That’s Truck, with a capital T.

It may be a little old and a little rough around the edges but it’s straight and solid, and that 318 has some heart. It could use a good once-over with a cleaning cloth and some newer suspension parts… but by golly if that thing doesn’t just head down the road, gleefully sucking down gas and moving some ass.

It may get chuckled at when I first pull up; but at second glance, Ol’ Blue garners quite a bit of admiration. Sure, it’s not new; but it’s paid for.  Sure, it’s not that great on gas; but you get down on the pedal and it will get out of it’s own way. It’s a survivor, and it has some unwitting charm.

I have been mulling over different retro-rod aspects I would incorporate into it, if it were my truck and not just a company mule. I have been thinking about it, but haven’t sat down and drawn anything.

Until yesterday when I bellied up to the front door of a Sheetz, right beside Ol’ Blue’s evil twin.

Doug's "Lucky 13" shop truck.

This thing was pure Beatnik Broterhood inspiration. Unlike Ol’ Blue, it doesn’t wait for a second look of approval, it slaps you across the face and demands respect. Satin black with red accent wheels, hood scoop sporting pinstriped cobwebs… plain perfection. Everything that a modern rod with kustom heritage should be.

As I got out of my own truck, trying not to stare, I noticed that someone else had walked up and asked to get a cellphone picture of it; mostly the “Lucky 13″ inside a spade painted on the door.

I walked over too, noticing that there was a huge shifter sticking up between the seats. I had to find out more.

The shifter on this thing is outrageous!

The owner’s name is Doug, and he said his wife hates this truck. Which gives us all the more reason to love it!

It’s 91 Dodge with a 318 and a whole list of  custom parts.

That's a functional scoop that lights up at night, added to give clearance for the custom air cleaner.

The scoop by day...

And by night!

Custom console, air cleaner, shifter, gauges, and more. He lowered it “old’skool” by cutting the coils off the front springs and by making longer shackles for the rear leafs. There was a set of dual exhaust tips coming out from under the bed and the headliner sports the door skin from a  local police car.

Doug's job at an auto body shop landed him this sweet door skin.

Oh, and the mega-volt electrical outlet screwed to the gas cap door?

It's a plug-in hybrid too ?!

“That’s there, because, you know… it’s green!” Doug says with a sly smile and a quiet chuckle.

Indeed Doug. A bad-ass rebel green machine that is sure to get some attention. Thanks for the pictures, and thanks for the inspiration.  Check back for a sketch of Ol’ Blue done up in some retro-finery!

When they left the line at the plant, most were headed for predictable destinations. A senior’s grocery-getter, a college student’s graduation present, a single dad’s sensible first new car. But, one had a very special destination. It was about to wander the timeless landscape as…the Lost Soul.

No one knows how the Lost Soul came to be. Some say some rodders out West descended upon a wife or girlfriend’s Kia and dropped it on a custom frame. Others say it was on the East cost, with a bored panel-banger cruising a salvage auction site and purchasing a cheap Kia that had been flooded out.

The facts surrounding this foreign heap of scrap metal are fuzzy. Is the engine the original 2.0, 145 hp engine longitudinally mounted, with a couple of Holley carbs? Is it a twin-turbocharged Ford 289 hooked up to a Strange S60 rear-end? No one knows. Some even say three people looking under the hood would tell you three different things.

Whoever, or whatever, was responsible for the Lost Soul was obviously was a master with metalworking and plasticworking in equal parts. The was chopped and channeled and reinforced before being bolted to the frame, with the plastic bumpers receiving similar treatments. The interior, unfinished with sharp, exposed edges, betray its strange mix-up between two worlds, one old and one new.

Although it clearly started with very contemporary beginnings, the Lost Soul looks like it’s got a little from every decade in it, especially pulling from the style of 30′s American metal. So what is the Lost Soul? Is it a car? An enigma? A time machine? As Abraham Lincoln wrote, “The Lost Soul is a very peculiar carriage indeed, filled with intrigue and unknown origins, pulled by a thousand angry unseen banshees.”

My brother, Mike, was once the owner of this gorgeous 1966 Volkswagen Beetle done-up in the classic Baja Bug style.

When Mike pulled the Baja out of a junkyard in 1996, at the ripe age of fourteen, the teutonic titan was a bit ragged. In a previous life, it had been rolled, and the roof had been crushed in. It had some rusty floorpans, which was expected, and it didn’t run – also expected. The eighties-era black paint job featured multicolored, angled stripes down the side – which lent it what now would be considered a cool retro feel, but then felt just felt dated.

After four years of wrenching on it with the paternal, Mike turned that $750 rotted-out ghost of a Baja into a bright, capable off-roader. Swap meets from as south as Virginia and as west as Ohio were the sources for fiberglass fenders, a six-point roll-cage, and the lucky find of a 1957 roof, complete with rag-top sunroof and oval rear window.

