VW project: Roofless as installation of vaunted solar panel nears

A month after the TVs were mounted in the rear of the 1968 Volkswagen Microbus—Leif’s ambitious plan to customize the relic into a state-of-the-art alternative fuel 21st Century beauty—the roof was cut open in preparation for the installation of the solar panel, which will help power the car.

Robert, who began work on the VW several months ago, said the cut went well.

“It went smooth, now I just have to weld the edges for a perfect fit.”

The hand-formed solar panel is slated to be inserted into the partly roofless VW next week, and will be bolted into the slot and protected by a rag-top that will cover the panel.  The removable rag-top will open when it’s sunny, exposing the panel to rays that will help power the retro microbus.

The undertaking was Leif’s idea to start completely from scratch and build a car that encompassed the latest in earth-friendly electric motors, lithium batteries and a natural-gas fired generator to improve the mircobus’ driving range.

The solar panel  was put together a couple of months ago, but is now at the center of the process, which is expected to be completed in July, 2012.  

In addition to the panel, two TVs were recently mounted in the rear of the bus, with a third screen is in the works that will pop out when the trunk opens, unveiling a barbecue that is perfect for road trips, camping and tailgating alike.

At Leif’s, we will continue to update this process both on our website and Facebook page.