Unless you’ve had your head buried under a stone for the last few years, you’ll know all about Hayburner. In a nutshell, it’s not only one of the coolest VW magazines out there, but it’s also free which obviously adds to its attraction. As you can see we’ve got a special admiration for the rag and were thrilled when its creator Ned Faux took time out from scribbling and photographing the world’s rattiest Dubs to talk to us…

Hi Ned, so what’s your background, what were you doing before Hayburner?

Believe it or not I was a builder. I hated working on site with a passion because I had a really bad back and found everyday a physical strain, I had left school without a single GCSE thinking I didn’t need to do them because I was 100% certain I was going to be a professional skateboarder. That dream didn’t quite turn out as planned because of an injury I had back when I was 17. By the age of 23 I was a Dad and the building site was where I had ended up and I thought that’s where I would stay. Once the big UK recession hit I found myself breaking cars and going around autojumbles instead of spending hours on site. When I hit 30 I said if I don’t try and do something now I never will. Funnily enough the first issue of Hayburner was mostly written on a building site in my car.

How did Hayburner start?

It was a ridiculous idea that spiralled out of control. It was never supposed to be a ‘proper’ publication. The idea was first spoken about at a VW show sitting around a campfire at 3am. The initial idea was to do a Fanzine, like they used to give out for free at the punk gigs, sort of 10 sheets of white paper run through a photocopier and stapled together. In the end I got made redundant from my job on site (no shock really when I spent more time in my car working on a magazine than doing my job) so I decided it was time to have a real go at it. With the support of my wife (Victoria) I put myself through endless YouTube tutorials on InDesign and Photoshop, learnt how to use a camera and together we wrote up some sort of half arse business plan. When I look back it’s unreal how green and naive we both were but we were so determined to make it work. With my £200 budget I spent it on stickers and flyers which I gave out for free at the shows to try and generate interest.

Why do a ‘free’ magazine?

I have always loved magazines. I have every Volksworld since 1995 and as a teenager I read them cover to cover. The main reason I thought there was space for Hayburner in the industry was because I knew so many people that had put huge amounts of time, effort and money in to cars which I personally thought were amazing, but they just didn’t seem to be getting the coverage they deserved. I think this is why Hayburner has worked. Everybody wins; the people get a free magazine to read, the companies get a place to advertise what they do for a discounted rate but still hitting real VW enthusiasts – and we get the luxury of working on something we love rather than getting real jobs. Don’t ever be fooled in to thinking this is a good business plan. Without working seven days a week also flipping cars and selling parts Hayburner profits would not even cover the rent.

So in a nutshell, what’s the mag all about – what’s your remit?

In the past we have been called by a few a ‘lifestyle’ mag. I’m not really sure where that came from as that’s not what we set out to do. It’s supposed to be an enthusiast’s mag. To me Hayburner is about building cars and having fun with your friends. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Given your insight into the scene, tell us what’s hot at the moment?

As far as I can see going back to stock height seems to be something we are seeing a lot more of these days. I personally quite like seeing a stock vehicle. In fact, we just built the ’55 oval with a stock ‘vintage speed’ look. I think people are spending more time on tyre choice and getting their cars sitting right rather than just putting them on the floor. Some of the cars that have come out of the likes of Deluxe Metalwork, Spikes and a few real up and coming workshops recently are certainly raising the bar when it comes to restoration, paint and attention to detail. I like the diversity at the moment, so many people are building contrasting vehicles, it makes things so much more interesting.

What direction is the scene going, what are the hidden future gems out there – the next ’Splittie’ if you like?

That’s a very difficult question. Things change constantly within the VW scene and to predict which direction it will go is almost impossible. There are other cool VWs out there, I’m quite in to Brazilian Type 3s at the moment. If I could afford it that’s what I would be bringing over. The big problem is the prices. Unfortunately to own a lot of the ‘gems’ you either need very deep pockets or be prepared for a massive project. I genuinely wish vintage VWs were worth half of what the prices they fetch. I would love it to be an affordable hobby again, we would see so many more cool builds and new blood getting involved but I can’t see that changing any time soon. As for hidden gems so many countries have been completely wiped out of VWs over the last few years (mostly to the UK) finding the  hidden gems gets much harder every year and the condition of the vehicles gets a lot worse. The dry Busses and Beetles people used to pull out of places like California are just so slim on the ground now. I guess they are still out there but a lot harder to find and the chances are you are going to pay for it when you find it. This is why we end up driving 2000+ miles to pick up piles of rust. I love this; the hunt is one of my favourite things about classic VWs and the worse the condition the more interesting the build and with a little determination anyone can do it. 

What’s your dream VW of all time, why?

What a cool question!  I think about this all the time so have no problem answering. It would be an original Zwitter Rometsch Taxi. Rometsch were a coachbulider and made a four-door Beetle which were used as taxis in the ’50s. Most were Ovals but I have seen a photo of a Zwitter version I would love to do a feature on but I can’t find the owner. When it comes to looks, rarity, history and quirkiness I genuinely can’t think of a VW I would rather own. 

If you had to sum up Hayburner in three words, what would they be? 

Free for everyone.

Find out more at www.hayburner.co.uk

Ian

The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of VW Heritage.