ROKBUGY: The 1970 VW Bug That Shattered Expectations

The 1970 VW Bug that Broke the Internet

When you think of a Volkswagen Bug, you probably picture a small, cute, simple car with a rear four-cylinder engine that you can take out on the weekends. Well, if you thought that, then you have everything wrong when it comes to ROKBUGY. This machine is just an example of what the people over at Rockstar Performance Garage are up to in collaboration with the many companies and sponsors that have helped bring this crazy rig to life.

Meet Nic Ashby, a Southern California local who is the brains behind this build and the creative imaginer that took this build from a rendering to one of the baddest and most capable off-road vehicles to drive on this planet. Starting on the outside of the machine, you notice first up that it isn’t sitting on a VW chassis. It’s actually a 2017 Jeep JKU frame that was shortened and widened in the middle to make this VW Bug body fit perfectly with a crazy wheelbase of 140 inches!

Next, let’s look at the texture of this Bug’s paint job. It’s not just a traditional paint-over. This is a sprayed Patriot Liner bed coating that covers the entirety of this rig, both inside and out! Wrapping around this build and standing out in that amber color are Baja Design lights. ROKBUGY is sporting a pair of amber LP6 units, an amber light bar, dome lights, rock lights, and an RTL light bar—all from the scientists of off-road illumination! The front end is equipped with a Motobilt Tomahawk front bumper and custom rear bumper for maximum protection and clearance when this rig is maneuvering in and out of the rock trails.

Have you heard this beast in person before? If not, let me explain the power it’s pushing out. This VW Bug is running a 6.2L Gen IV LT1, but it’s not just a stock motor—it’s equipped with a Brian Tooley Racing Stage 2 camshaft to give it that chop any V8 should have. Controlling this beast of a motor is a PSI wiring harness. Keeping the beast breathing is nothing but the best—a K&N universal air intake. And the exhaust? A Magnaflow 2.5-inch mid/rear dump lets this beauty play the song of our people. Not many things can beat the symphony of a cammed V8 at wide open throttle. Paired up with this 6.2L is a 4L80 transmission built by Maximum Offroad with a manual valve body, straight-cut primary gears, and a billet pump being cooled by Mishimoto trans coolers to keep the temps down during hot summer days.

Going further back down this drivetrain, we find ourselves at the bread and butter of 4WD—the Advanced Adapters Atlas transfer case with a 4.3:1 ratio, which allows this powerhouse to crawl when it needs to. Coming out of this Atlas and transferring power is a set of beefy JE Reel front and rear driveshafts. The real thing that makes this build crazier than anything else out there, other than it being a VW Bug, is the crazy axle setup that is underneath this monster. ROKBUGY is tanking East Coast Gear Supply Dana 80s with a 74-inch track width and 40-spline shafts with manual lockouts. Inside these heavy-duty axles is the best in gearing—Yukon Gear & Axle 5.38 gears paired with Yukon spool lockers in the front and rear!

To keep this entire rig planted and flexing, Nic went with the best name in off-road shocks. King Shocks 16×3.0-inch IBP coilovers and bump stops have found their way onto all four corners. Looking around these shocks, you also notice the fabrication and craftsmanship that has been put into this build. Who did all his crazy work? Nic and the Rockstar Performance Garage team invested seemingly endless hours into creating the wildest-looking and functioning off-road rig the world has ever seen, in my opinion. Steering ROKBUGY is a set of dual PSC Performance 3.0 full hydro rams and an orbital steering box to assist in turning those massive 44-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Boss tires. They are wrapped around a set of 20-inch golden-colored Dirty Life ‘Canyon’ wheels to stick with the all-around color scheme.

Jumping inside, this beauty is outfitted with comfort, auxiliary, and accessibility. The interior features PRP EnduroCrawl seats wrapped in alligator vinyl with black and gold stitching, a Pentagram Engineering full roll cage, a Dakota Digital HDX display, a Kicker sound system, and a custom dash and center console.

Looking everywhere around this rig, you run into the best names in off-roading, the most tried and true equipment, and lots of design imagination. This is a true example of what the guys at Rockstar Performance Garage are capable of building. There is no shortage of creative minds placed in all departments, from media to mechanical to the big man himself—Nic Ashby. There is always something stirring in that garage. We are excited for ROKBUGY’s journeys around the United States and to all off-road parks near and far. We thank Nic and the Rockstar team for allowing us to cover this amazing machine. We look forward to future builds from this crew and hope to catch up with them at future events!

UPGRADES

1970 Volkswagen Bug

Owner:

Nic Ashby

Temecula, CA

Engine & Drivetrain: Gen IV 6.2L LT1, Brian Tooley Racing Stage 2 camshafts, K&N Filters air intake, Magnaflow exhaust, Mishimoto radiator, oil cooler, and trans cooler, Aeromotive in-tank Phantom 340 fuel system, Maximum Offroad 4L80 transmission, Advanced Adapters Atlas 4.3:1, East Coast Gear Supply Dana 80 front axle and Dana 80 rear steering axle, Yukon Gear & Axle gears and spool lockers, JE Reel custom driveshafts, Hydroboost brakes

Chassis & Suspension: 2017 Jeep JKU modified frame, 140-inch wheelbase, King Shocks 16×3.0-inch IBP coilovers front and rear, and bump stops, PSC orbital steering box and dual 3.0 full hydraulic rams, Warn winch

Wheels & Tires: 20×10 Dirty Life ‘Canyon’ wheels, 44×13.50R20 Mickey Thompson Baja Boss tires

Body & Paint: Patriot Liner black bed liner by Full Throttle Parts, Gold metallic vinyl decals by DH Graphics, Motobilt Tomahawk front bumper,  Custom rear bumper, Custom removable top, Modified VW half doors, Pantagram Engineering roll cage, Rockstar Performance Garage fabrication

Interior: PRP EnduroCrawl seats and steering wheel, Dakota Digital HDX display, Kicker soundbar, Dual Odyssey batteries, Rugged Radios RDB radio with internal comms, Scosche mirrors, mounts, and handles