Mechanically, the engine was rebuilt, and bumped up to 1641cc. The heat exchangers were removed in favor of a stinger exhaust because, let’s face it, “there’s nothing colder than the heat in a Volkswagen.” Does that joke ever get old? The whole car was given a fresh coat of paint inside and out, all with a revealing-the-checkered-flag theme. And, when he got it finished in 2001,  it was a blast. Mike took it through creeks, over hills, through woods, and jumping as much as six feet in the air (with the photos to prove it).

However, as many of you know, sometimes life gets in the way of your relationship with cars, and more important things come along. College, jobs, dating, marriage, moving, kids…

So, what happened to that bug?

Flash forward ten years later, and the Beetle is sitting under a tarp behind Father’s house, collecting snow in Winter, rain in Spring, sun in Summer, and leaves in the Fall. It seems completely dis-attached from Mike’s life. However, the idea of it, the spark of possibilities left behind are always a part of My Brother’s mind. In his mind, the Beetle he once slaved over inside of a cold, dark garage for hours on end has never died, but is only in hibernation, awaiting it’s next stage of awesome.

This true, bittersweet story is not over. Coming Spring 2013, it is my personal conviction, my quest and mission to not accept the decade-long fate that has overcome one sorrowful Volkswagen in particular.

Coming Spring 2013, the Baja will rise again… re-imagined. (to be continued…)

You look in the rear-view mirror. What is that? A Charger? With a push bar? In black and white? Sweat beading on your brow, you glance down at your speedometer. Numbers; so many numbers! You can’t hit the brakes, they’ll see that. You downshift as coyly as you can. The Charger is gaining ground, and any moment now those lights could flash. It pulls up beside you, and…

The driver give a little smile, a little nod, and keeps on cruisin’. You’ve just been passed by a Dodge Chargum. A rarity in the vehicular world, so rare that none ever came off the assembly line. This is not parts-matching, my friends.

When the Dodge Magnum was released, it looked surprised to see us. Wide-eyed and eager, the first-gen Magnum tried a little too hard. Realizing their mistake, they gave it a facelift. Rather than eager, the Magnum now looked bored.

So, what’s the answer? The second-hand market have figured it out. When the Big Three make vehicles, they try to get their money’s worth out of their engineering team. Often, cars that leave the factory under different model names, and even brand names, share the same platform. Those of you out there with VW Golfs can be comforted by the fact your cars are about 90% Audi A3. The same is true over at Dodge, where the Magnum and the Charger share much of their under-body  They are so similar, in fact, that you can switch out a Magnum front clip with a Charger’s, and the most modification that is required is a little welding of the fenders so the door lines line up.

It’s the look that Dodge should have gave the wagon in the first place. It’s aggressive, stout, and mean. Those of us who are suckers for wagons (guilty) would be proud to own one. If you’re good with a welder, though, it’s entirely possible. In the Beatnik Brotherhood’s version, we’d give a nod to the state troopers, and give it a black-and-white two-tone, with some ghost flames running down the side. There’s really no need to start with an SRT-8, any magnificent V-8 in the Dodge line would do. Add a push bar, the SRT-8 Charger hood, drop it down on some white-walls, and add side pipes.

Looks like a copper in the rear-view, looks like a kool kat passing you.

The Lincoln MKT is a car for old farts. There, I’ve said it. Now, if you happen to be an old fart, don’t take too much offense. It’s a pretty swanky ride; perhaps a little too posh. Where’s the fun, Lincoln? What happened to that spirit that inspired such songs as “Hot Rod Lincoln?” You’ve lost your edge.

We could certainly try to inject some fun into the brand, but that would be a little injecting Botox – it doesn’t make you look younger so much as like you’re trying to hard. Instead, we’ll embrace the maturity. We could have done a faux convertible roof. You know, like you see on new Cadillacs when the owners, with their waist-high khaki pants and fishing hats, check every box on the option list. Or, we could have gone with gold trim. That’s what old fogies like these days, right? Well, maybe we could reach back into the past and search out something that was once cool and no longer is. Not that faux convertibles or gold trim are, but you know what I mean.

Woodies were all the rage once, but unlike faux convertible roofs, their popularity didn’t hang on. The seventies, with their faux wood-paneled wagons, didn’t help. And the 80′s, when Caravans started getting the treatment, might has well stuck a silver dagger in the whole idea. But, dammit, we’re bringing it back. When you use real wood, it’s pretty bombin’. So let’s remember those woodies; the 50′s kind. Not the 70′s and 80′s kind.

And that beautiful waterfall grill shouldn’t be contained to the center. It’s too gorgeous not to take up more real estate! We should make it as wide as possible and hide the lights in-between the slats. To match that chrome, there’s some shiny center caps on the steel rims, and white walls. Then, drop it all down and let the soft-as-sand air ride do it’s work. It’s going to ride as slick as a waxed-down stick while ridin’ the heavies.

That means riding a surfboard on big waves in surfer-speak. Explaining this Lincoln MKT as a whole is easy to translate: this ride is totally awesome, dude!

