The Chop

On NYE, I was able to check out this kool chopped bug that a local guy had scored few weeks earlier off evilbay.
The bug was originally built in NSW back in the '90s, don't really know anything more about it than that. Within week or so and the bug had been fully vic complianced and rego'd. I've checked out a few chopped bugs in the past, and alot of them seem to get the lines all wrong. This seemed to have all the right lines and curves in just the right places.

Then last Monday a get a phone call from said guy, to say that some things have popped up and he has to sell the bug and I've got first option.

VW's are my passion but over the last 10 years or so I've become fascinated with traditional rods and kustoms probably spending more time reading about them and going to Rod runs than I do VW's. That being said I could never see myself in anything but a VW. So the chance to bring both my automotive passions together was a no brainer, picked it up Wednesday........





I don't believe the car has been used much over the last few years. So, after a few very late nights and sorting through what seemed to be a never ending list of issues plus making a few changes of my own, Yesterday I took it on a 260km round trip, Bendigo-Castlemaine-Echuca-back to Benders. Few little dramas, no show stoppers though...............





This to me is my ultimate VW, something I can play with and make it my own and keep changing it all the time, hot-rod style one year, gasser the next, tail-draggin kustom. possibilities are endless.

For starters I'll be just working through it, making it a more reliable daily driver. Then maybe a few custom touches ie; different tail light treatment, smoothed decklid, maybe some bars.

Thanks for looking, I'll try to keep updating the thread as thing progress.

Cheers, Rhett.

Good buy Rhett! Looks tough, and could look fantastic with minimal pin striping? Just a thought.

That is sweet, like the wheel change as well

Love it!the flames,maltese cross,the chop and colour.
Brilliant!!
The wheels look mad too!😎

Looks great with the 5 spokes

That looks sweet! The 5 spokes look much better.
Just needs a narrowed beam, and a decent drop now 😀

nice one Rhett
in good hands 👍
enjoy the ride

Thanks for all the positive comment guys 🙂
I've got heaps of ideas for it.

Tried out yet another set of rims last night, Mooneyes Speedmasters.................





And just to compre here it is beside my mates bug...........

👍 I effing love those Speedmasters!!!!

Gotta love chops👍

Great looking bug champ. The chop looks savage, cant wait to get mine on the road.

Any drama getting it regoed in vic?

Regards
Fatty

👍 for the speedmasters

speedmasters way better choice
😀

bugzla wrote:speedmasters way better choice
😀

I agree

cam070 wrote:👍 for the speedmasters

bugzla wrote:speedmasters way better choice
😀

x3

Cool ride....getting cooler 👍 👍

Thanks for the positve comments guys! I'm not sold on the speedmasters. Maybe with a different tyre combo I might like them better. But there's a few more different sets of rims in the rack to try yet 😉

Fat Boy wrote:Great looking bug champ. The chop looks savage, cant wait to get mine on the road.

Any drama getting it regoed in vic?

Regards
Fatty

No real drama's, it's got a fairly comprehensive engineers report from back when the chop was done, about 15 years ago.

Looks dangerous to me looks like they destroyed a perfectly good car i just dont understand you Ratrodders
































smb's

captainvw wrote:Looks dangerous to me looks like they destroyed a perfectly good car i just dont understand you Ratrodders

x2

😉

Awesome car, great chop job too. 👍

Re the wheels... actually I thought the red wheels and caps were the bomb...

I'm going to get some wide steelies powder coated for the rear and stockies on the front, just got to decide what colour. I'll be running them with white walls.
Be cool just to have a few different sets of rims to change the look of it. I'm going to put the chrome 5 spokes back on it today.




As for you other two, you should take a holiday together.............

pete wood wrote:Awesome car, great chop job too. 👍

Re the wheels... actually I thought the red wheels and caps were the bomb...

I'm with Pete, although it may change the whole look if the nose comes down a bit further.

Love it man. Smooth and clean. Im building a rat rod of my own.

Check it out please, here is a link to my build thread. I'm new to here so I'm still workin on figuring out this site.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=491039

Keep it up

Have a good one,
Brandon

"I WTB RHD pedals for my rat rod build"

Very cool!

Been a little bit going on,

Removed the pinstriping, as it wasn't really up my alley. It will be getting some stripes soon though 😉

Got some stockies powder coated in this new Purple Pearl/metallic, really really happy with the colour. Mounted up the rubber and some big logo caps.
Also got the skirts painted up and mounted..........





Really hanging to see the colour in some sunlight 8)
I've ordered some white walls for it too but they'll be a few weeks.

Thats different! i like it 👍

nice rhett, i love rods

Cheers boys,

hopefully get a few more bits sorted out before Jambo at the end of the month.

Awesome mate, this is exactly what i want when i have the funds...

Once you get the whitewalls, it will reallly set it off!


Well done mate...


Dan

A few pics from Jambo on the weekend.....

Awesome !

🤘
like the purple rims, but
dunno about the spats🤓

I haven't really got any real updates, just been enjoying driving this thing 8)
Here's a pic from our local Easter VW show..........


And another participating in the Easter Procession, where 60 000 people watched on.........


I have been collecting a few parts to start doing a few more mods, more on that soon 😉

Since buying this thing all I've been wanting to do is get stuck into some kustom body mods, now that I'm finally happy with where it's at mechanically, it was time!!

I thought it might be nice to do a step-by-step, here's what I started with........


Trimmed the washer down for drainage.....


Modded the antenna base...........


Capped the tube......


Presto, one ready made frenched antenna kit..........



I found the centre of where I wanted it and drilled a pilot hole...........


I'd been thinking of the best way to do the eliptical hole, here's what i came up with............


Still needed some fine tuning with a 1/2 hound file, but it worked a treat...


At this stage I swapped the antenna for a lenth of M10 all-thread, this aided in holding the tube while I got it sitting where I wanted it and stopped the risk of damaging the antenna.......


I marked around the tube (ensuring the seam was at the front so you wouldn't see it) and trimmed off the excess leaving about 5-10mm left and tacked her in......


After finishing wellding it in and ground back.......



Still needs a bit of filler and a lick of paint but i'm stocked with the result!!...

Aww man! I was gonna do that on mine!
I did a similar thing on my old Mazda 929.


Nice work!!

Thanks man, love the twins!!

killer proportions on the chop. looks very cool.

Very cool

Very nice ride!

nice frenching rhett, what other plans do you have?

New owner picked it up during the week...........



Sad to see it leave but it was time, I've got a few other projects on the go,
Headed Shepparton way 😉