Ultimate Overland VW Bug - Walkaround

Our friend Jamie Wiseman from Alabama walks us around his awesome Off-road VW Bug at Overland Expo East 2018. You can follow him on Instagram: @JamieWiseman. Video brought to you by: www.blueridgeo...

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

SHOP OVERLAND GEAR: www.blueridgeoverlandgear.com

[@RobertCHoweSr]

I am a bit concerned about the oil cooler placement under the front.

[@WhiteWolf65]

@@RobertCHoweSr Guy said he has full skid-plates - think ya might have missed that. That radiator is probably for the A/C, he did say the A/C was under the dash, so that WOULD be the logical place for the A/C rad. He said the oil cooler was "in the engine" and he'd added the Aux cooler on the roof. Sure is a neat "Beast Bug!"

[@David-th2ug]

As a former 1968 1500 owner for 13 years, your car is just amazing. I'm lost for words as to the amount of alterations, work, modifications, etc. that you've put into this vehicle. I want one! ( more than a merc. or a Bentley, or whatever) !

[@elburro6750]

Thanks. It’s like a child to me.

[@Mrkinghal0]

You can hear the joy in his voice as he walk us through is car. Keep up the great work pops!

[@HighSpeedNoDrag]

All I can think of is my buddies mid 70s YELLOW VW bug's breaks going completely OUT and crashing through a small wood fence then into the concrete corner of the Liquor Store. True Story (circa 1984).

[@toastgodsupreme]

I love how genuinely happy this guy appears to be to just get to talk about his build.

[@jamesdjesse]

That is the baddest VW I have ever seen. You are an artist

[@Holden-McGroin]

That guy is way too modest. That thing is freakin' awesome!!!

[@galacticzrx1788]

Yes we need more people like him 😊👍🏼

[@elburro6750]

Thanks!

[@doughboy1966]

That VW deserves more video time on KZbin.

[@Infection3d]

Exactly! 5 mins was up too quickly.

[@yousefabdulrhman858]

I want to build one and if its less than 10000 to build that would be awesome.

[@VWLifeVW]

That thing is epic! Jamie obviously knows how to fabricate and it shows! Very nice rig!

[@dustbuggy]

VW Life shows how much time he spent on it

[@highrate11]

VW Life Thanks!

[@wiggelpuppy5474]

VW Bug camping

[@copisetic1104]

How much? I dig it.

[@cameronsmith1172]

Sup Matt Jackson!

[@charlesreynolds7608]

we need engineers like this guy to build cars i would love to own one like this.

[@pauldailey4477]

@First Munch No doubt, just because bubba is a "Southern" jew does not mean that he can design and weld like bubba. The VW was probably completely subcontracted. But hey, if Jamie Wiseman can make an honest living without fk'ng over anybody, well that is really saying something.

[@hotforteacher7540]

But like everyone else you wouldn't want to pay that final price. $$$

[@suzieparis6821]

Yep

[@lafete6863]

Facts

[@elburro6750]

@@pauldailey4477 Subcontracted????? Dude I built everything on this myself. from the ground up!!!!!!

[@patriotparty6795]

I think the Volkswagen God is smiling upon you! Thanks for making the bug and the video!

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

He did a great job.

[@scottward7813]

As the owner of nine VW beetles over the years, all I can say is "Wow!" You have done an unbelievable, impressive job. Every weak link, every soft spot in these vehicles you have addressed and hit head on! Amazing!

[@abbaby555]

Great showcase of this man's skills as a builder. Thanks for sharing

[@dustbuggy]

abbaby555 you can tell he really spent time on it 👌

[@roywhitley7212]

abbaby555 `

[@erickauffmann_official]

Best off-road bug I ever seen! So dope

[@richardmiller3919]

Eric Kauffmann 100% agreed

[@evopwrmods]

@In the desert You find some water I suppose that you've never seen a Dune Buggy or a Baja Bug ?

