VW Bugs all look the same, right? Nope. Check this video out. If you're planning on turning your car into a Love Bug, I'm going to show you how you can make your Beetle look the most like Herbie.
You hit pretty much everything on the nose! Excellent video! And bud, you’ve got to convert that car! If you’re this much into Herbie and Volkswagen you have to have one!
What's interesting to note is that the body-colored running boards Herbie had in The Love Bug are actually accurate to the '63 Deluxe model. Lower trim cars had the simple black ones, which Herbie has for the rest of the films afterwards; he does have the body-colored ones again in the Bruce Campbell TV remake though. Another tidbit that's important to mention is that Herbie's side-view mirror has an interesting transition from film to film. In The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again, and Herbie Fully Loaded he has the factory '63 mirror assembly, then in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo he maintains the '63 arm but has a '65-'67 "pear-shaped" mirror retrofitted on, and then in Herbie Goes Bananas and the TV Remake he has the full '65-'67 mirror assembly.
Thank you for this very informative video. Ever since I was 5 I have always wanted a 1963 VW Beetle and it has been one of my favorite cars ever since I was a kid. Up to this day I still tell myself that I will in fact own a 63 Beetle and make it look like Herbie. I have loved the Herbie movies since I was just a kid and still watch them to this day. I say convert your Beetle into Herbie because I know how many smiles you would get from that. 🤗🤗
I actually have a 63 beetle. It's a factory sunroof car and get this the original color was L87 pearl white. So when we restore it someday back to original all it will need will be decals to be a herbie.
About decklids: One Herbie has a fuse of a later and earlier decklid. In the community, it is referred to as the "Funky Decklid". Some people even replicated this. The reason that decklid was made was for a gag for Herbie Rides Again that didn't end up being used. The decklid fuse is so they would've fit some mechanism to make Herbie's license plate or the pope nose, or both, move around in a circular motion
Only 4 minutes in and you already have a new sub! I love how you approach the subject and how in-depth you go. Your '63 looks Killer BTW, I just bought my first bug, a '62 Ragtop Barn find. I don't know if I'm making a Herbie yet but I'll be clear as to where my inspirations lie! :) Can't wait to see more content!
Hard ti believe Volkswagon didnt back those movies. Probably sold millions of VWs from people watching those movies. Those movies were real popular when i was a kid. VWs were everywhere. Pretty entertaining for the time.
Super Beetle owner here. The 1302 has not flat laying tire you recognize them by the flat windshield, only the 1303 has a flat laying tire in the front, also the tail lights, floor plan, seatmounts and dashboard are differnt. Also the slats in the front for the oil cooler were not standard, some had it some didn't. It was an optional feature by Volkswagen which they allowed their customers to get or not. The original coolers are very inefficent and are no longer available because they had an actual fan powered by the car's battery and draining power as well. Today the coolers are swapped out against a single radiator that cools down by the wind of driving. About the head rest... it's easy to convert the ones with head rest into a pair without head rests. You just need a new seat cover and a differnt filling, even tho for older ones, it's highly recommended to actually give them head rests because in case of a back accident, they prevent your neck from snapping... So in that case I would not give a thing for accuracy and more on safety...
Hope you don't mind me saying this, but I envy you. Having a VW parts shop must be great. Of course, I'm a HUGE Beetle fan and would love having the chance of improving my bug every chance I got, so you having that chance must be really cool. If I had a VW parts shop, I bet I'd feel like a boy in a toy shop all year long. Cool video, by the way!
Thanks! Yes, it's nice and handy, but also an hour from my house. When you're working on something and realize you didn't grab that small bag of four bolts and have to drive all the way back... a curse. But better than Amazon!
I recently thought about building a Herbie for a bit. I would still love to some day, but just not in my cards at the moment. I had a lot of plans to animate the car, and maybe even make it remote controlled. Things like a slight tip of the bumper up/down for a frown/smile, the horn clips from the movies played through a loud speaker, lights that could independently turn on/off, move, and put a little thought in making it wink, with lids, like it did in the later movie. Put all that together with a SBC/microcontroller, an intel compute stick, and some AI and let the car actually respond to what people said around it. I thought that would be so slick at car shows. Imagine you walk by it and say something like "Cool Herbie!" and it (all on its own) winks and smiles at you.
