Volkswagens/Surfing

[GXMATT]

i have a volkswagen t4 and i do alot of surfing. Anybody else have/do either?

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

If it doesn't have an air cooled engine in the trunk its not a VW.

THIS is a VW powered sandrail, note the air cooled engine in back.

 

[EagleTalons]

I want a Sandrail! I only have a VW Beetle. 1972.

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Its hard to keep the front end down! No burnouts, not enough weight.

 

[GXMATT]

Ooh, always loved aircooled but i had to give it up because they where just too slow and un reliable i have a 175bhp volkswagen type4 now (may not seem alot but in our light weight vans it shifts!) 2.5tdi always been a little bit tempted by chevrolet astro's with a vortec in it? any other surfers on here?

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

Is it really that hard to keep the front end down? didn't the old Bug engines have a pretty bad weight to power ratio? I like the sidewinder tho.

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

A WOT clutch dump in first WILL let you observe the planes. I can almost pick the front up and move it around. This is a 1600cc dual port with a big carb and possibly other stuff done to it.

 

[SpyGuy]

1972 VW Bug here, 1600cc air-cooled dual-port engine, 1979 transmission (taller gearing), originally a California car towed to Arizona. Still running the original Solex carburetor and (gasp!) full smog equipment, most of the vehicle is still in original condition except for paint, headliner, front end (some lady blew a stoplight and wiped it out), new engine and rebuilt transmission.

Air-cooled is the only way to go, but then again, I suppose the only air-cooling you know about is when you turn on the A/C ....

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

I knew what size they were but i thought they only put out like 50hp? I've seen sidewinders with engines that put out over 100hp and the front end still stays down pretty well...

 

[EagleTalons]

I knew what size they were but i thought they only put out like 50hp? I've seen sidewinders with engines that put out over 100hp and the front end still stays down pretty well...

Most put out less than that some only do 40hp. That's a nice looking beetle Spy! I wish mine looked that nice.

 

[SpyGuy]

Thanks - it was 85% restored before I towed it out here to Arizona. The interior isn't great - why is it that the driver's side seat is always screwed up, but the passenger side is always in good shape? - but I'm working on it ....

 

[GXMATT]

owned by one lonely person (no passengers) i love aircooled thinking of investing in a bay window (vw t2) ooh.

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Thanks - it was 85% restored before I towed it out here to Arizona. The interior isn't great - why is it that the driver's side seat is always screwed up, but the passenger side is always in good shape? - but I'm working on it ....

Because the drivers seat gets the most use?

 

[SpyGuy]

^^-- Best answer!

 

[Scorch3]

I was driving home today and i saw what appeared to be a tiny version of the VW van sitting on a used car lot so i turned around and went and had a good look at it. It looked alot like the van but it was really small had 12 inch rims and only four seats, wasn't even as wide as my Protege. It was right hand drive so i guess it was imported form somewhere and we don't have them here. Just curious anyone know what it was? I snapped some pics if you guys are interested.

 

[SpyGuy]

Pics, por favor. Was it a shorty van, missing the center door?

 

[Scorch3]

I have no idea what it was. Here are the pics.
Interior

Exterior

Next to an Eclipse

 

[SpyGuy]

Wow, VERY strange (and very cool!). Looks like someone took a Vanagon and did some serious cosmetic work on it. Very nice ....

The shorty van I saw had the center door chopped out of the middle (along with everything else), and had the front and rear welded back together. The whole thing was about the same size as one of those SmartCars, maybe a shade longer but not by much - definitely smaller than a standard VW Bug. (One of the mechanics around my area has one in his shop yard, I'll see if I can get a picture of it.) Someone else did the same conversion with one of the "pickup" Volkswagons, made it into a shorty with a fifth wheel on the back. He used it to haul around a gooseneck trailer like a mini-semi truck.

 

[Scorch3]

I was thinking some thing along those lines too, but its just so perfect. If that was the case they obviously knew exactly what they were doing, makes it kind of weird to see it at the average used car lot though.

 

[Kaptain Krunch]

I saw quite a few small vans that size in peru, but none were vw they were all small versions on toyota vans like this

But either way, that one looks pretty unique, custom maybe?