Super cool design! Only thing I would have done differently would not have that wood grain peace behind the seats. Would have had it the same as the blue trim interior. But that is just personal preference. You did an amazing job !!!😁 Super Cool 😎
yeah it gets a lot of attention. Pretty fun to drive around. Just before Christmas, I drove it from Jacksonville FL to Sedona AZ. I was constantly returning waves :)
good work, but: 1. frame is no longer so protective 2. waste of many space with no access now e.g. spare wheel 3. no anti rust protection made everywhere where it was cut or drilled
Thank you for bringing this into the world!!! I know it brings you joy, and happiness to all who lay their eyes upon it at first glance. Going to Costco must be easier with this mini loader!!!
Nice build. The amount of money alone going in to this build.its just not the kit for box. It's painting and interior work,etc. I see alot of places where you could weld it to make it stronger and last longer. (Rivots do come loose especially in aluminum)
pretty cool overall. only thing i didn't like was the retro tail lights they're out of place with the modern front end of the car. should have re-used the original tail lights. another thing that should have been done is the put a small 3" lift kit to fit bigger tires and should have put stronger shocks and struts. obviously so he could carry more weight in the bed.
No spare Tire, or did I miss something? Maybe Hinges on the Bed Floor to use the original tire holder? Still Pretty Cool! Update! LOL I went to the Smyth site and saw how the spare tire works.
Thats hard to say. Its about 40 hours to get it to the bodywork stage. Then it all depends on how nice you do the body work and some of the different ways to do it. Then I built some extras like the interior and the stake sides. Probably close to 120 hours all said and done. Then we put a big turbo, a diesel 6 speed, big brake kit and a bunch of other go fast goodies in it!
I like it but........ What no welding for the tray? Everything riveted? That seems bodgy. Those large timber sides on it to, the racks the surf board. Get rid of them and just have it as a ute. Hi from Down under Australia.
I saw lots of metal getting cut out of the car but how stiff is the new structure?I saw lots of bonding and riveting but no welding....I'm curious how this compares in structural rigidity to the original laser welded car.
the added structure is all aluminum so you can't weld it to the original steel. But if you take a spirited drive, you can tell that the car is actually more rigid after the kit. The video doesn't show everything, there are a lot of 8 mm stainless bolts in there too. If you are interested in more data on the safety/engineering, visit www.smythkitcars.com/engineering
there are a lot of factors but a completed car sells for $10,000-$15,000 depending on what model, milage, quality of the build, customizations, quality of body work and paint etc. Considering that the cars are around $2500 and the kit is $3000, thats between $4k and $8k to build it. Paint is a large chunk of that.
to just build the kit on the car is about 50 hours. then body work and paint. total depends on customizations and how well you do the body work and paint. Average maybe 100 hrs
Soy Guillermo Cortés de Mérida Yucatán México, veo sus videos y me encantaría convertir un wolkswagen tipo 1 a una pick up similar al que ustedes muestran en su vudeo, me gustaría saber cuanto me costaría esa transformación? Saludos🖐️🙂
most definitely! All the metal panels form a rigid box down each side that is tied into the steel body. The floor spars then further box the two sides together. The front wall panel is triple reinforced at the top lip which ties the two B pillars together. For more info on the engineering and safety, visit www.smythkitcars.com/engineering
After the bed modification, does the car have to be stored indoors? Or is the bed sealed off from water getting into the interior of the car pretty well?
It has drains. Otherwise it would. Might have noticed the original steel (and the spare wheel tube) was brown al the sudden. I didn't film it but I treated all the steel under the bed (and where I cut) with some heavy duty anti corrosive paint.
the 1998 and newer VWs have the rear shock mount in the wheel well. They don't come through the inner fender any more. So its all accessed behind the wheel.
Looks great. Q: could you have built in a lift door at allow access to the spare tire well? Honda has a great 8.4 cu.ft. well in the bed. Great uses. Thanks for the videos.
