Thank you! It really allowed me to learn everything about making a custom hotrod. From welding, fabricating, painting, engine building... was a fun project that took a lot of time, patience, blood sweat and tears.
Doing a build like this is like eating pancakes. All exciting at first, but after a while, you're sick of it! Seriously, great job! Amazing attention to detail!
Thats amazing,HUGE EFFORT! one of a kind bug! Love it man!...you put so much work and effort into this bug and it shines through to guys like me,im on a redo now of a 78 K5 blazer...have no garage and have rebuilt all of it in my driveway when weather permits in Ohio...Said that, to say this. Honestly commend you on all the great work you did to that car! I know what it is,and what it takes. Id reach through to give ya a high five, if i could! lol. Very cool to watch come to life w a 350sbc ,interesting how ya did the alt. bracket. Love the whole set-up man...great freakin job to you sir!!!! Blown away on all that effort in everything...from how you made the garage into a make shift paint booth better than anyone ive ever seen try.every detail you meticulously made to work in ,from the gas door...two tone paint job....hard core truck frame ..roll bars.engine..radiator and lines..your welding skillz ...everywhere! You dont see this kinda build video everyday. So im trying leave ya with the best commending comments i can think of. Words will never live up to how amazing you made that bug dude.... obviously,i really like the car 😆...just didnt feel right only saying "nice care bro!" Have a good one
Thank you! I really appreciate it. It took me a lot of learning, doing things over, to get it to a point where I was happy with it. Did most of the frame work in a small 1 color apartment garage before I got a house. It took 6 years of working on it when I can, but was fun, most of the time. It's great you see and appreciate all the hard work that went into it. Thanks again!
Thank you! It took 6 years as a little side project and saved a little here and there. It was very ambitious for someone like me who isn't a pro, but I love the way it came out.
The color is awesome.....I did mine in yellow so bright that you have to wear sunglasses at midnight with no lights to avoid blindness. Your garage setup was about the same as mine. Sags? Oh, yeah......Really super video! The black really makes it.
@@cmattdabrat I just went over this upload again to admire some of the slick things you did to get to the final product. That is a super-nice driveline tunnel......I'd have been proud of bending up such a nice piece of metal. Plus the roll cage and hanging the seats/gauges/steering column.....really nice work. I don't think I would have ever let it go just for the sheer joy of putting the hurt on some street racers. I think I would have tried to hide the intake in some fashion....maybe a bubble hood or a cold air intake just in front of the windshield. Anyway, it is still impressive to me. If you've posted more creations to youtube, let me know. Tom
Enjoyed your skills and craftsmanship you have a talent to be proud of. I love VW's. I owned the 1965 bug and 1970 model bug's, wish I still did. but any way. What you did to that VW is Assume. It was just a dream to me. But to see it actualy be done? Wow! That is Realy Sweet. 👍 Thanks for well job done and sharing this vedio. That is so Cool. Please! show more on this VW. Please! 🙏 like Cruzing or on the track for speed, Where ever. Would be nice. Thanks. ✌😎👍Rumble, Rumble. ✌😱👍
Thank you!!! I've always loved v8 bugs and this was a dream build. I sold it years ago when I got divorced. I'll have to see if I can reconnect with the current owner to get some shots of it.
@@jamestorres5582 That would be sweet! Those things have some power, great aftermarket support, not to mention weight savings and better gas... if you're not getting on it all the time.
Bad ass buggie!! The front mounted V-8 gawk factor is ten fold compared to some of the s2k, k20 motors builds I thought were pretty sweet, until I saw this. Just the idle alone says def notta daily driver.
Cool build great work may I ask what you used for a chassis frame what year is the frame much appreciated for the information I just pick 66 bug body i thank I'm going build a v8 bug myself
Nice! I used a 93 S10 Chevy frame. Had to shorten it in the middle and lop off the front and back to fit under the bug body. I used some leaf springs off a suzuki sidekick I believe and just remounted the leaf spring perches.
