Behind the Wheel episode 3: Tim Walbridge’s ’65 Volkswagen Bug named Rusty

This rusty '65 Volkswagen Bug turns heads with a whopping 40 horsepower

By Rich Shibley Published April 25, 2023

Long before he began collecting and driving luxury and exotic cars, Behind the Wheel host Tim Walbridge fueled his car fix with Volkswagens. The collection at 503 Motoring includes a few Beetles, but the one everyone asks about is Rusty, a 1965 Bug that’s in serious need of a paint job, but will never see one.

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Rusty was pulled out of a field in Washington, and despite outside appearances, the car has been restored extensively. The interior has a new headliner and seats, the engine is new, mechanically it’s sound, and the car is lowered with 17-inch wheels. The wooden roof rack and original VW ski rack were found at flea markets to round out the rusty look. Yes, Tim has driven this up to the mountain to go skiing.

Behind the Wheel

Digital Trend’s video series, Behind the Wheel, takes you inside some of the fastest, most exotic, and most unique cars on the planet. Join host Tim Walbridge as he shares his expertise and excitement for cars. You’re along for the ride in modern supercars like the McLaren 720S, American classics including a restomodded ’48 Ford Convertible, and everything in between. Celebrity guests regularly get behind the wheel with Tim and share their favorite car stories.

Today on Behind the Wheel, we go for a ride with Iain Gordon, shop manager at 503 Motoring. Lunch at the iconic Portland burger joint Humdinger is on the menu. But before lunch, we learn some VW history and also get a TMI look into the senses of humor of Walbridge and Gordon. What could be more informative than riding shotgun while we learn about the “heater” inside Rusty. The conversation also gets pretty deep with a philosophical exploration of why they love their cars and the lengths taken to keep them going.

Digital Trend’s video series, Behind the Wheel, takes you inside some of the fastest, most exotic, and most unique cars on the planet. Join host Tim Walbridge as he shares his expertise and excitement for cars. You’re along for the ride in modern supercars like the McLaren 720S, American classics including a restomodded ’48 Ford Convertible, and everything in between. Celebrity guests regularly get behind the wheel with Tim and share their favorite car stories.

Tim Walbridge is the president and founder of 503 Motoring, a luxury and exotic car dealership and customization center in Portland, Oregon. With over 20 years of industry experience, Tim has driven just about every exotic — and not so exotic — car there is. His expertise and down-to-earth attitude show in all of his projects, including hosting Behind the Wheel.

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Behind the Wheel

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Rich Shibley is the Director of Video Production at Digital Trends. Before working at DT, he was as an Emmy award winning TV…

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