Dubsmith Garage, 65 Turton Street, Metford (2026)

30/10/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage ✌️

‘63 11 Window - Audio system install underway and coming along nice. Power cables ran through, speaker cables in place. Amp and mini-sub placement sorted and timber work being cut.

‘57 Beetle - Final pieces of the puzzle coming together. 12V conversion ticked off. Wheels in place, semaphores installed and some road testing early next week before heading home to its owner.

‘75 Double Cab - Rear end and engine back in place and ready to button up the final pieces before road testing.

‘71 Lowlight - Major mechanical works coming together and nearing completion. Front end all rebuilt and assembled. Rear end and gearbox installed with a few pieces left to attend to before road shakedown testing.

‘74 Baywindow - Metal works galore happening! Cab floor outers being replaced. Lower doglegs being replaced. Outer sills being attended to.

‘74 Baywindow - Heading home for the owner to carry out some interior works and returning next year to complete it and have registered.

‘74 Baywindow - Chop and buff works all complete and shining like diamonds. Plenty of interior works to carry out over the coming weeks PPG Refinish ANZ PPG Refinish USA & Canada PPG Volkswagen Australia Volkswagen

30/10/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage ✌️

‘63 11 Window - Audio system install underway and coming along nice. Power cables ran through, speaker cables in place. Amp and mini-sub placement sorted and timber work being cut.

‘57 Beetle - Final pieces of the puzzle coming together. 12V conversion ticked off. Wheels in place, semaphores installed and some road testing early next week before heading home to its owner.

‘75 Double Cab - Rear end and engine back in place and ready to button up the final pieces before road testing.

‘71 Lowlight - Major mechanical works coming together and nearing completion. Front end all rebuilt and assembled. Rear end and gearbox installed with a few pieces left to attend to before road shakedown testing.

‘74 Baywindow - Metal works galore happening! Cab floor outers being replaced. Lower doglegs being replaced. Outer sills being attended to.

‘74 Baywindow - Heading home for the owner to carry out some interior works and returning next year to complete it and have registered.

‘74 Baywindow - Chop and buff works all complete and shining like diamonds. Plenty of interior works to carry out over the coming weeks

16/10/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage is back after an epic Old Bar Beach Festival ✌️

‘63 11 Window - The home stretch of works starting to be ticked off. Pinstriping done and looking a real treat with an old school appeal to it. Paint works mostly complete now with buffing and polishing nearing completion. All carpets and interior pieces completed and ready to install once and once only upon final fit out push.

‘56 Oval Beetle - Metal works in its final stages now that we have married the body down onto the pan with some adjustments needed all over. Engine bay will be needing a final tweak to accommodate the rotary engine and all of its ancillary components.

‘57 Beetle - The mechanical overhaul now nearing completion with some remaining pieces of the puzzle to be attended to. 12 V generator installed with some final bits left to finish then some road test testing before heading home.

‘71 Lowlight - Major mechanical overhaul in full swing now. We are convinced there is no stone left unturned now with everything removed underneath and being replaced as it was very old, worn, rusty and perished. Fingers crossed end of next week it will be back on the ground and ready to commence road testing.

‘74 Double Cab - Rear end pulled out and ready to swap in a newly reconditioned 5 ribs gearbox. Adjustable spring plates and some fresh paint to clean up the underside mechanical components.

‘74 Baywindow - Electrics galore and ticking boxes. Windows in place with inner and outer scrapers. Not much else to tick off before it heads home for the owner to take over.

‘74 Baywindow - Metal works kicking goals and becoming arrow straight and rust free again. Front nose off, lower doglegs removed, cab floor outers removed and ready to replace. Plenty of little repairs along the way being exposed after 50+ years of existence. PPG Refinish ANZ PPG Volkswagen Australia Volkswagen

25/09/2026

The week that was will be back after Old Bar Beach Festival 2026 ✌️✌️

Been a huge week prepping vehicles for the truck ride north for the show next week 🤯

See you up there for a brilliant weekend festival 🤘🤘

18/09/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage 🤘

‘63 11 Window - Interior colour completed and looking absolutely stunning. Final exterior prep and colour ticked off. Some fancy touches next week to top off the final finish of the exterior. Gearbox assembled and ready to bolt in place. Huge couple of weeks coming up to assemble and complete for Old Bar Beach Festival.

‘56 Oval Window - Metal works close to complete. Hanging panels off being blasted, guards being fine tuned to fit nice. Body to pan fitment

‘57 Beetle - Mechanical overhaul in full swing. Rear disc brakes, front disc brakes all in place and ready to sort wheels out. Adjustable rear spring plates and dropped spindles front.

‘62 11 Window - Interior trimming coming along nicely for this job. Not much left to tick off then it heads home for the owner to take over.

‘66 13 Window Double Door - So happy to see this gem again that we built a few years back! In for some paint touch ups from driving the pants off it then ready to head home!

‘74 Baywindow - Final assembly coming along nicely. Windows in, Poptop in place. A few remaining electrics to tick off then head home to the owner to take over n

‘74 Baywindow - Metal works getting underway on this pretty original Baywindow. Not a great deal to tick off then get it ready for painting.

‘74 Brazilian Splitscreen - Mechanical overhaul coming along nicely. Rear brake lines fabricated. Disc brake kit assembled and ready to final fit.

‘75 Double Cab - Twin carby kit installed from Rod Penrose Racing and coming together nicely. Some final tuning to have it purring like a kitten! PPG Refinish ANZ PPG Volkswagen Australia Volkswagen

18/09/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage 🤘

‘63 11 Window - Interior colour completed and looking absolutely stunning. Final exterior prep and colour ticked off. Some fancy touches next week to top off the final finish of the exterior. Gearbox assembled and ready to bolt in place. Huge couple of weeks coming up to assemble and complete for Old Bar Beach Festival.

