Volkswagen ‘Volks-rod’ Beetle Is a 900-HP Twin Turbo Terror
‘Demure’ 1970 Volkswagen was spotted at LS Fest East 2022; built because the owner didn’t want to wash a car every time he went to a car show.
This is not your ordinary 1970 Volkswagen Beetle. One glimpse and that should be obvious. This is a Volks-rod and it is not exactly a sleeper. The car was spotted at LS Fest East 2022 in Bowling Green. It was the largest LS Fest East ever with thousands of cars and spectators. But even among that type of crowd this little VW stood out. Stuffing a pair of massive turbos on top of a 6.0L LS engine has a way of making you stand out in a crowd. If the massive engine doesn’t grab your attention, surely the exterior with the beautiful patina and the industrial looking interior will. It grabbed the attention of the folks from Holley as they posted the walkaround video below to their YouTube channel.
We will get into the details of this build in a bit. It is totally custom with parts coming from about ten different vehicles. Everything from VW’s to Chevy vans were used to put this thing together. But the most amazing thing is the owner did it all himself. And not with fancy computer programs or anything like that. He just started to lay parts out on the floor to see what looked right. And he would build from there. And the most amusing thing was why he even started to build something like this in the first place. Most custom car owners keep their rides squeaky clean so they can show them off at a local car show. John Bridges didn’t want that for his car. He didn’t want to have to wash something every time he went to a show. So, he built this.
Chevy Van Engine
The 6.0L LS engine that powers this Volks-rod was taken out of a 2003 Chevy Express van. Of course, no Chevy van ever made 900 horsepower. So, to get to that number a pair of 70mm turbos running 14 psi of boost were added. The pistons and rods are forged since the stock pieces blew up. The power gets sent to a Ford rear end out of a 1997 Crown Victoria. The car can certainly scoot, and it looks and sounds great while doing it. Is there any vehicle out there that can’t be improved by the addition of LS power?
Why a Volkswagen Beetle?
Speaking of LS power. We certainly see LS swaps done on all sorts of vehicles. But why did Bridges choose a VW Beetle? That is easy. A Beetle is the first car he had back in high school. So, when it was time to build a car, he knew he wanted it to be based off a Beetle. And the cool thing is the title is from a 1968 VW Beetle that his parents bought brand new. So, this Volks-rod now uses that title. Cool tribute to his parents as well as his younger self.
Street Sign Seats
The interior of this Volks-rod is just as interesting as the rest of the car. Yes, those are seats made out of street signs. There is no air conditioning. But it does have Bluetooth! Despite the torture chamber looks and lack of creature comforts Bridges promises that the car is actually comfortable to drive. We can’t vouch for how comfortable it is. But it sure is cool.