🚀 Wheelie Popping UFO Trike Build (VW Powered) | Ian Roussel Full Custom Garage What happens when Ian Roussel of Full Custom Garage builds a wheelie-popping UFO trike powered by a VW engine… in the Arizona desert? 👽🔥 This playlist follows the full journey of one of the wildest custom builds to ever hit the shop—an out-of-this-world, alien-inspired trike motorcycle that blends old-school fabrication with pure imagination. No CAD. No templates. Just raw metal, instinct, and years of hands-on experience. From repairing damaged front forks to completely rethinking the structure, fabricating parts from scratch, and dialing in that insane wheelie stance—this is the real behind-the-scenes process most builds never show. If you love: • Custom motorcycles & trikes • VW engine swaps & air-cooled builds • Old-school metal shaping & fabrication • Rat rods, hot rods, and one-of-a-kind creations • Wild, experimental builds you won’t see anywhere else …you’re in the right place. This is more than a build—it’s a no-rules, Area 51-inspired custom creation coming straight out of Ian’s new Arizona shop. 👉 Start from the beginning and watch this UFO trike come to life, piece by piece. #IanRoussel #FullCustomGarage #VWTrike #CustomMotorcycle #TrikeBuild #AirCooledVW #CustomFabrication #ArizonaDesert #HotRodCulture #RatRod #MetalShaping #OneOfAKindBuild #UFOBuild
Curated by: Full Custom Ian (20 videos)
Can a Mini-Truck Z-Frame Lift a UFO? | Garage Metal Shaping Will it lift or will it fail? Today in the garage, Ian Roussel of Full Custom Garage is pushing the limits of custom automotive engineering. Ian is diving deep into the world of custom chassis fabrication to get the "UFO" project moving. The goal: make this wild creation dance and spin. To get the clearance and articulation needed, we’re borrowing a classic trick from the mini-truck scene—the Z-frame. Typically used to drop truck beds to the pavement, Ian is flipping the script to create a lift system for a one-of-a-kind hand-made 1970s VW trike chassis. In this episode: Metal Fabrication: Watch the step-by-step process of measuring, cutting, and tacking the Z-frame. Chassis Geometry: We explore whether mini-truck tech can stabilize a vintage trike platform. Welding & Grinding: Raw, uncut shop footage for the true gearheads and metal shapers. The Big Question: Is this idea a stroke of genius, or are we headed back to the drawing board? Whether you are here for the VW air-cooled tech, the custom welding, or just to see some wild garage-built engineering, this build is for you. If you’re into: Custom motorcycles & trikes VW-powered builds Metal fabrication (the REAL kind) One-of-a-kind projects you won’t see anywhere else …you’re in the right place. And trust us—this thing still has a long way to go “Car Building Is Fun! Let’s keep it that way.” – Ian Roussel Support the Build: 👕 Get the Merch: https://roussels-custom-fabrication.myshopify.com/ 📸 Follow Ian and Jamie on Instagram👽 @Full_Custom_Ian @Mrs_Roussel_ 🛠️ Join the Private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1120180179697223/ 👍 If You Love Real Custom Car Builds Like, comment, and subscribe to follow the entire journey from raw metal to finished custom. #IanRoussel #FullCustomGarage #CustomCars #CustomFabrication #metalfabrication Chapters Introduction to the UFO Trike Project: (0:00 - 1:19) – Ian introduces the project and the goal of making this VW-powered trike "dance and spin." Satellite Dish as a UFO Shell: (1:19 - 2:47) – Using a 10-foot satellite dish frame as the base for the flying saucer structure. The Z-Frame Concept: (2:47 - 5:04) – Planning the "Z-frame" lift system inspired by mini-truck custom culture. Trike Chassis Analysis & Prep: (5:04 - 8:13) – Assessing the vintage handbuilt trike chassis and calculating clearance for the new mechanism. Fabricating the Z-Frame Base: (8:13 - 13:02) – Cutting and tacking the initial steel structure to allow for lift and movement. Designing the Hinge & Lift Mechanism: (13:02 - 18:00) – Refining the geometry of the lift, including how it will articulate. Metal Shaping & Welding Progress: (18:00 - 25:32) – Welding the frame together and integrating repurposed chopper fork tubes for heavy-duty hinges. Testing the Lift Geometry: (25:32 - 32:38) – Using the "two tape measure" technique to visualize the lift height and clearance. Building the Second Level: (32:38 - 41:28) – Fabricating the second layer of the Z-frame for the dual-stage lift motion. Demonstration & Final Thoughts: (41:28 - 46:39) – Ian shows Jamie the mechanical movement of the lift and discusses the future of the build, including the hydraulics and racing slicks.