Some rides featured in VWTrends have left their mark on the Volkswagen scene. One such vehicle is Fred Hidalgo's Stink Bug [see June 2002 issue]. This gearhead/artist put his imagination to work and turned up with what many deem as one of the most influential Hot Rod VWs to date. He has inspired quite a few enthusiasts indeed, including Martin Smith. It comes as no surprise, considering Martin works at the famous Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California--he is the Chair of the Product Design Department and came in contact with Fred who was a student there. Both guys are Hot Rodders at heart. Soon, Martin took interest in Fred's project car, the aforementioned Stink Bug. It definitely appealed to Mr. Smith; so much so that he decided to undertake the construction of a Hot Rod Beetle of his own design with help from his sons Noah and Matt.
We met with the Santa Monica, Calif., resident at his home, which happens to be the command center of SoCaLook, his company specializing in Hot Rod products for Volkswagens, including the unique front end as seen on his car.
A pair of hairpin radius arms keeps the I-beam axle in place.
Speaking of which, his car mounts to a 1964 chassis, while the main piece of this fairly simple puzzle consists of a complete unit cleverly engineered to replace the stock axle beam. It features two brackets used to fit the King Bee headlights and upper eye of the shocks, in addition to another bracket (in the center) necessary to clamp the transverse leaf springs. These springs remain pretty much standard '32 Ford Hot Rod equipment, and so is the combination of I-beam axle and Speedway Motors-supplied tube shocks. A pair of SoCaLook-made hairpin radius rods secures the axle to the floorpan by way of graceful brackets installed inside the cockpit just behind the heater vents. A stock VW steering box and tie-rods from SoCaLook steer the front wheels.
Martin came up with this interesting mix-n-match of parts thanks to his knowledge of the Hot Rod culture. In fact, he has already wrenched on half-a-dozen Rods and still owns a traditional '32 Ford Roadster that has many traits in common with his Bug, from the austere paint job to the red wire wheels. He has also been involved with the custom VW scene for well over 25 years, so by now you probably understand how this radical '56 Oval came to life.
A machined aluminum cluster supplied by So-Cal Speed Shop welcomes a set of Stewart Warner gauges.
For a menacing look, a chopped top became a priority. Our man sliced 3.5-inches in the front and 1.5-inches in the rear giving the roof a raked stance. "This was my first top chop," he told us, "and it was quite a nightmare to get it right. I cut the roof in four pieces, then used slices of another roof to fill the gaps." Martin removed the moldings and handles (solenoids now open the doors), welding every hole shut. After getting rid of the fenders and both aprons, he cut part of the front fender wells and shaped a new panel to be installed in front of the aluminum gas tank. Attention to detail includes rounding any sharp edge created from cutting and trimming the body.
In the wheel department, the final choice wound up being Kelsey Hayes from the 1930s, measuring 17x3 in the front and 16x5 in the rear. The 550x17 and 700x16 Firestone bias ply tires complement the early Hot Rod look to perfection, but, "the handling is rather interesting [read: poor] on the freeway," realizes Martin, even with KYB shocks in the back. "It handles quite well around town, steers quickly, and corners flat. But on a freeway with rain grooves cut into the surface, the bias ply tires in the rear want to follow the grooves. So there is this unusual feeling coming from the rear tires and swing axle combination--it's like the tires are going flat--wagging the rear of the car back and forth. You get the same sensation on a motorcycle." At least, the car stops rather well, thanks to large 1948 Ford drum brakes.
Rear seat? None. Headliner? Nada. But a nice roll bar dresses the interior.
To contrast with the primered body, he decided to paint the cockpit with a few coats of shiny Chrysler Viper Red. That Spartan interior emulates the feel of the basic 1940s Hot Rod, thus explaining the lack of rear seat, door panels or seat covers! The stock Volkswagen seats have been painstakingly detailed nonetheless, and four pieces of one-inch thick neoprene insure a decent comfort. The dash required some reshaping in order to accept an oval cluster from So-Cal Speed Shop filled with three Stewart Warner gauges. Other elements pirated from the Rodding world include the cool Bell four-spoke steering wheel, in addition to a tall Cadillac-Lasalle shifter topped with an 8-ball knob. The 1776cc Type I engine, bolted to a stock swing axle transmission, was built to cruise without worries. It features a variety of high-po goodies: Quality German 041 heads, Bosch 009 distributor, ceramic coated merged header and stinger, in addition to a pair of Kadron carbs topped with custom air filters reminiscent of old German military helmets!
After spending $10,000 on his Ragtop, a fraction of the cost of his '32 Ford Roadster [see photo on the bottom left of Page 60], Martin owns a car that can appeal to both the Hot Rod and Volkswagen crowds.
To see how the vehicle performs, Martin invited us to go for a ride. Inside the cockpit, vision is quite limited by the chopped windshield and the small oval window; but the lower seating position due to the lack of padding remains acceptable. We found the front suspension a bit stiff. Our talented handyman explains: "I'm still playing with the number of leaf springs, in order to soften the ride." How about the performance aspect of the car? "Well, it weighs only 1400lbs! So even with a small engine, it's very responsive and a lot of fun to drive on the street."
With all this said, we have to concede that we fell in love with Martin's Hot Rod VW.
If such a vehicle is to your liking as well, feel free to cruise on the net to www.SoCaLook.com. He has another Convertible Bug project currently being worked on, as you will see.
Looks like some interesting feature material to us!
The cockpit remains very simple, in the spirit of the 1940s Hot Rods. The Bell steering wheel is reminiscent of the Sprint Cars of the same era. | 
The 17x3 and 16x5 Kelsey Hayes wheels came as standard equipment on various automobiles in the 1930s. No radial tires here either, just good old bias ply Firestone rubber! | 
Taillights are 1939 Chevy repros. |
Take the front suspension of a 1932 Ford and install it on a German Sedan designed in the '30s... Here is the result! | 
Nothing radical under the decklid, just a 1776cc with a pair of Kadrons topped with funny looking air cleaners! | |