FROM THE STRIP TO THE STREET

Once a 2300cc drag car, now a low-slung street Beetle. Dom’s 1963 Turkis Green Type 1 combines an unlikely racing history with Limebug air suspension, detailed Fuchs and a rather more relaxed approach to life.

Words by Limebug | Hall of Fame — Featured Builds

Some Beetles have lived more than one life.

There’s something particularly interesting about a Volkswagen with a bit of history.

Not necessarily a concours restoration or a perfectly preserved original, but a car that has changed character several times over the years.

A car that has been built, modified, driven, taken apart and put back together by different owners, each leaving their own mark.

Dom’s 1963 Beetle is exactly that sort of car.

Originally a modest 1200cc Type 1 finished in Turkis Green, it eventually found itself transformed into a 2300cc drag car before returning to a more road-friendly specification.

By the time Dom took ownership in 2019, the Beetle had certainly seen better days.

Mismatched panels, tired wheels and a homemade suspension setup weren’t doing it any favours.

But underneath it all was a car with plenty of potential.

And more than a few stories to tell.

From Turkis Green to the drag strip

A rather different beginning

When Volkswagen built this Beetle in 1963, it left the factory as a 1200cc Type 1 finished in Turkis Green.

A straightforward, practical little car, powered by a modest air-cooled flat-four and intended for everyday motoring.

Nothing particularly outrageous.

But like so many classic Volkswagens, its original specification wasn’t destined to last forever.

By the late 1990s, the Beetle had undergone a considerable transformation.

Gone was the humble 1200cc specification.

In its place was a substantial 2300cc engine, turning the car into a very different proposition.

It had become a drag car.

Two thousand three hundred cubic centimetres of attitude

For a vehicle originally designed around such a modest engine, a 2300cc powerplant represents quite a departure from Volkswagen’s original intentions.

Big-capacity air-cooled engines have long been part of the drag racing scene, particularly among enthusiasts looking to extract serious performance from the familiar Beetle platform.

And while the precise details of Dom’s former drag racing setup haven’t survived in the original build record, its transformation into a big-engined competition-style car was certainly a significant chapter in its history.

Eventually, the Beetle’s mechanical specification changed again.

The 2300cc engine was replaced by a considerably more road-friendly 1500cc single-port unit.

The car was moving away from its drag racing days and back towards something that could be enjoyed on the road.

But the years of modifications had left their mark.

A new owner. A new direction.

Fast-forward to 2019

By the time Dom acquired the Beetle in 2019, it was in need of some attention.

The exterior wore panels in slightly different shades, the Gasburner-style wheels were looking tired, and the suspension was a homemade arrangement that had seen better days.

It wasn’t exactly the finished article.

But what it lacked in presentation, it made up for in potential.

Dom had a clear idea of what he wanted.

A low Beetle with the right wheel fitment, a cleaner exterior and a suspension setup that would make it much more enjoyable to use.

Not another drag car.

Not a ground-up restoration chasing factory originality.

Just a properly sorted early-sixties Beetle with an unmistakable stance.

And fortunately, working at Limebug meant he knew exactly where to start.

A different approach to getting low

Air at the front. Static at the rear.

Not every lowered Volkswagen needs a full four-way air ride system.

For Dom’s Beetle, the decision was to take a slightly different route.

The front would run a Limebug two-way tankless air suspension setup, while the rear would remain static.

It’s an interesting combination.

The adjustable front end provides control over the car’s nose height, while the rear suspension uses a more conventional mechanical lowering arrangement.

The aim was to achieve a consistent stance across the car without sacrificing the ability to drive and enjoy it.

And as anybody who has spent time setting up an early Beetle will know, getting the front and rear to work visually as one package can take a little thought.

Four inches narrower. Plenty of tuck.

At the front, we fitted one of our 4-inch narrowed Link Pin Jawbreaker air ride beams.

The reduction in track width brought the front wheels further underneath the arches, creating the clearance needed for the low stance Dom had in mind.

The beam was combined with MOA430 air shocks, through rods, Ultrarm components and 2.5-inch dropped spindles.

Together, these components formed the basis of the two-way tankless front air suspension system.

When lowered, the front wheels sit neatly inside the wings, creating that distinctive tucked appearance.

But the intention was always to build a car that could be driven, rather than one that only looked good sitting still.

Keeping things simple at the rear

Low enough to match. Practical enough to drive.

While the front suspension received the air ride treatment, Dom chose to keep the rear of the car static.

We fitted a fresh set of 2-inch adjustable spring plates alongside MOA GS290 gas shocks.

The setup was designed to bring the rear ride height into line with the lowered front end while retaining a usable suspension arrangement.

It might sound like a fairly straightforward combination, but the relationship between front and rear ride heights makes an enormous difference to the finished appearance of a Beetle.

