"Fat Chick" pics
 

Pics make the car look better than it really does...

...anyway, have a laugh, as the original transformation was performed during the mid 80's...for those of you who remember the "mini-truck" trend, a time before "ricers" came on the scene, and tweed interiors hadn't caught on yet. The car had limo tint, but I had to remove the timt of the front windows, as it wouldn't pass Missouri inspection...

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0456.jpg



At the time, this custom-made bra matched the paint...the sun has taken a heavy toll on it! The then-chromed bumper had a red rubber strip in the middle, now long gone.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0457.jpg


BBS-style rims were still cool then, and unheard of on a Beetle. Enkei made the only 15" 4-bolt rim style that would fit. If you can see the lower part of the engine compartment, the heater boxes were tossed in favor of J-tubes.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0459.jpg

The bleached velour seat surfaces were formerly black...again, the sun really trashes interiors!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0464.jpg


The back seat cushions fared better, but the red rear shelf is practically white!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0465.jpg


At shows, I would remove the rear seat cushion to reveal custom panels and raise the panels to reveal the dual-battery setup.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0466.jpg

I competed in local stereo sound-offs with the same car, and the rear cabinet comprised of 2 10" Pyles (the Alpine grills were confiscated from the trash bin at a stereo shop). The other speakers were hidden behind panels. Total wattage back then was a whopping 370! :dizzy2: No way could I compete in today's competitions.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0467.jpg


"Shockwave" graphics were popular during that era. Again, velour treatment. Also retrofitted some billet hot rod door hardware to work with the VW mechanism.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0468.jpg


Went with the teeny sterring wheel and AutoMeter gauges. Needless to say, the needle never saw the right hemisphere of the dial...

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0469.jpg


The Nakamichi TD1200...top of the line cassette deck of that era. More AutoMeter gauges to compensate for the loss of "idiot" lights when replacing the stock speedo with the big AutoMeter unit.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0471.jpg


Custom shifter and a stalk-mounted Blaupunkt EQ...way cool then!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0472.jpg

Volkswagens scare me.

...and there's more!
 

Trunk had been slightly open all these years, hence the accumulated "thatch" from the neighbor's mowing efforts. Had originally planned on making this a base for showcasing racks of amps, crossovers and capacitors if I got serious with the stereo competitions...marriage ended that kind of spending...

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0473.jpg


Prior to making this a show car, it was a daily driver with a "sleeper" motor. 1641cc oversized pistons, mild cam, counterweighted crank, titanium valves, Porsche valve springs, 10-lb 8-doweled flywheel, race clutch, and dual 34mm Weber carbs. The 4-pipe SS-header exhaust gave it a nasty NASCAR sounding idle (believe it or not)!

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0475.jpg



Once the car show fascination turned into an obsession, whatever could be replaced with a chrome alternative got the treatment.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0476.jpg

In front of the ML is a rack with shelves of VW goodies...including a power window kit that I never installed. All silently await the second resurrection of the "fat chick"...possibly in a few years when my daughter comes of "driving" age.

The big red unit on the bottom shelf is a 1967 Stewart-Warner VW gasoline-powered heater...dangerous, but effective. Saw no need for it in Texas, so it was dismantled from the car.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_0477.jpg

Rained hard just after I took these pics, so the my ShopForum gallery will be delayed as usual...