I have always wanted to do that to a bug. . That's a bad ass looking car man. This is the first time i have watched your videos but i have subscribed and liked the first one and will watch anymore you put out on here
LOL, thanks! It's a tire shredder for sure. For some reason, when mocking things up in Photoshop, the orange really stood out. I'm not a huge fan of orange, but thought a chevy color (hugger orange) seemed appropriate.
Thank you! I wet the floors, but not the walls. There wasn't too much trash in the paint and took minimal cutting and buffing to get the paint looking like glass.
Matthew Chevalier my truck is a 93 model GMC well it a custom painted fade job on it and to date it still looks good I figure they put a lot of clear because wet sanding it can remove to coats of clear so what was left has done the paint good.
I didn't. I saw it too and I just didn't have the funds at the time. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to buy it back lol. Fingers crossed the TH-cam channel grows to that extent.
Thank you! I just used some angle iron and made mounts for the heater channels to bolt to. I then welded up the cage to the frame and body. By the end of it, it pretty much was a unibody.
This would be a great project for me.....I can curse in both GM and VW....perfect use of my talents! Bet that's a wild ride. Shut down any C6 'Vettes lately?
Sounds like a cool project! I used a sheet of 16 gauge steel, weld it to the body and the chassis. The same thing for the floor and tunnel. I just made patterns / mockups for the firewall, flooring and tunnel out of poster board. The tunnel was made out of 14 gauge steel. I used a large pipe to bend the tunnel shape. The pedals were Wilwood floor mounts. You can reinforce the area with some square tubing or angle iron, but I didn't need to because of the thick 16 gauge flooring. I went with 16 gauge because I wouldn't have to do and bead rolls, and the car could have used a little weight.
It is nice to see that old files like this are revealed for us to enjoy and use as a reference for future projects. It will be great to see old time builder stars (like George Barris)show their picture slide show as you do in the video, so that we know how some of those great old custom vehicles were made.
Excellent job on the Beetle (the one I had was Orange with Black fenders) a long time ago, would love to see the El Camino and any others you may do, hint.
Thank you! That's awesome. Wish I could see that. I'm working on the El Camino video and will have it up in the near future. I'm uploading a fun little project that's new to me.
I did one years ago using a Malibu frame (shortened 15"), it ended up with the running boards fastened to the frame rails, body welded directly in various places to the frame. Very solid and stiff united. An S-10 is a stronger frame for sure, stronger rear end too. Good choice. For wheels I used temp. spare 15" on front with VW tires and on back used Olds Toronado 15", these brought the tires inward to where the bug looked nearly stock after welding on little tabs to use the VW hub caps. Mike
@@Smittybuilds If you have any questions, I might be able to answer. I did the bug back in my BC (before computer) days, my son has it now. Add mount points- more is better. I wish I had pics on the computer.... Oh, the wt is 2800# with the 350, 9"rear,2.75 gears 2000 stahl, mini blower and went low 12s. I moved the motor back 4 "- not a good idea= less leg room. A single Big alum radiator in back like this guy did should be fine. Mike
That's awesome! I used some angel iron the ran under the original mount points / heater channels in which I drilled some holes in the angle iron and welded the body to it. The body was welded at multiple points to the chassis. The roll cage, floor, and firewall were all welded to the body and frame. Made it a unibody.
Nothing new here i done this year's ago, 70 super beetle,53 chevy frame,and a 327 with a power glide trans, And a Mopar 8 3/4 rearend .Alot of people have done this.
Yup. It's been done since the 60's. Even with the beam front suspension and pan. V8 behind the beam. Couple 2x4 mild steel frame rails, rear frame horn cutoff, and your choice of rear. I knew this was nothing new. First time I laid eyes on such a build was in the late 90's in a VW magazine. This build wasn't about, I did this first. It was, hey, it would be cool to see if I, an average Joe, can pull it off for cheap, with minimal skills, and tools.
Mathew I love this car! I have a 68 and wanna take it to another level. You did just that. So much for the sleeper look! Would you do it all over again? I wanna see it run the quarter.
