I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the things I love most about the classic air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle is how that little car’s platform chassis and drivetrain became the basis of so many kit cars, launching an entire industry. Even beyond just the usual fiberglass-bodied kit car, the Type 1 VW chassis was also the choice of customizers and art-car makers all over the world. It was the starting point for so many ill-conceived but ambitious backyard projects fueled by booze and/or hallucinogens, and, thanks to the remarkable robust simplicity of it, these bad ideas often became real.
I’m not saying the machine – I’m not sure I can really say car – I want to show you today is a bad idea, but it is an incredible example of the remarkable flexibility of the VW chassis. It’s one of those things that you can describe pretty simply: what if you had a [something], but you could also drive it?
In this case, that [something] is a meat smoker and barbeque, and, yes, thanks to those legendary VW air-cooled mechanicals, you can drive it. You can own it, too, if you have $10,000 to spare and the sort of life that would be enriched by being able to drive a meat smoker.
Here’s how the ad describes this singular machine:
Custom built Volkswagen Beetle drivable Smoker/ BBQ, one of one, 1600 C.C VW engine that runs, automatic transmission, has 4 burner flat top griddle on the front, removable top, comes with side curtains, 5′ long BBQ Smoker with smoker box, comes with matching sink trailer, runs, drives and stops, located in Miamisburg Oh, asking $10,000 make an offer, no trades pick up only
I’ll admit, when I read “Miamisburg, Oh, asking $10,000” I didn’t process that “Oh” as the abbreviation for Ohio, but rather as a sort of offhanded expression, like, “oh, by the way, it’s $10,000,” which somehow I think fits the tone of all of this better.
This thing is gleefully bonkers: the chassis seems to be a stock Beetle chassis, and I don’t think it’s been lengthened? Looking at the dimensions of a VW pan, I think this is stock, with the body just lifted off. There seems to be plenty of room for a smoker between these axles, right?
The layout is interesting on this drivable meat-cooker:
This is a view from the rear, where we have the VW engine and transaxle. The seller mentions that it has an “automatic transmission” but I suspect they must mean VW’s semi-automatic transmission, which is basically a manual with an automatic clutch. I once made a whole video about these:
Anyway, that has to be what’s in there; I can’t imagine taking the effort to install a “real” automatic in your VW-powered drivable BBQ. There’s seating for a driver and a passenger, tandem-style, and then next to the seats is the big cylinder of the smoker. The driver/passenger side has a no-skid metal running board between the fenders, and the smoker side has a higher wooden cooking/preparing surface.
Up front is a BBQ, as you can see here:
The windshield is right behind the BBQ area, so I guess the wiper can be used to clear away any splashed grease from the meats or whatever is cooking right in front of it. Grille tools seem to be hung on racks connected to the windshield frame.
The engine is in that quonset-hut-shaped enclosure at the rear. Looking at the engine itself, there’s at least one strange detail worth noting, and I think we can guess at the year of the VW that was evolved into this thing:
If we accept the seller’s word that this is a 1600cc engine (which is very likely) and note that it seems to be a single-port engine (it’s hard to see exactly, but I think it is), then I suspect this must have started life as a 1970 Beetle, the only year where 1600cc and single-ports co-existed. There also seems to be no mechanical fuel pump where I’d expect it, so maybe there’s an electric one somewhere?
The fuel tank is right above the engine, so I suppose a gravity feed is possible, but I think kind of unlikely. Still, that would be cool.
Is this worth $10,000? I mean, maybe? Good luck finding another drivable smoker! It seems to be fairly well-built and designed, with a removable roof assembly and everything. I really wonder what it’s like to drive? I bet at low-ish speeds, it’s not that different than a VW-based dune buggy? Or maybe it is, because that smoker could be quite heavy. I’m not really sure. I’m sure it’s a deeply strange thing to drive at highway speeds, though.
That hardly matters, though; this isn’t a road trip car. It’s a way to get brisket and bratwursts to the people who desperately need them, and in that context, I think this is probably worth every penny.
Top graphic images: Facebook Marketplace; DepositPhotos.com
