Author Topic: Fenderless Bugs (Read 8632 times)

el_flechador · « **on:** August 10, 2004, 07:34:38 PM »

I've was wondering if the present/forthcoming craze for hot rod style/ fenderless bugs would catch on up here? Is it even legal to run a car without fenders in BC, (Practicality aside) i've got mixed emotions myself, some of the stretched front ends and chops can really make for a sexy looking machine, however i guess it will mean the death of quite a few pieces of source material for the rest of us. One thing i think is for sure that it will stir up some of the rodding crowd as to whats acceptable etc, I sure would love to see the air cooled crowd getting one over them at the rod shows though...

OUTKAST · « **Reply #1 on:** August 10, 2004, 07:47:01 PM »

Have to say nay on my part maybe ,for racing around a dirt track and doing some bumping BUT to each their own being an individual is what it's all about there is alot of nice work being done out there . Hey everyone should be welcome though ,that's what owning a VW is about

OUTKAST

Matt · « **Reply #2 on:** August 10, 2004, 07:47:26 PM »

I say Yay. There's a few folk around building/driving rat rod VW's. Thrasherbill on the forums is one of them. as for cutting up useful materials for the rest. First come first serve.

I read an amusing sticker somewhere,

Anybody can restore a classic, but it takes a real man to cut one up!!

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #3 on:** August 10, 2004, 07:53:40 PM »

Quote

Anybody can restore a classic, but it takes a real man to cut one up!!
Quote

Right on Brotha!

thrasherbill · « **Reply #4 on:** August 10, 2004, 07:57:40 PM »

Fenderless is not an option in BC (according to the law) but some of the old rods get away with it as long as they are only driven on dry days/weekends/car shows/etc. You couldn't get away with daily driving a fenderless car here. As far as the Volksrods craze goes, it is hardly new. VW Trends' article just brought it into the limelight much the same way as OCC and WCC brought on the mainstream chopper craze. They've always been there but people (the mainstream public) are just starting to notice. Check out VolksRods.com or RuntRod.com if you're interested. The argument of cutting up old cars has been going on as long as hot rods have been built. An oval window bug isn't as rare or valuable as a Ford Model A or T and those get cut up every day. Besides that most of the VolksRods being built are being made from rusty old cars that the resto guys won't touch so they would otherwise go to the scrap yard or crusher anyway.

ThrasheR

thrasherbill · « **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2004, 08:00:50 PM »

Here's one of the plans floating around in my evil little brain

Chopped bus roof and windshield pickem' up, type 3 or 4 powered, extended front end....

ThrasheR

OUTKAST · « **Reply #6 on:** August 10, 2004, 08:07:24 PM »

Some neat stuff on runtrod site I like the chopped drag bus with sunroof
B) B) B) B)
Like the renderings Thrasher Kind like the old Howli Kart from the 60's

OUTKAST · « **Reply #7 on:** August 10, 2004, 08:10:30 PM »

Trahser do you remeber a kool 80's type3 with bus front windows,safaris ,no roof ,black , lowered with alloys
It was wicked looking B)

1969deluxebus · « **Reply #8 on:** August 10, 2004, 08:10:33 PM »

i am down i think that they are very chill and i will build one some day so yay
matt street

el_flechador · « **Reply #9 on:** August 10, 2004, 08:16:40 PM »

I'm definately in the cut em up category, i know its nothing new, coming from the U.K originally i was knocked sideways when i saw' Rod Buster' at my local show.
The site i had been browsing was http://www.socalook.com/socalook.shtml I was trying to picture this but with snow chains?..

thrasherbill · « **Reply #10 on:** August 10, 2004, 08:57:41 PM »

Yeah, Socal (or is it Speedway?) sells the mount adapters for '40 Ford I beam and tube axels. Another method is the beam extender. I've seen the car pictured in THIS LINK (click it) in person and the extender is a slick unit. Straight bolt on, you just have to adapt a steering column to work.

ThrasheR

steveo_32 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2004, 09:00:39 PM »

Mr Thrasher bill!!! I have one set of Muholand fenders that is you cut them up might suit your idea!! FREE to you, I also have a front roof of a 56 bus that you could use and the front cal look bumper!(like your picture)

thrasherbill · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2004, 09:06:56 PM »

Yeah, for sure I'll grab those fenders from you! Thanks man! What would you want for the roof section and buggy bar? I'm broke as a joke right now (and will be for a while) so I won't be building this car for at least a year but I guess it can't hurt to start collecting parts!

Maybe we can come up with a trade of some sort? Need anything pinstriped?

ThrasheR

Needles · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2004, 09:46:59 PM »

Bill,
This yours?

thrasherbill · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2004, 09:56:10 PM »

Quote

Bill,
This yours?

I wish! That is one of the pictures I used to come up with my sketches. I added the fenders and changed the box a bit. That one is for sale but it's somewhere in Europe and besides, you don't buy a hotrod...you build a hotrod.

