Blood, Sweat & Vintage Steel: Airkooled Kustoms Brings Volks to the Darkside, One Dub at a Time

Wander through the bone yard behind Airkooled Kustoms, and you might think this is where ancient Volkswagens go to die.
Saplings sprout up through bottomless rusted metal bodies, paint faded by the decades. The ancient vehicles are arranged like discarded playthings of giant children, first by body type and then by year. Long past the point of being salvageable, for these once utilitarian Dubs the clock now ticks faintly. Their ultimate fate will be one of three possibilities. Rust may finish its job. Neighboring goats may gorge on vintage steel. Some needed part may be harvested and transplanted into another vehicle, getting an extension of its numbered days.
Walk through the shop doors, and you’ll see the truth. Kinetic art? The resurrection of memories? The physical manifestation of dreams? Yes to all. Be forewarned: Once you are bitten by Dub fever, the condition is irrepressible, incurable, irreversible. You will find yourself determined, one way or another, to have a brand new, very old Volkswagen. You may decide to undertake a restoration on your own. Many folks do. But for those whose dream cars exceed their own skills, space, or tools, there’s Airkooled Kustoms. Peculiar in many ways, the way that matters most for you, should you find yourself afflicted by a VW obsession, is their one simple rule: We do it right.
Welcome to the Darkside. (And yes, there ARE cookies.) Learn what’s involved in resurrecting old Dubs. Read the stories of a handful of our recent projects. Get a feel for what it’s like to be at Darkside Central. See whether a restoration project is right for you.