[@pantex5291]

What the hell is dope?

[@Lsss9067]

Dope ....... wtaf

[@georgeyaknowthegeorgeyeathatme]

@@evopwrmods best off-road PRACTICAL bug. Lol

[@jjnbwp]

This is probly the best self built car in the whole world.. and some parts are salvage.. This guy can build.. man, this is awesome..

[@brianchisnell1548]

Just road tripped to Tuscaloosa from west TX. What a great town! Great bug! I have a stock '64 for when i want to relax. 40hp.

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

Very cool!

[@jeffdurall8353]

My first car when I was 14 was a 1960 VW Beetle. That car was so much damn fun. By time I was done with it, it had over 180,000 miles on it and was literally rusting in half. I enjoyed it so much I bought another one when I was 17. It was a 1974 and I had it until I was 19 years old. Both of those cars gave me tons of memories that I'll never forget. I noticed your Ouray stickers as well as the Engineer Pass and Cinnamon Pass stickers. I just took my Jeep over those two passes this Summer. Beautiful is not a good enough word to describe those two passes.

[@thewing331]

Wow awesome bug and love the colour choice man. Amazing detail and workmanship.

[@dstruthers2950]

Cool build. With that color, it reminds me of the old military version that was 4 wheel drive

[@m0de]

This car is even cooler because of how humble that dude is about it. Everything is tastefully done.

[@sheenaun.hillofthefairies.3993]

Best Bug I've seen yet and I was born in 67, so I've seen a few. Great vision, great taste, great engineering. All equals......Great Bug!

[@jeffkot8099]

Used to put up a couple of grand and some time and build some killer off road bugs . Ain't many Bugs left . Ain't many of OGs like me left either! lol Bitchin bulletproof ride , good for you !!!

[@revelationakagoldeneagle8045]

Very Cool Modification's, Smooth in all aspects! Great Mechanical Engineering! Thanks for sharing...

[@agrameroldoctane_66]

This one is tough as a nail. Congrats on build. I have been driving Bugs since 80's (currently driving '66 and restoring '74) and this is one of the best and most purposefull conversion I have ever seen.

[@cliftontorrence839]

Damn, Boy, What a handsome Johnny ! That down slope rooftop tire and hi-Jack holder is just killin' it. You gots some serious style. And Bucket Boss, too. Fine, fine, fine, to be sure. Here's wishin you many happy miles & smiles.

[@ORflycaster]

In a sea of JKUs, RTTs, and million dollar earth roamers, there’s this little home-built jewel that embraces simplicity and functionality.

[@skipstein744]

I had a 1964 VW convertible BAJA bug. The front end was cut and turned, pan reinforced, '67 H block, EMPI intake single port D heads, zenith 32 NDIX carb and the best part was the 1963 Bus trans axle with gear reduction boxes. Along with full roll cage, tilt font ned., 18 gallon 'long ranger' gas tank. and so on... A fun ride, for sure!

[@timcoker4685]

I had a Baha Bug back in the late 70s and it was a blast to drive. This was the time when four wheeling took off and guy's were putting a lot of money in their trucks. We had a steep hill at the watershed and my Baha would beat all the trucks in the hill climb. It would also beat them in the mud pit as it had a skid plate and would just skip across the mud. Man, I had a lot of fun beating those high dollar trucks.

[@JSchroederee]

That’s one of the rare off road bugs I’ve liked. You’ve got me thinking maybe my 72 needs to go off road.

[@dustbuggy]

Josh Schroeder my baja is a 72 too!! 😁 they are monsters

[@ShaunHensley]

Is it a super or standard?

[@jamesellis5549]

I love that,back in the day I ran many a bug and Things.They are great offroad vehicles when built a little ;that is a dream off road bug.I love how you kept the stock body and did not Baja it.If I could find a decent one I would try to duplicate yours somewhat.Outstanding.

[@roundedrob1483]

The Bug is pretty sweet. I even like the color you painted it. All that hard work, being able to enjoy it is huge...

