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Beetle flatbed truck
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:20 am    Post subject: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

I have been wanting to build a truck with a beetle cab for quite some time. There have been some really interesting and amazing custom trucks built already, that can be found under Volksrods and Rat Rods, but most of them look too short coupled for any real use as a truck. I have a decorative metal business and often need to carry 4x8 foot sheets of steel and also finished pieces of work. With that in mind the truck would need a minimum bed size of 4x8 feet and the bed would have to be flat with tie downs.
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vwuberalles
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

That looks great! Looks very functional too, nice work!
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1973 Superbeetle: 1st car, owned since age 12. Update thread --> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9919140#9919140
1967 Kombi: Owned since age 17, Dad's retirement project.
1966 Beetle: My new project. (SOLD) Build thread--> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=678040
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:43 pm    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Thanks, that was the intention. To keep the bed low I wanted to avoid the doghouse cooling so many truck builders keep. Just like the weather, a lot of writers suggest a Type 3 or 4 motor, but no one does anything about it. I opted for the Type 4 because I like fuel injection for mountain driving and I wanted the extra torque for the additonal weight I was going to add.
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The motor is essentially a balanced 2 liter with 1977 Type 2 fuel injection. I kept it where all good air cooled motors belong--in the back. Since it was going to be under the bed, I built special shrouding to separate incoming fresh air from outgoing exhaust air.
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vwuberalles
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 8:09 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

It's always bugged me when people stick with the upright fan in a truck conversion, it just makes the whole thing unusable!
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1973 Superbeetle: 1st car, owned since age 12. Update thread --> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9919140#9919140
1967 Kombi: Owned since age 17, Dad's retirement project.
1966 Beetle: My new project. (SOLD) Build thread--> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=678040
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vaughn bros.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:53 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Truck and especially engine look healthy.😎
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andk5591
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 7:47 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Very nice work. Looks like you constructed pretty much a full frame. How much did you extend it? Looks like at least 2 feet.
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:37 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Wow, sharp eyes. In actual fact the wheelbase is 22 inches longer. Here are a few pictures, but for a more detailed account you can check out my website at https://idlehandsshop.com/

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This gave the cab section a 4 inch lift. I will continue to post here to the Samba on what I did, because I see so many other great ideas and pieces of work here and would encourage anyone else to follow their whim. Or their folly as in my case. Thanks to Everett for this site.
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vaughn bros.
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 11:22 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Dam😎
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

What really got me moving on this project was watching what others did to create a truck cab. Most seemed to go the route of grafting old truck cab backs and corners onto beetle front body halves. Often this included chopping the cab. I wanted plenty of room in my cab so a chop was not in the picture. I also like the nice tight fit of a VW beetle. I wanted the doors to close with that pneumatic thump, that new beetles had.
Some old time pickups had sort of a squared off back and I also liked that. I had plans to make this puppy look like it could have come from the 30s or 40s. The method I used was to make a rounded tube back corner for the cab. This made the cab back very rigid and gave me a rounded steel corner, that would be easy to finish for body work and paint. It became even more solid, when I welded a single plate of 16ga. sheet steel to the tube frame.

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Last edited by Rusty Brockmann on Mon Jan 28, 2019 6:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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andk5591
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 10:35 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

very cool approach on the frame and cab. Wish you had done this a couple years ago and I may have changed my approach to my temporarily stalled hearse project. When I was laying my extension out, I had played with length increases from 14 to 24 inches, so I pretty much had a good idea of where you were. Great work!
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
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MMW
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 6:24 pm    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Very cool. Definitely awesome job and very nice craftsmanship. I would add tool boxes behind the cab/under the bed to fill the space.
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2019 7:26 pm    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

andk5591 wrote:
very cool approach on the frame and cab. Wish you had done this a couple years ago and I may have changed my approach to my temporarily stalled hearse project. When I was laying my extension out, I had played with length increases from 14 to 24 inches, so I pretty much had a good idea of where you were. Great work!

Thank you. Having just looked at your hearse project, I see some pretty interesting engineering. My method of extending the wheelbase might be a little more straightforward, but unfortunately it causes quite a bit of lift. This is OK for my project, because I wanted the lift for the truck look. Yours is going to look better for the hearse idea, because to lower height will make it look longer. I look forward to seeing you finish it. Great carpentry and some pretty clever ways of dealing with the engine.
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andk5591
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:55 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Thanks - and type 4 would have been an easier way to do the engine, but why make it easy LOL. Hoping to get back to it this year...but I said that last year. Embarassed
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 8:48 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

MMW wrote:
Very cool. Definitely awesome job and very nice craftsmanship. I would add tool boxes behind the cab/under the bed to fill the space.


I agree. I had planned to add tool boxes as they are definitely a thing for flat bed trucks.
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Yesterday I put this diamond plate door on the right side. It has a lift and turn cam latch. My intent was to provide some weather protection for the air intake, brain box, etc., that are on that side of the motor compartment. I will leave the left side open to allow unrestricted air access. It is after all an air cooled truck.
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dawgofwar71
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 3:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

i have always like the concept of the truck from a bug. i think i would have at least made it an extended cab though. that way you have more legroom and extra room in period.
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 7:58 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

dawgofwar71 wrote:
i have always like the concept of the truck from a bug. i think i would have at least made it an extended cab though. that way you have more legroom and extra room in period.


Because I made the extended frame, I already have a 4 inch lift. With the BMW seats I used I had to build separate frames to lift the seats so I wouldn't be looking through the steering wheel. Unless you're an NBA player leg room is not a problem. Plus there is plenty of room behind and under the seats. If you need more room than a 4 x 8 flatbed, I think you are going to need a bigger boat!
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whozawhat
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 9:58 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

Great looking build.
Do you have pictures showing the truck from the front and what you did with the headlights?
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Rusty Brockmann
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:28 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

whozawhat wrote:
Great looking build.
Do you have pictures showing the truck from the front and what you did with the headlights?

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.
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vaughn bros.
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 7:01 am    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

👍👍👍
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andk5591
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Beetle flatbed truck Reply with quote

You are getting that 2CV kind of vibe with those. And I love those cars. Very unique. Not sure I would do it myself, but its a cool look. Very very nice work. The more I look at it, the more I am digging it. Almost seems like the cab needs a folding ragtop. That would REALLY mess with peoples heads.... Laughing
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...
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