The old adage goes: if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life.
For Carl Ménard, a heavy-duty truck mechanic based in Ottawa, Ontario, this statement is a life philosophy. Mechanically inclined from a young age, Carl spends the majority of his days surrounded by vehicles – but, those who are afflicted by the love of cars know, you really can’t get enough.
You may have seen Carl’s build online, in photos, or (if lucky enough) driving down the road.
His custom 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle has become something of a celebrity in its own right. Don’t mistake this Beetle as a minor restoration or throwback to simpler days – Carl has built a jaw-dropping, hooligan machine that’s outfitted with air suspension, copper fender flares and a Yamaha R1 engine swap.
Though Carl has owned the Beetle since 2011, its transformation didn’t fully begin until later that decade. First, the body was removed from the frame, and lovingly restored from the ground up. Around 2017, Carl began to notice issues with the air-cooled engine.
Oil leaks and bad compression became a regular headache, so the unit was replaced to be more reliable. The following year, Carl fabricated a custom rear frame to accept air suspension with components pulled from a Ford F150 pickup truck. Sadly, that same season the engine dropped a valve and Carl was forced to store the car until he could fix the problem.
After practicing and perfecting his art with less-expensive materials, Carl purchased a sheet of overstock copper from a local roofing supply company in Ottawa – the sheet itself was originally intended for use on Parliament Hill.
This brilliant copper not only surrounds the fenders, but is a prominent design feature throughout the Beetle. To tie-in the design element, Carl created vintage-inspired front seats that utilize the material beautifully. What they lack in comfort or padding, they make up for in stunning, hand-crafted style.
In 2020, it was decided that the Super Beetle needed super-power, so another engine swap was planned. The powerplant, which is a near-1,000cc, 4-cylinder, superbike engine derived from MotoGP seemed like the perfect fit. A re-purposed Honda B16 Manifold was installed and Carl fabricated highly-stylized, side-mounted exhaust pipes to give the Beetle added road presence and a sonic character that’s all its own.
Carl adds an element of family history to the build by incorporating two 22-Gauge shot guns inherited from his grandfather on either door. He includes another modified shotgun as the car’s shift lever – his grandfather’s pocket watch
To see more of the 1972 Super Beetle, and other builds that Carl has planned, follow his Instagram: @CarlosMobilos