It was a fun project. I would do it all over again, but perhaps mid engine instead. I'm thinking about doing a mid engine super sport bike engine beetle. Try and get the weight down to 1500 lbs, and a 200 hp 13k revving sport bike engine. This bug was a little scary, lol, but something a little more tame would be nice.
Pretty cool build Matt ! Of course your idea isnt anything that new one of my Dads freinds a heck of a Welder and car buff built one in the 1970s in South Florida he had to put the drivers seat where the back seat really was placed by VW and because of the torque he built Wheelie bars that he actually drove the car on around town in a full Wheel stand ! He did install 2 brake systems on the rear wheels so he could indecently brake each side to Steer this was back in the days that my Hometown was a small town and the local Police Chief was a hot Rodder who actually closed down roadways to do Dragracing on! Eventually that City was one of the very first to have one of the earliest National Hot Rod Drag racing tracks which was where many big names did some of their first passes and despite it being a Competition it is well known that many of the families and teams were friendly and even helped one another and often ate together ! BTW it was Hollywood Florida and the track officially shut down in the early 80s and was demolished soon after the paint looks pretty good ! I sprayed my very first car using a Campbell Housefeild HVLP. Spray unit i bought to spray Woodworking finishes it is a self contained unit that i still use for Woodworking many people swear by those cheap HF spray guns for Automotive paint but then i didnt have a Compressor that would had kept up so i chose the previous method i mentioned to Spray a MGB. I owned for 14 years i had no runs or major Blemishes and it was a factory color respray to freshen up the many years of the Florida Sun damage to the original paint and some minor bumps and Bruises the Stance and look of your Bug with the Intake coming thru the hood and the color scheme came out really Bad Ass i even like the X patterns on the Headlights and the interior it all kind of States that i not your Average Aircooled VW anymore !
You're right about that! I recall seeing a V8 bug in a VW magazine back in the 90's. I always wanted to do one, so this was my budget attempt at it. Sounds like a cool build! Thanks for sharing.
You and BodeVision 'need' to get together on some collabs. :) He's the TH-camr building a 1988 Honda Accord with 2004-06 Pontiac GTO parts, LSx motor and all.
I noticed that too!!! Was coming to comment but you beat me to it.... Badass Bug though... for me the easy fix there would be a hood scoop....but that’s just my opinion
Really nice to see someone do most of if not all the work themselves. . turned out awesome. I bet it rumbles down the street.
Thank you! It really allowed me to learn everything about making a custom hotrod. From welding, fabricating, painting, engine building... was a fun project that took a lot of time, patience, blood sweat and tears.
@@cmattdabrat where is it now? was it street legal ?
I hate vw bugs but that v8 in the front makes me want one now lol. That is bad ass and some stellar craftsmanship
LOL! How they should have come. Or at least with one in the back.
Love the video! I'm working on my 69 ghia that my son and I saved from the car crusher 👍
That is awesome!
I Love it!... I'm Hoping to Build One in the Near Future
That's awesome!
Paint is very striking. Good job framing up chassis. Didn't think a bug could be made to look good. Congrats.
Thanks 👍
Congratulations. Hell of a nice build. Looks safe too.
Very cool build. I think it would look awesome in all black, though. Nice to see you did the work yourself.
Thank you!
I remember the videos from way back then . Glad to see you still have the car.
Thanks! I actually don't have it any more. Moved on to other projects... although I wish I hadn't let it go. Maybe one day I'll buy it back. lol
Doing a build like this is like eating pancakes. All exciting at first, but after a while, you're sick of it!
Seriously, great job!
Amazing attention to detail!
LOL! You're right about that. Especially after eating pancakes after 6 years. Thanks!
wow what a really good paint job!
Thank you!
