I’m very fortunate to be friends with Emily Velasco, one of our contributors and, more importantly, someone who has proven herself to be very reliable about sending me any interesting cars she comes across. This is important not just to me, but, as is my understanding, society as a whole. Today she sent me a picture of a truck that was sent to her by a friend in Denver. So, you’re receiving this information fourthhand, just so you know. This truck is notable because it’s based on an old, air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle.
Now, I’ve seen Beetle-based pickup trucks before, but never one quite like this, and I’ll admit, I’m pretty fascinated. I better explain.
You see, most Beetle-based pickup trucks tend to be made more for fun than strict utility; while some very early ones were built for actual work, soon VW developed the Type 2, which took the basic rear-engined Beetle formula and adapted it into an actual work vehicle.
Beetle-based pickup truck kits, on the other hand, tended to emphasize looks and leisure, though they could also be used for truck-like work, like the hilariously-named Brasilian Fusck Up, based on the VW of Brazil Fusca (Beetle):
These are close to what I usually see on Beetle-based trucks: a short, high bed over the engine. But let’s look again at what was spotted in Denver, this time in a side shot:
That’s a much bigger bed than what is usually seen. At first I thought perhaps a Beetle body had been grafted onto some actual pick-up’s frame, but then I noticed the VW’s distinctive rear suspension setup with the transverse torsion bar tube. This does seem to be built on a Beetle’s chassis! Just, I think, lengthened significantly?
I think I can see some of the engine behind the rear wheel there, but it’s hard to tell. And what is that silvery tube that looks kind of like it’s wrapped in tinfoil? I’m not sure.
What I can see of the body from the side shows what look to be unmodified doors, but the body behind it has not just been truncated, but the area where the rear side windows would have started have been filled in, too.
Up front, we have more unusual details. For whatever reason, the front fenders have had their headlight buckets removed and the headlights are now mounted high on the fender, not fully faired into the bodywork. The rest of the front bodywork looks surprisingly stock. It’s hard to tell what year Beetle this may have started as, but based on the bodywork I can see, I’d guess maybe a ’73 standard (non-Super) Beetle? It’s hard to say.
I’m hoping one of our Autopians around the Denver area may recognize this hardworking Beetle-based truck, because I’d love to know more about it. Was the chassis extended? What engine is in there? It looks like it’s used as a work truck; is it?
Someone must know, right?
My son is the current owner of this vehicle and who you see driving it around Denver and Boulder. He and his business partner use it for their handyman business called Punch-Buddy. https://www.punch-buddy.com/
You must be familiar with the Smyth Ute Beetle conversion kit, right? These make awesome trucks out of modern Beetles along with Chargers and Audis and Jeeps, oh my. I am just finishing up my Charger build myself, but there are a bunch of builders across the country that are building and selling these rides and the beetle is hugely popular. https://www.smythkitcars.com/new-beetle-truck-conversion
That yellow beetle body is clearly not the same truck body shown in the picture. The door in the picture is clearly no VW ever made.
A truck actually used for truck stuff: Nice!
Someone here suggested the builder should get a free account. As the builder I could not agree more. Give me an account and I’ll answer your questions. Rusty Brockmann
I need to get my friend who actually saw this truck make an account on here so he can comment.
I recognize that beast. Obviously it’s been a hot minute since I lived in Denver. But sadly I can’t provide any more data than I know it exists.
I’ve seen that truck a few times over the years in passing. I could never quite figure it out. I was outside a restaurant once and saw 2 Holden utes drive by I thought that’s really weird and it turned out left hand utes was right down the street.
I have seen dozens of VW Beetles with the homemade pickup truck body shown here. Mostly in South Florida
This is so Forking cool!
I read the Samba post…
Extension? Wheelbase was extended 22″ using square tubing.
The Cab has a 4″ lift bc of how he did the frame extension
He used BMW seats on custom built raised platform frame so he would be at “normal” hight in proportion to the cab and therefore able to see out above the steering wheel…
And about the headlights he said…
“Oh yeah, we got pix. Documentation so I can remember what I did. As mentioned I wanted the look of 30s or 40s trucks. Along with the squared off cab and spoked steel wheels I figured the headlights needed to be mounted in separate buckets or in nacelles on the fenders. I grafted a pair of nacelles from a 1946 Chevy pick up onto the fenders and covered up the VW buckets. The turn signals are from VW either late 50s or early 60s with yellow LED flashy things, so they can be seen. Yellow fog lights seemed old fashioned, too. The flat faced Hella headlights seem proportioned right for the smaller front end, but I,m wondering, if I can make them LED instead of halogen.”
