1958 VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOM ROADSTER

Details

This 1958 Volkswagen steampunk custom-built topless roadster was featured during STEAM 17 at the Denver Institute of Art. It is a hand-built, pan-off restoration, and the entire vehicle was media-blasted. The exterior has four-layer hand-rubbed patina custom paint with all new rubber, moldings and hand-cut glass. It has a chopped and channeled body. No expense was spared, and every nut and bolt were replaced with new stainless hardware. It’s powered by a fresh DP 1.6-liter 4-cylinder air-cooled

engine and a swing-axle 4-speed manual transmission. It features an electric manual fuel pump, new front and rear brakes, drums, master cylinder and stainless lines. This roadster rides on a custom-built air ride, with the suspension and beams powder-coated. It includes a welded and reinforced body, pan and frame head, with a Fabshop 104 10-inch extended beam. A custom-built box with epoxy and inlays was installed. The epoxy used is restaurant commercial grade. The interior pans have hand-polished bullet casing. Thousands of copper and aluminum rivets were installed by hand with antique copper gauges. New front to rear wiring harness wrapped and sealed in marine-grade heat-shrink were installed. The wiring is hidden and loomed in flex black. The interior has four hand-built aircraft bomber seats wrapped in hand-tooled leather with aircraft seat belts, an all-steel Vintage Speed shifter, and a new Kenwood head unit featuring Bluetooth and four 6x9' speakers with hidden wiring. A custom-built vintage steering wheel with inlaid bullet casings highlights the interior. The exterior has custom chrome and brass cage headlights. The doors were cut out on plasma, with Lexan sections, and are backlit with hidden bright-white LEDs. It also features a removable hand-built metal cage top. This roadster has 40 miles on the build.