Yes you can. the floor panels are bolted (not riveted) so you can pull up the floor panels and still access the spare tire well. If you want to get really fancy, you bolt the three panels together, add a piano hinge at the front and a couple Zeus fittings at the back with a hydraulic piston and you have the same function as a pickup bed cover
haven't had any issues but Haggertys is the way to go. Normal insurance companies only cover it for the base car. Obviously I have a little more invested now so I want a little better coverage
Airplanes are constructed with rivets and screws and they last decades. An aluminum body can be as strong as a steel one, as long the build is well executed.
greg h a couple guys have cut the bottom out of the spare tire well, welded a sheet over the top and installed a tire winch from a small pickup. That way you can lower it and access from underneath. Another builder riveted all the floor panels together and put a piano hinge across the front. Two Zeus fitting in the back and it works kinda like a bed cover. I just put a donut spare behind the passenger seat. But may do the winch idea on the next one
@@alhamedi66 no you can still get to everything for maintenance. You have to unbolt the floor panels to access the fuel tank access but thats not a big deal. Everything else is all accessible the way it is stock
Love the Bruck. You can use this name. I made my wife a Bruck. It was intended to use. She takes it to car shows. Go figure. My hot rods weren't good enough to show but this is. Oh well.
That's the first fiberglass mod I have ever seen for the today's version of the Bug. Back in the day they had a crap load of fiberglass mods for the old VW's
Yeah the old air coolers had every conceivable type of body to go on them! Some of them were pretty cool. But now days, I can't afford to cut up classic air coolers! The new beetles are a dime a dozen though
Amazing job!!!! I love what you have done!! It’s too bad you couldn’t hinge the box floor, so you could still use your spare tire well.....other than that, it’s perfect!
Excellent Ute, however i would have of welded a tube cage following the stock ribs and lines. There's no way for the floor its self on a Unibody car to not flex or have excessive stress points after removing all the reinforcing that evens out the load through the roof. The bed especially when riveted and not welded, offers nothing to the structure's integrity. It's shame for it to bend in half on a speed bump or not being able to turn properly due to tremendous flexing. Eventually the factory pointed welds will fail too. All these without any load on the truck bed.
@@hesty32 I might of shown a little bit of it, not everyone has experience modifying cars and might assume just go at. But, this is a cool project turned out nice.
That's funny...I'd like to see this thing go full show and get it to lay frame on some air bags...but make it an urban handyman truck with a chrome ladder rack and a tool box and throw a couple of subwoofers in the bottom of the tool box with the clear lexan over the speakers band pass style through to the cab....darn I'm jealous now
Super cool design! Only thing I would have done differently would not have that wood grain peace behind the seats. Would have had it the same as the blue trim interior. But that is just personal preference. You did an amazing job !!!😁 Super Cool 😎
Man, all the old timers at the VW meet festivals would love this. They are such kind people from all over the country. 👍🏼
yeah it gets a lot of attention. Pretty fun to drive around. Just before Christmas, I drove it from Jacksonville FL to Sedona AZ. I was constantly returning waves :)
Wow, that's impressive. I wish I had a shop like that & your automotive & metal fab skills..
T
@@elietedasilva6065 จ9
Óp
Belo trabalho . Ficou muito bom. As lanternas traseiras e as calotas deram um toque de nostalgia. Congratulacion from Brazil !
That transformation is stunning, I wouldn't mind driving a Beetle like that, job job man
Great work for an amazing and unique result. Also like how you can see the sense of using the Australian term Ute for this car based vehicle.
that is mind blowing work you've done....very impressive keep up the amazing job an can't wait to see your next project 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Bravo !!! what a wonderful Volkswagen truck you made !!!
Amazing job men congratulations love your new bettle pickup
Thank you sir!
Great job. Did this to a chevette back in the day fun stuff.
Muy buen trabajo amigo, mucha imaginación para transformar el escaravajo a mini camioneta, saludos desde Ecuador...
Excellent choice for tail lights.
it looks good in blue.
One beautiful machine
good work, but:
1. frame is no longer so protective
2. waste of many space with no access now e.g. spare wheel
3. no anti rust protection made everywhere where it was cut or drilled
Suuuuuper ...... !! Top.