Wow! Beautiful Escarabajo 😎👌
Thats amazing,HUGE EFFORT! one of a kind bug! Love it man!...you put so much work and effort into this bug and it shines through to guys like me,im on a redo now of a 78 K5 blazer...have no garage and have rebuilt all of it in my driveway when weather permits in
Ohio...Said that, to say this. Honestly commend you on all the great work you did to that car! I know what it is,and what it takes. Id reach through to give ya a high five, if i could! lol. Very cool to watch come to life w a 350sbc ,interesting how ya did the alt. bracket. Love the whole set-up man...great freakin job to you sir!!!! Blown away on all that effort in everything...from how you made the garage into a make shift paint booth better than anyone ive ever seen try.every detail you meticulously made to work in ,from the gas door...two tone paint job....hard core truck frame ..roll bars.engine..radiator and lines..your welding skillz ...everywhere! You dont see this kinda build video everyday. So im trying leave ya with the best commending comments i can think of. Words will never live up to how amazing you made that bug dude.... obviously,i really like the car 😆...just didnt feel right only saying "nice care bro!" Have a good one
Thank you! I really appreciate it. It took me a lot of learning, doing things over, to get it to a point where I was happy with it. Did most of the frame work in a small 1 color apartment garage before I got a house. It took 6 years of working on it when I can, but was fun, most of the time. It's great you see and appreciate all the hard work that went into it. Thanks again!
Nicely done! And you put a pile of work into it.
Thank you! It took 6 years as a little side project and saved a little here and there. It was very ambitious for someone like me who isn't a pro, but I love the way it came out.
@@cmattdabrat
Your a very patient man. LoL. I'm sure it turns heads where ever bug goes.
@@paulcarpenter7429 I appreciate it!
Fantastic Build ! ! ! Thanks for Sharing ! ! !
Thank you!
Thanks for painting it my school colors. Marine City High School Rocks !!! Greetings from Michigan.
Hahaha! Greeting from Houston, Texas!
Starting my own with a boss 351
This should be fun
That's awesome! Just keep with it. It'll be a process, but you can do it.
No way!! I followed this build back on volksrods The whole way! Fun to see you still doing stuff.
Wow! 5 year long build started back in 2005-2006. Welcome aboard! Still doing car stuff lol. TH-cam just helps fund the builds now lol.
That's freakin awesome,time well spent.
Thanks! I think so too.
" the prep Job is the paint job".....great result.
I completely agree! Thanks!
The color is awesome.....I did mine in yellow so bright that you have to wear sunglasses at midnight with no lights to avoid blindness. Your garage setup was about the same as mine. Sags? Oh, yeah......Really super video! The black really makes it.
That's awesome! Got any video or pictures?
@@cmattdabrat Sorry.....too long ago.
@@tomnekuda3818 I hear that.
@@cmattdabrat I just went over this upload again to admire some of the slick things you did to get to the final product. That is a super-nice driveline tunnel......I'd have been proud of bending up such a nice piece of metal. Plus the roll cage and hanging the seats/gauges/steering column.....really nice work. I don't think I would have ever let it go just for the sheer joy of putting the hurt on some street racers. I think I would have tried to hide the intake in some fashion....maybe a bubble hood or a cold air intake just in front of the windshield. Anyway, it is still impressive to me. If you've posted more creations to youtube, let me know. Tom
Enjoyed your skills and craftsmanship you have a talent to be proud of. I love VW's. I owned the 1965 bug and 1970 model bug's, wish I still did. but any way. What you did to that VW is Assume. It was just a dream to me. But to see it actualy be done? Wow! That is Realy Sweet. 👍 Thanks for well job done and sharing this vedio. That is so Cool. Please! show more on this VW. Please! 🙏 like Cruzing or on the track for speed, Where ever. Would be nice. Thanks. ✌😎👍Rumble, Rumble. ✌😱👍
Thank you!!! I've always loved v8 bugs and this was a dream build. I sold it years ago when I got divorced. I'll have to see if I can reconnect with the current owner to get some shots of it.
Right on . That's bad ass .. I wanna build one oneday. Mid engine. Totally trick
Nice! I'm thinking about building a mid-engine bug with a hayabusa engine in it.
