Weener and Chet from the JK Team just got back from Chimay, Belgium after racing his Oval down the drag strip at European Bug-In 2022, and we’re all sick with envy!
European Bug-In (or EBI) is a show that only happens once every other year, and it’s a firm favourite amongst the JK Team, with loads of us planning to head over for EBI 2022. A series of calendar conflicts, unexpected mechanical mishaps, and the boring realities of adult like meant that most of us couldn’t go in the end.
But Chet and Weener made it, and boy did they make the most of it!
What is EBI?
An amazing classic VW show held in Chimay, in the Belgian countryside, European Bug In sees the town transformed into a race track, with drag racing and other events held all weekend.
A mirror of the original Bug In event held in California from the 1960s, it’s a super popular event, which people travel from across the world to attend.
Stickered up and shipped out
We can’t repeat the unofficial title that Chet’s Oval Beetle has been given, but there were certainly some opinions about us slapping some JK stickers on the Bug before it set off for Belgium for the weekend.
Stickered up and shipped out
We can’t repeat the unofficial title that Chet’s Oval Beetle has been given, but there were certainly some opinions about us slapping some JK stickers on the Bug before it set off for Belgium for the weekend.
Here’s what Chet’s working with
His Oval is a 1956 Right-Hand Drive import from South Africa.
It's running stock front suspension, with caster shims to keep it in a straight line.
Chet's fitted an Empi front disc brake kit, and a late GT gearbox.
The rear of the Beetle is stock height, on GR2 shocks and Type 3 brakes.
The power comes from a 2007cc engine, with twin DRLA 40 carbs, a lightened and balanced bottom end, Engle 120 cam 1.25 ratio rockers and 044 unported heads.
It's also got a 1 5/8” merged header and a home-brewed muffler (which Chet said isn't very muffled!).
He's also got a limited edition Empi shifter, too, which he fitted a while ago.
The focal point of EBI is always the drag strip, which goes back to being a main road in the town after the event. Still, there’s all sorts of different things going on around the town, including a swapmeet, show and shine, slalom and offroad sessions.
Weener and Chet were able to grab some photos of the other Beetles, campers and other cool vehicles at EBI, which you can check out below, or on our Facebook page and Instagram.
