FONZY'S GARAGE - The "Mary-Anne" build

AAAaaayyy...

I'm Fonzy, and I have been working on old hot rods and VW's off and on since the mid 80's. I have built a few over the years, Some pretty nice, some not so hot, but hey we only learn from trying

Here is my old 74 beetle (One of few pictures I have ever taken of my cars). I did a full body-off 'customized' restoration about 15 years ago.



I took 4 semesters of body shop classes at the local community college and was able to do a pretty damn nice job on the build. Unfortunately I wasn't able to keep her and sold it roughly 2 years after the build. I was able to find a nice lady who drove a school bus for a living that just fell in love and still drives it to this day.

Well now that I am an official Home owner I have the tools, time and interest in another build... This time around I am building an RPU (roadster pick up) on a 65 beetle sedan...
I have seen alot of these as fenderless 'volksrods' but they never look quite right to me. Instead I am doing a full fendered version with a one peice removable roof and stepside style bed.

Heres where it sits so far...



I am currently working on fabricating the bed and rear fenders.. heres a close photoshop of what it will look like



Since I started with a 65 sedan, I had to graft in an early vert windshield frame and cowl, and while I was at it, chopped it down 3" and built a custom dashboard that will house a 1951 Nash guage cluster in the center...

















also did a bit of a custom area under the dash for a radio...





and fabricated some inner fender reinforcements in the trunk area...



I used some heavy heavy guage bed frame rails to reinforce the heater channels ...





added in some early vert kickpanel reinforcements

 

then it was on to the chassis...

turned this:



into this: (basic stock rebuild, nothign special)



the motor:



and after:





Picked up an old IRS chassis to run since I will be slamming the hell out of this car...





Put in new pans,



and added a 2" square heavy wall tube around the perimeter for reinforcements like on a vert...



converted the late setup for an early stock rebuilt shifter front to back... made a nifty brushed aluminum shift knob from an old cabinet door handle...



built a shortened e-brake handle (since I am not an 80 year old lady I don't need that much leverage)





and since I will be ultimately running a bench seat, I relocated the e-brake to the pass. side floor right next to the tunnel...



and ran some heavy guage steel tubing for the cables to the rear brakes..





then whipped up a 6" narrowed/adjustable ball joint beam, with dropped ball joints,dropped spindles..etc etc, new everything...


(with stock 165's on it



then out back I reversed the trailing arms from left to right to eliminate the camber issue that arrises on IRS when ya lower it really far down.
Afterwards, sitting at stock height, the top of the wheels actually lean outwards, when lowered down they pull in to vertical.

 

then it was on to building the rear cab wall...



skinned it





used some old vert door 'tops' to cap the rear wall...



and wrapped around the corners...





left a big square hole in the cab wall so I can place some sub woofers behind the seat later, and use the bed (which will have a cover) as a speaker box...



Built some 'steps' for just in front of the fenders...



Mounted up some bed sides off of a mid 60's chevy pickup... shortened for length and height...





and thats about where I sit right now... got ALOT more to go ...





More coming soon,
thanks for looking!

 

Fonzie died a couple Years ago and drove a Mercury and was from N.J.

 

A bit more done...
the two rear fenders are now fabbed up and mounted... I also ended up welding up the 'holes' in the stock vw four lug steel wheels for the smooth look... then got the 145s / 165s mounted and balanced...

Heres some shots around the car...









You can see here how I built the rear fenders. Basically just cut off right at the stock mounting flange, then welded in a pie shaped peice to make them full width so they will mount to the flat sides of the bed...



and a 'inside' shot of clearance at the front wheel for those who have been asking about 6" narrowed beam issues. I can get a full 35 degree turn out of the wheel like it sits. that plenty for road racing

 

It appears you are completely insane!
Look great. Nice work!

 

Cool! Welcome from colorado!

 

mary anne is a sexy girl, ginger isnt bad either.

 

Welcome from Iowa bud! I miss texas so much! I am moving back to arlington in December, thank god! Welcome again.

 

You will probably here from the "traditional" Nazis but I think it's great! But I’ve been a VW freak for 40 years. I just finished this one this spring

 

Fonzie, Hello & Welcome from Canyon Lake.

Lucky667

 

Nice work, you make it look easy.

 

welcome from oz

 

Really like what you're doing with the VW. Nice work, great design.

 

Nice work! Welcome to the HAMB from the cornfields of Illinois.

 

Super kool bug !

 

Nice work. Why don't you build a model A?
No offense, I'm just not exited about bugs.

 

bout the nicest VW pickup conversions I've ever seen,,nice work

 

Nice work!!

 

Well thanks a bunch guys n gals

Yeah I wouldn't mind movin in to some older ford/ chevy stuff next project. this one is a budget build. bugs are just too damn cheap n easy to find.

yeah it's german, but it IS a custom (in the most fundamental sense of the term) low buck, LOTS of modifications to smooth, drop, shave and whatnot. the scheme and colors and basic design I am going for will have a DEFINITE late 50's early 60's era 'custom' feel to it. not a hot rod (all of 75 or 80 horsepower) but it sure will be fun to cruise thanks for the warm welcome and hope I can get some more done on this heap of crap soon...

 

The SAMBA?