1st European barndoor gathering & vintage VW show

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:23 pm

Will try and get some photos of the Ben Pon show up shortly.

It was awesome!

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:13 am

I travelled over to Holland at the weekend, with a couple of old KG owning friends, for the Ben Pon show. Organised by Niels 'Airmighty' Timmerman and staged in the same town as the original Ben Pon dealership (of original type II sketch fame). Here they would attempt to break the world record for the number of barndoors gathered in one place (set recently by the Americans at OCTO 2012 at 58 ).

With none of us having any pre '57 vehicles on the road we decided to jump in a modern vehicle and dash over Friday night, catching a 2:30am Eurotunnel crossing and, after many hours of catching up and helping keep the driver awake, arriving not so fresh at 8am in a very quiet Amersfoort.

Upon pulling into the hotel car park for an early check in, we were greeted with our first sightings of barndoors, that had arrived the day before. Most of which had driven down from Sweden.

d-train · Post by **d-train** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:37 pm

cool barny that pgsg one.
i hate u for been there, but love the fact i can live it through ur photos

upload more please!

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:25 pm

After a brief half hour of trying to get some shut eye (failed - too excited) it was time to head to the show, which was just a few minutes walk from the hotel.

On the way over we came across this 412 lining up in the outer part of the display.

We walked on, through the tradestand areas, and past where the VWs used to be unloaded from the train and eventually came out into the main square where the barndoors were slowly beginning to line up, but were already looking awesome. I felt like a kid walking into giant candy store for the first time... Where to start?! My attention was briefly captured by this nice razor that came rolling through... (Yes, that's a row of barndoor sambas beginning to build behind it!)

braddick · Post by **braddick** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 7:56 pm

Loving the pics keep them coming cheers

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:07 pm

At this point I decided it was time to break out the proper camera (I'll get those photos off the camera later), so there's not so many barndoor photos from the phone. But still a few from around the site.

I got up on Chez's bus to try and take in the enormity of what was happening...

One of two original plattenwagens at the show (VW factory vehicles used to move parts about and credited as being the inspiration for Ben Pon's type II idea).

The Bob Hammond walk through panel (the only bus to put in an appearance at both the US and European gatherings).

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:09 pm

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:18 pm

d-train · Post by **d-train** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:20 pm

Now I'm really jealous. Plattenwagen too..

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:27 pm

Towards the end of the day I got to got up in the mobile scissor lift platform to get a good look at what was below. A few busses had started heading back to the hotel at this point, but you get the idea.

First up, the row of sambas. There was 15 in total. A record in itself.

Official count of all barndoors was announced to be 76!! A truly insane number. Smashed the US record.

mozzie · Post by **mozzie** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:29 pm

Cheers for the pics keep them coming FONZ....eeeeeeyyyyy!!!

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:31 pm

Split Rat · Post by **Split Rat** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:37 pm

FONZ....eeeeeeyyyyy!!!, great pics.
Do you know any info on what appears to be wide 5 Turtlebacks on the Kraller single cab and on a green barny, didn't think there was a wide 5 option.

morts · Post by **morts** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:39 pm

Cheers big time for that...!

That will surely have to feature somewhere on the bucket list...

Were there many single cabs?

buk · Post by **buk** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:46 pm

Awesome pics thanks alot for sharing.
Must have been an awesome site.
Having been lucky enough to see the 2012 line up at octo and that was big but 76 in total surely did smash that record.
Definatly on the bucket list now.
Cheers
Steffen

Fonz · Post by **Fonz** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:54 pm

In the evening there was a bar put on in the train coach shed and the party bus samba played the music. Mid way through this was stopped so that thank yous and announcements could be made. These were then followed up by Niels inviting his girlfriend to the very front where he proceeded to propose.

...she said yes.

Day 2...

Chris with one of his favourite busses, a very original, unrestored, deluxe.

Jaso · Post by **Jaso** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:12 pm

Wow! So many cars to look at all in one picture.
Truely awesome stuff, thanks for sharing.

OMR_007 · Post by **OMR_007** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:15 pm

Yep. Definitely jealous! Thanks for the coverage, foreign correspondent

NUG637 · Post by **NUG637** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:35 pm

Man that's one bitchen show

thanks FONZ....eeeeeeyyyyy!!!

d-train · Post by **d-train** » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:49 pm

Did u hear the Sebring oval run?