Everyone remembers the movie from back in the day called "The Love Bug", right?  No, well how about "Herbie"?  Although this was never the title to the movie everyone knows the star of it.  Herbie, while seemingly being just a lowly VW Bug with racing stripes sporting the number 53 actually wound up being a serious performance contender for the length of movie.  Having a quirky personality and a cool story to boot, it's honestly virtually impossible to see any VW Beetle and not make some kind of Herbie innuendo, At least it is for me. 

So that's why when I found out about Mike's VW Bug and what he had created.  I absolutely had to see the car and check it out.  And boy am I glad I did.   Mike's bug on the contrary is completely left field in comparison to the fun loving personality portrayed of the original Herbie.  His Bug just screams "TRY ME" in such a tone it gives me the chills.

With its "Rat Rod" like appearance anyone with an untrained eye could easily just pawn this ride off as just laughs when they see it.  But if you Listen real closely, you will notice that something isn't right about this car.  What should sound like a big can of bees angrily buzzing around a soda can in fact sounds like a grumble you would find in a classic Muscle car.  Confused yet??

If the sound of this Bug creeping up on you didn't key you in, maybe the appearance of the Mopar styled hood scoop on the front did.  Probably because you know these cars are supposed to be rear engine.

Mike the Mad scientist opted to stay away from the factory engine and drivetrain.  Instead he decided to somehow shoehorn a 400 cubic inch BIG BLOCK into this car.  YES! you read that right, 400ci of pure adrenaline infused Chrysler Terror.  Utilizing a custom chopped Chevy S10 frame that was shortened 14" to fit under the shell of a Beetle, a Ford 8.8 rear loaded with 4.10 gears, and Suzuki Samari leaf springs Mike was able create the base of his beastly build.

Fitting the big block with OBX block hugger Headers, Cherry bomb side pipes, Edelbrock single plane intake, and a Holley 600CFM Carb, Mike's 2,200lbs Bug sits around 250hp/300tq,  At that weight this Beetle will leave smoke and a lot of other things behind in its wake.

With the interior fitted with a custom dash, gauges, bucket seats, a Hurst Pro Ratchet shifter, and JEG's Line lock.  You can see this Bug is ready to "Bug Out" on anyone who tries.  Due to the nature of this build, a fuel cell was used in place of a conventional fuel tank along with 4-point harness's for the bucket seats to keep the driver and passenger planted on the thrill rides.

I asked Mike what his dream car was and the answer was not what you would expect.  He said his dream car is a worked 06-07 Subaru STI because he loves Subaru's and his isn't that fast, speaking of his 05 Impreza.  So i decided to ask him what the future looked like for his Franken-herbie Bug and he feels like going the route of a more powerful small block along with added fun points of adding a turbo to boot.  

Now me personally, I haven't really been big into the Audio game for quite some time.  I had a feeling that it was not Mike's thing either, I asked anyway.  "Do you Plan on doing any audio upgrades?".  In true Gearhead fashion his response was "A bigger exhaust" with a smile despite loving the idea of having a sleeper. 

Mike's 74 Bug definitely threw me for a loop after talking to him about whats done and what he has planning.  I am personally looking forward to what he does in the future with this Herbie on Steroids.  Follow him on Instagram to follow the progress of this rare and unique build.  Thank you for reading.

-Justin@TVP

Owner and Vehicle Info:

Owner Info: Michael Lustrino

Instagram: @AngryHerby

Vehicle:  1973 Volkwagen Beetle

Engine:  400ci Chrysler Big Block

Power:  250hp/300tq

Curb Weight: 2200lbs

Please Feel Free to View Other Photos from the Feature Shoot in the Slideshow Below