Subaru powered 1968 Beetle

The Australians have always done things a little differently to us Brits, and it’s never more apparent than in the cars they build. We’ve featured a few over the years but this is without a doubt the most radical one yet. With carbon-fibre body panels, a roof chop, modern wheels, that outrageous rear wing and enough modifications to its running gear to keep Pamela Anderson happy, this was one heck of a first project for its owner, 33-year-old Reuben Bourke – Reub for short – from Darwin, Australia.
Rather than trying to fit into one of the established genres of modified VWs, Reub likens his radical ’68 – for that’s what it is – to a real life Hot Wheels and is more than happy to admit that it doesn’t conform to any particular stereotype. What it does do though is go like the clappers and handle like an eel and, though it pains us to say it, much of that is down to removing the majority of the VW underpinnings and replacing them with parts sourced from Subaru, Porsche, Ford, Holden and the aftermarket. Everything on this car has been modified – and we’re not just talking a bit of de-chroming here or smoothing out there, we’re talking complete replacement – from the door handles to the clutch assembly and pretty much everything in between.

For the full story check out the January 2009 issue of VolksWorld magazine. On sale on 28 November and then available through back issues.

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