‘56 Oval Window - Metal works close to complete. Hanging panels off being blasted, guards being fine tuned to fit nice. Body to pan fitment

‘57 Beetle - Mechanical overhaul in full swing. Rear disc brakes, front disc brakes all in place and ready to sort wheels out. Adjustable rear spring plates and dropped spindles front.

‘62 11 Window - Interior trimming coming along nicely for this job. Not much left to tick off then it heads home for the owner to take over.

‘66 13 Window Double Door - So happy to see this gem again that we built a few years back! In for some paint touch ups from driving the pants off it then ready to head home!

‘74 Baywindow - Final assembly coming along nicely. Windows in, Poptop in place. A few remaining electrics to tick off then head home to the owner to take over n

‘74 Baywindow - Metal works getting underway on this pretty original Baywindow. Not a great deal to tick off then get it ready for painting.

‘74 Brazilian Splitscreen - Mechanical overhaul coming along nicely. Rear brake lines fabricated. Disc brake kit assembled and ready to final fit.

‘75 Double Cab - Twin carby kit installed from Rod Penrose Racing and coming together nicely. Some final tuning to have it purring like a kitten!

11/09/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage 🤘

‘63 11 Window - Paint works underway and prepping for total colour next week. Dash works completed and fuel gauge hole cut in to the new dash.

‘56 Oval Beetle - Radiator being trial fit in place for the rotary engine install. Hanging panels off to the blaster for paint prep works to commence.

‘74 Brazilian 15 Window - major mechanical overhaul and upgrade underway. IRS rear end installation, disc break front end to get things started.

‘57 Beetle - mechanical and cosmetic overhaul getting started. Disc break front and rear, drop spindles and adjustable spring plates for a lowered ride height Setup.

‘63 Single Cab - final road testing effectively ticked off and completed. Now for some final paint works, buff works, polish and detail before loading onto the truck to head up to old bar beach festival.

‘62 11 Window - interior Trim panels starting to be covered and transforming the look throughout. Deluxe interior Trim up next week and final material covering of Trim cards.

‘63 Beetle - mechanical overhaul complete. Disc front end, lowered ride height, front entry, rear, and the engine tweak and tune all complete. Such a difference in appearance and looks amazing.

‘74 Baywindow - metal works on the dash wrapped up and complete. Touchscreen Pioneer head unit install complete into the steel dash. Now ready for paint prep and colour works next week.

‘74 Baywindow - pop top roof assembly starting to go in place and be secured down. Hanging panels starting to be final gapped and looking a real treat. Not much left to complete before heading home so the owner can take over final assembly and interior fit out. PPG Refinish ANZ PPG Refinish USA & Canada PPG Volkswagen Australia Volkswagen

11/09/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage 🤘

‘63 11 Window - Paint works underway and prepping for total colour next week. Dash works completed and fuel gauge hole cut in to the new dash.

‘56 Oval Beetle - Radiator being trial fit in place for the rotary engine install. Hanging panels off to the blaster for paint prep works to commence.

‘74 Brazilian 15 Window - major mechanical overhaul and upgrade underway. IRS rear end installation, disc break front end to get things started.

‘57 Beetle - mechanical and cosmetic overhaul getting started. Disc break front and rear, drop spindles and adjustable spring plates for a lowered ride height Setup.

‘63 Single Cab - final road testing effectively ticked off and completed. Now for some final paint works, buff works, polish and detail before loading onto the truck to head up to old bar beach festival.

‘62 11 Window - interior Trim panels starting to be covered and transforming the look throughout. Deluxe interior Trim up next week and final material covering of Trim cards.

‘63 Beetle - mechanical overhaul complete. Disc front end, lowered ride height, front entry, rear, and the engine tweak and tune all complete. Such a difference in appearance and looks amazing.

‘74 Baywindow - metal works on the dash wrapped up and complete. Touchscreen Pioneer head unit install complete into the steel dash. Now ready for paint prep and colour works next week.

‘74 Baywindow - pop top roof assembly starting to go in place and be secured down. Hanging panels starting to be final gapped and looking a real treat. Not much left to complete before heading home so the owner can take over final assembly and interior fit out.

04/09/2026

The week that was @ Dubsmith Garage 🤘

‘63 11 Window - final stages of paint prep in full swing. Exterior now in 2K primer and commencing block sanding down flat. Interior colour nearing completion with the rear cargo area coloured out nicely and just the front cab remaining. Gearbox freshly rebuilt blown apart and coated for that special touch finish.

‘63 Single Cab - remaining items being ticked off and coming along well. Out doing some driveway rolling testing under its own power. Some bracket fabrication to mount the air-conditioner switches. Ready for some road shakedown test testing next week.

‘56 Oval Window - metal works nearing completion and starting to look spotless. Hanging and bolt on panels ready to be removed and sent away for Blasting in readiness for paint prep works.

‘74 Baywindow - original OEM wheels completely prepped and coloured out this week. Ready for new tyres and bolting on to the vehicle. Dashboard panel repaired, and unneeded holes building. Touchscreen stereo unit welded into place to accommodate the unit.

‘74 Baywindow - Rod Penrose racing engine bolted in place and the final jigsaw puzzle pieces coming together. Brakes being bled up and some final wiring finishing touches left to do inside.

‘76 Baywindow - had the pleasure of servicing this this week. Amazing to think it is owned by the owner from brand-new back in 1976. Certainly have never come across a one owner vehicle that is such well kept. PPG Refinish ANZ PPG Refinish USA & Canada PPG Volkswagen Australia Volkswagen