@@cmattdabrat 😳
@@cmattdabrat that would be awesome .. I'm not a Ford guy but the eco boost v6 is suh-wheeeet
@@jamestorres5582 That would be sweet! Those things have some power, great aftermarket support, not to mention weight savings and better gas... if you're not getting on it all the time.
@@jamestorres5582 Thanks!
Lots of hard work..great job!
👍🏿
Thank you!
Wow Nice Job Bro Well done
My gawd that's a piece of art.
Thank you!
Bad ass buggie!! The front mounted V-8 gawk factor is ten fold compared to some of the s2k, k20 motors builds I thought were pretty sweet, until I saw this. Just the idle alone says def notta daily driver.
Thanks! Something about the engine being in the front and a popcorn machine idle is what I've wanted since I was a kid.
A blown 572 hemi would morebetter !!!! I like it. Very fun to drive. Even more funner with a hemi. Getter done!!!!!
Hahaha, and I thought it is scary with the 383.
Cool build great work may I ask what you used for a chassis frame what year is the frame much appreciated for the information I just pick 66 bug body i thank I'm going build a v8 bug myself
Nice! I used a 93 S10 Chevy frame. Had to shorten it in the middle and lop off the front and back to fit under the bug body. I used some leaf springs off a suzuki sidekick I believe and just remounted the leaf spring perches.
You done REALLY good! 😊
Thank you! 😄
Matt, glad to see you finished the Bug! I’ve been following since you painted it black and orange. Very cool!
Thanks bro! That's awesome. I've been itching to do more car stuff, so more videos soon.
Very well done.
Thank you!
Loved your ride. It looks awesome. May I ask what you cut down and used for the frame?
Nice job!
one hell of a bug
Thanks!
I have always wanted to do that to a bug. . That's a bad ass looking car man. This is the first time i have watched your videos but i have subscribed and liked the first one and will watch anymore you put out on here
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Let me know if you would like to see a video on the El Camino!
Sure. But still I like the bug I’m working on 71 mustang. Almost done.
Actually I got a bug in Mexico it just need the swap engine. The body is ready and solid. Let me know if u want to do mine
Yeah definitely make a vid of the el camino !
@@siriosstar4789 I'll have that up soon!
For sure!
I had the radiator in the rear also but it ran hot in the summer, so i finally put in the front. Now cool!
I couldn't get mine to run cool no matter what.
Amazing job!
Thank you!
Nice job...!!! Thats the only VW i would be caught dead in.....lol...!!!
lol
Nice video, I enjoyed the music.
Thanks! I appreciate it.
Awsome job👏👏👏
Thanks! I try lol
How is it handling the new weight distribution with the engine in front, and still being a rear-wheel drive?
It was a real tire frier!
Well deserved liked on thisvedeo lots of hard work and commitment
Thank you! It was a long 6 year project. Fun one though.
Paint scheme looks like typical Harley-Davidson logo. Very nice looking VeeDub. I bet its not going to keep tyres on the rear! ;-)
LOL, thanks! It's a tire shredder for sure. For some reason, when mocking things up in Photoshop, the orange really stood out. I'm not a huge fan of orange, but thought a chevy color (hugger orange) seemed appropriate.
what does the criss crossed tape do on the headlights?
thanks.
Sleeper? Not hardly, But it definitely redefines the term Super Beetle!
Definitely not a sleeper, but a cool platform for a cheap V8 hotrod.
Nice work!!!
Thank you!
Looks awesome when painting again wet the floor and walls
Thank you! I wet the floors, but not the walls. There wasn't too much trash in the paint and took minimal cutting and buffing to get the paint looking like glass.
Matthew Chevalier my truck is a 93 model GMC well it a custom painted fade job on it and to date it still looks good I figure they put a lot of clear because wet sanding it can remove to coats of clear so what was left has done the paint good.
@@rolandosanchez3664 Nice! I'd like to see that. Sounds like an awesome truck.
did you ever get it back? I saw this on Houston Craigslist a little while back. I wanted to buy this thing.