One Super Beetle did appear as Herbie in "Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo." When Herbie is in the stands watching Giselle the Lancia go by, you can see his front end is that of a 'Super.
When you have the time, money and space, I'd love to see you do more of these How-To's on other popular movie/tv show cars, because man you are an incredibly smart Petrol-Head and Geek. Cars to consider: Christine, Doc Hudson, Knight Rider and The Bluesmobile. Also since this is about VW Bugs, which Bug would be the right one to build Highway Haunter or Jannie's pink car from The Real Ghostbusters?
Thanks! I wish I had more. Came close to a Christine a few years ago - they're pricey. May do a PeeWee Bike video one day. I'd say the Highway Haunter is like a '57 convertible Bug, and Janine's car looks like a 70's standard.
I used to have a 63' Rag that I did convert to a Herbie. Got the wide, offset rims, with the stock hub caps just like in "Herbie goes to Monte Carlo" and it had a correct ragtop I did not have to graft in. Sadly I sold it in 2009 due to financial issues, but was a great fun car. And yes, I think you should convert this one to a Herbie, as you have a perfect car to use.
I changed the aprons fenders, bumpers, hood , decklid, trim, running boards, shaved half moons, shaved dash vents, changed the speedometer face to the early 90mph green/grey, added the early fuel gauge, changed to an am radio and Ivory dash controlls. I cut the headrests off the seats and welded in a bar across to make them lowback frames with a ragtop on a '72 standard beetle. It still didn't look quite right with the larger windows. I'd like to find that car again someday.
really informative video! i've been looking for a video like this since i was literally a child lol. if you do convert that bug into an actual herbie i'd love if you documented the process & made it into a video
0:36...The rear deck lid on the one on the right is from an oval window ('53-'57) bug. To make a righteous Herbie, it has to be from a '58-'63 bug. 9:06...THAT is a righteous Herbie rear deck lid! Notice the "flaring out" to each side of the "pope nose" license plate light, found only on 1958-1963 bugs. Though '64 bugs also "had the equipment" to be a Herbie, the rear deck lids do not "flare out." Early '64s still had the '58-'63 pope nose license plate lights, but the 1964 rear deck lids were made in preparation for the later '64 "flat abomination" license plate lights. The only year of VW sunroof bugs other than 1963 sunroof bugs that can qualify to be made into a Herbie without noticeable difference are 1962 sunroof bugs (I had two). Though most people are not likely to notice the lack of flare-out on the '64 rear deck lid, they will notice the flat license plate light. And they certainly will notice the smaller all metal sunroof (no more ragtops) introduced in the 1964 model year. And most people will also notice the snowflake taillights on '61 and older bugs. Whereas Herbie has the 1962-67 "high heels" taillights. The only years of VW bugs that can be made into a righteous looking Herbie without prohibitive cost are the 1958 to 1964 "Herbie Generation" bugs. The pre-'62's would have to lose the snowflakes in favor of high heels. The '58s and '59s would have to ditch the "dagger" door handles and older style center black horn button steering wheels. And the '64s and standard hard roof '58-'63 bugs would have to have a ragtop sunroof put in. Even Walt Disney did that with some of their Herbies on brief shots. There are other differences not found on '63 bugs, like no gas gauge, colored door cards, fat needle speedometers, and mohair headliners. But most people won't notice or care as even Walt Disney played fast and loose with brief shots of features not found in '63 bugs. 14:37...BTW, unless everything below the greenhouse is rusted or beat up, that Herbie Generation ragtop arboretum insect ought to be restored in it's own right! 16:26...Yes, you should convert that blue ragtop specimen into a Herbie! That "gulf blue" color only came on 1961 to 1963 bugs, making it one of the "Herbie Generation" QTs. If it's a '61, you would have to install the high heels in place of the snowflakes, as well as a gas gauge.
