Greetings from Belgium

[jfdestree]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm from Belgium, Europe. 30 years old and a VW aircooled aficionado.
I use an old barn as a shop since years now which is quite fill up with tools and others gearhead goodies...
I hope to build my own house and proper garage in an near future, there is so much nice and awesome build over here that I have ideas for a life time!

(Sorry for my bad English, I'm French spoken )

 

[HOTFR8]

Welcome to the GJ. I see nothing wrong with your English.

 

[gahrajmahal]

My family and I were in Brugge last year. We loved Belgium. French frys and mayonaise, chocolates and great beer, in the correct glass of course. I hope to read lots of posts of your projects here on the GJ.

 

[odelay01]

I lived in the Brussels area, specifically Kortenberg, for seven years. Me and my family loved it, I especially loved the food and the beer!

 

[Jack Olsen]

Welcome to the Journal.

 

[shoturtle]

welcome do post some photos of your VW's

 

[jfdestree]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm glad to see that some people know my little country!

Belgium is world famous for his beers and food. Try Flemish carbonnade with an Orval Or a pack of French fries, mayo and a fricandelle from a fritkot with a Jupiler pils.

For those who know Belgium a bit, I live near Durbuy and about 45min from Bastogne.

This is my 68 Bug. Classic California Look style.

Here during the European Bug in in Chimay.

I'm currently upgrading his engine. Still 1600cc, SLR cam and lifters, home ported and polished heads, dual 40mm Dellorto carbs. So my shop is messy right now, so pics later
I'm also slowly restoring a '76 bay window bus, also a Cal look project and I try to brought back from the death a '65 Dodge Dart 270 (Christmas gift from my parent's) and a few others projects cars.
So lot's of things to do...

 

[Az Scooter]

I lived in Nivelles, Brussels, and Charleroi for a while. Of course, that was about 30 years or so, ago. I love Belgium. Bienvenue, J'attends ta contribution de cette lieu d'informations.
Dang, my french is rusty.

 

[p_mori7]

Bienvenue a GJ ! Ma Maman et mes Grands-Parants sont de Esneux.

 

[jfdestree]

Esneux is about 40km from where I live. In reality, Belgium is so small that everything is close. You can cross the country in barely 300km lol.
Ma compagne est allée à Quebec pour son stage de fin d'étude dans l'enseignement. Elle en garde un merveilleux souvenir! Surtout de la poutine et de la tir

To Az Scooter, Belgium is a nice place, but not as nice as it used to be. More and more unemployment, more and more taxes in a country that is already overtaxed. People lack of esteem about there own country... That's weird as 20 years ago, everything was nice, life was easy and it was a real pride to be Belgian.

Here is my Vw van project. All the weldings are done. I have to replace A LOT's of panels. I want to sandblast it before to start the prep job and paint.

And how my bug looks without engine.

 

[HOTFR8]

Is that your workshop ? If so I hope you tell us more and post more photos.

 

[odelay01]

I use to love to take motorcyle rides to Durbuy, the roads in that area are great!

 

[bdamico]

You must send chocolate now.

 

[jfdestree]

Yes that's my shop. That's an old hangar my grand father and then my father used to store cereals and merchandise when we made the cattle feed trade. The place where the lift is was the loading dock. My family had been in the mill trade since the late 1800's. We stopped this activity in 2004 as my father prefer the diesel and heating oil trade.
It's an old place, but I've been there forever.

Durbuy is the most touristic place of the area. Nice place to have a stay and awesome for bike road trip.
I already organized two ride with some VW friends and they all said that's a beautiful area over there. La Roche, Achouffe with the well known brewery, Weris "the village of stone" etc.

What kind of chocolate? black, Milk?

 

[Jvvmusme]

More pictures of your garage sill vous plais

 

[jfdestree]

Here are some pics from my garage.

I want to clean it a bit before making some nice photos. I'm in the middle of a trash, rebuilding my Bug engine and redoing his interior (carpet, some surface rust on the floorpan...), bodywork on my van etc. It's too messy to be show currently
I never think about my workshop as a place to be taken in pictures
So first pic is from the outside.
Second pic si my bench, overloaded with ton of stuff and tools. There is a Myford Ml7 lathe buried on it.
Third pic is my 4 post lift with my '65 Dodge Dart on. Waiting for a front end rebuild.
Fourth pic is for motivation.