Anyone who's been around cars long enough has likely encountered a certain kind of curvy, exuberant cartoon car, seemingly made of rubber and teenage boy sweat. They're something we all know when we see them, and we've always been pretty sure they don't exist in reality. Well, don't be so sure. This is Ron Berry's Surf Seeker.
Rob Berry is a man with many unusual gifts, not the least of which is his seemingly supernatural ability to turn cartoons into actual steel vehicles, like this incredible real-steel cartoon version of a '60s VW Type II Microbus.
Berry built the entire body from scratch, in steel. No fiberglass or bondo here. He did use a genuine VW Type II front suspension setup from a '65 bus, and there's a real air-cooled flat-4 in the rear, though it is a 2175 cc supercharged monster making about 200 HP.
The detail work is what really gets me here. The little things, like the chrome bezels around the taillights, are pretty much exactly what they'd be if you did an exaggerated cartoon of them, with exaggerated-size screw heads and all that. I think the Isetta-style front door is an excellent solution to how to get in and out of the Bus as well.
The deployable skateboard wheelie bars are a pretty inspired touch as well. Regardless of what you think of the aesthetic of this cartoon bus, you have to admire the skill and craftsmanship that goes into making something look this good and fit together this well with pretty much zero right angles or straight lines.
(in progress pics from Upholstery Doctor)