I didn't. I saw it too and I just didn't have the funds at the time. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to buy it back lol. Fingers crossed the TH-cam channel grows to that extent.
Do you have any pics on how you did the body mounts
Did you use a different chassis from a other car ? Bc I'm about to do the same thing and I really need some advice
I used a S10 pickup chassis with V8 conversion mount.
What did you use for the chassis ? It would be nice to find out what components you used for the build.
In a nutshell, it's a S10 pickup truck chassis, with a v8 conversion kit, and a bug body. Cut everything to fit.
Look so awesome 😎
Thank you!
Very sharp looking car. Thought about doing one myself. But not sure how to anchor the body to a frame
Thank you! I just used some angle iron and made mounts for the heater channels to bolt to. I then welded up the cage to the frame and body. By the end of it, it pretty much was a unibody.
This would be a great project for me.....I can curse in both GM and VW....perfect use of my talents! Bet that's a wild ride. Shut down any C6 'Vettes lately?
Hahaha! That's exactly how I saw it. I haven't. I sold the car years ago unfortunately... I never could get it to not overheat.
Nice job
Thank you!
badass.. i love it
Thank you!
Excellent
Thank you!
Bro cool build I'm starting my crawler build it's a 74 bug on a straight axel 4x4 Toyota frame .. any tips on how to do the front engine bay? Pedals?
Sounds like a cool project! I used a sheet of 16 gauge steel, weld it to the body and the chassis. The same thing for the floor and tunnel. I just made patterns / mockups for the firewall, flooring and tunnel out of poster board. The tunnel was made out of 14 gauge steel. I used a large pipe to bend the tunnel shape. The pedals were Wilwood floor mounts. You can reinforce the area with some square tubing or angle iron, but I didn't need to because of the thick 16 gauge flooring. I went with 16 gauge because I wouldn't have to do and bead rolls, and the car could have used a little weight.
@@cmattdabrat awesome I'm looking for pedals now .. I'm going to use 16 gauge for flooring.. I appreciate your response!
@@toddstarr3505 Nice! Good luck, and just be patient because these things aren't bolt on mods. lol...
Just found this! New sub now🤙 I give it 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!! Awesome fab work!
Thank you!
Nice build!! What’s up with the tape
Thanks! It was holding the chrome headlight rings on. The original screws were rusted out.
It is nice to see that old files like this are revealed for us to enjoy and use as a reference for future projects. It will be great to see old time builder stars (like George Barris)show their picture slide show as you do in the video, so that we know how some of those great old custom vehicles were made.
Thank you! Before the whole TH-cam craze, posting your builds to a forum was the way to go. The whole build is documented here ... bit.ly/3bqBtO4
Excellent job on the Beetle (the one I had was Orange with Black fenders) a long time ago, would love to see the El Camino and any others you may do, hint.
Thank you! That's awesome. Wish I could see that. I'm working on the El Camino video and will have it up in the near future. I'm uploading a fun little project that's new to me.
It's very good........ but not as good as the V8 Stealth Beetle.
I agree
For a lot cheaper with the added satisfaction that he did it all himself.
@@RhumRunner41 Thank you! It's not about the end goal, but the journey and to be able to say... I built this...
Amazing work good job after all is said and done what did you have in it to do the conversion ?
Thank you! About $8500 all in.
@@cmattdabrat one bad ass hot rod for 8500 wow awesome.
@@angelsanchez3074 Thanks! It's an affordable project anyone could do. Took 6 years between saving, researching how to DIY this project.
I Love Crushed ICE...Crush the ICE.
lol
Awesome job! Thank you for sharing this. I have always loved bugs. The original bugs or modded bugs from the original. Do you still have it?
Thank you! I wish I did, but I sold it to work on another project my family and I could both enjoy.
I'm building a bug similar to yours, yours has been my inspiration! Can you please tell me how you mounted the body?
