| We can already hear it. The story you are | | | | people have considered the Beetle as a Hot |
| about to read is going to upset some of our | | | | Rod. Volkswagens packed the pages of Hot Rod |
| readership; but in all honesty we don't care. | | | | Magazine or Rod & Custom Magazine, especially |
| After all, we have taken a few risks in the | | | | during the '60s and early '70s. The latter |
| past by running features of "cosmetically | | | | publication featured the EMPI Inch Pincher |
| challenged" VWs (check out last month's ratty | | | | Gasser on the cover of its October 1966 issue |
| 1950 Split), and reporting on import races | | | | for example. In the early '80s, the |
| for example. As controversial as these two | | | | California Look craze had taken the West |
| subjects might be, the response from our | | | | Coast by storm and Hot Rod devoted a long |
| readers has been excellent, so we will | | | | segment to "the look" (October 1981). Today, |
| continue to show cars you won't see in other | | | | the Cal Look is still going strong, and with |
| Volkswagen magazines. Like it or not, our job | | | | reliable cars running easily in the 12s--if |
| is to present all facets of our hobby. This | | | | not faster with a turbo--they are definitely |
| includes a new (or is that old?) breed of | | | | Hot Rods in our book. As a side note and even |
| Bugs, which could have been built by | | | | if the California Look isn't the subject of |
| inventive Hot Rodders about half a century | | | | this article, let's mention that a number of |
| ago. They look mean, they are loud, and they | | | | early Cal Lookers borrowed a few Hot Rod |
| display a tough attitude. At VWTrends, we | | | | characteristics: nerf bars, louvers, flamed |
| simply call them Hot Rod VWs. | | | | paint jobs, big and little tires, etc. |
| | | | |
| What is a Hot Rod? | | | | Now take a close look at the shape of the |
| | | | Beetle and study the similarities with some |
| This first question is certainly open to | | | | American cars from the mid-'30s: not a big |
| heated debate. To set the tone, let's first | | | | surprise considering when the Volkswagen was |
| mention that the latest cover of Hot Rod | | | | designed. You may consider removing the |
| Magazine features two vehicles off of the | | | | fenders like the early Hot Rods. Fred |
| showroom floors, a Ford Mustang Cobra and a | | | | Hidalgo, whose chopped Sedan was featured in |
| Subaru WRX STi. Are they Hot Rods? You bet. | | | | our June 2002 issue, told us he found the |
| Consider the following: They both run 13.3 on | | | | inspiration for his project by looking at |
| the quarter mile in stock trim! These cars | | | | fenderless Fiat Topolino drag cars, built in |
| don't fit in our own definition of a Hot Rod | | | | America as early as the '50s. If you elect |
| however. Instead, we will concentrate on what | | | | this option, remember to move the front end |
| many consider as the original Hot Rod, | | | | forward a few inches --we'll explain why |
| vehicles oftentimes built on a budget by | | | | further in this article. Hidalgo did so and |
| ingenious young lads after WWII, during the | | | | the stunning result allowed him to win his |
| '50s and most of the '60s. | | | | class at the prestigious Grand National |
| | | | Roadster Show in 2002, an event where non-V8s |
| Much has been written about the early days of | | | | are typically frowned upon. |
| Hot Rodding. Plenty of books and publications | | | | |
| will tell you more about this era, but we | | | | Let's not forget the financial aspect of |
| still feel compelled to give you some key | | | | building a Hot Rod VW. A workable '32 Ford |
| information to clearly understand the | | | | Coupe body has eclipsed the $10,000 mark, |
| subject. While stripped down cars already | | | | while a grille shell with a nice insert may |
| raced on a few dry lakebeds in California | | | | cost $1200. In other words, for the price of |
| back in the '20s, Hot Rodding came of age | | | | a few rusty 70-plus-year-old parts, you could |
| during the mid- to late-'40s, thanks in part | | | | build a cool project car based on a derelict |
| to Hot Rod Magazine the first issue was | | | | Bug. Juan Luevanos, the owner of the flamed |
| published in 1948. A typical Hot Rod back | | | | Volkswagen pickup truck seen in these pages, |
| then would have been a fenderless 1923 to | | | | conceded that he spent only $3500 on his |
| 1932 Ford Roadster, fitted with a hopped-up | | | | killer ride. Hard to beat! |
| flathead Ford V8 or inline four cylinder | | | | |
| (a.k.a. "banger"). In the Los Angeles area, | | | | Ideas for your Hot Rod VW |
| many owners used their rides not only as | | | | |
| daily transportation, but also as weekend | | | | Just from looking at our Hot Rod VWs featured |
| racers especially at El Mirage Dry Lake. This | | | | in this issue, you may have guessed that |
| dual purpose certainly influenced the look of | | | | there is more than one body style lending to |
| most Hot Rods seen on the street. It was a | | | | the look. Our selection includes a |
| time of "form follows function," and in truth | | | | Convertible, a pickup truck, a Roadster, a |
| loads of these vehicles looked rather crude. | | | | fenderless Sedan, as well as a chopped Bug |
