When Brad Young first purchased this 1961 Beetle off its original one owner lady driver in 2004, he did make a 'fingers crossed' promise not to cut it up! Four years later and only the roof and rear quarters remained as original panels, and the thinly disguised pan-style drag car, appropriately named JUNKA, was born. In his early teens Brad had always longed after a Beetle, but when only 16 years of age, VW beggars can't be choosers, and he happily accepted a choice Type III from his parents as his first Volkswagen. The streets around the family home were never the same again, but Brad had already eyed the drag strip as a far more exciting piece of bitumen to let loose his passion for driving. After a road trip to a Jamboree event in Queensland in 2000 (in the good old days it was a VW run drag competition), Brad was fortunate to be able to watch a small number of VW entrants compete in an increasingly dominated landscape of 'ricers'. One pink and yellow wheel standing Beetle driven by Peter Page caught his attention and flamed his inspiration to do the same. Plans for a fast normally aspirated bug were already hatching on the long drive home to Sydney. From the beginning JUNKA would be a combination of custom body work and mechanicals, all fabricated under the roof of Westside Mufflers, Brad's own business and workshop. Lightening and strengthening the '61 Beetle was first priority, and a fibreglass front clip, doors, rear guards and decklid were swapped for the original metal. Most of the engine bay was also removed, with only enough original body work left to secure the decklid. To tie together the now predominantly glass body, tube reinforcement was welded from front to rear and a 6-point chromoly roll cage installed.