1976 Volkswagen Beetle

This build started off with the desire to chop a VW bug, solely due to the challenge, and the fact that they are one of the most difficult vehicles to chop. Initially, this was slated as a quick and cheap budget-build, but as you can clearly see, it escalated very quickly. Six-months of labor later and here it is…a 5.7-Hemi-powered, full-independent-suspension, big-brake, hand-built monster of a bug. Out of all the cars I’ve built, this one ranks as the most fun to drive. It’s super-fast, handles insanely well, and stops on a dime. The premise of this build was a car that could be driven hard and have fun in, all with the reliability of a modern fuel-injected drivetrain. I am 6’1” tall and have a 12” shoe, and other than the difficulty climbing in and out, it’s quite comfortable once you’re in. The 5.7 hemi is putting out close to 370hp to the back tires and the car weighs in at 2450lbs wet.  

Almost everything on this car is hand-built, including the entire frame, the massive lower control arms boasting 1.25” uniball’s and uppers with 5/8 heim’s. I couldn’t decide what type of wheel bearing / steering knuckle assembly I wanted to use, so I built my own. The front utilizes a Z06 corvette hub assembly with huge 14-1/4” tall rotors and dual-piston aluminum calipers. The rear uses Dodge Charger hub assemblies with a 14” rotors, and again, aluminum dual-piston calipers. 

The interior is mostly 20-gauge steel, and I may have gone a little over board with the bead rolling. The aluminum door panels were also subject to some custom bead work. The IQ3S digital Street Dash is running solely off the PCM’s CAN bus wires and is totally customizable to your preferences by hooking it up to your laptop. I’ve listed the major specs below, but here’s lots to show and lots to talk about for interested bidders, so please contact me with any questions, either through eBay, my email or phone. I also have professional build- and finished-product photos of this car in high resolution on my website, as well as photos of some the previous vehicles I’ve built. 

• 1976 VW Bug, 6” chop, 7” section and 4” channel. 
• 5.7 Chrysler Hemi backed with a NAG1 5-speed automatic transmission. 
• Locked Getrag independent rear differential. 
• Qa1 adjustable coil overs at all four corners.
• 14” rotors and aluminum dual piston calipers on all corners.
• 295/35/18 Mickey Thompson Pro Comp tires on Bravado Performance 18X10 wheels all around.
• LED lighting in the front, rear and inside the interior.
• Racepak IQ3S CAN bus digital Street Dash.
• Custom full-tube chassis and suspension control arms.
• Professional custom-bent stainless-steel exhaust with Magnaflow mufflers.
• Custom-built aluminum fuel cell.
• Quick-detach steering wheel.
• Full-custom interior, including bright-white bead-rolled floorboard’s, aluminum bead-rolled door panels, bead-rolled dash, aluminum bomber seats and a full roll cage.
• Chase Bays Hydro Handbrake.
• Exterior is painted in a black urethane with a matte clear.