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Meet The “Surf Seeker”: This Custom Bus Looks Like It Came Straight Out Of A Cartoon

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

A cartoon come-to-life, this custom bus is what every kid-at-heart dreams of.

It was made to resemble a Volkswagen, but the creator actually only used front and rear suspension parts from a 1965 Type 2 bus, while the rest was made out of steel. Take a look!

Meet the “Surf Seeker”.

cartoon vw bus
My Classic Car

This whimsical build was created by Ron Berry, a retired resident of Salt Lake City, Utah.

cartoon vw bus
Berge VW

To get inside, the bus has a unique side-opening hatch that peels away the front end.

cartoon vw bus
Flickr/bballchico

It’s equipped with 23 windows, huge 24-inch chrome wheels, and a license plate that reads “COOLISH”.

cartoon vw bus
Flickr/bballchico

The bus sports an air-cooled, flat-four engine with a supercharger that can get about 200 hp. You can see it here fully exposed in the back:

cartoon vw bus
Flickr/bballchico
cartoon vw bus
Flickr/bballchico

Ron described the entire process – from his original cartoon drawing to the real life vehicle – in these eight steps:

cartoon vw bus
Flickr/bballchico

He hand-built the entire thing from steel, and with help from local Utah company SKJ Customs,  the molding and trim were constructed of fiber glass, and then chrome plated.  The wheelie bars, side windows, and sunroof are all motorized.

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The result? A sweet custom ride that looks like it came right out of the Disney movie Cars:

cartoon vw bus
The Supernationals

This short, 2:18-minute clip will give you a closer look inside the Surf Seeker:

Or if you’d like to learn more, you can also check out the bus and see Ron himself in this episode of “My Classic Car”:

Isn’t this cartoon-inspired build amazing? Could you see yourself driving it?

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