With its 32-inch tyres, six-inch roof chop and custom, flame-spitting exhausts, Tim Pleasance’s 1962 Volksrod looks like it has driven straight off the set of Mad Max. It certainly left an indelible impression on Chopped 2024 attendees, which is where we caught up with Tim to learn more about what makes this Bug move, including the secrets of his ‘redneck cam’.

First published in the February 2025 issue of Street Machine

That’s one bad-arse Beetle, Tim! You’ve got to tell us how the flames work. And what the hell is a redneck cam?

The redneck cam is classic! It’s a hidden wiper motor wired up to a switch; it turns on the accelerator cable and just blips the throttle as it goes ’round! The flames are inspired by JapHands Kustoms in the US. I use a switch off the dash to power a second dizzy, and that runs some sparkplugs in the exhaust.

For the fuel, I piggybacked the existing mechanical pump, just to see if it’d work, and it works a treat! I regulate the flow with –3 fittings to make sure the fuel flow is perfect, and then it’s directly injected about seven inches before the plugs. It runs through two solenoids, so there is a failsafe to make sure I can turn it off – safety first!

What was the car like when you bought it?

I bought it when it was partially chopped and partially tubbed, so a lot of the bodywork had been started. Everything was roughed out, but I could see what it could be.

How did you come across it?

I bought it in 2011, and it was just in the right place at the right time. Like any Volksy enthusiast, my dream car was a split-screen, single-cab Transporter ute, but that was just too much money. So, I was trawling Gumtree and came across this halfway-done thing, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it. I’ve always been a bit unusual and out of the norm, so I wanted to show that with a car.

Give us a shakedown on the modifications.

The running gear is mounted up with a five-inch body drop, so the engine and ’box sit five inches further into the car. It’s got a 70s-era four-speed manual transaxle, and that’s bolted up to a 1.3-litre Beetle motor with a 1.5-litre head from the same era. I went for later-model running gear because I wanted to run a 12V system rather than 6V. The front end is running a beam extender, which is a big thing in the US. It’s a fabricated bit of steel that extends and rakes the front out but drops it as well. I’ve converted the front beam and front suspension to a Type 3 set-up, and it’s running stock Type 3 front brakes as well. The roof has a six-inch chop, but you would be surprised how much room is in the car with that bubble-top. There’s space for your head; it’s just hard to see out the front!

And the big muddies?

I kept them behind the back shed from a previous car, as I didn’t want to chuck them out. They’re 32×10.5 tyres mounted to 15×8 HiLux steelies. I just machined some spacers to make sure it all fits up. I’m waiting for the day that the clutch bombs – she’s not meant to push 32-inch tyres around, but she made it around the farm and drove around Chopped fine!