Setting the scene

As any early issue of VolksWorld will confirm, customised VWs played a significant role in our scene during the 1980s. Not a big surprise, considering Beetles in particular were plentiful, with late models still filling the ‘used cars’ section of newspapers; hence few folks had issues with extensively modifying them. Fast forward to 2019 and any pre-1970 Volkswagen is at least half a century old. Enthusiasts seem to be more reluctant to heavily alter them, due to their age and scarcity – at least the older models.

However, some examples are occasionally deemed ‘too far gone’ to have their body restored back to stock, making them ideal for a wilder project. This is the story of one of them, a desirable early Oval Window owned by Adam Espley. The forlorn saloon was missing its factory front and rear clip, while the chassis