My first car in 1985 was a ‘64 beetle. I had it for four years and had a spare engine (1600) for it. I blew a piston skirt and Dad had to tow me home from work. While we were changing the engine I needed to go to the bathroom. When I came out to the garage, a couple of Dad’s friends were there. He smiled at me and said “I sold your car for $100!” I was crushed. I never got over that. I bought and sold several over the years, but none ever replaced that ‘64.
3:28 I noticed the license plate on car is from Barrow county Georgia and I love that because that's where my dad is from and I live in monroe and go to winder sometimes and I also love Herbie wich is why I clicked on the video.😊👍 (edit I also know your from around winder because I recognize the yellow super beetle you keep showing because I pass it often when I come that way.
@@unfinishedstudios yeah I've probably seen it wich is cool I was just shocked that you aren't to far from me not the frist time I've watched a RU-vidr from Georgia but I think this is the frist time I've seen a RU-vidr so close.😂
Thanks for such a great video! Would love to visit your car and parts yard someday. In case you haven’t seen it there’s a really great feature length documentary called “the bug movie”. The same filmmaker made the sequel to it called “the bus movie”. If you get a chance if you’re in the Tucson area someday you can see you at least five VW beetle art cars most 63 to 1965 at Art Car World . They don’t have a Herbie replica or actual stunt car from the movie yet but they do feature three of the most impressive VW beetle art cars, including “oh my God”, “the glass”, and the original “wrought iron VW”. Thanks again for your very informative and entertaining video on all things Herbie
Question, so I am getting a 1964 beetle thats in restoration stages, plan to make a herbie out of it, one unfortunate thing is that the IRS pan is from a 1969 beetle. I noticed I would have to figure something out for the 4 lug wheels since they aren't 5 lug. So my question is, what should I do about that? Do they make a 4 lug replica of 5 lugs? you know, without the little slits in the rims. Also, since its a 1969 pan, what else do I have to figure out?
About ragtops: Maybe one can make a ragtop replica, like Disney had done on the cars used in Herbie Goes Bananas. They took lots of time and dedication to actually replicate the factory craftsmanship
Great video. I hated when they made the 53 on the hood in the wrong place and font in the 1997 movie. I hope you make that into a Herbie replica, especially since you know how to do it correctly. I think any potential herbie candidate should be made into a herbie. That would make the world a happier place.
Love the info on the hurbie. I'm just finishing my 66 then starting a 1970 standard stock car witch I want yo be hurbie replica. In uk (england) hard to find a clean beetle that aint rotten. I restored load of vw cars over last 15 years but hurbie replica I will start summer is for my daughters 1st car so if you have information on making my 1970s let me know happy to cut the car to cabbin and replace it all have large stock of parts as I but everything beetle people have laying in garage.
Great vid...huge Herbie fan...ive replicated Herbie in 25 scale using a 66 bug kit..had to cut out the roof and make my own ragtop..its now a clone except i added race rims n tires via Herbie's request..lol..shame i cant post a pic of it..but my profile pic is My Herbie
Great video. Probably be the only kind of movie car I would ever have the ability to build after I finish my restoration projects. The two easiest ones I could see is a replica of the original Herbie or one of the JP Jeep Wranglers. Id probably lean towards the VW just for the fact of avoiding the computer emission filled Jeeps. Then there is always the late model swap for the power train to get more modern performance but will without a doubt give up the signature VW exhaust note.
Bugs are a lot cheaper than a YJ Wrangler. Jeeps hold value really well - especially ones you can drive around (you might notice the red Jeep in the background of that thumbnail). You can get a Bug for next to nothing... just gotta look for them.
@@unfinishedstudios Which is why I havent got one yet. I dont have the room with the six project cars I currently have. But I have no problem taking my time for me I would want a more screen accurate version of the first film. Only thing I would try to do is try to locate a later model engine that would sound the same but make more power than the original. If not then I would modify the OE engine and look at fuel injection options to fabricate onto the OE engine. For me I would want to build one to be a driver but a fun driver.
I love that car ! Not only because of Herbie, but because it could be your friend. But I would like to know, where did you get that blue helmet ? It does really looks like the one used by Dean Jones in the original movie.
