Rapid Transit: Ken Prather's 1962 VW Microbus

Some men live for a challenge. A few climb mountains, while others sail around the world. Ken Prather’s personal quest took him right outside to his garage.

I just wanted to see if I could build a mid-engine hot rod,” says Ken. Sounds doable enough…until you see what he actually did. Armed with just a metal saw, a welder, a borrowed bead roller, and a lifetime’s worth of hot rod know-how, Ken shoehorned a colossal 355 Chevy engine into a 1962 VW Type-2 Microbus. Then he drove it from his home in Pennsylvania, all of the way to the Bonneville Salt Flats and back again.

Miles from your every-day engine swap, the Micro’s extensive modification took four years and a ton of direct “from mind to metal” engineering on Ken’s part. “I was looking to build a mid-engine something, but I didn’t know what,” says Ken. “One day, my son told me there was an old van for sale down the street. It was a 1962 VW bus, and it was in decent shape, except it had a just been painted with two colors of Rust-Oleum primer.”

He bought the VW and drove it home. “It ran, and it would go up a hill, but…very slowly,” says Ken. “I decided to chop the top first, and if that turned out, I’d move on from there. I cut the roof into six pie-shaped pieces, and then I built a frame out of conduit to support the sections while I welded the whole thing back together.”

With the roof lowered, the bus lost quite a few cubic feet of interior space, and in true hot-rod tradition, Ken decided to fill it up with as much Chevy engine as possible. “There isn’t even enough room for a driveshaft,” says Ken. “The rear end is connected directly to the transmission yoke”

Ken called on his years of experience as a body-shop frame man and built a swing arm subframe to carry the VW’s supercharged 355 Chevy engine, TH-350 transmission, and the narrowed Ford 8" rear end. He also replaced the Micro’s stock side barn doors with a custom gullwing setup. “With the gullwing door open, I can hoist the engine right into the back of the bus,” says Ken.

While the ’62 rolled off of the assembly line with four cylinders and 40 air-cooled horsepower, cooling the Micro’s new forced-induction V8 proved to be a real challenge. For starters, Ken picked up an efficient Be Cool aluminum radiator and a pair of Derale electric fans. Then he went looking for some fresh air.

“I knew the radiator would need a lot of airflow and I wanted to build a scoop to grab air from underneath the bus. I had my friend Bob ride in the back and hold a shop rag under the floor so we could see where we should mount the scoop,” explains Ken. Unfortunately the rolling research came to an abrupt end when Ken’s pal started yelling. “I had to stop because Bob was burning his pants on the headers,” chuckles Ken.

When the smoke cleared, Ken switched gears and mounted the radiator against the VW’s driver-side wall. A sleek, custom air scoop feeds the massive heat exchanger and also adds a touch of supercar style to the vintage exterior. Ken also rigged up a water spray system to cool the radiator when the going gets extra hot.

Up front, the race-ready cockpit is all business. There’s no carpet and only the bottom half of each aluminum race seat is upholstered with red vinyl. “They may not look like it, but the seats are pretty comfortable,” says Ken. “I put speed holes in the seat backs and they help keep you cool.” Speaking of cooling—there’s no A/C, but Ken can pop open the split “safari” windshield anytime he needs to air out the cabin.

Just about every part of this bus has a story and the gas pedal is no exception. “I made it from a kitchen spoon my wife gave me,” says Ken with a fond smile. He controls the Micro’s lateral movement with a donated sprint car steering wheel and monitors the mouse motor’s vitals with a full complement of Auto Meter Pro Comp gauges.

Outside, the ’62’s chopped, vented, and flared exterior is covered with easy-to-repair gray primer, a chrome VW emblem, and zero door handles. Sure, we’ve seen shaved door handles before, but you won’t find electric door poppers on this hot rod. “To open the door, you just pull down on the side mirror,” says Ken with pride.

Most of us can only imagine what it’s like to be passed by Ken on a lonesome stretch of Utah highway. You hear something and then catch a glimpse of the VW in your mirror. Before you can look again, the dull rumble from behind turns into the thunder of 600 supercharged horses as the bus charges by.

You’re not sure you believe your own eyes (or ears), and you can’t help but smile as the ’62 disappears over the horizon. But in reality it all makes sense. In the world of hot-rodded buses, Ken Prather is the rapid transit authority.

Story By: James Millar

Art Direction By: Lance Nemes

FAST SPECS

Chassis

Frame: Stock with notched front end and custom swing arm subframe by owner
Rear End: Ford 8", 3.80:1 ring and pinion
Suspension: Stock front suspension narrowed 4", circle track coil-over rear suspension, Carrera shock absorbers
Steering: Circle track steering wheel
Brakes: Wilwood Mustang front rotors and calipers, Ford rear drums
Wheels and Tires: E-T Gasser 5" x 15" front wheels with BF Goodrich Touring T/A P195/65 R15 tires; American Racing 5-spoke 10" x 15" rear wheels with Hoosier Pro Street 31 x 12.50R tires
Other items: Summit rear fenderwells

Engine and Transmission

Engine: Chevy 355 (350 block bored .030" over), World cylinder heads, Harland Sharp roller rocker arms, Callies forged crankshaft, machining by Tregler Race Engines
Induction: Weiand 6-71 supercharger, Holley 600 cfm Street Avenger carburetors
Ignition and Electrical: Mallory Unilite distributor and ignition coil, Painless Performance wiring harness
Exhaust: Schoenfeld 180° crossover headers, Flowmaster Super 10 Series mufflers
Transmission: GM TH-350 transmission, Summit 2,300-2,600 rpm torque converter, B&M Pro Stick shifter
Other Items: Be Cool aluminum radiator, Derale electric fans, Summit fuel cell, Holley Blue electric fuel pump

Exterior

Body: 1962 VW Type-2 Microbus
Body Modifications: Top lowered 7", front fenders flared, gullwing side door, suicide passenger doors, scoops and louvers added
Bodywork By: Owner

Interior

Upholstery: Red vinyl on modified aluminum race seats
Other Items: Roll bar by owner, RCI racing harnesses, Auto Meter Pro Comp gauges

Special Thanks To: Bobby Kraus, Jeff Tregler, and my wife Georgia, for her love and support throughout the build