I did one years ago using a Malibu frame (shortened 15"), it ended up with the running boards fastened to the frame rails, body welded directly in various places to the frame.
Very solid and stiff united. An S-10 is a stronger frame for sure, stronger rear end too. Good choice. For wheels I used temp. spare 15" on front with VW tires and on back used Olds Toronado 15", these brought the tires inward to where the bug looked nearly stock after welding on little tabs to use the VW hub caps. Mike
@@mtwseneca good to know! My body is really rusted out so I'm not sure if I can really use the original mount points but I'll try! Thank you!
@@Smittybuilds If you have any questions, I might be able to answer. I did the bug back in my BC (before computer) days, my son has it now. Add mount points- more is better. I wish I had pics on the computer.... Oh, the wt is 2800# with the 350, 9"rear,2.75 gears 2000 stahl, mini blower and went low 12s. I moved the motor back 4 "- not a good idea= less leg room. A single Big alum radiator in back like this guy did should be fine. Mike
That's awesome! I used some angel iron the ran under the original mount points / heater channels in which I drilled some holes in the angle iron and welded the body to it. The body was welded at multiple points to the chassis. The roll cage, floor, and firewall were all welded to the body and frame. Made it a unibody.
@@cmattdabrat Matt, you did a beautiful job, great craftsmanship!
May I ask what radiator you used
Cool project!!what was donor frame from.???snookie pa.
Thank you! It was a 94 S10 pickup.
@@cmattdabrat yeah i discovered that out in reading further thru comment section.did you ever do the el camino???
@@allensnook7760 I did! I uploaded a video on my channel.
Nothing new here i done this year's ago, 70 super beetle,53 chevy frame,and a 327 with a power glide trans, And a Mopar 8 3/4 rearend .Alot of people have done this.
Yup. It's been done since the 60's. Even with the beam front suspension and pan. V8 behind the beam. Couple 2x4 mild steel frame rails, rear frame horn cutoff, and your choice of rear. I knew this was nothing new. First time I laid eyes on such a build was in the late 90's in a VW magazine. This build wasn't about, I did this first. It was, hey, it would be cool to see if I, an average Joe, can pull it off for cheap, with minimal skills, and tools.
Mathew I love this car! I have a 68 and wanna take it to another level. You did just that. So much for the sleeper look! Would you do it all over again? I wanna see it run the quarter.
It was a fun project. I would do it all over again, but perhaps mid engine instead. I'm thinking about doing a mid engine super sport bike engine beetle. Try and get the weight down to 1500 lbs, and a 200 hp 13k revving sport bike engine. This bug was a little scary, lol, but something a little more tame would be nice.
Pretty cool build Matt ! Of course your idea isnt anything that new one of my Dads freinds a heck of a Welder and car buff built one in the 1970s in South Florida he had to put the drivers seat where the back seat really was placed by VW and because of the torque he built Wheelie bars that he actually drove the car on around town in a full Wheel stand ! He did install 2 brake systems on the rear wheels so he could indecently brake each side to Steer this was back in the days that my Hometown was a small town and the local Police Chief was a hot Rodder who actually closed down roadways to do Dragracing on! Eventually that City was one of the very first to have one of the earliest National Hot Rod Drag racing tracks which was where many big names did some of their first passes and despite it being a Competition it is well known that many of the families and teams were friendly and even helped one another and often ate together ! BTW it was Hollywood Florida and the track officially shut down in the early 80s and was demolished soon after the paint looks pretty good ! I sprayed my very first car using a Campbell Housefeild HVLP. Spray unit i bought to spray Woodworking finishes it is a self contained unit that i still use for Woodworking many people swear by those cheap HF spray guns for Automotive paint but then i didnt have a Compressor that would had kept up so i chose the previous method i mentioned to Spray a MGB. I owned for 14 years i had no runs or major Blemishes and it was a factory color respray to freshen up the many years of the Florida Sun damage to the original paint and some minor bumps and Bruises the Stance and look of your Bug with the Intake coming thru the hood and the color scheme came out really Bad Ass i even like the X patterns on the Headlights and the interior it all kind of States that i not your Average Aircooled VW anymore !
