Which Beetle is Better: Stanced or Baja?

BOLDRIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell

 

 

The Volkswagen Beetle is a car with few equals. It was never the fastest car in the world, the most comfortable, or the most luxurious, but it was a car of the people, and it offered something a bit special to each of its owners. 

 

Those happy owners gave back too, evolving the venerable Beetle into a customized icon. But which custom car school of thought does it better – the frame-scraping ‘stanced’ group, or the dune-bashing ‘Baja Bug’ crowd? Let us know in the poll below!

There’s something truly magnificent about a Baja Bug, in particular the faded, dented Bugs with sawzall-ed wheel wells and other haphazard surgical modifications. You get the sense that these cars have lived a full life, and then some – ferrying six kids through college and making a few cross-country road trips – only to return home and bomb the dunes.

Effectively, the Baja Bug is a zombie – a lean, mean brain-eating pre-running machine. And if you’re in the market for one, Southern California is your outbreak epicenter, and has been since the ‘60s. This ’68 Baja Bug hails from Oregon however, and features the necessary big tires, as well as a full cage and new 1.8-liter engine.

Other Volkswagen fans aren’t too fond of that Baja Bug altitude. Luckily for them, the Beetle pulls off the low-slung ‘stanced’ look as convincingly as any. Where the Baja Bugs are more utilitarian, these lowered Beetles are rolling forms of art – less people’s car, and more envy of the people.
Personal views may vary, but stanced cars typically look best when they’re restored and dressed to the nines. This low-riding ’57 Bug surely falls into that category, featuring a rebuilt 1.6-liter engine, slick exterior paint and modifications, and well-finished upholstery.
So which is your favorite? Stanced or Baja?