Photo: AutotopiaLA/YouTube
Because Shawn Davis, the host of the AutotopiaLA YouTube channel, confesses to not sitting in a Beetle for years, it was probably high time he made amends with the Bug fans. No worries, because this orange-cool example is ready to give him the occasion while the owner shares this turbo VW’s interesting story.
Like many things in life, his love for Volkswagens started early. He was around 15 years old when he got the first Beetle, which is actually the very same unit we see here bridge the gap between low riders and hot rods in a very chopped, rag top manner.
The 1967 VW Beetle is also the very first car he ever owned, and the first custom modifications he made landed him a magazine spread at the age 17 alongside the little Bug. For many, that would be enough, but not for this pair, which has gone through the ‘80s by adapting to the louvered trope: “back in the 1980s they used to count every louver, who ever had the most it was the most popular.”
By that standard, this Beetle is through the roof in terms of coolness, and not just because of the sheer number of louvers. You see, somewhere along the way, the owner’s brother helped with the build and that’s how it ended up chopped, with a rag top coming from a ‘62 Beetle and, above all, with those crazy Rolls-Royce style suicide doors (and no side mirrors).
Dropping the stance with the roof chop wasn’t enough without actually lowering the Beetle, so it now resides on an air suspension to go along with the neat rim choice that mates 17-inch polished front wheels with cambered 18-inchers at the back.
Speaking of the rear, the peek under the hood comes from the 2:12 mark when Shawn finds out the details about the turbo build—the engine is actually swapped with a one taken from a ride belonging to Hot Rod Garage’s own Lucky Costa. Wonder how this guy bridged the gap between his VW and hot rod passions? Well, he did it with a 300-horsepower, 1,800-lb (816-kg) Beetle, naturally!
There’s a quick look at the interior from the 4:40 mark to check out the highlights, including the four-speed stick shift and the seats that were snatched off an older square-back Honda Civic. Then we’re off to the streets for the driving part from the 5:35 mark, when Shawn copes with all sorts of interesting issues, from the bumpy ride to the lack of side mirrors, and probably forgets to deliver the customary burnout.
The 1967 VW Beetle is also the very first car he ever owned, and the first custom modifications he made landed him a magazine spread at the age 17 alongside the little Bug. For many, that would be enough, but not for this pair, which has gone through the ‘80s by adapting to the louvered trope: “back in the 1980s they used to count every louver, who ever had the most it was the most popular.”
By that standard, this Beetle is through the roof in terms of coolness, and not just because of the sheer number of louvers. You see, somewhere along the way, the owner’s brother helped with the build and that’s how it ended up chopped, with a rag top coming from a ‘62 Beetle and, above all, with those crazy Rolls-Royce style suicide doors (and no side mirrors).
Dropping the stance with the roof chop wasn’t enough without actually lowering the Beetle, so it now resides on an air suspension to go along with the neat rim choice that mates 17-inch polished front wheels with cambered 18-inchers at the back.
Speaking of the rear, the peek under the hood comes from the 2:12 mark when Shawn finds out the details about the turbo build—the engine is actually swapped with a one taken from a ride belonging to Hot Rod Garage’s own Lucky Costa. Wonder how this guy bridged the gap between his VW and hot rod passions? Well, he did it with a 300-horsepower, 1,800-lb (816-kg) Beetle, naturally!
There’s a quick look at the interior from the 4:40 mark to check out the highlights, including the four-speed stick shift and the seats that were snatched off an older square-back Honda Civic. Then we’re off to the streets for the driving part from the 5:35 mark, when Shawn copes with all sorts of interesting issues, from the bumpy ride to the lack of side mirrors, and probably forgets to deliver the customary burnout.
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