Best Regards from Germany.
Many thanks!
Thank you for bringing this into the world!!! I know it brings you joy, and happiness to all who lay their eyes upon it at first glance. Going to Costco must be easier with this mini loader!!!
This guy deserves every UA-cam and Volkswagen Penny he gets.
Thank you sir for your kind words!
Nice job bro you work so hard its amazing watching from philippines 3 26 2020 that really good
Great little conversion film
Nice build. The amount of money alone going in to this build.its just not the kit for box. It's painting and interior work,etc. I see alot of places where you could weld it to make it stronger and last longer. (Rivots do come loose especially in aluminum)
True but most of the joints that are riveted are aluminum to steel. There are a few aluminum to aluminum joints that you could TIG
Wow Nice job buddy
I like it!
Nice and professional job !!
Офигенная машина получилась. Молодец!
pretty cool overall. only thing i didn't like was the retro tail lights they're out of place with the modern front end of the car. should have re-used the original tail lights. another thing that should have been done is the put a small 3" lift kit to fit bigger tires and should have put stronger shocks and struts. obviously so he could carry more weight in the bed.
I'm impressed and the kit seems a lot for your money
I agree. lots of people complain about the cost but the raw materials are close to the price of the entire kit!
Great video, I enjoyed . Thanks
What a beautiful crafts..
No spare Tire, or did I miss something? Maybe Hinges on the Bed Floor to use the original tire holder? Still Pretty Cool! Update! LOL I went to the Smyth site and saw how the spare tire works.
Nicely done sir ,
Thank you kindly
Nicely done, Man and machine, its a beautiful thing 🤗🤗
Ótimo trabalho, acabamento perfeito.
LOVE IT, Great Job
Thank you!
Excelente obra.
Very good..bettle pick up 😍
Well done! Fantastic build. How many hours total?
Thats hard to say. Its about 40 hours to get it to the bodywork stage. Then it all depends on how nice you do the body work and some of the different ways to do it. Then I built some extras like the interior and the stake sides. Probably close to 120 hours all said and done. Then we put a big turbo, a diesel 6 speed, big brake kit and a bunch of other go fast goodies in it!
Te felicito . Muy bonito trabajo. Un saludo desde mexico
Ficou muito lindo o Beetle pickup!!!
Your project is amazing ....
I like it but........
What no welding for the tray?
Everything riveted?
That seems bodgy.
Those large timber sides on it to,
the racks the surf board.
Get rid of them and just have it as a ute.
Hi from Down under Australia.
Lindona!!!!
Qué bonita, cuánto me gustaría tener una de estas... Para utilizar a diario... Pero cuánto tendré que esperar...
Awesome job man, you rock! 👍🏻👍🏻
A partir de este video este es mi sueño antes era el vochito jeje
After completion, Do you have to re register the car/truck/
depends on the state. Here in Florida it is optional but it costs $400 ($200 inspection, $200 retitle fee) so I usually don't.
I saw lots of metal getting cut out of the car but how stiff is the new structure?I saw lots of bonding and riveting but no welding....I'm curious how this compares in structural rigidity to the original laser welded car.
the added structure is all aluminum so you can't weld it to the original steel. But if you take a spirited drive, you can tell that the car is actually more rigid after the kit. The video doesn't show everything, there are a lot of 8 mm stainless bolts in there too. If you are interested in more data on the safety/engineering, visit www.smythkitcars.com/engineering
@@hesty32 Thats good to know.It sure looks a fun car!!
That's pretty cool.
How much does it cost to do a custom job like that on a car. I love the fact that is diesel vw & good on gas
there are a lot of factors but a completed car sells for $10,000-$15,000 depending on what model, milage, quality of the build, customizations, quality of body work and paint etc. Considering that the cars are around $2500 and the kit is $3000, thats between $4k and $8k to build it. Paint is a large chunk of that.
making a pickup truck out of a beetle
Muito bem feito. Profissional ,parabens.