You're right about that! I recall seeing a V8 bug in a VW magazine back in the 90's. I always wanted to do one, so this was my budget attempt at it. Sounds like a cool build! Thanks for sharing.
❤❤SWEET😂
Bet it has a good heater now.
LOL! Definitely no complaints of the lack of heat.
thats bad ass!!!
Thanks!
İ love it.Anyone know how much is this beast?
Thank you! It cost me roughly 8k to build.
Must be a very hard uncomfortable bouncy ride as heavy leaf spring set up is for a far larger load.
The suspension definitely wasn't good, but it was a fun project to learn on for cheap.
What kind of frame did you use to sit the bug on
S10 pickup from with the front of the front and the rear cut down to fit.
What year s10 frame did you use?
It was either a 93 or 94.
The Back Lights installed did not come with a 1973 model these were older model lights.
Here to just make negative comments I see? Of course they're not the proper year lights. I install what year lights I liked best.
Lmao,, never came with a v8 either. Duh!! Another Einstein. Say nothing and look smarter, Dumba$$.
that things idle sounds like someone tossed a bunch of harbor freight wrenches and zinc deck screws in a a barely functioning dryer
Isn't it great lol
@@cmattdabrat absolutely
Looks great, just miss the exhaust pipes at the back.
I eventually sent the pipes out the back. One of the last photos with it on the car lift.
What leaf spings did you use on it
I believe they were from a Suzuki Sidekick.
@@cmattdabrat I'm building one now and was wondering what leafs you used because I know the stock ones are too long
@@larrymartinez667 Very cool! Are you using a S10 chassis?
@@cmattdabrat yup a 94 S10 chassis
You and BodeVision 'need' to get together on some collabs. :) He's the TH-camr building a 1988 Honda Accord with 2004-06 Pontiac GTO parts, LSx motor and all.
I'll have to check out their channel!
You know, oddly enough. I was just thinking how cool it would be to put a v8 in a Honda. A blown 5.3l Honda would be cool, IMO.
leaf spring rear? i wasn't expecting that
oh, i didn't see it was on an S10 frame, makes sense now.
Budget build at it's finest. :)
It looks nice, but doesnt sounds like a Volkswagen beetle, but like a rattle can.
What frame did you use
S10 is what it says in the description
S10! :)
too bad the intake does not line up with the center it looks like a small modification can fix that blemish on the front
view
I agree! The engine is offset because of the steering shaft.
I noticed that too!!! Was coming to comment but you beat me to it.... Badass Bug though... for me the easy fix there would be a hood scoop....but that’s just my opinion
👍 👍 👍
Thank you!
What type of frame is under it.
A 93 S10 pickup chassis.
U should do the Elcamino with the enine in the open box area,,, (essentially rear engine i mean,,,??)
It would definitely help with traction
so, you put a bug body on a s10 frame. that doesnt make it a bug. it makes it a s10 with a v8. more like a funny car
Pretty much, with a vw shell.
@mike seguin Hahaha! Thanks, Mike!
What car was the frame donor ???
94 S10 pickup. Got the entire rolling chassis for $150.
Nothing like videoing and driving at the same time and then posting it on TH-cam 🤬🤫🤯
lol :)
Two seats, lights on dash gauges, nice paint job... perfect daily driver! 😬
LOL! I wish
Drive it now while 93 octane gas is cheap! 💰
@@drjcwardjr Tell me about it!!
Any video that starts with "what is up guys" instantly turns me off. See ya.
Good point. Thanks for the tip.
after all that you couldn't show a little smoke?
Time for a wheel burning video...
Put a V8 in the back also.
I'm wanting to build one with a GSXR motor in the back. Would be fun.
I don't know what it didn't click, but a V8 in the front AND the back would be badass!
@@cmattdabrat yeah the handling would be alot better.
@@oiltoast3723 I agree!
🤘😎👌