[@johnsmind]

I miss the smell of and sound of them. We used to play SLUG BUG when we would travel as kids with our parents. Every time we saw a Bug you slugged someone. That's a beautiful ride brother.

[@parkerkeating1133]

That's great. I'm probably a bit younger but we always called it punch buggy. Your phrase definitely takes the cake

[@mainefinance1956]

One of the best re-purposed vehicles I've ever seen.

[@red_ashcroft]

I love restorations on bugs like these. Its so versatile. Though I love stock restores, but this just takes the cake honestly. It's so beautiful!

[@luhswagga2932]

I see this vw everyday in Tuscaloosa going to 82 off of i20 .. never thought I would see it on KZbin 😂😂.. I’m working on my 67 bug and this popped up on the recommend

[@jurivlk5433]

Nice! And could sell if produced in series! Very good looking and versatile! Here the term "Superbug" makes sense!

[@nojnoj3069]

I wish you many memorable journeys in your awesome and one off Bug..... Truly special. Truly built to last. Thank you for showing us this beauty.

[@Patmofar]

Being a purist and an absolute anorak on the VW Beetle & the Honda Cub I normally hate any aftermarket modifications to either but this is really class. Hats off to a world class car.

[@dwest320]

This is so cool. Really nice job using some awesome skills man. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheDooreater]

Best restoration I've ever seen, that's for sure. Cheers to the builder 🍻

[@keithbeal1214]

Damn-um man.....I love it! You can tell this guy has the love for automobiles and he obviously is a smart man innovating and adapting. Great job Jamie. I hope we can meet one day.

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

Couldn't agree more!

[@EthosAtheos]

Nice Beetle! Your comment about needing a custom bumper so you could still take the engine out. That is so true! The most important thing in a bug is being able to remove the engine. Because you are basically guaranteed to need to. They are super reliable, It will be broken before it hits 100k. Usually it will need a rebuild around 40-60k.

[@phennig2003]

I always go back to this rig. I love it!

[@cid4887]

Wow, beautiful beetle .you're good at narrating as well, as well as your voice

[@orbitflyer9275]

Love the ground clearance he achieved and new hp output of that engine.

[@timhallas4275]

If you can design a kit version of this, it would sell like hotcakes.

[@Gorecatto]

In brazil its kinda common beetles like that

[@Gorecatto]

We have a lot of beetles and its paper cheap, so people here do aloy of shit with it My favorite is a beetle with an Maverick V8, pretty cool

[@WeezyZetta]

@@Gorecatto Não desse jeito.. Eu pesquisei bastante porque quero fazer um nesse estilo e não achei assim no Brasil.. os bajas que eu vi são mais rústicos, esse estilo street baja eu não achei (respondi em português porque vi que tu também é BR hue hue)

[@armenvondoms1815]

@@Gorecatto You should open up a parts store! Here in America parts are getting pricy. This is the reason why my '77 Beetle is not complete.

[@ClarkKulper]

I would buy it for sure.

[@johnwilliams640]

Beautiful Bug. You should be very proud of yourself. It's a beauty. Great build.

[@staudenmaierca]

Man I wish there were some videos of this thing in action!

[@googleuser2170]

Love a well thought out, useful, and well engineered vehicle.

[@bogusfranz1503]

My dad enjoys telling me about doing the Rubicon in a VW Bug back in his Air Force days in the early 60s. They got out and lifted/winched it over the few really gnarly spots.

[@thefinchoutdoors3438]

The holy grail of all Volkswagen Bugs

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

Haha, well said.

[@mikerobbins5049]

Nice Bug... Looks like you put a lot of thought, engineering, work and love into it...

[@sitdad]

Had a Baja Bug back in highschool and absolutely loved it.