| Limited finances and post war shortages | | | | with fenders! Nice variety, huh? Early |
| (tires in particular) frequently affected | | | | Beetles are typically preferred. While most |
| their overall appearance, most builders | | | | builders might understandably think twice |
| choosing to keep the original paint or | | | | before cutting and modifying a Split or Oval |
| applying a coat of primer. | | | | Window, nothing stops you from using a |
| | | | smashed and beat-up '58-'64 "Big Window" |
| The standard of finish definitely evolved | | | | Beetle from your local junkyard. Chopping the |
| during the '50s, a time when many Hot Rods | | | | top should definitely be an option, even |
| became inspired by drag racing. By the early | | | | though it won't always be necessary, |
| '60s, cars were usually detailed to the max | | | | especially if you wrench on a Split or |
| and quite colorful. Models built during the | | | | Oval--they already come with a smaller |
| '70s aren't that exciting, due to their | | | | windshield from the factory. |
| conservative (and perhaps funky!) look. By | | | | |
| then, most Rods lacked that "bad boy" appeal. | | | | Volkswagen Beetle passenger side |
| | | | |
| '40s, '50s and '60s Hot Rods | | | | Removing the fenders is easy enough; but the |
| | | | next step consists of making the vehicle look |
| Understandably, a Hot Rod built during the | | | | good. As mentioned earlier, you need to |
| '40s is likely to look quite different from a | | | | extend the wheelbase by moving the front end |
| '60s model for example. So if you decide to | | | | a few inches, thus making the Bug look |
| tackle a VW project inspired by these old | | | | sleeker, less stubby. There are various ways |
| cars, you may want to stick with a style from | | | | to attain this goal. Martin Smith, the owner |
| one of these three decades. We combined a | | | | of the chopped Sedan with red wire wheels |
| quick summary to help you with your choice. | | | | seen further in this issue, has adapted an |
| Remember, these are simple and non-exhaustive | | | | early Ford axle, as did Fred Hidalgo. We have |
| guidelines. Rules need to be broken | | | | also seen a VW pickup truck in Ohio that uses |
| sometimes... But please make sure not to use | | | | a near-stock Volkswagen front end pushed |
| any billet-style accessory (those squarish | | | | forward, thanks to a machined spacer fitted |
| aluminum license plate frames or rearview | | | | between the front of the chassis and the axle |
| mirrors for instance). They look way too | | | | beam. Last but not least, Juan Luevanos and |
| modern for a Hot Rod VW project! | | | | Robert Ortiz chose to modify the stock front |
| | | | end on their respective Bugs, as featured in |
| '40s Hot Rod: Extremely basic stripped down | | | | these pages. What they did is simply swap the |
| vehicle that used a bunch of scrap yard | | | | upper and lower torsion bars from the left |
| parts. It was likely to be a fenderless Ford | | | | side to the right, and vice-versa. This |
| Roadster. Stock color or primer preferred. | | | | approach required modification to the |
| Hopped up engine. Level ride height, with | | | | spindles and the bending of the tie-rods as |
| wire wheels and black bias ply tires. Basic | | | | well. Most engineers would probably scratch |
| interior with, once in a while, a pair of | | | | their head when checking out this setup... |
| bucket seats pirated from a WWII plane! | | | | Even though both enthusiasts report no ill |
| | | | effect when driving, in the interest of |
| '50s Hot Rod: Most cars were nicely finished | | | | safety, we cannot promote in our pages the |
| and painted by then. Coupes were now part of | | | | method they elected to use to extend the |
| the game. More high-performance products and | | | | wheelbase. |
| more chrome. Steel rims with "big and little" | | | | |
| whitewall tires for that California rake. | | | | A fenderless Beetle will also require new |
| Rolls and pleated upholstery, with white, | | | | headlights. Dune Buggy-style shells might be |
| black or red being the most popular colors. | | | | used, but other alternatives exist like the |
| '60s Hot Rod: Very well finished vehicles, | | | | seven-inch So-Cal Speed Shop buckets. Then it |
| with wild metallic, pearls or candy apple | | | | is up to you or your local fab-shop to create |
| paintjobs. Fenders had gained acceptance | | | | a bracket to attach them to the body. If you |
| within the Hot Rod community. Wild | | | | can't find any suitable taillights at a swap |
| high-performance engines with superchargers | | | | meet, you can always mount a pair of |
| or fuel injection. Chrome steel wheels or | | | | traditional 1939 Ford-style teardrops or |
| aluminum five-spokes. Various tires were | | | | other aftermarket models from Mooneyes. |
| accepted, from blackwalls and wide | | | | |
| whitewalls, to redlines and whitelines | | | | As far as the look of your engine, forget |
| (actually, wide whitewalls left the scene by | | | | about the modern Porsche 911-style fan |
| 1962 or so). Wild metalflake Naugahyde | | | | shroud, and stick instead to a simple |
| interior, with a chrome tach mounted on the | | | | 36-horse unit. A pair of Weber 48IDAs would |
