TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Dec 25, 2005 10:46 am

i thought the same, and i would advise a bar that goes above the windscreen too, i would try my best not to join tubes and if i did i would sleves then and try and get them in a none strength area, AHHHHHHHHHH just noticed you have done it atleast twice , BUD please sort it out

Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:52 pm

i know i know, they need to be sleeved, i thought about it once i was done, go figure. what would be the best way to sleeve them? they are butt jointed because i dont have the car where i am bending the tube, so its hard to get it all perfect. the pieces have to be bent, and then cut/welded to fit. its a pain. i just need a bender.. the front part of the cage isnt done yet, it still needs some braces, and then gussets.

Mon Dec 26, 2005 2:26 pm

ok. both down tubes are sleeved, and i still need to do the mid hoop. decided to come home early today, too many people were coming by the shop wanting stuff.

does anyone have any pics or anything of swinging side bars on a baja? im talking about the bars that run just inside the door. i saw some on a tb ird, figured it would be cool to have them swing out, so its easier to get into.

also. what do you guys think of using pull pins on the tube that will hold the upper harness mounts. i want to be able to remove it to access the back of the car.

Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:01 am

takotruckin wrote: its a 3.8 supercharged v6 from a Tbird Supercoupe. just got it running again this week. now i need to finish up the cooling and it will be drivable

HOLY FUCK!! :shock: :shock: damn man was it hard to fit in? what year is your baja? :?:

Sat Dec 31, 2005 1:00 pm

well, it wasnt really that hard to fit in there. i had to cut the firewall out. that was about it. the car is a 71

Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:26 pm

what are you going to do when the sway bar up front that holds the super beetle front end breaks and the tires buckle out? just be careful with that, maybe theres a way to strengthen that up i don't know.i just know that i would never baja a super beetle no matter what.
chase

Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:35 am

Seems like a mid engine mount would have gave more balance to the car.

Mon Jan 02, 2006 11:03 am

Ferretkona wrote: Seems like a mid engine mount would have gave more balance to the car.
right, but it would be tricky to fabricate the mounts, then you have to worry about flipping the differential in the transmission, as well as the new shifting issue. for a moderately low dollar car, the rear mount would suffice as long as you put the gas tank, battery, and maybe a spare tire up front.

Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:51 pm

brads right, it would have been hard and cost alot of money. the balance isnt bad, and the battery is still in the rear. once i throw a l/p beam on, the battery is going up front, im probably gonna end up with a big bumper/spare tire mount.

Sat Feb 04, 2006 6:37 pm

well, today i de-supered my superbeetle. the front suspension is all gone.

here is what i started with. once the radiator and gas tank were out.

here it is with everything out.

pardon the nasty cuts, their gonna get cleaned up next weekend once i get the plasma cutter going.

heres my pile O' spare parts. anyone wanna buy some awesome coilovers??? notice the ghetto fab lift spacer?

now its time to start putting the l/p beam in. lots of fun.

Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:32 pm

the tunnel is now cut back to the master cylinder, and the sides are cut even with the firewall. i ordered a jaz 16gal poly prostreet fuel cell with sender. a holley 255lph pump, and some bushings and such from moore. 500 bucks later, im gonna have a bunch of parts getting here this week :P
i also need to buy some more steel, somehow i burnt through 4 sticks of it already.
guess what! jegs gave me free 2 day shipping on the fuel cell and pump. good thing, the cell might have been expensive to ship.

Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:38 pm

more progress!!
i got my beam mounted, check it out.

what you guys think?

well, i think i put my adjusters on a little too tight.the arms sure dont lay down much. im gonna wait and see how it looks once i get the cell and radiator mounted. if its still too stiff, could i remove a leaf, to temporarily soften it?

Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:05 pm

Looks like you have got some work done. Are your adjusters all the way up, or can you adjust the leaves down? I do not think I would take a leaf out. But like you said wait till you put some weight on it then see what happens.

Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:53 pm

Are you going to add more support for the beam. Those lower tubes dont look very strong. The upper is close to how I did mine with a bunch of triangulation.

Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:19 am

is your beam bent or is it just the angle of the pic??

Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:16 am

its just the pic. i still need to do a bunch of bracing, i need to put the steering in first though, so i dont put anything in the way. its also gonna get some outer mounts on the lower beam, similar to what jps did

Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:09 am

Glad to hear you are going to add more support to your beam mounts. I think it needs it, and waiting for the steering to be put in is a good idea...

Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:17 pm

i added a brace(red) and think it needs more. how about the green line? would it help?
where else do you guys think a brace would help?

i got the cell mounted, and started on the radiator. no pics though, forgot the camera at home

Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:30 pm

If possible (have to add what is going in it) how about an X brace on the top and one each side for the bottom tube of the beam.

Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:32 pm

The red is a good place for a brace. The green cant hurt, but install the steering first. I would run another piece of tubing from the bottom tube on the beam just below your top mount, straight back to the bottom of the pan. This would make it stronger, as well as keeping the beam from getting bent on a hard impact. The farther out on the beam you brace it, the stronger.