[861] Super Beetle Musings and Links

 I've been reading a lot about classic Volkswagen Beetles. They're still at the top of my list of dream cars I would love to own. And as always, my taste changes depending on what I've read and what I've learned.

I've been a big fan of the Salzburg Rally Beetle, which is basically a Super Beetle with a couple of mods. I've blogged about it before (pretty sure I have, I'm just too lazy to find my post about it). And while I'd love something like that, my current dream retromod build is a wee bit more different.

Right now my dream Beetle is the more modern, and not as valued, Super Beetle. Why? Because I'm realizing that thanks to that car's MacPherson front suspension makes it a bit safer to drive, as well as giving it a better turning radius and less bumpier on uneven surfaces.

Let's start with the must-haves. I definitely would install a new, modern wiring harness. This would make it sort of easier to maintain the car's electricals and modernize it a bit. Along with that wiring harness would most definitely be an upgrade to an alternator instead of a generator.

A good sound system is also a must have. While I am a fan of the Retrosound modern radios with classic looks, those things are also expensive as heck. So I'll take a standard 1-DIN radio with bluetooth and auxilliary cables. Maybe add decent speakers for the front and rear without sacrificing the luggage compartment behind the rear seats. So no subwoofers. Or maybe those small ones that don't eat too much space. I don't really know, I haven't done research on in car entertainment.

Disk brakes are also a must. Bare minimum is front disk brakes, ideally all-wheel disk brakes. This improves braking for a really old car. I also wouldn't mind installing an ABS system if there is someone competent who can install it.

For the interior I would love to have a Black Mamba custom shifter from Vintage Speed. Maybe replace the pedals with newer racing pedals just so they get a bit more modern. Seats I would love to keep stock or upgrade to ones that have better side support and neck support. Also get new seat belts for the front seats and install good seat belts for the rear as well.

For the exterior The Vintage Speed custom roof rack also looks amazing. Aside from this I also would love to have pop out side windows for the rear passengers of the Beetle. Also classic eyelids for the headlights. Some classic JDM bullet side mirrors would be a personal touch I want to install. It may look weird for some but I want to see what it looks like on a Super Beetle. I'd also love to have a Sabelt steering wheel installed instead of the classic looking steering wheel. I did say I want a retromod Super Beetle.

Aside from these I'd want a Kamei front splitter because from what I've read this helps keep the car stable in relatively higher, highway speeds. I'd also love to install a real LED chase light bar to act as third brake lights and also additional turn signals and reverse lights. I'd mount the chase light bar right behind the roof rack so higher vehicles will still see the lights when I brake.

And that's it. Those are the things I'd like to do if I had the money to buy and fix up a Super Beetle. Now time to go get me some lottery tickets.

Out.

Post Birthday Musings

Just as times change, so do my dream cars. So yes, while I still want to own a Baja Bug, I realize it will be expensive and difficult to build one. Not that any dream car I want will be easy to obtain. Take for example the latest iteration of Beetle that I want.

It's based off of the Salzburg Rallye Beetle that I read about a few years ago. I just recently remembered this car, and it is quite interesting why my taste changed from a Baja Bug to this car.

A colleague of mine at my former job told me it would be better to buy a reliable Beetle that costs a bit more than buying a really cheap Bug that needs a lot of fixing. You'll be getting a reliable car that hopefully has little to no problems, be it mechanical, electrical, or, um, physical (rust in any part of the body). And I do realize that it will be cheaper in the long run to modify a car that needs little to no repairs.

So back to the new dream bug. Why that? I was doing research and I discovered that Porsche 944 front and rear brake calipers and rotors can be fitted to a Super Beetle with little to no modifications. Great right? And what better Bug to do it to than a Super Beetle that I'd try to paint like the Salzburg Rallye Beetle.

I'd also like to add a very reliable A/C unit and some relatively modern components. Maybe even Bilstein shocks to make it as close to the Rallye Beetle as possible. Hell, if I could afford it I'd even do the engine modifications they did to the car.

The biggest difference I'd do would be with the rims. I really, really want to use RS Watanabe or Mini-lite style rims, colored red. It's just a phase I'm in right now where I want to have red rims on my ride.

Other mods I'd do would be replacing the front and rear bumpers with bent-pipe bumpers, a homage to the Baja Bug dream car of mine. I'd also "only" put two fog lamps on the front bumper. I'd also install a third brake light somewhere in the back, if not on the rear bumper maybe just above the rear windshield. And I'd also mount a rear windshield wiper. For better visibility in the rain.

That's it. I'm rambling again, and I honestly don't know how feasible this new car is for me. But a guy can dream, and that's what I'm doing right now.

Out.