Jason Sims

Make / Model / Year:
1969 Jan Registered 1300 VW Beetle

Engine, Wheels, Paint Colour:
11776cc, Type 3 AS41 case, Twin 40 IDF Webbers, Scat C35 Cam and various other Scat items, 15” BRM wheels, British Racing green paint.

Any other cool accessories:
Aluminium Hex T-Bars, One Piece windows, no external trim, Gene Berg shifter, Autometer Monster Tacho, Twin Italian Webber 40 IDFs, straight cut cam gear, 30hp Fan Shroud, 4-into-1 merged exhaust with Phat Boy muffler, Grant steering wheel and boss, Porsche 911 headlamp glass, LED front and rear lighting, plus loads more!

How long have I owned it, and how did I get it?
I’ve owned Val for 25 years, acquiring her before passing my driving test. My old man drove her home from Bristol, and we set away bringing her up to scratch in little under a year before passing my test and using her as my daily driver.

I’ve been a passionate VW enthusiast for well over 25 years. There’s nothing I enjoy more than going to VW shows and camping with my friends and family. I’ve had my 1969 1300 Beetle, affectionately named “Val,” for 25 years now.

After I got my driving license, she served as my daily driver for quite a while. Now, in semi-retirement and cherished by my family, especially my 10-year-old son, Theo. Val takes on lighter duties, and we make the most of our time with her, attending as many shows as we can throughout the year. The look I aimed for was inspired by the former Der Kleiner Panzers VW club car owned by Dave Rhoads, and like any classic car, it’s been a continuous project.

I’ve been all over the UK and as far as Belgium on a couple of occasions for ‘Ninove’ in 2015 and Bugs on Wheels 2.

A particularly special moment was using Val as our wedding car back in the Summer of 2017.

If you know your VW’s Val is far from stock, the wings and front and rear panels are from a ’67 model, giving her an earlier look, not for the purists!

At some point, I may revert her back to original panels, but for now, I’m happy with how she looks and drives. She always puts a smile on our faces whenever my family go out for a drive. 

To cover insurance, particularly given all the changes made, Just Kampers Insurance provides coverage for Val and all her modifications through an agreed value policy.

Just the family VW Tiguan, in the past I’ve owned A 1983 MK1 Golf GX, too many MK4 platform VWs to talk about and a 2006 VW T32 LWB T5 Transporter Camper.