Lake Land's VW Bug

This spring, someone gave a 1972 Volkswagen beetle to the Lake Land College Foundation. And the college isnt letting it just sit around to collect dust. Its making use of the old bug. Six instructors have spent their hot summer days in the Lake Land auto shop. Their goal is to turn an old beetle into a "pimped out" one. Theyre updating the body of the car, and welding rusted holes. But thats not all. "Weve taken and removed the gasoline engine because we wanna make old technology new again with an electric motor," says Tim VanDyke, Division Chair of Technology. The engine they took out of the old bug weighs about four hundred pounds. But the new electric motor theyre going to put inside weighs only about 100 pounds. "Were gonna make an electric adapter and put batteries anywhere we can find space for them," says Alan Clodfelter, Industrial Technology Instructor. The college plans to use its energy efficient bug to teach students about "going green". It also wants to use it as a recruiting tool. "We plan to put quite a stereo system in it so well not only be seen when we come down the road well be heard," says VanDyke. But Lake Land isnt taking this on alone. Mid-America is helping out by replacing piles and piles of old parts being stripped from the car. "Basically all the tail light lenses, the turn signal lenses that come off of these, theres fenders, and thats just one small area," says Eric Roley with Mid-America. It will take some time, but these guys say soon, youll see this old bug flying down the street