Show Notes
If you've spent any time watching the popular how-to videos from JBugs, you've probably seen Sam Mebane and his son Nathan working side-by-side, sharing their passion for air-cooled Volkswagens while helping enthusiasts keep their classic VWs on the road. From restoration projects and maintenance tutorials to building Nathan's own Volkswagen, the father-and-son team has become a familiar and trusted source of knowledge for the VW community. In this episode of Let's Talk Dubs, Sam shares a deeply personal story that goes far beyond Volkswagens. From a childhood spent in foster care to discovering purpose, building a successful career, and creating a life on his own terms, Sam's journey is one of perseverance, determination, and faith. His story is a powerful reminder that where you start in life doesn't have to determine where you finish. We also get into the history of JBugs, exploring how the company grew from a small mail-order Volkswagen parts business into one of the most recognized and influential names in the air-cooled VW industry. Sam discusses the evolution of the hobby, the challenges of serving a passionate customer base, and how JBugs has adapted through decades of change while continuing to support Volkswagen enthusiasts around the world. Whether you're a longtime air-cooled Volkswagen owner, a fan of JBugs' instructional videos, or simply enjoy hearing inspiring stories of overcoming adversity and building something meaningful, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Topics Covered Sam Mebane's journey from foster care to entrepreneurship Finding purpose and defining success on your own terms The origins and growth of JBugs The evolution of the air-cooled Volkswagen hobby Creating educational VW how-to content Working alongside family in business Building Nathan's Volkswagen project car The future of the classic Volkswagen aftermarket www.vwtrendsmagazine.com www.rosswulf.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_n1PgUZ4Uw
More from Lets Talk Dubs Classic The Classic VW podcast
Bill & Geroge talkk about the specfic cars that were built and winner of OCW 26. The events broken down. Lots of details that you may not have realized behind the scenes and some of those supported One crazy weekend. We also discussed where a lot of the cars came from and potential opportunities for next year. Show shirts available here HERE www.rosswulf.com www.vwtrendsmagazine.com 15% off Hot VWs Subscription
What an incredible weekend! This week on Let's Talk Dubs, I'm joined by Joey Giordano from Werkstat Restorations and Andy Finch from Spike's Vintage Restoration to recap One Crazy Weekend 2026 in Las Vegas. We talk Baja builds, preparations for a 600-mile road trip to the show, and the Wednesday-night Baja cruise down the Las Vegas Strip. Then we dig into the Baja trail run—how it went, what stood out, and the stories that came out of it—before reliving the rest of an unforgettable VW weekend. There's also the poker tournament, the strip cruise, the car show and poker run. Oh, I almost forgot the pool party as well so much to talk about. From getting the cars ready to bringing everyone together, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into One Crazy Weekend and what makes it so much fun. Whether you joined us in Vegas or want to know what you missed, pull up a chair and enjoy the recap. A huge thank-you to everyone who showed up, volunteered, sponsored, and supported the event. You're the reason this weekend keeps growing, and we can't wait to do it all again in 2027! 15% off of Hot VWs subscription www.rosswulf.com use code LTD10 for 10%off www.vwtrendsmagazine.com
Finding the right vintage Volkswagen or that one hard-to-find part should be part of the fun. For longtime VW enthusiast and collector Chris Picco, searching classifieds on a phone often felt harder than it needed to be. From his home in Ontario, Canada, he decided to build the kind of marketplace he wanted to use. Chris created **VWTraders.com**, a free Volkswagen classifieds site designed to be easy to browse and open to buyers and sellers around the world. It's his way of giving back to the hobby and helping VW people connect over the cars and parts they love. In Episode 374, Chris joins me to talk about how he first got into Volkswagens, the cars and experiences that shaped his passion, and what it took to turn an idea into a site for the VW community. We also get into the challenges of buying and selling in today's classifieds market and what Chris hopes VWTraders.com can offer enthusiasts worldwide. Whether you're hunting for your next project, looking for parts, or just enjoy hearing how VW people turn a passion into something useful for the scene, check out this conversation with Chris Picco. Enjoy the episode!
Danny Foerster has spent years working in the automotive industry, specializing in fuel injection, tuning, and programming. As an air-cooled Volkswagen enthusiast, he saw the need for an EFI system that was reliable, easy to install, and truly designed for the everyday VW owner. The result is the Forster Performance plug-and-play fuel-injection system. In this episode, Danny explains how he developed one of the most comprehensive EFI conversions available for a stock Volkswagen engine. The goal was simple: create a true "set it and forget it" system that works right out of the box. No more fighting with a 34 PICT-3 carburetor, changing jets for different elevations, dealing with cold-start problems, or constantly adjusting the engine as driving conditions change. We dig into how electronic fuel injection works, the programming and testing behind Danny's system, and the decisions he made to keep the installation as straightforward as possible. This kit gives your stock Beetle modern drivability while preserving the character and simplicity that make air-cooled Volkswagens so much fun. Also who would complain about an 8hp gain & 11lbft of torque The Foerster Performance EFI kit is available through Red-E Motorsports and Washburn's Metal. Dam Volks in Boulder City, Nevada, also has a kit available. enjoy
Back in June at the Luft Zeigen show I had an opportunity to sit down with Danny a a.k.a. Danny Alvarez one of the old-school lettering guys that let a lot of cars back in the 80s cars like red alert, bad temper, bad temper too and many more. We sit down with Danny talk about what it took to get into the business with lettering and how that all started and some of his history short interview it's pretty good. Also, William Nera fresh out of death row, and now on the path to make things better he's got a new book out where he works with trying to help solve murder cases. Good to see him trying to turn things around his life and be a positive influence. A good lesson short podcast but good see you at one weekend 2026.