1963 volkswagen bus with big block engine
YouTube: 1320video

'63 Volkswagen Bus Packs Nitrous and a Hulking V8


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Hot rodder Mike Rowan hit the jackpot when he came across a 1963 Volkswagen Panel Bus a couple years back. He bought the thing for only $275 and then immediately went to work. In only six weeks, Rowan turned the bus into an absolute beast, stocking it with a mid-mounted big-block 468 cubic-inch V8 engine and 150-shot of nitrous.

This completely transformed the mild-mannered vehicle into an 586-horsepower hulk of a machine. To allow the bus to handle all that power, Rowan swapped in a Lincoln Continental differential and equipped the ride with some massive drag tires. Simply put, Mike is a certified mad genius. In the best way possible.

You can take a look at the incredible VW bus in the below video put out by the guys over at 1320video, who stumbled upon the beauty at South Georgia Motorsports Parkway during the No Mercy 7 hot rod event back in 2017. Is this the coolest Volkswagen bus of all time? We'll let you be the judge.

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Now, if you consider yourself any sort of gearhead and seeing that bus in all its glory didn't rev your engine, then there's something seriously wrong with you.

According to Rowan, the souped-up bus can do the quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds, and he also claimed that he kept up with a Corvette on the highway. Now, unfortunately, we don't get to see too much footage of the bus actually driving, so we'll have to take Mike's word for it. Just from a pure aesthetic perspective though, this bus is an incredible sight to behold.

Here's hoping Mike and his VW bus are still gracing car shows and hot rod events with their epic presence.

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This post was originally published on January 14, 2017.

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