Ohhh man! That's a real goood Job!👍☑️💯👌👏👏👏👏
great presiontation
Thank you sir
That is so cool love it.
Do you have plans available?
its a kit from Smyth Performance at WWW.smythkitcars.com
Thats great I am in
clearwater FL. I will be contacting you soon
Sweet! email is andrew@hestermannmotorwerks.com
How meny time is taking for this beautiful job.....
to just build the kit on the car is about 50 hours. then body work and paint. total depends on customizations and how well you do the body work and paint. Average maybe 100 hrs
How does this affect changing the rear strut / shock? The top nut is behind the bedside, and under the fender - no access.
On this era of VW, its inside the wheel wheel not on top. So the rear shocks are still serviced the same
Why no rust treatment inside the wings?
Eres un artista de la mecanica .👍
Thank you, this kinda is my artistic output
Soy Guillermo Cortés de Mérida Yucatán México, veo sus videos y me encantaría convertir un wolkswagen tipo 1 a una pick up similar al que ustedes muestran en su vudeo, me gustaría saber cuanto me costaría esa transformación? Saludos🖐️🙂
Did you strengthen the frame after you cut the roof in half?
most definitely! All the metal panels form a rigid box down each side that is tied into the steel body. The floor spars then further box the two sides together. The front wall panel is triple reinforced at the top lip which ties the two B pillars together. For more info on the engineering and safety, visit www.smythkitcars.com/engineering
Cool and crazy!
You are so crazy man!!!
Q hermoso trabajo bro dónde consigo esos tapacubos
Fantastic Fantastic
oh wow that looks amazing would you ever think about selling it
I actually sold it already, planning the next one now!
After the bed modification, does the car have to be stored indoors? Or is the bed sealed off from water getting into the interior of the car pretty well?
Sam Potratz if you do it right, it is fine. When you assemble it, you just gotta seal a couple of seams well
Won’t spare tire tub fill full of water over time?
It has drains. Otherwise it would. Might have noticed the original steel (and the spare wheel tube) was brown al the sudden. I didn't film it but I treated all the steel under the bed (and where I cut) with some heavy duty anti corrosive paint.
Just one question how do you service the rear shock absorbers now? Do t they have a nut just above the wheel well
Build is sick af non the less I don't now anything about newer bettles not that many sold where I'm from
the 1998 and newer VWs have the rear shock mount in the wheel well. They don't come through the inner fender any more. So its all accessed behind the wheel.
Is that a Beetle with a motor in the front? ..?
Looks great. Q: could you have built in a lift door at allow access to the spare tire well? Honda has a great 8.4 cu.ft. well in the bed. Great uses. Thanks for the videos.
Yes you can. the floor panels are bolted (not riveted) so you can pull up the floor panels and still access the spare tire well. If you want to get really fancy, you bolt the three panels together, add a piano hinge at the front and a couple Zeus fittings at the back with a hydraulic piston and you have the same function as a pickup bed cover
awesome conversion. but don't the insurance companies eat you alive for not having a "factory-approved" vehicle?
haven't had any issues but Haggertys is the way to go. Normal insurance companies only cover it for the base car. Obviously I have a little more invested now so I want a little better coverage
Nice Job BUT A COMPLETE DEATH TRAP NO BRACING done held together with with screws and rivets and not much else
Airplanes are constructed with rivets and screws and they last decades. An aluminum body can be as strong as a steel one, as long the build is well executed.
MUY BIEN QUEDO ALGO BIEN
one thing i don't like is covering up the spare tire well. I'de modify the bed floor so i could access the spare if i bought the kit.
greg h a couple guys have cut the bottom out of the spare tire well, welded a sheet over the top and installed a tire winch from a small pickup. That way you can lower it and access from underneath. Another builder riveted all the floor panels together and put a piano hinge across the front. Two Zeus fitting in the back and it works kinda like a bed cover. I just put a donut spare behind the passenger seat. But may do the winch idea on the next one
a reel showcar...something that vw forgotten to buildt :)
very very good
Many many thanks
So how its a deathtrap..you have cut over half of the car..and pop riveted aluminum in its place.. how safe is it ???
for more info on the engineering and safety visit www.smythkitcars.com/engineering
#respect 💯
Keren abisss...
