My New Dream Project Car

My current dream project car would be the VW Kombi, also known as the Volkswagen Type 2 Transporter.

Why that car? Well, for starters it looks nice. Then it's also big enough to fit a good number of people. Maybe 5 - 8 adults, depending on what seats I put in. It's spacious and it's a classic.

I would probably do a resto-mod on it. Part restoration, part modification. I'd keep the nice looking exterior but I'd do some modernizing of the more important parts of the car. That way I can keep the classic look but still have nice modern touches that would balance the car. I'm not a sucker for restored cars anyway.

For the exterior, I'd keep the look just the way it is. Maybe change the rims and go for more modern ones. Or maybe try and get banana-type rime (did I get the term right?). Plus I'd do a nice two-tone paint job, maybe blue and white or something similarly cheerful. I wouldn't put dark window tint, but most probably add the clear tint that helps keep the heat out inside. Plus for the headlights it would be nice if I could either use bright halogens (maybe 70 watts or higher) or maybe customized HID projector headlamps. In yellow light. I'd also probably add a rear windshield wiper just so I can improve visibility when it rains.

On the inside I'd probably try more modern seats. Maybe use more ergonomic seats for the driver and passenger seats. Of course if possible I'd also use more comfortable bench seats. Maybe limit it to two rows with both able to fold to add more space inside. Sort of similar to the interior of a 1993 Toyota Lite Ace. I'd also probably try to put better interior lights, maybe LED bulbs for night use. I'd also add a good sound system. No need for subwoofers but I'd like to have a sound system that actually sounds good, plus I'd like the stereo to have auxilliary input for mp3 players, aside from a 6-disc CD changer. No DVDs or LCDs inside. I just want a good sound system.

As for the "performance" part of the car, I'd most likely try to have the engine overhauled, cleaned, blueprinted, the works. The reason for this is so that I can fit in an aircon for the van. Plus I'd probably go for an improved alternator. Then I'd probably try to improve the suspension set-up to a more modern, safer set-up. I'd also try and replace the brakes with all-wheel disc brakes to help improve stopping power. This is also in relation to the fix-up I mentioned with the engine. I'd like this resto-mod Kombi to be able to overtake on highways and have a cruising speed of around 90kph easy, anyway. Plus I also want it to be able to slow down or stop when it has to.

Although I can afford a VW Kombi right now, I can honestly say that I would not be able to afford any of the mods I had planned. Plus I don't think it would be practical to buy a project car for a first car. However this does not mean that I can't dream about owning one. For now.

Plus who knows? Maybe next time a Kombi won't be my dream project car. But whatever my dream project car will be, these mods will almost always be part of that dream.

Out.