Too much rake and the proportions can look exaggerated.

Too little adjustment and the wheels might not sit where you want them.

Here, the balance was the important part.

The result was a car with the low, purposeful look Dom was chasing, without the additional equipment associated with a full rear air ride conversion.

Wheels make the difference

Goodbye, tired Gasburners.

With the suspension sorted, attention turned to the exterior.

The old Gasburner-style wheels had reached the end of their time on the car.

They were replaced with a staggered set of detailed Fuchs-style wheels, giving the Beetle an entirely different appearance.

It’s a familiar design within the wider Volkswagen and Porsche scene, and one that works particularly well on a lowered early Beetle.

The staggered setup was chosen to complement the suspension geometry and provide the right visual balance between the front and rear.

Tucked at the front. Tight at the back.

Up front, the combination of the 4-inch narrowed Jawbreaker beam and dropped spindles allows the wheels to sit deep beneath the wings.

At the rear, the wheel fitment is much tighter, filling the arches without losing the deliberate stance of the overall build.

It’s a combination that looks simple once everything is fitted.

But as with most successful lowered Volkswagens, the finished result depends on getting several different dimensions working together.

Wheel width, offset, suspension height and arch clearance all have their part to play.

And on Dom’s Beetle, the finished proportions were exactly what we were after.

A little fresh air

Safari windows for summer cruising

Not every modification on the Beetle was about getting it lower.

We also supplied a pair of side Safari-style pop-out windows, bringing a little extra ventilation into the cabin.

They’re one of those accessories that immediately add character to an older Volkswagen.

The distinctive opening arrangement looks right at home against the Beetle’s early-sixties bodywork, but it also serves a genuinely useful purpose.

On a warm summer day, the additional airflow makes cruising around in an air-cooled Volkswagen that bit more enjoyable.

And with a car like Dom’s, getting out and actually using it was always part of the plan.

After all, it had already spent enough of its life undergoing changes.

It deserved some time back on the road.

Bringing the bodywork back to life

A polish, a detail and a few finishing touches

With the suspension and wheel fitment complete, it was time to tidy up the exterior.

The Beetle received a full machine polish and detail, helping to bring the paintwork back to life.

The mismatched panels and tired appearance that had characterised the car when Dom first acquired it were gradually replaced by a more cohesive, finished look.

There were also the usual smaller jobs.

Those little niggles that never seem particularly significant on their own, but collectively make all the difference to how an old Volkswagen feels.

A bit of maintenance here.

An adjustment there.

A handful of things that needed sorting properly rather than being left for another day.

None of them particularly glamorous.

But all part of turning a project into a car that can actually be enjoyed.

The same Beetle. A very different character.

What makes this transformation particularly satisfying is that it didn’t require the car to be completely reinvented.

The Beetle still carries its original early-sixties identity and the history that comes with it.

It’s simply been given a new direction.

The drag racing chapter is part of its past.

The homemade suspension and tired wheels have gone.

And in their place is a carefully matched combination of Limebug suspension components, staggered wheels and practical details suited to road use.

The complete build specification

Front suspension

• Limebug 4-inch Link Pin Jawbreaker front air ride beam
• Two-way tankless front air suspension
• MOA430 air shocks
• Through rods
• 2.5-inch dropped spindles
• Ultrarm components

Rear suspension

• Static rear suspension arrangement
• 2-inch adjustable spring plates
• MOA GS290 gas shocks

Wheels and exterior

• Staggered detailed Fuchs-style wheels
• Front wheel tuck through narrowed beam fitment
• Tight rear wheel fitment
• Side Safari-style pop-out windows
• Full exterior machine polish and detail
• Additional maintenance and finishing work

Vehicle and engine history

• 1963 Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle
• Originally 1200cc
• Original Turkis Green colour
• Converted to a 2300cc drag car by the late 1990s
• Later fitted with a 1500cc single-port engine
• Acquired by Dom in 2019

From the strip to the street

There’s something rather fitting about the direction Dom’s Beetle has taken.

It started life as an ordinary little Volkswagen.

Somebody turned it into a big-engined drag car.

Then, over the years, it gradually worked its way back towards something more suitable for everyday enjoyment.

When Dom took ownership, he didn’t try to recreate the car’s racing past.

He gave it a different future.

A narrowed Jawbreaker beam, adjustable front suspension, carefully set rear ride height and a set of well-chosen wheels transformed the way it looked.

The Safari windows and exterior detailing finished the job.

And underneath it all, there’s still a 1963 Beetle with a story that’s considerably more interesting than most.

Once built to chase the quarter-mile. Now built to enjoy every mile.

From the drag strip to the street, Dom’s Turkis Green Beetle has come full circle.

And we reckon it’s looking better than ever.