Old cars are stamped out the same way you would make a pot or even a cheap outdoor grille. So many people thought about using a rustbucket as a cool place to cook their shrimp. For some odd reason, the Beetle and Mk1 Golf are prime targets. However, there's a Brazilian Vdub that takes a high-tech approach.
Designed by the South Americans to replace the Beetle, the Brasilia is every bit the oddball. Built around the Ghia platform, it has the engine at the back, under the trunk of the car, being one of the few wagons in the world with that configuration.
A perfectly restored example looks kind of cool, but some dudes with mechanical skills turned it into an advanced fire pit. It looks perfectly dangerous and stupid, yet we are oddly blown away by the simplicity of the design.
As a guy walks up to the back of the car and starts cranking the engine over, you get that "wait, why are the wheels up in the air" sensation. The answer is simple, one of them is connected via belt to a mini rotisserie under the hood, where hot ambers are used to roast some top pieces of meat.
It's a shame to see such an interesting car being tortured like that. But at least it's not outside anymore, rusting away. There aren't many cars out there that still have an engine yet allow for a good-sized BBQ to fit under the hood. The only disadvantage is that the battery can't live under the hood anymore, which is probably why they used a crank in the first place.
I wonder how much time these carnivores had to spend getting the speed just right by installing different-sized wheels. Or is this just common knowledge any mechanic would have?
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News