1972 Volkswagen Type 147 Fridolin Panel Van

This 1972 Volkswagen Type 147 Kleinlieferwagen, better known as the "Fridolin," is one of about 6,000 built by Volkswagen at the request of the German Postal Authority. VW built the Fridolin from parts of several existing models: the engine and transaxle from the Beetle, the chassis from the Karmann Ghia, rear body sections from the Type 2 Bus, and the headlights and hood design from the Type 3. This one has been turned into a fully custom show piece.<br><br>The body was reportedly media blasted, given rust repairs and custom pop-out side windows, and refinished in mocha and pearlescent orange with an off-white roof. Exterior details include sliding side doors, bullet-style turn signals, crotch coolers, chrome bumpers, a safari-style rear window and polished VW-logo jack hole covers. It sits on polished Billet Specialties wheels, 17-inch up front and 18-inch in back, wrapped in Nitto NeoGen tires (205/40 front, 215/40 rear). An Airkewld four-wheel adjustable air suspension uses a PRObuilt axle beam, front air shocks, rear air springs, and a Viair compressor and tank mounted in the engine bay. Red Wilwood calipers over cross-drilled rotors handle braking at all four corners.<br><br>Power comes from a replacement air-cooled flat-four built to 2,332cc. It has a 12-volt electrical system, dual Weber 44 IDF carburetors with 6-inch velocity stacks, a Bergman Porsche-style cooling fan and serpentine belt kit, an electric fuel pump, Bosch ignition, and an EMPI billet crankcase breather with open-element filters. You can reach the engine through the hinged panel between the taillights or through a Bus-sourced hatch in the rear cargo area. A Rancho Performance Pro Street four-speed manual transaxle with polished axle tubes and bearing housings sends power to the rear wheels, and an A-1 Sidewinder exhaust with J-tubes finishes it off.<br><br>Inside, the parchment front bucket seats sit on a custom base with built-in toolbox drawers, matched by parchment door panels and a rear bench seat. Tan square-weave carpet covers the footwells and cargo area. Other touches include push-button ignition, an aftermarket shifter, billet door handles, sliding side windows, jail bars, lap belts with Wolfsburg crests, and a fire extinguisher in the cargo area. The driver faces a Budnik four-spoke steering wheel on a polished column and AutoMeter gauges: a 160-mph GPS speedometer, a tachometer with shift light, and readouts for oil pressure, oil temperature and voltage. No odometer. The air suspension controls are mounted on the left side of the dash.<br><br>Most people have never seen a Fridolin, and this is one of the coolest ones out there.