ThrasheR

steveo_32 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2004, 10:06:21 PM »

Absofrickenlotly!! I hold on the to fenders and the rest untill your ready or if you want come take em away!!

silas · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2004, 11:18:58 PM »

thrasher, cool drawings and good idea. i liked the look of that grey primered truck w/ white flames. there was also a great article in ultravw about a club from norcal called \"the butchers\". some dude named butcher will had a sweet lookin pick-em-up-chap-tap.

one question tho. why in the hell do you want type 3 or 4 power. i can see maybe the \"pancakedness\" of the motor fitting \"under\" the bed, but the floor of that bed will still be high. is that why you're considering? i know it does look kinda odd having a type 1 motor sticking out the back of the bed, but i also think it goes with the whole hot rod effect.

and you're right. socalook sells a bunch of volks/rat rod stuff.

http://www.socalook.com/

my take on the matter is that it may look easy enough to accomplish, but it's alot more than just taking the fenders and bumpers of your beetle. you have to have a vision. you have to be creative. and it takes alot of craftsmenship and work to pull it off right. it seems like it can be done on a budget. but the nicest ones i've seen have been either chopped, channeled, dropped, cut into pick ups w/ split bus roofs, or a combination of all of the above. and that all takes a bit of skill. i'm not talking brain surgery here. but some thinking and planning is involved.

as for cutting up old cars. thats a tough one. opinions are like assholes here. everyone has one and mine stinks. so i'll keep it to myself.

thrasherbill · « **Reply #17 on:** August 11, 2004, 12:20:38 AM »

You nailed the engine choice reason Silas. I want to be able to use the bed and plan on having the engine under the floor as much as possible. As far as skill and planning goes, isn't also the essence of hot rodding doing it yourself? If you've never tried how do you if you will succeed? Take Nick on Volksrods for example (he also runs the runtrod site). This is his car pretty much as it stands right now.

It is chopped, sectioned(horizontally and vertically), channelled and z'd, and all done by himself in his driveway. He had no welding or body work experience before he started he just dove in. The car is also getting raked B pillars and custom rounded suicide doors. I don't know the exact $ figure so far but I'm sure it's under $2000 so far. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but he did it himself and is very proud of his work. I've been following the progress on this car since the beginning and he is doing some outstanding work. Again, the resto guys wouldn't have touched this car before he started it, it had already been badly chopped sometime in the '80's. As for my plans, that truck has been in the planning stages for at least a year now and probably won't get built for at least another year so I know what I'm getting into. Besides if I ever need it, I've got lots of knowledgable and skilled people right here! And I'll throw in another

just for good measure.

ThrasheR

Matt · « **Reply #18 on:** August 11, 2004, 07:12:01 AM »

Maybe I should make a rod out of thats parts notch. That'll piss off some purists!!

Needles · « **Reply #19 on:** August 11, 2004, 07:47:00 AM »

Then maybe, you would'nt need that....armrest! :wacko:

silas · « **Reply #20 on:** August 11, 2004, 07:48:58 PM »

Quote

As far as skill and planning goes, isn't also the essence of hot rodding doing it yourself? If you've never tried how do you if you will succeed?

i absolutely agree.

i hope you didnt think that i was taking a crap on volks/rat rods and the people that build them. i can appreciate the vision the builder has and the work that goes into them.

the point i was trying to get across was that it's alot more than just removing fenders. some guys claim the title of their cars being volks rods, but it is nothing more than a fenderless bug. no thought, no work. it's really too bad. good for them for trying but, sometimes it just looks so half assed. people like that are trying too hard to be the flavour of the month and end up looking like chumps in the end. if you want it, build it. but dont do a half assed job on it just to fit in.

jmho.

jim martin · « **Reply #21 on:** August 11, 2004, 09:05:29 PM »

well as you know ,i'm a bit into cutting and fabricating myself.most of these rat cars etc, seam to come from cars in major need of repare anyways ,so in the end its the best chance these old cars have of being something again.
i don't mind rat rods but ,rat rod pickups are for people who could not complete a chop ,in my eye's its a easy way out.half done.
-here is my take on a custom car,we see it all the time ,, you will see it this weekend .people walk around and look at cars and go i don't like it or that looks goofie.
in my opinion you don't have to like the end result .but !! just appreciate the time/effort that was put into it by the owner.
thats what customising is all about ,freedom to do what you like.
see you friday and sunday.

James Buchan · « **Reply #22 on:** August 11, 2004, 09:19:48 PM »

Friday Jim.....with or without you beastie?:

thrasherbill · « **Reply #23 on:** August 11, 2004, 09:56:32 PM »

Quote

i don't mind rat rods but ,rat rod pickups are for people who could not complete a chop ,in my eye's its a easy way out.half done.

I could agree with this if making a bug truck meant simply cutting half the roof off (which I suppose is one way to do it) but that is not in my plans. A bus roof section and split windshield will require chopping the windshield posts, sectioning the roof in at least 2 directions and reforming the rear corners. A rear wall of the cab will also have to be made and a rear window fitted. I also don't want square corners at the back of the cab so bus rear corner sheet metal could be used there. Don't forget the bed has to be all custom made as well. So, while a bugtruck may only be half a roof chop, it is also redesigning and building at least half a car. Which one requires more work or planning? Depends on the total vision of the end result. Which one looks better? Depends on who's lookin' at it! Me? I like 'em all. Even this one...

ThrasheR

Black-Back · « **Reply #24 on:** August 11, 2004, 09:59:13 PM »

Holy Crap!!!! what corner of the web did you find that thing in?

jim martin · « **Reply #25 on:** August 11, 2004, 09:59:51 PM »

Quote

Friday Jim.....with or without you beastie?:

sorry,its without.

James Buchan · « **Reply #26 on:** August 11, 2004, 10:00:19 PM »

DAmn

thrasherbill · « **Reply #27 on:** August 11, 2004, 10:01:36 PM »

Quote

Holy Crap!!!! what corner of the web did you find that thing in?

This relatively new, mostly unknown site. Click HERE.

ThrasheR

silas · « **Reply #28 on:** August 11, 2004, 10:36:13 PM »

everyone bow down and give praise to the \"pink lady.\"

silas · « **Reply #29 on:** August 11, 2004, 10:39:05 PM »

Quote

just appreciate the time/effort that was put into it by the owner.
thats what customising is all about ,freedom to do what you like.

well put jim.

diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

it may not float your boat, but someone else is sure proud to be the captain.

Author Topic: Fenderless Bugs (Read 8632 times)

Matt

Matt