| steering column. | | | | certainly feel right at home flanking it. |
| | | | Remember that some of the fiercest American |
| Today's Hot Rod scene | | | | sports cars used them in the '60s, and |
| | | | Mooneyes still carries a V8 manifold for |
| Old-style Hot Rods have become increasingly | | | | them! If you are on a limited budget, you can |
| popular during the past few years. | | | | always fit one or two single-throat carbs, |
| Surprisingly enough, these rides fascinate | | | | topped with a velocity stack or a louvered |
| mainly younger enthusiasts. Their involvement | | | | air cleaner as do those V8 Hot Rod guys. Many |
| brings fresh air to the Rodding scene that is | | | | of the VWs seen in our article run a darn |
| made of an older crowd mostly interested in | | | | noisy stinger exhaust system. Cool, except |
| cruising with the air conditioning on behind | | | | that you may run into problems with Officer |
| the wheel of a vehicle that occasionally | | | | Friendly. Of course, a stinger baffle always |
| costs more than a beach house. The funny | | | | remains an option... Since most mufflers |
| thing is, nobody seems to have found a name | | | | found on the market won't look elegant on a |
| for this group of traditional new/old Hot | | | | fenderless Bug, an alternative would be to |
| Rods. Some call them "Rat Rods" (when they | | | | build your own system, maybe with a couple of |
| lack finishing touches), others "Retro Rods" | | | | single glass packs installed below the |
| or "Real Rods." They even have their own | | | | engine. Imagination is yours. |
| events like Mooneyes' Rat Fink Reunion last | | | | |
| December, which gathers these cars in | | | | Wheels? How about some stock wide-five rims, |
| addition to Customs inspired by their | | | | widened in the back, painted a contrasting |
| equivalent of the '40s to '60s era--this is | | | | color (red on a black car for example), and |
| where we shot most of the pictures for this | | | | dressed with chrome "smoothie" hubcaps plus |
| article. | | | | trim rings? Mooneyes offers a variety of |
| | | | other custom hubcaps, in addition to |
| This friendly mob has adopted various | | | | traditional '60s Hot Rod wheels: American |
| specifics of the early Hot Rods, like the | | | | Racing Torq Thrust "D," Radir (replicas of |
| primered body and the loud exhaust. Since | | | | the old Rader), ET-Mags, etc. Double and |
| early tin can be expensive, ingenious | | | | triple check their offset before maxing-out |
| gearheads don't hesitate to mix and match | | | | your credit card, and be aware that you will |
| various pieces of metal to create their own | | | | need to redrill the drums or discs--C.B. |
| body. Now and then, modified grille shells | | | | Performance advertises blank rotors to be |
| pirated from obscure '30s vehicles take their | | | | drilled for a wide range of rims |
| place in front of flatheads or other early | | | | incidentally. Speaking of brakes, a set of |
| V8s. | | | | polished aluminum drums from a Porsche 356, |
| | | | with fins across the edge like the popular |
| Hot Rodders like to drive fast, and the music | | | | Buick seen on numerous Hot Rods, might be an |
| they listen to reflects this attitude. To | | | | idea to look into. Coker sells a bunch of |
| many, '50s doo-wop is fine, but punk rock | | | | whitewall radial or bias-ply tires, while |
| might be better. Actually, the scene makes | | | | cheater slicks--dual-purpose rubber for |
| for an interesting mix of rockabilly, | | | | street and strip - from Mooneyes would look |
| punkabilly and garage punk factions! For more | | | | killer on a VW. |
| about the way they dress check out pages 68 | | | | |
| and 69. Art has a strong influence on the | | | | Except if you go for the '60s metalflake |
| scene as well, starting with the pinstripes | | | | upholstery, the cockpit should be kept very |
| that emulate in a way the tattoos worn by | | | | simple. Can't afford a new cover for that |
| some! This crowd has embraced Hot Rod artists | | | | seat found at a swap meet? Hide it with a |
| like Von Dutch or Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. The | | | | Mexican blanket. Once again, Mooneyes comes |
| latter made the iron-cross popular, way | | | | to the rescue with a bunch of products for |
| before it became mainstream--think about | | | | that interior, from the '60s-look metalflake |
| Jesse James, who adopted it as his West Coast | | | | steering wheels, to a wide array of crazy |
| Choppers company logo. Interestingly enough, | | | | shift knobs (8-ball, piston, tacky lighted |
| Roth has tinkered more than once with VWs... | | | | skulls...). You'll find plenty of additional |
| He drove a lowered Bug with T-bars during the | | | | ideas in our parts guide. Before cutting your |
| '70s and built various show cars powered by | | | | old Volkswagen to pieces, you should |
| our faithful flat-four, including the very | | | | definitely check your local rules and |
| first trike back in the late '60s. | | | | regulations to make sure all modifications |
| | | | executed won't put you in trouble with the |
| Some of you may wonder how VWs fit in the Hot | | | | law. Hope to see you behind the wheel of your |
| Rod scene. Well, it seems that for years many | | | | freshly completed Hot Rod VW ! |