I took the pic, and fwiw I got it one block from where I got the pic of the Wartburg 353 that was featured here in 2023. South Longmont does have some weird cars for such a small place. There’s a Lancia Montecarlo/Scorpion for sale a couple blocks away, too, but it’s in terrible condition.
There’s also the guy with the Trabant Universal that, if I remember right, lives on the east side of Hover between 15th and 9th.
If you can still tell what kind of car it is, that’s pretty good shape for an old Lancia.
^ this is correct. I used to commute from Denver to Loveland, and the Longmont/Loveland/Fort Collins area have some very interesting vehicles.
There is a farm with about 8-10 International Scout’s just rotting away in plane view. I also saw a Renault Dauphine just screaming down the road in the area as well, only one I’ve ever seen in the wild (and this was only 1-2 years ago). Also plenty of old VWs, of course.
Oh, hey! There you are. I just commented to say I needed to get you to make an account on here so you could post a comment.
I saw this a few weeks ago heading south on I25 in Denver. I had no idea what this thing was. I thought it was a 2CV but the front didn’t look right. I concluded it was either a very weird custom job or possibly a Soviet something or another.
oh! I saw this car/truck last week near Boulder! mind blown and I couldn’t get a picture of it but glad someone did.
Found it!: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=713228
excellent detective work!!
Mostly luck, thanks though. The “holy crap there it is” moment was pretty fun.
The creator appears to live right here in Longmont, CO: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rusty-brockmann-25775593?trk=contact-info
You should reach out to him, Jason!
Lol, I wish I’d noticed his name was Rusty. It’s not me, I promise, my name isn’t actually Rusty.
Hmmm, so Rusty isn’t really all that Trusty…
(Ha ha – I wondered if it was really you when I noticed his name.)
Yeah I just came up with the name in the moment, inspired by David Tracy of course. I didn’t want to use my name from the old site.
Someone named Rusty is in the metal business? Classic and his post was discovered by someone named Rusty, I cannot make this up.
And proof we’re living in a simulation.
You know what they say: Trust Doesn’t Rust.*
*When “they” is Trust Doesn’t Rust
Looks like it was for sale in 2021. That samba thread is an interesting read.
Amazing!
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome. I think a common thread among us Autopians is the need to satisfy our curiosity. One of us were going to find it eventually, even if it took all day.
Other than for novelty effect, I’m hard pressed to think of any functional advantages gained by converting a Beetle into a truck. Not that there’s anything wrong with novelty.
It’s promotional. The guy is in the decorative metal business.
How many “full-sized” pickups can carry 4×8 sheetrock and plywood lying flat?
Somebody got themselves a welder and went happy. Nice.
The real question is how is the person who owns/drives this not an active member of The Autopian. This person needs to be informed!
We should gift them a free membership at minimum.
Based on minimal information, I’m going to speculate that it is an extension that connects the Beetle engine’s heater boxes to the vents in the cabin – similar to the vents that warmed the rear-seat passengers’ heels in an unmodified Beetle. It is Denver, after all: heat is necessary.
The silver stuff appears to be an insulated water heater vent tube one would use in a house, like this:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Selkirk-4-in-x-36-in-Galvanized-Pipe/1085127
The diameter (4″) and the finish appear to match what is in the truck pic.
Didn’t the 1935 V3 prototype have old fashioned podded headlights, just mounted on the hood instead of the fenders? Maybe there was an attempt to resemble that from the front?
I’m curious about the cargo- the Otto containers strapped out back. Is this part of a refuse collector’s fleet, the truck that delivers and picks up the Ottos from new and former customers?
A business empire run by Otto men? What could possibly go wrong?
It’s a slippery slope folks! What’s next? The Nissan VersaTruck?
Oh, please, let Jatco CVT comment on that.
Maybe it’s a refugee from the parallel dimension where this Beetle became reality, and in its timeline, Blucifer rules the entire mountain time zone with an iron hoof.
The side shot really looks like a custom-made chassis (made of large rectangular stock) with enough of the beetle pan grafted on so they could use the torsion rear suspension.
I have so many questions…. impressive build though
That tube is to pipe heat into the cab. The motor is basically a ’77 VW bus motor. 2 liters, Bosch fuel injection, cc’d, balanced, etc. modified to live under the flatbed to keep the bed low. I am glad to see working as I had hoped.