[@arora_for_life]

Neat and clean work clearly show that he is perfectionist. Great job buddy

[@joewoodchuck3824]

I'm generally a stock type vehicle guy, but if you're going to do mods this is a good example of what a modded vehicle should be

[@sarahwood495]

Dude I’m a huge vw fan so this is a work of art in my opinion

[@FlyingHighVeteran]

Stellar work and craftsmanship--truly a labor of love!

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

Sure is!

[@nikbear]

Now that is incredible, that is one beautifully crafted off road bug, stunning 👏👍👌😍🐞

[@mikelosinger7469]

Friggen love it, want one myself, and I’ve never been a VW bug fan.

[@silverstake88]

Dude! That is one of the sharpest off road bugs I have ever seen - good job!😎👍

[@TheEZGZ]

NICE!!! One off with great ideas. Enjoy your trip and share the ride.

[@megadic4165]

This is a bad ass ride. Not a fan of bugs, but this has a spot in my heart

[@planecrazyish]

Absolutely blown away! That is a MASTERPIECE ! a work of art! What a spectacular job!! WoW!

[@ginadaniel4134]

That is the neatest vehicle I have ever seen! Thank you for sharing! Fabulous job! Man, I'd love to have one just like it!

[@richardhudak685]

THIS OLD HIPPIE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU BUILD A 1970 POP TOP CAMPER BUS THE SAME WAY

[@EnsVibes]

My plan is to build a 69 hitop like this, wont be an air cooled since Id need more torque and hp and big aircooled engines arent cheap. Check on Fresh Kustoms on fb or instagram, they lifted an early bay as much as they could and its amazing

[@bigal5230]

1971 bus was the best - front disk brakes!

[@stevbarto]

That cutting brake is pretty freaking cool.

[@alwynvanwyk1851]

What a nice little off road truck... So well designed and nice proportions ... Love it....

[@brick247]

I want one like that when I grow up 🙂, beautiful vehicle !!!

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

Thanks!

[@Spectrumpicture]

This man is an artist.

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

This build is something to behold.

[@johnisom5327]

​@BlueRidgeOverlandGear it is exquisite.

[@wvoutdoorsman5326]

Cool rig!!! Always loved Baja bugs!!!

[@dustbuggy]

WV Outdoorsman baja bugs are the best! I'm only 23 and my 72 was my first car!

[@ambienteterrazas]

Really cool VW, in a way air cooled vw's are kind of the original overlanding cars, they have been all over the world since the early 60's but back then we didint call it overlanding, here in baja california their kind of the original overlanding rig (hense the "baja bug") my dad built and explored the penninsula in a baja back in the 70's, i got into air cooled because of him and i have thought of bulding a proper overland rig off a bug, its quite a challenge because of the lack of space. Congrats i am kind of jelaous of your build.

[@dustbuggy]

ambienteterrazas that's a cool little bit of history! You reminded me of that baja origin fact! 😁

[@highrate11]

ambienteterrazas thanks

[@AudibleVisibIe]

They're are kind of the original overlanding rig

[@thepotassyumman5880]

Oh I also live in Baja California

[@geepuller1]

Model Ts were the original overland car....

[@KloPoon]

I'm pretty sure I saw this in Colorado in a convoy of some dope off road vehicles. Super cool!!

[@thepreppinpreacher]

That is so cool!! My first car was a 1968 VW Bug and I've wanted another one for forever. This would be great!

[@AForeignerinthePhilippines]

Very cool bug👍🏼👍🏼

[@mattfalco4996]

Great work on this build.

[@dustbuggy]

Matt Falconbridge this thing is awesome! Mine will be here one day

[@kobusdutoitbosman6240]

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC DESIGN AND FINISHING‼️ Well done : you kept it relatively ‘simple’ > there’s magic in that…Great fun vehicle, congratulations‼️ 👊🔥🥂 🪖

[@dtengineering1]

Great fabrication with tons of practicality. You sure have put some thought into this build. Well done.

