April Feature
Every Month, A New Super Beetle Story
The Three Decade Evolution of a 1971 Super Beetle - Owner: Jak Rizzo
It is often said that every air cooled Volkswagen has a story, but Jak Rizzo’s 1971 Super Beetle 1302 represents a lifelong legacy. The journey began in Australia back in 1990 when his father, Joe, purchased the car for Jak’s birthday for just $1100. At the time, the car was a completely stock, one owner vehicle finished in a shade Jak affectionately calls "Baby Poo Brown." Having grown up in a family where a Beetle was always in the garage since his father arrived from Malta, Jak felt it was only natural to carry on the tradition with his very first car.
The Super Beetle did not stay in its factory form for long, though the early modifications were humble. Jak remembers cutting the front springs for a slight drop and removing the bumpers before taking it on adventures along the East Coast. "My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, used to take it driving on the beach at Nelsons Bay," Jak says. It was a comical sight to see a small German car navigating the sand alongside heavy duty 4WD vehicles, but the Beetle held its own. By 1993, the brown paint was swapped for a rare Quartz Metallic purple sourced from the Ford Falcon color palette, marking the first of many major transformations.
Performance was always a family affair, as Jak’s father was a professional toolmaker who insisted on building his own engines. Under his father’s strict guidance, Jak built his first 1641cc engine with a balanced bottom end and a mild cam. The duo was even featured in a local VW magazine in 1996, showcasing their father and son Super Beetles. Jak eventually caught the motorsport bug and began experimenting with larger capacities, moving from an 1880cc build that "simply sung" at 7000rpm to a torquey 2275cc monster that he famously swapped into the car over a single weekend.
In 2003, Jak took a leap into uncharted territory by planning a Subaru engine conversion. At the time, almost no one in Australia had successfully fitted a WRX EJ20T quad cam engine into a Beetle while maintaining the original luggage space. Jak used CAD software to plan the cooling system, placing a triple core radiator in the spare tire well and another for the water to air intercooler. "It has never overheated, never leaked coolant, and still has all the original luggage space," Jak explains. The result was a sleeper that looked relatively stock but produced 201hp at the wheels.
The car continued to evolve as a formidable track machine, eventually joining the Porsche Club of NSW for track days and hill climbs. Jak found himself in a love and hate relationship with the Porsche owners, as the Beetle was often faster than their precision German sports cars. To handle the massive increase in power, the brakes were upgraded with Nissan GTR 4-pot calipers up front and Ford Falcon hardware in the rear. The suspension was equally sophisticated, featuring custom adjustable struts with Porsche 944 inserts and a front spoiler designed by hill climb legend Ben Durie.
Today, the 1302 stands finished in a stunning Porsche Arena Red, a color choice that reflects its high performance capabilities. The rebuilt Subaru engine now pushes 272hp on high boost, supported by a heavy duty gearbox featuring Australian made Albins gears. Despite the racing pedigree and the trophies for drag racing and circuit events, the car remains a practical part of the family. While it no longer handles the daily school run now that his children are grown, they still enjoy joining Jack on the track as passengers to feel the power of the car their grandfather bought decades ago.
The passing of Jak’s father a few years ago added another layer of meaning to the vehicle. Joe was always proud to see the car being driven constantly and cherished their weekly Sunday drives together. For Jack, the spark of excitement has never faded over the last thirty-six years. "Best of all, I simply still like driving it and looking at it, the joy of owning it has not faded," Jak says. It is a true high performance heirloom that proves a Super Beetle can do everything from beach driving to dominating the racetrack.