If you've got a field full of Beetles just rotting away, it makes perfect sense to convert one of them into a Herbie replica. Something like that could either get a good price from a collector, or would be great to show off at car shows or charity events. I'm curious what you think of Horace (the "evil" Herbie from the Bruce Campbell film). What make of Beetle was that, and is it feasable to convert an existing bug into one of those?
I think Horace was a '65. The guy who owns the stunt one made a webpage about it with tons of close-up shots. I'd very much like to do that one day, but there's only so much free time in my life.
There is a scrap yard near me that has a bunch of beetle panels. Fenders doors decklids hoods. It's all probably going to be scrapped. Is there anything particular year or style panel worth grabbing or is it all reproduced?
The front 53 decal: The vehicles Disney made for the parks had the 53 placed way, _way_ far back. Take a look at the Disneyland car or the Magic Kingdom car as an example
Go for it! Turn That '63 Bug into Herbie! P. S. you forgot 2 mention the engine. In The Love Bug 4 the High-Powered racing scenes Herbie had a Porsche 356 Super 90 engine. Just an FYI>
@@aussiefurbymogwaifan6621 Nothing to post yet. I'm slowly collecting all the parts for the roof rack. May post a video about lightbars in the not-so-distant future!
Thank you, nice video! Nah, in my opinion, don't convert your Beetle in a Herbie replica. I'd make it original and/or to your own taste. Herbie tributes are fun but it has been done hundreds of times, accurate to unsuccesful ones. And one might say that the Herbie enthousiasts are "wasting" too many cars that would have been classy in original or more personal ways. I find that exaggerated, but not a false statement. It's your car, feel free to have fun with it and enjoy to the fullest! Personally, "The Love Bug" introduced me to my passion for the VW Beetle. I toyed with the idea of making one when I was little, then preferred a thing of my own. I would love to own a colourful 61/62 ragtop to tour with my fiancee. Here in Switzerland the costs to buy and maintain this kind of thing make it very hard, unless you're a bit rich, or with tunnelvision investment, or the car was already in your family's possession. I loved the proletarian loveable side of the car, now it's gradually becoming a luxury item. I'm amazed that because of circonstances I can't even afford a rusty one, and your family owns an entire garden of it. You might want to feel lucky ;-) Thanks again and cheers from Switzerland! Federinz
Just sold my 1974 super beetle and got a 1966 beetle yesterday and it is the exact color paint as herbie so i am debating....i too can not stand inaccurate herbies lol. They drive me insane!
Congrats! I mean, if you've got the overrider bumpers, I think it'd be close enough. There aren't too many more differences other than the bigger windows -- but remember -- they used some big-window cars for Herbie, too!
i want to make a herbie but... i want to use a super beetle as not only did my mom have one years ago and also it would be easier but also i can just paint the sunroof on.
Cosmetically, the only difference on the body would be the door handles and the taillights. Under the hood is different -- different gas tank, etc. The dash is also a little different. Other than that, pretty close already. But they did use that style bug in various scenes in the original movie.
That's actually a great question! I dunno. I think it'd have to be another weird car. My dad is into 1960's Saab's -- so maybe a '65 Saab 9-5.... or a '63 Citroen 2CV. Always wanted one of those. American Grafitti!
@@unfinishedstudios I'm thinking that Tesla's compact car might be a contender. 1 It's supposed to be the electric car of the people ($25,000) 2 people look down upon electric vehicles (just like Herbie as a racecar) 3 all Tesla's want us to spread love (just like Herbie) 4 Teslas avoids crazy accidents just like Herbie would 5 compact is cute
Being someone who owns a Herbie myself. The fact that it doesn’t have a sunroof is the only difference from the movie. It’s otherwise completely accurate
Honestly, I think all you'd need to do is get those bumper adapters. The ones where you can mount old bumpers on a newer car. The '69 doesn't have those vents past the back windows, and it's not a Super Beetle. Go for it! www.jbugs.com/product/15-2045.html
@@unfinishedstudios yessir, I respect that (btw. May you have nerves out of steel, I am graduating this year, so I feel you) but I just wanted to let u know that your vids are apreciated and welcomed! Btw. That blue 63 is sweet! I like the color