There's no use in buying a full-size truck if you're always going to drive around with the bed empty. At least, that's what Mark Smith thinks, and we agree. Mark is a DIY-car guy who stumbled upon a way to turn fourth-gen VW Jettas into modern caddies. The idea actually came to mind when he got tired of driving around a gas-guzzling heavy-duty pickup with the bed empty most times. This got him thinking that he needed a light-duty shop truck and it turned out the VW Jetta was his solution.

Today Mark sells Jetta truck-conversion kits through Smyth Performance. The kits come in three boxes and can be put together over a weekend (with no welding required), meaning you can turn your old Jetta into a truck within a few short days. It's pretty cool when you think about it. There's a six-foot bed with a working tailgate and the fourth-gen Jetta TDI diesel and gas models have excellent fuel-economy ratings, even by today's standards. You'll also get a payload of about 700-plus pounds.

From time to time, we get kit-compatible models  - select 1999-2005 Jettas - when customers trade-in their vehicles, so check out Camelback VW's used cars online periodically to see what we have in stock. Also, try out our CarFinder tool, which sends automatic alerts when we've located vehicles matching your specifications. And, if you're a DIYer who wants to check out Jetta truck-conversion kits, visit the Smyth Performance website, where you'll find what you need for only a few grand.

Smyth Performance, Inc. is in no way affiliated with the Volkswagen Group. The company uses VW products as the base for their designs and they're self-proclaimed fans of the mark. If you would like to browse used VWs, please view our inventory online or in person at 1499 E. Camelback Rd.