While cruisin’ around the A1A we all call the internet, my brother (Mike) happened to stumble upon this jewel, found on Jalopnik.com. Woodies, surfboards, the beach. We’re celebrating this week with some bombin’ beach rides! Come back tomorrow for a modern twist on the classic woodie wagon. Something with a little more…uh…panache than a Chevy Spark.

The Volkswagen Schwimmwagen is really, really cool. We’re talking about a vehicle that was built to crawl with four wheel drive over land and then slither right into the water. All chilling WWII implications aside, this is one badass automobile.

It’s a shame that after over half a century and an active war, not too many are left.  They are far too valuable – historically and monetarily – to go around cutting up all haphazardly. To make this vehicle without ruining history, one could just take a replica (based off of a Volkswagen Beetle) and hack that up. Better yet, lowering hardware is readily available.

Volkswagens and BBS rims go together like cheese and wine. Speaking of being full of gas, those tires are stretched ’til no tomorrow. That much-loved negative camber of Volkswagen culture is present, too. With relatively inexpensive replicas around, using the Type 166 as a basis for auto anarchy. It’s got an unique shape, but also sort of a blank slate.

The best part? It’s just as awesome in the water as it is on land.

The CTS-V is a statement of brazen Americanism. We are here. We have 556 horsepower. Don’t wake this sleeping giant. At the Beatnik Brotherhood, we say it’s not enough. If the CTS-V is Americanism carsonified, then a widebody version would be the middle-American roughneck type of Americanism.

Imagine for a moment you have a baby Arnold Schwarzenegger; he’s wrapped in swaddling clothes. This is like the regular CTS. Then imagine he moves to the United States and begins pumping iron; that’s the CTS-V. Now, imagine he’s from the future, half of his face gets blown off without blinking, and he goes by the name T-1000. That’s this widebody CTS-V coupe.

Putting some thicker flanks on a CTS-V coupe has been done before, but as far as I can tell, only once. The fine folks over at D3 Cadillac put some wider fender flares on a coupe with 1,000 HP for the SEMA show. It looked mean in flat black. However, like an addict, we said “If some is good, more is better.” Our sketch looks to be about twice as wide as their (very real) Caddy.

Let’s just pull ‘em out and measure ‘em, right? No, we’re just saying there’s still room in the world for more than one widebody CTS-V Coupe. And here’s our rendition. Orange, blue, and mean all over. Those sticky gumball tires will make any skidpad cringe. The fender vents are hooked up to ducting around the brakes, adding a little functionality to a feature that’s meant mostly for style. Downforce to help keep those rear tires hooked up is assisted by a carbon-fiber rear diffuser.

Orange you wishing you could go for a ride? I know I am.

Carroll Shelby lived a very full life. Racing, making cars, and generally being a legend was a daily norm – and all that before breakfast. Unfortunately, I awoke to the horrible news that he had passed on at age 89 on Thursday of this week. He made a splash in the automotive world by, and is probably best known for, making the Shelby Cobra. We all know the story – he took a light British car, the AC Ace, and stuck a giant Ford engine in it, and went on to beat Ferraris and generally cause mayhem.

In our tribute to Shelby, I created this ride with cues from many of our most cherished Shelby machines. Based off a Dodge Viper, which is basically a modern Cobra anyway, the rims, exhaust, lights, and bumpers are Cobra-inspired. The roof-line is pulled from the GT350. Shelby made his mark on so many more machines – even Dodge Chargers and Omnis – but the Cobra, Viper, and GT350 are arguably his most successful.

Shelby made a career out of taking manufacture’s vehicles and making them go fast. While I wouldn’t call it a career, we like to take manufacturer’s vehicles and make them look awesome. We don’t yet hold legendary status, but I would like to think that Shelby would appreciate our work.

Here’s to a legend. Rest in peace, Carroll Shelby.

Finishing up our impromptu week of unlikely off-road vehicles (a Porsche Boxster, Bugatti Veyron, and a Honda Element for those who are counting) is something even more different. First of all, it’s no longer for off-road. And, in fact, it never really felt too comfortable in the dirt, either.

The AMC Eagle is really a last gasping breath of a dying brand. AMC had faltered to find it’s voice after the 70′s, and this was the result. It’s an odd mix of Jeep and car, and although relatively popular, the Eagle didn’t save AMC from Chrysler taking it over. However, it was a vehicular oddity that I still find interesting today. It is considered by many as the first crossover. I don’t know – I find that title a little simplistic. It’s a lifted wagon, like a Subaru, but hardier. The Eagle really was in a class of it’s own, and still is.

Many AMC Eagle wagons have been lifted to the sky (their basically a Jeep underneath that body), but not nearly as many have been dropped. In fact, a preliminary Google search of finds no results. It’s understandable. They were completely made for going off-road. The AMC legendary inline-6 (also found in Jeeps) was standard, and it made for a trusty companion to the Dana diffs and full-time 4WD. Dropping it would mean air suspension and a lot of notches in the unibody to make room for that rear straight axle.

Wood grain is so last year. Let’s put some plaid on the side. And then…we call it good. Simple can be good.