famous first so cal Martin smith built volksrod icon ragtop hotrod vw Volkswagen

1965 Volkswagen Beetle - Classic Description:

Looking at the workmanship at this car. It is no wonder it is one of the most celebrated Volksrods of all time. It was one of the first and remains one of the best. If you have followed the VW scene for a while the chances are good that you have seen this car.

Built by Martin Smith, the head honcho and one of the founding fathers of the "Volksrod" Craze as the show car to launch a whole new world of products and design for the VW scene.
A hot rodder in the LA area, Smith got tired of the escalating prices of early Ford bodies andparts and decided that the venerable VW Beetle would be a perfect platform to start with.
So capturing all the style and cool factor of a traditional open wheel Hot Rod, he blended it all with the VW.
Brilliant. He modifications are numerous but subtle just the same.

1956 Oval Window "Ragtop" body.
Chopped 3" in front, 2" in the back.
(rear window is original size) All molding removed and holes filled.
Door handles removed and filled. Inner fender wells filled and smoothed.
Front and rear fender "horns" removed Front wells relieved and new "trunk" floor constructed to support 10 gal. spun aluminum gas tank.
Rear fender wells relieved for engine viewing. he big tall 17" Kelsey Hayes wire wheels with "pie plate" Firestone tires

Tail-light housings adapted from Model A Cowl lamps on fabricated brackets!

The rear wheels are 17", the fronts are 16".
Drive this ride on a rainy day and the rooster tails are a flinging! Check out the smoothed out door handles but the divot retained.1964 VW pan (registered as a 64)

Fabricated "suicide spring perch”, panhard bar and shock mount crossmember.
Front Suspension features Early Ford front axle, dropped 3' with boxed ends
Modified steering arms on stock spindles Speedway Motors tube shocks,
leaf spring, hairpins, tie rods, panhard bar and steering arms.

Stock VW steering box and damper. Fabricated hairpin brackets 1948 Ford juice brakes. Those front wheels are way out there thanks to the SoCaLook front end.

1776cc dual port engine with 041 heads and new Kodron dual carbs.
Bosch 009 distributor, 12 volt electrics with alternator.
Merged header ceramic coated pumped into the stinger tip.
Chrome louvered firewall, sweet vintage style bell dome air cleaners.
Engine runs excellent, stock transmission. Dual headers and mufflers recently added, with black exhaust wrapped.

The inside is full of just the basics and a whole lot of style. Interior metal all sprayed gloss red, no back seat.

More of the silvery sound deadener material on the roof.
Great contrast against the red and it helps keep the car a "little" quieter inside.
(no need for a stereo in this car...couldn't hear it if it had one!)

The stock Beetle seat frames were stripped to the springs and simple pads attached to the frames.
The door panels were left open with silverized sound deadener inserts within the door to showcase the mechanisms.
Empi trigger shifter with 8 ball gear shift knob.
One piece side windows.
Simple single tube roll bar. engine-worked dashboard features Stewart Warner gauges in a So Cal Speed Shop engine turned dash panel. This car has been featured in magazines from around the globe!It is truly world famous and has been one of the key vehicles that spawned the massive

Volksrod movement that is very vibrant today.

please check out link. gallery.html http://www.oldbug.com/socalook.htm

for more info call don 315-430-5134 car is located in Syracuse ny and will assist w shipping to anywhere. Possible trades