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Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:03 am

Hi to all off-roaders. I'm lookin' to buy a baja bug for weekend fun (I've been doin' the street bug thing for a while now) and have found one locally. Good points: '69 baja, 2276 dual webers, bus trans engine runs well (started up and held idle very quickly & engine felt to have good power but the only other 2276 that I have to compare it to is my street bug and it is turbo'd so not a fair compairison) and the bug felt solid on my test drive. Bad points: engine smoked on start up and has multiple oil leaks (I know- bug with oil leaks) the clutch feels very stiff and not adjusted properly (it doesnt engage until almost fully released), clutched slipped on hard accel going into 3rd, howling noise on decel from trans, would not down shift into second (grinds) until almost stopped. The guy is asking $3900 for it- any thoughts on a counter offer and possibly what the trans will need. The engine stuff I can handle myself. Thanks for the help.

Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:21 am

For what it's worth- my baja has a bus trans, and I thought I had a bad trans at first too due to a similar grinding situation. My car has a Scat shifter, and due to the adjustment of it or the style of my shift linkage, the reverse lockout doesn't work. I figured out that if I keep my shift throw parallel to the car, it works fine. Initially, I had a tendency to pull more toward my leg when downshifting from third to second, and it would grind like crazy then.

My trans is an 091, and it howls in reverse. Go figure. :?

Hope that helps. Sounds like the car definitely has some pros as well as cons. I always use 10% as a rule of thumb (minimum) when making counteroffers.

Show us some pics when/if you buy it!

Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:25 am

thanks for the input- if I do get it I will throw some pics up- I do know reverse works, it doesn't pop out of gears, all four gears go in when upshifting, but downshifting appears to be the problem. This may also be due to the clutch adjustment. The noise on decel is a howl/growl type sound I noticed it on decel from about 60mph in 4th.

Mon Apr 13, 2009 5:14 pm

Any News, did you get it.

Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:36 pm

No, doesn't look like I'll be getting it. The trans howl is a ring and pinion issue (backlash), the engine (after a longer test drive) began to have a knock. Even after this I offered him $3000, but I have not heard back from him. The baja thing will go on the back burner for now while I work on getting a cage for my street/stip bug.

Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:28 am

Well I finally found a baja! 1970 from Escondido. It has a single port 1600 in it (not for long), but is fun none the less. Here are some pics:

Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:32 am

very clean looking. how much?

Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:35 am

$2800, it is fresh paint, the closer you get the more you notice though. I think it was still worth it.

Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:58 am

Very nice. Your patience paid off.
Nice paint, now it's time to scratch it up. :D

Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:00 am

I want to take it up to idylwild and go play in the snow this winter, then out to ocotillo and glamis in the spring, then tear it down for the new engine in the summer.

Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:54 pm

Well the engine and trans upgrades are starting earlier than previously thought. In the pile of engine parts at my dad's house we came across a 1776 short block that was never completed (case wasn't bolted together yet) and a new set of Cima 90.5 pistons and barrels new (except for the years of dirt on them), so the engine had to come out. The transaxle had a bit of grind going into 2nd, so I decided to pull that out and will be getting a rebuild and regearing to that aswell, here are the picks:

Here is the case (I have removed the internals):

These are the barrels and pistons (no rings on the pistons) & you can see one of the heads to the right side:

Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:50 pm

I live in Pine Cove, a couple miles north of Idyllwild. If you get up this way pm me. I know some nice roads for the bajas.

Good find on your baja!

Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:28 pm

Just got the transaxle back from Jim (DerTransaxle). Some of the stuff done to it: 4.37 r/p, gears (1st through 4th): 3.80, 2.06, 1.48, 1.04, also a super diff and the normal rebuild stuff. My main goal with this trans is for it to drive like a stock bug but with the 31x10.5 tires. Here's the pic:

Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:09 pm

I really like the color!

Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:14 am

Love the tranny. Can I ask what you paid?

Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:57 am

Am I the only one thinking "$50 down on First St"? :lol:

Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:23 pm

The trans is in the baja now. It is the normal price for a transaxle from DerTransaxle. $1295.05, although, price for something like this is based on what is good in your trans, what parts are available, and what brands of parts you want in them. You may pay more or less than I did, but I will tell you Jim is nothing but fair & honest.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:22 pm

The new dash pad is in now & so is the headliner. A sun-roof headliner is a pain in the butt to install. The pics show a few wrinkles, but it does look better in person. Also, I have new tires- 235x75r15 front, 31x10.5r15 rear- pathfinders. Here are some pics:

Now back to the engine. I'm waiting on the heads (should be ready in about 2 weeks) and the engine will be ready to go, I can't wait to be driving it.

Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:37 am

Use heat gun for wringles.

Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:18 pm

The heat of summer will releave the wrinkles. It stretched them out of my street bugs headliner.