Today’s car is the 1971 Volkswagen Beetle owned by Ben Roberts. This car was finished about 30 years ago and Ben has owned it for the last 7 of those years. It is finished in White with Lime Green, Navy Blue, and Maroon graphics. The interior is finished in Gray and White with a Lime Green roll cage. The Pro-Comp gages let Ben keep his eyes what is happening under the hood. It is powered by a 392 cu in, Chrysler Hemi V8 that develops about 370 hp. It transfers that power through a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission that has a B&M shifter. It delivers that power to the rear wheels through a narrowed rear end with 4.14:1 gears. With this setup it is not a freeway friendly, so Ben travels on surface streets to get around. Slowing it down it has disc brakes in the front and drums in the rear. The front suspension is Mustang II setup.
I saw this car at the Caffeine Cruisers Cars & Coffee located in Torrance, CA that meets every Saturday. The original MSRP was $1,780.00. The total number of Volkswagen produced from 1938–2003 was 21,529,464 with 318,900 built in 1971.
This is a iconic and fun example of what can be done with a VW body. There is a lot going on in such a small space under this car. This is a great car for car shows, and Cars & Coffee events. It sure gets it share of attention, Thanks for riding along. Frank
