Let’s face it. In the sport compact market there’s very few cars left that we can definitely call extremely original in the scene. We try our best though to look out for these cars, and when we spot them we can’t forget them. Quinton Steckler’s 1964 Volkswagen Bug is one of those cars. We’re taking it extremely back to the old school with this car, but the truth is we can easily respect all the work and time put into it.
When he first turned 16, Steckler started the prowl and hunt for his personal car. Picking up this antique ’64 Bug for a mere $500.00 dollars, he drove it home with a missing windshield and various nuts and bolts holding it together. Between his father and him however, several years in the making and plenty of time and research in obtaining original genuine parts for German has made this Bug one of a kind. Don’t believe me? Read on and try to argue with me at the end.
Starting off with the engine, this Bug hardly sports something from the 60’s. Though it is not pictured, the Bug is now powered by a 2.2L Porsche motor powered with 48mm Webber Carbs and ported heads. The bottom end received new 96mm pistons and a custom 76mm race crank from DPR. A 86b86c Webcam found its way into the motor setup as well. A dual point distributor setup along with a MSD coil sparks life into the motor. To ensure everything runs properly in the 40 year old car was the addition of an external oil filter, dual fan oil cooler, a Porsche 911 fan shroud kit and a CB Performance rotary fuel pump. Helping achieve over 150hp is a custom built header to a Flowmaster muffler by Franklin’s VW Werks in Kent, Washington (www.franklinsvwwerks.com). Franklin’s VW Werks also gets credit for the entire motor build along with the suspension setup that’s elaborated below.
The madness doesn’t stop there, nor does the Porsche influence. Genuine Porsche Fuchs wheels are wrapped with Bridgestone Potenzas, with 16x6 in the front and 16x7 in the rear. The set of wheels were fully polished by Alloy Polishing (www.alloypolishing.com) to match the brand new look of the rebuilt Bug. To give the Bug a more modern customized stance, custom shock towers and 2.5" Type III drop spindles were implemented into the suspension. Steckler also turned once again to Franklin’s VW Werks for a 4" narrowed adjustable beam. Having lowered the car a respectable 5.5" up front and 3 in the rear, disk brakes with vented rotors were added onto the car.
Giving it a pristine look to a restored car isn’t always easy. The decklid was shaved along with the front fenders and rear apron. The entire car received extremely detail to preparation prior to paint. A one piece window kit along with Cali window rubber restores the glass while custom lowback seats and a wood grain steering wheel add a stylish touch to the interior. Team that up with the 5" tach, 4 VDO gauge cluster and the custom 6-point roll cage that’s powdercoated Seafoam Green and you’ve got one killer restored Bug.
40 years old and going, can you believe the quality in this car? Best of all, 10 years later Steckler has been enjoying this Bug as his daily driver and in over two years has managed to accumulate 30,000 miles. Determination and originality brings this Bug to perfection status in our eyes. There’s just nothing like it out there.