BIG BAD LADYBUG BIG BAD LADYBUG BIG BAD LADYBUG
Theresa and her LadyBug in action at Woodburn Dragstrip.
Theresa Good-Hornbeck’s ’58 VolksRod is all show AND go! Story and photos by Ryan Bonham “Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home…”
T
he home of this Ladybug is at the drag strip, where it does plenty of flying of its own over the quarter or eighth mile, depending on the event. Theresa Good-Hornbeck, a school bus driver for the Three Rivers School District, said she watched her husband of 32 years, Paul, enjoying the VW drag racing sport for several years before deciding to join in on the fun. After all, couples that race together, stay together, as they say. Their stable of race cars includes Paul’s 2026cc Type 1-powered VolksRod, dubbed the StudeBug — it’s an Oval Window Bug at the front grafted to a Studebaker pickup cab in the
46 VW TRENDS • SUMMER ’23
back — and Paul’s 2180cc-powered bracket racer ’65 sedan. Theresa said her husband had been racing for five or six years when he volunteered her to participate in the Powder Puff class at a 2021 Fast4Cartel event. She quickly became hooked. Theresa’s ’58 Ladybug used to be a black-primered rat rod that she and Paul primarily took to local car shows for eight years. “I said, ‘I want to drive that car, that’s my car,’ ” Theresa said. Paul tore the car apart and commenced work to bring it to the level seen here. He performed 90 percent of the body work, which included welding the fender bolt holes and smoothing the sharp edges left behind in the wheel wells and such. He commissioned John with Brotherton Pipeline to paint the car in its unique colors. The red is a Honda Fit color, while the black portion is GM. Early hot rodstyle headlights add to the early rod
vibe. A Speedway dropped straight-axle provides LadyBug’s nose-down stance up front. Torq-Thrust wheels (four-inch width in front, six-inch out back) round out the exterior, with 125R/15 rubber up front and 6-inch cheater slicks out back. Paul commissioned Bob Heckhouse of Wolf Creek to stitch up LadyBug’s interior. Along with two-toned black and grey door and quarter panels, the seats are upholstered in tuck-and-roll style. The headliner is a black perforated vinyl custom design, while the carpeting is black square-weave. Under the front hood, the minimalist trunk features an amp for the stereo and a spun-aluminum gas tank. Additional details include a 5-inch tach with shift light, EMPI Hurst-style shifter, and custom steering wheel. The red-over-black motif continues over the dashboard. A CD player and rear speaker deck with 6x9-inch speakers add a modern flair.
