IN 1960, a young Steve Rose celebrated his 8th birthday. His father had just finished jazzing up a red CJ5 Jeep with a V-8 engine, but all Steve and his brother could think about was taking it for a spin. Finally, fed up with their nagging, Steve's dad came up with a genius idea: Why not give the boys a car to build?
And so, they purchased a 1954 VW rolling chassis complete with an engine, transmission, seats, and suspension, plus a bonus upgrade to 36 horsepower. With the help of a friend, they welded and painted the rail cage a vibrant orange and white, added some flashy chrome accents, and voila! Finally, the boys had a beautiful sandrail to call their own.
Family Affair
It wasn't Steve's first rodeo…