Dumfries and Galloway, so maybe this Scottish heritage called to me, regardless I fell in love with the rolling hills and glens, the wildlife and the overall beauty of the place.

Upon arriving home from our short trip, it was all I could talk about and I began looking at different parts of Scotland with property and land,it became an obsession, a sort of waking daydream,followed by the usual night time dreams, my imagination running riot. Obviously my passion is still afire, probably more so. And when browsing the web I discovered this house,
  

Dream Big

THE house, is situated in a place of unrivalled beauty. I have never been to this particular area, however I know it is just me and deep inside I feel I belong there. Hopefully in this life, if not I will have my name down for first dibs in another. I can just see myself standing proud outside the front door "Johnstone" kilt a fluttering in the breeze...calm down ladies.

Mentally I can fall into the scene of images I have printed off. I can envisage every detail. The smell of the pine needles from the nearby woods, walking beneath the canopy of trees the sound of gravel beneath my feet the waves of the loch gently lapping at the shore. There I can taste the early morning dew, licking my lips against the chilly morning air. An eagle flying above hills and rolling glens. His view far superior to mine and yet I am more than content to just be there. The sky a hue of various blues, with white fluffy clouds, which all reflect upon the loch,creating a mirrored image which takes my breath away. All of my senses attuned to this natural magnificent gift. The scene plays as if on a giant screen in my head. Time paused,mentally I capture the image as if taking a photograph within my mind.
  

Over the years I have been through some tough times and faced quite a bit of adversity. There have been times in my darkest days where there was no rock bottom, it went far beyond that. I felt as if stood on the precipice of a dark chasm. Endless, eternal darkness before me, a stiff wind at my back. It was as if I was on the brink of being lost mentally. Somehow there would be no return. With the support of some fantastic people and arming myself with various bits of knowledge, some taught, some experienced and other bits read I was able to fight back. I have learned that your life is mainly guided by your mindset. If you are feeling lost, negativity can shield you from the light and  when you expect bad thing to happen, then guess what you are going to get exactly what you expected. Yeah some things are out of our control, but hey it doesn't half help if you can change your mindset and try and see beyond the here and now and discover a more positive you.

A simple analogy...

Imagine you have your alarm set for an early morning start, it doesn't go off, you get out of the “wrong side of bed”, stub your toe as you frantically get ready for work. You hobble through to the bathroom to give your teeth a quick brush and drop toothpaste on your clean, now dirty top. As you rush to get down stairs you stumble and sprain your ankle. Now you can't find your car keys and when you finally do, on the way to work you hit every red light. Wow a pretty bad start to the day it can only get worse...Right? WRONG!

Lets look at this morning again. Your alarm doesn't go off, “crap I am late”...“Oh well I had better get ready”. You stretch, it takes a few seconds. You get yourself out of bed, thinking “Mmmm I got out of the other side this morning”. Off to the bathroom you go. “Oops I dropped some toothpaste on my top”, no big deal, “I'll either give it a rub up or change my top”. You take your time down the stairs and discover your car keys are not where you usually leave them. “Ahh that's right I got in late last night and left them???”  Soon you are out the door and off to work. You appear to hit every red traffic light, “ah well I am late anyway and it is a lovely day, plus I am almost there safe and sound”. You get into work a little late,apologise and no one bats an eye. Bonus no bruised toe and no sprained ankle. The rest of your day goes smoothly.

Armed with positivity I am now trying to attract more of what I do want and a little less of what I don't into my life. Yeah the dream or vision of achieving my goal is a very ambitious one, however if I doubt myself then I don't stand much chance. I am sure you have all heard of this Law, it is called the law of attraction. It is a proven scientific phenomena. How many times have you actually thought something was going to happen, or focused on something and as if by magic, not necessarily immediately that thing appears in your life. The majority of the time we don't give it a second thought. 

A bit like the earlier example think bad thoughts and poor me and bad stuff will start flowing to you as that is your current mindset. Start thinking positive and about what you do want and you are more likely to see good things come into your life.

Ok back to this dream thing. Of course, my dream is not just about having this place of exceptional beauty. Although it would be amazing to live there I would still want to do something with my life. It would be no good just owning a house in a beautiful area and saying “well that's it, Job Done”, all I am going to do is retire and find the odd job or go for a ride or walk now and again. 

I have gone on to think ahead, what would I find rewarding and fulfilling. Could I possibly share my dream or parts of it? Yes of course I could. There are many places of natural beauty in Scotland. I would like to invest in some kind of guest/holiday accommodation, within this area I have discovered. From there I would like to go on and offer the opportunity for people to visit, walk, ride or even paddle in the loch. Over night camps and just a real sense of adventure, taking in the sites with amazing photographic opportunities, as well as learning some of the history of the area. I would like to create some sort of retreat, accessible to all, so that people can gather their thoughts and just relax.

It's nice to have peace and quiet at times, however I would not really want to be socially isolated as I enjoy meeting new people and hearing their stories. I could imagine sitting around a camp fire upon an evening and listening to various tales and adventures.

Many of my family, friends and work colleagues think I am off in La La Land. I have even spoken to complete strangers whilst out and about, some of which have gone on to wish me the best of luck with my dream. I am teased openly at times, all good fun. I guess the majority of people never have their own dreams come true so how can they expect mine to. I figure I am putting in so much more effort than most so lets just see. Hey this could be a kind of “I told you so”, watch this space LoL

I wake up on a morning and the first thing I do is think about this house off on the shores of the loch. I have a “dream board” which has various pictures pinned upon my wall. First thing on a morning and last thing at night I look at each picture and visualise, being there and add to my plan. Because I am thinking of this so much and talking about it, yes even to myself lol it kind of feels real and obtainable.

I will leave you with a few of my favourite quotes of the moment.

Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions”.
Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, either way you are right."

And in ending I started with 
Dr Martin Luther King Jr (1929 -1968) so here is a quote from him.

“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step”

Oh and hey this is my dream, so go get your own LoL