Amazing beautiful project will done. Is this kit available for sale.
yes, its made by Smyth Performance , www.smythkitcars.com
@@hesty32 thank you for your quick reply, the kit not make any problems in future if required any repairs or maintenance.
@@alhamedi66 no you can still get to everything for maintenance. You have to unbolt the floor panels to access the fuel tank access but thats not a big deal. Everything else is all accessible the way it is stock
@@hesty32 many thanks for your quick reply. Best regards,
Амортизатори як міняти? Що робити з водою яка буде в салон литись по полу?
I kinda want one of these now ( but having someone else do the conversion work)
It can be done! Ive built 5 of them now. Have two more planned
At first glance, I thought it was a Chevy SSR.
Alejsndro Valdivia the SSR didn’t look this cool. 😂
Now if the SSR has flowing body lines like this with its drivetrain and convertible top😎😎😎
Pos
Turtle Stomper agree
at first I thought it was a PT cruiser.
I love that you used the classic vw taillights!
2!
That was absolutely brilliant - what a cracking result. It must have increased the value of the little old beetle no end. Fantastic!!
I'm not a Volky fan but I really enjoy the transformation. Job well done.
That’s really cool build you have. I wanting one and I don’t have a vw bug lol. It has the old 1940-1960 tub look and curves of the old days.
AWESOME!
Really enjoyed the video!
Looks like a show car from 20 years ago!
Love the Bruck. You can use this name. I made my wife a Bruck. It was intended to use. She takes it to car shows. Go figure. My hot rods weren't good enough to show but this is. Oh well.
That's the first fiberglass mod I have ever seen for the today's version of the Bug. Back in the day they had a crap load of fiberglass mods for the old VW's
Yeah the old air coolers had every conceivable type of body to go on them! Some of them were pretty cool. But now days, I can't afford to cut up classic air coolers! The new beetles are a dime a dozen though
WOW. That thing looks beautiful.
I was liking it till you put the wood and rack on the back..
Beautiful done my friend!!! I wish it was lowered though with 18s and something done to the front end.
Amazing job!!!! I love what you have done!! It’s too bad you couldn’t hinge the box floor, so you could still use your spare tire well.....other than that, it’s perfect!
Finally a reason to buy this body style bug!!!
Excellent Ute, however i would have of welded a tube cage following the stock ribs and lines. There's no way for the floor its self on a Unibody car to not flex or have excessive stress points after removing all the reinforcing that evens out the load through the roof. The bed especially when riveted and not welded, offers nothing to the structure's integrity. It's shame for it to bend in half on a speed bump or not being able to turn properly due to tremendous flexing. Eventually the factory pointed welds will fail too. All these without any load on the truck bed.
yup, that thing could fold if he goes too fast over a speed bump... not at first one, nor second one, but eventually...
I love how it looks like you drill with zero regard for what might behind everything.
yea it does look that way. Kinda boring to watch me crawl around and measure backspace and such so that all gets cut from the video lol
@@hesty32 I might of shown a little bit of it, not everyone has experience modifying cars and might assume just go at. But, this is a cool project turned out nice.
Wasn’t aware he was making an educational “how to” video. I don’t believe he is responsible for people’s fuck ups if they make them
Show more of the car on the road. Only got a teaser look at it
Gordon Marshall yep.. the teaser at the end gave many of us blue balls..
That's allot of work just to carry a surfboard on top.
yeah thats true lol. Shoulda just welded a roof rack on lol
That's funny...I'd like to see this thing go full show and get it to lay frame on some air bags...but make it an urban handyman truck with a chrome ladder rack and a tool box and throw a couple of subwoofers in the bottom of the tool box with the clear lexan over the speakers band pass style through to the cab....darn I'm jealous now
Some guy near me built one using a Ford Ranger bed. He calls it the Bedbug.
Do you have an itch to build it .