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johngottfredson

johngottfredson

Threat Level Midnight
Location
Alpine
TurboMinivan said:
Giant VW Built On Dodge Ram Chassis

Richard Tupper built a Volkswagen Bug that’s 40 percent larger than the real thing.

“I have a sheet metal shop and one day I just decided to make a bigger VW,” says Tupper, who lives in Gardena, Calif. “It wasn’t that difficult to do because we have really good equipment at our shop.”

Tupper started with the chassis of a 2010 Dodge Ram pickup. He used 3,514 different parts to assemble the Super Bug, which is powered by a Dodge Hemi engine. To exactly size the parts for his giant bug, he used digital images from what he describes as a ‘very cherry’ ’59 Volkswagen Beetle that he dismantled. When he made the parts all 40 percent bigger, they all bolted together really nicely, Tupper says. There’s not one original VW part on the vehicle. They’re all new and handmade.

Tupper figures building his special Bug required about 3 years from start to finish. He has a good friend who did the upholstery and his son helped with the body works and the welding, so it was a team effort.

Even though there’s a Ram engine under the front hood to power the car, Tupper built a “phony” 1200 cc motor for the trunk so it looks proper. The fake motor actually serves as a muffler for the Hemi engine.

Like the outside, the interior of the car looks amazingly like that of an original Beetle. The one major difference is that where the original had only a speedometer and a fuel gauge, Tupper’s has a drop-down digital console that includes a tachometer, speedometer, gas, electric and coolant gauges.

Tupper says driving it is just like piloting a 2010 Dodge Ram truck, except “everyone’s taking pictures of me or filming me.” The vehicle has AC, power steering, disc brakes, cruise control, and Ipod hookup. "It’s just a Texas-sized Volkswagen.” The vehicle weighs about 6,200 lbs. and the hood alone weighs 200 lbs.

Reflecting the over-sized chassis and engine, Tupper changed the Wolfsburg badge on the car to a Ramsburg logo. “I tell people it was made in Ramsburg and it’s the Super Beetle,” Tupper says.

Tupper’s Hemi-powered Bug now joins a large stable of vintage cars that he owns and stores in 2 climate-controlled warehouses. Says Tupper, "when I was a kid I used to walk to school and see all those old cars and told myself if I ever have any money, I’m going to have some of them." He became successful and now owns 109 cars built in 1959 or before. His favorite car color is red and he has about 25 in that color ranging from Porsches to Corvettes to Cadillacs. He says all of the vehicles in his collection are in top running condition and he has favorites for going out to eat, driving to Las Vegas, going to the beach or going racing. Tupper says he’ll never sell them because they’re like his children.

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Wow. It’s actually real. Jay Leno’s garage estimates a value of $1.25M big ones.
 
Kevin B.

Kevin B.

Not often wrong. Never quite right.
Moderator
Location
Stinkwater
Gravy said:
@xj_nate
It's spooky season!
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N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
Pumpkin spice is my enemy. @Agility Customs ’ wife Heather gave me a random Oreo at a comp and I trusted her so I ate it and it was pumpkin spice and now I don’t trust her anymore.


Also, spooky season is VooDew time and it’s delicious!!!
 
N-Smooth

N-Smooth

Smooth Gang Founding Member
Location
UT
Am I a bad person for being just a tiny bit amused by a coyote picking off a pomeranian chihuahua?

www.ksl.com

Draper on high alert after family dog is attacked by coyote

Draper city officials say they're receiving reports of coyote sightings every day right now, and they have had five animal deaths linked to coyotes in the last couple of months. All the attacks have occurred east of 1300 East.
www.ksl.com www.ksl.com
 
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