Homebuilt by a Father and His Son, This Volvo-Powered Bug Is a Four Wheeled Masterpiece

Designed by the legendary Ferdinand Porsche nearly a century ago, the Beetle (officially called Type 1) is still one of the most influential models in the history of the automobile.

Conceived to accommodate the need for a people's car (Volkswagen in German), it was cheap, simple, and thus easy to maintain. Because of this, it became extremely popular all across the world. In some countries, it was built until the early 2000s, pushing its overall production figures to over 20 million units.

Many of them have survived and are still roadworthy today, but countless millions have been turned into scrap or abandoned by their previous owners. One of these neglected examples, that was probably imported into the U.S. during the 1960s, had been rusting away in a field in Georgia. However, unlike other Beetles who met a similar faith, it was eventually rescued by Austin McNeil and his father, who decided to bring it back to life.

Since the Bug was in a deplorable state and a full restoration was out of the question, the father and son duo decided to fix what they could out of the original body and customize the rest with home-built parts, aftermarket hardware, and a Volvo drivetrain.

They started with the chassis, which was completely custom-built and fitted with modern components such as a fully independent suspension with adjustable shocks and a performance braking system. Longer and wider than the original, it made the old Volkswagen look like a hot rod but also needed a series of complex modifications to the bodywork. While the central part was left more or less untouched, the rear was chopped off to accommodate both the larger shocks and the new engine, while the front received bespoke fenders that made room for the huge exposed wheels and a completely new front end that made it look like a hammerhead shark.

This gave them both a nickname and a theme for the project which later received custom side skirts that resemble the ocean predator’s pectoral fins Moreover, the masterfully-fabricated body was finished off with a shark-like coat of gray.

Back in its heyday, this 1968 Beetle was powered by a simple flat-four that made no more than 50 hp. However, when the McNeils found it, the original engine was long gone. Rather than sourcing a rebuilt unit and tunning it to match the custom car’s looks, they chose to take a completely different route when they found a cheap, well-maintained Volvo on the used car market.

Thus, the Hammerhead received a Swedish five-cylinder heart that was broadly beefed up and fitted with a massive turbocharger. The builders haven’t released any information about its final output figures, but judging by the size of that snail, it’s safe to assume that it easily exceeds the 500-hp mark.

The Volvo donor car also lent many other components, including its automatic transmission, a section of the dashboard, and the steering wheel.

Apart from these Volvo-sourced parts, the custom Beetle’s new cabin received a full roll-cage, a pair of leather-upholstered bucket seats, and an eardrum-shattering audio system with a huge subwoofer mounted inside the passenger’s footwell.

After more than three years of hard work, the Hammerhead was completed right before Austin’s senior year. He drove it to school daily, becoming a local legend in the process.

The gorgeous custom has also been taken to a variety of car meets and shows where it never ceased to make jaws drop. In June, Austin drove to Atlanta where he entered the Hammerhead into the 2022 Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Unsurprisingly, it was selected among the tour’s global semifinalists, and next month, it will compete for a chance to be immortalized as an official Hot Wheels 1/64 scale model.

You can take a virtual tour of this incredible build in the YouTube video below by ScottieDTV.