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

Glad you like it

[@CurtisDrew1]

Nice Bug Build! Had a 66 Beetle with a 140 HP 2100cc Lyle Cherry engine in it back in the 90's. I reinforced the floor pan, installed a Fisher Baja Bug Roll Cage and cut the top off it. Widened the front axle, converted the rear suspension to IFS and swapped all four corners to 5 bolt wheels. Used a one piece fiberglass front end, then mounted the KC headlight buckets with sealed beam bulbs behind the headlight holes tied to the front cage and bumper. Was a blast to drive as long as it wasn't cold or rainy. Didn't have those diesel heaters back then. Couldn't use AC with no roof. The only thing I didn't do that I wanted to was bend up a roof rack simular to your. Ended up trading it to a guy for a Turbo Diesel 4X4 before I finished painting it. Fun times! About to build another TD 4X4 in the Typical Rat Patrol fashion .

[@ramirocastellon2921]

Well. This VW deserves a documentary.

[@HamiltonTileGA]

Man, that bug is impressive. Jamie is more impressive cuz he created that thing. smart dude.

[@tommygunns5734]

Beautiful bug.. That's one hell of a bug out vehicle 👍👍

[@stephanietina5345]

This bug is KILLER! I want one, may not need all the extra extras for off roading you did…as I would use it for daily driver and some fire road action…I would love to have (or build) a class 11 bug. WAY COOL.

[@jimmypopp2695]

Jamie, that is the best conversion I have ever seen.

[@acalthu]

I read about this car a few months ago. I'd love to see this in action one day.

[@Madbusop718]

That's the toughest Bug I've ever seen, WOW. I own a 70 beetle that need some tlc, only thing I'm having trouble finding is the front fenders without turn signals.

[@KoiinaCup]

This is one mean bug ... amazing work done on it.

[@draconiccynic8061]

This is a great car. A lot of amazing work went into it. Well done.

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

100% agree!

[@samsonitte]

Had a 72' super beetle in HS, miss that canary love machine. This guys baja overland bug is way nice. Good work! Thanks for sharing.

[@TeternalGIone]

Lovely! I remember I had a matchbox like this at young age was my favourite ;)

[@cripnipp]

WOW< You did a BEAUTIFUL job with this Bug.!.!.! I like how you kept it with stock fenders and everything. Looks Great. I am building one now. I have a '69 and a '74 Bug and I am looking for good builds to learn from so I can get some idea's to make my own. So far out of all the Baja Bugs I have seen so far, yours is the best and most durable. I don't want to copy yours, just use some idea's like the RollBars. I have all ways wanted to make my RollBars go from the front Bumper to the Rear Bumper and make it strong everywhere I can in between. Very good build!!!!!

[@Sunshine-ci6wx]

American inginuity. Awesome beetle. Congrats.

[@Prezzy08]

This has to be the best,sleekist and great looking beetle and offroader custom mod

[@randellzirkle7792]

This is bad ass bug. I have been a bug lover for sometime now ..great job

[@DustyCowdog]

That's bad-ass! I love Baja bugs!

[@abeak1943]

Can't even stand this thing but really appreciate the level of awesomeness it took to build!

[@rykerhayward8606]

Imagine a Type 3 wagon built like this! That would be bad ass!

[@MarcusMartinez-r5o]

love these builds, so unique and looks like a blast to drive.

[@stevesmith3556]

I had a 68 baja bug on 30's. I was crazy in the mountains with that thing! Never stuck! Very cool man!

[@suzieparis6821]

Love this..my late bro in law woulda loved this

[@Chapps1941]

Where do I get one?

[@garryrichardson4572]

I think you have to build it your self.😢

[@justintiffanycagle2015]

Right

[@Patriot-1]

Ditto

[@joaquincassagnetezcurra5875]

And I thought this was only possible in GTA 5.😂

[@BlueRidgeOverlandGear]

Apparently not, lol.

[@maxasaurus3008]

Love the weld beads every inch on the seam in the dash! My pops had a 67 bus but that thing is sweeeet!