We’re highlighting the excellent work done by BBT, one of our top brands! This week, we’ll show you some of their great products and give you a little bit of information about this fantastic company.
If you’ve shopped with us over the years, you’ll know about BBT, but if you don’t then here’s why we’re so pleased to be stocking the parts and accessories they create.
Who are BBT?
Founded in the autumn of 1986 by Arlette van Dijck and Bob van Heyst, BBT specializes in air-cooled Volkswagen parts.
BBT started out as a small shop with three pallets of parts delivered to Bob’s parents' garden, to over 7,500 different products, many of which they create themselves.
After customers started coming a few weeks later speaking other languages, they understood that this business was serious, and after a year, expanded from mum and dad’s attic and garage, to a much larger warehouse.
Around two years later, business was going swimmingly for BBT, and they needed to expand again. Bob and Arlette moved onto an old pig farm which they transformed into a shop, work premises and warehouse with a large parking lot.
But eventually, this still wasn’t enough. 2010 saw the start of the new and modern premises being built. Their new building now takes up a massive 4,140 metres squared, with 2,530 metres squared being dedicated to the warehouse, showroom and work premises and the rest being dedicated to the vehicle collection, a shop, and hyper-modern offices.
Here's a shot of BBT's awesome car collection! Image credit to BBT.
So, what does BBT offer?
If you’re looking for anything from a complete roof skin for your T2 Bay, through to a coolant hose clamp for your T25, here at JK we’ve got a wide array of BBT products to help you with your restoration project!
All of their panels are made as close to OEM specifications as possible, so you know it’ll fit with minimal work on your part (but we all know our classic VWs have been worked on by different people over decades, so nothing is ever quite fit-and-forget!).
Has rust affected the structure of your T2 Split? We have the BBT main chassis rails for sale, so you don’t have to get each part, piece by piece. Consisting of multiple parts that can be purchased separately, this Chassis rail kit will save you time and also save you money overall.
If you’re looking for a middle seat frame for your 1967 VW T2 Split screen because yours has degraded over the years or has broken, BBT offers a replacement which will fit directly into your vehicle.
Some parts we offer from BBT are special orders, meaning they are not in stock in our warehouse and will require a number of days to be delivered to you. Some products may need to be made, making the wait time a little longer. Before checking out, please make sure you are aware of the time it will take to receive your order.
BBT Silver Weld Through vs E coating
What is BBT Silver Weld?
BBT have their own process for certain products in which they spray silver weld over their products so that when it comes to welding, the coating doesn’t have to be removed first. Most protective coatings will need to be ground off before welding - not Silver Weld Through.
Certain panels cannot have the Silver Weld Through coating due to their construction, or assembly but will have the E coating instead.
What is BBT E coating?
E coating is slightly different in function and process, in which coating is applied via dipping instead of spraying. It also needs to be dried in large drying tunnels whereas Silver Weld Through can be air dried, making the process for E coating, more environmentally unfriendly. Unlike Silver Weld through, E coating will also need to be ground off before welding as you won’t be able to weld through this whilst still on your panel.
Both E coating and Silver Weld Through use a process similar to powder coating, in which they electrically charge the panel, then apply the charged paint either by dipping (for E coating) or spraying (for Silver Weld Through). This ensures an equal coating across the whole panel as the paint will literally stick to the panel as if both were magnetised.
Both processes are efficient at applying the coating, with the Silver Weld Through coating being superior.
BBT is a world-renowned brand with all of the parts you need to restore your vintage air-cooled vehicle. Here at JK, we stock a huge amount of these parts to make it easier for you to order.
Click here to check out JK's range of top-quality BBT parts now!
