SP Rides: The Price is Right for a Double Cab

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BY JERRETTE KAMAKA

OWNER: Kevin Meyer
YEAR: 1963
MAKE: Volkswagen
MODEL: Double Cab
ENGINE: 2020cc, crank – CB76 stroker, rods modified stroker, pistons 92 cima, rings cima, cam 120 engle, heads 0.40 bore, 8.5-1 compression, carburation dual 44 idf webers, 009 Bosch hot spark ignition, A1 1.5/8 ceramic coated sidewinder Ren Kaffer stainless polished muffler
DRIVETRAIN: 4-speed manual IRS transmission
SUSPENSION: Adjustable front beam
WHEELS: Porsche Fuchs 5×15 polished, 195/60 15 tires
INTERIOR: Splatter paint, mocca brown upholstery, Gene Berg shifter
STEREO: Kenwood double din, 6×9 speakers JL audio amp
EXTERIOR: Torched red vanilla white, safari windows, chrome latches

On the day that Kevin Meyer was supposed to take delivery of this 1963 Volkswagen Double Cab, the owner was having a bit of seller’s remorse. Suddenly, the deal was looking like it wouldn’t happen after all.

Many car enthusiasts can relate to having second thoughts about parting with their rides. The memories of cruising all over Oahu, plus the blood, sweat and tears it took to build the car, can make letting go excruciatingly difficult. But everyone has a price, and sometimes all that’s needed to convince the seller is to simply show him the money.

“Initially when we got to the guy’s house, no one answered when we knocked on the door, and no one answered the phone, too,” recalled Meyers. “Eventually, the guy came out of his house and said, ‘I’m really thinking of not selling this.”

But Meyers remained undeterred. After pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket, he noticed the seller’s wife was visibly impressed. “(She) said, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen this much cash before,’” Meyers explained. “So we made the exchange, signed the papers, and at the time I paid a fair price for it.”

That was 11 years ago, when the truck was not in pristine condition. But a lot has changed since then. For example, the cab’s paint had faded, forcing Meyer to spend about 20 hours polishing the ride until it reached its current shine. And a load of work was done to the engine, leaving the cab with a good amount of horsepower.

“I have a friend in Waianae who is well-known for building VW engines and it took him a couple months to do my engine,” said Meyer. “When there is that much power, it takes just as much power to bring it to a stop. So I’m going to convert the front end to disc brakes. And with as much driving that I’m doing now, I’m going to have to covert the brakes soon.”

Meyer has had several offers to sell the Double Cab, but has turned them down knowing that finding another Volkswagen in this condition and for the same price is highly unlikely. But he also acknowledged that every man has his price and if the right offer came along, he’d sell this ride for the chance to buy a 23- window VW Bus, which has been selling for a cool $200,000.

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