By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, Craigslist

The Bug has never been done too many times that it can’t be reinvented, and this Baja Bug on Craigslist is something else. Sporting full cages, long-travel suspension and a six-cylinder Honda engine, this Beetle is up for sand and street use, and is even reported to lift the front tires!

Believe it or not, this VW started out life as an average 1968 Beetle, and all the remaining bodywork (aside from the fiberglass nose) is factory steel. The roof and rear end were cut off to make way for an all-encompassing cage structure, which takes the chassis above and beyond factory strength and rigidity. It also provides the mounting points for the new and improved suspension, consisting of aftermarket swing arms, torsion bars, axles, stub shafts and more. The new rear setup is 6 inches wider than stock, and has 16 inches of suspension travel.

We’ve seen all sorts of engines in VW builds, from Porsches, to Subarus and Corvairs, but this Beetle packs a truly surprising specimen out back. The builder has installed a 2006 Honda J35A, which is a 3.5-liter, SOHC V6 equipped with Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing. The J35A found a home in all sorts of vehicles from 1996 up to the present day, and this one is said to produce 300 hp. With stock outputs eclipsing 250 to 280 hp, it’s not a far stretch, and a tuned ECU and custom exhaust headers should help get it there. A Kennedy Engineering adaptor plate mounts the Honda to a VW PRO MAX Bus transaxle from Donson Performance.

Fittingly, the Bug comes with a set of beadlock slot-mag wheels with all terrain tires, in addition to a set of rear paddles for any sort of fun under the sun. The seller claims to have over $20,000 invested in the project, and a $14,000 itemized list on his Craigslist ad supports the claim.

See the seller’s ad here on Chico Craigslist.