The French Baja.

WORDS: Tokan | PHOTOGRAPHY: Tokan | Owner: Dimitri Jourdin

Before we get into the article, we would like to thank our good friend Tokan who is based in France for getting the images, speaking to the owner and pulling this article together. We have translated it from French and tried to keep it as close to the original as possible.

A little something different from across the channel, Dimitri comes from a family of VW lovers. His mother previously owned quite the collection, including a Cox Buggy, Golf Mk1 GTI and a Golf Mk2 to name a few. 

I have known Dimitri for several years and I have lost count of the number of cars he has owned, however the one that sticks in my mind is the VW beetle.

I have been invited to admire his latest acquisition, a Beetle. However this time, we see something a little different than the stanced, scene type that scrape the ground. Instead, he has opted for lifted suspension, to look down on us. It is a refreshing change to what we usually see. 

This is none other than a BAJA model. An all-terrain cox in short.

Dimitri was not really looking for this car, but at the end of 2019, one of his friends decided to put it on sale and Dimitri, therefore, succumbed to it. So why did Dimitri decide to acquire the BAJA, well just for the pleasure of riding differently, for the pleasure of having fun.

This Beetle is from 1970, originally with a small 1200cc engine but that will not stay that way for long. Obviously, modifications had to be made, starting with mechanics. As I said above, the original 1200cc has been replaced by 1915cc with a central carburetor. A CB Performance cylinder head, custom exhaust and a Kennedy clutch. Inevitably, he didn’t stop there. Like on all his previous cars he continued the modifications, so quite a few parts of the car are no longer original, apart from the suspension and braking. The front axle is that of a VW 181 with 7cm body lift, the front bumper was modified. Dimitri also set up indicators and rear US lights, and the engine hood has undergone a small transformation for faster opening/closing. To stick with the adventure look of the car, all exterior elements were painted black.

Now let's go to the passenger compartment, which also went through the modifications box. The seats are race trim bucket seats with a GT2I harness, the original steering wheel and hub are replaced by Mountney. An Autometer tachometer has been installed to improve the appearance and custom aluminum door panels.

Another built, not bought vehicle. Dimitri has built the bug with his own hands, enjoying the build and now the finished product. 

Dimitri has a dream, like many other enthusiasts of the German brand, to own a VW Split Kombi. Maybe one day we will return to him to see him in possession of his dream. 

In the meantime, he also owns a Buick Regal which he is remodeling and a US Karmann Ghia (which you will have the opportunity to see soon).

Feel free to follow him on Instagram @low_kustom.