TheSamba.com :: View topic - Want a baja, But afraid to cut my 67. Class 11 look???

Sat Aug 20, 2011 4:38 pm

Hi, I got this 67 a couple months ago because overall it's in really good shape. It has a 1600 sp that runs good, no rust anywhere, uncut dash, low back seats, no major dents just a couple dings, straight bumpers,

The bad- It's a 67, I got the worst of both worlds suspension wise, The front has been punched and someone halfway replaced the front clip, but didn't welded it at all or cut it straight.

I dont know if I should just finish it up and cut the back off and make a full baja or repair the front clip and go with a class 11 style and keep the full body so I dont regret cutting up a pretty straight bug? I hear people saying 67 is rare, but I see a ton of them on the classifieds here. Doesn't seem all that rare or unique to me.

Anyway, Let me know what you have and why you went that route. I'm leaning towords class 11 style, so info if you have one would be great.This is what I think would be great to have. Looks functional and fun.

Anyway what would you do and why?

Sat Aug 20, 2011 6:14 pm

i'd say hoodride it.

Sat Aug 20, 2011 6:26 pm

bomberbaja wrote: i'd say hoodride it.

67 is the biggest POS year with all the 1 year only parts chop it up :twisted:

Sat Aug 20, 2011 6:50 pm

Man, tough decision. I have a 68' Baja, IRS/balljoint set up for now. It was already chopped since it was face planted between two posts, so the front was wrinkled a bit.
If you decide to chop it PLEASE let me know. I have a friend that may be interested in the rear deck and apron.

Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:31 pm

there a few baja's listed on Craigslist up there in your general area, one for as low as $350.00 and I think it said it has a title, and fix up your 67 as a nice street car.

Casey

Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:55 pm

I would probably keep the '67 and find another one to Baja, possibly a later car with IRS.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 3:22 am

That thing with these wheels would be dope!!! For sure! Even with the half ass paint job. in fact the paint job would make it cooler in my opinion.
Keep it a street bug and get a 69' as a baja.

http://www.chircoestore.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=13687&image=0

I make my decision b/c my first baja was a 67'. I bought it pre-bajaed, some one else made it a baja.
I later switched to an IRS bug b/c i wanted a better rear suspension (and i wanted that b/c i realized how fun these cars are off road with a stock suspension, so a wider and longer track [3x3 trailing arms] would be funner).

I guess it depends on how far you want to go with this thing. Honestly in my opinion, a swing axle dosent make a great class 11 b/c you cant lift it with out getting camber on the rear wheels.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 5:54 am

Keep the 67 stock and get a baja that's already hacked. If you do cut the 67 rear clip off don't trash it - it's a 1 year only apron and decklid. Check the ads here for value.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:41 am

I am not one to give good advice because of my history. Here is how I see it, the '67 is special because it is a one year only.

But, the front has been wrecked and hacked hard and that will never be original again. So the value of the "one year only" has dropped greatly for a collector car. Finish welding the front on and use it for your off roading as you like. Either as a C-11 or a cut up baja.

Here is what I cut up to make my baja. It was close to a parts car and without a $ 50 K restoration, would never be a valuable collector again.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:56 am

Baja bugs are easy to find, the work to convert yours to irs isnt worth it. There are some nuts out there that will pay up because its one year only. Find one thats cut up already and save yourself the work. You can sell the 67 for more than a 69 baja will cost, and be alot closer to what you want with $$$ to improve.
I would love an oval baja, but only if it was cut up already or rusted mess.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:17 pm

Class 11 style is what I'd do. Looks a lot cooler IMO, and like the previous poster said cheap bajas are a dime a dozen. There's not much need to hack up decent cars with how many there are around.

You know you want to. 8)

Sun Aug 21, 2011 2:54 pm

Thanks for your input guys. I would really like to have a street bug and baja also. Maybe I'll just find someones baja project and take it over. Here in Nevada, we have emissions tests that have to be done on 68 and newer year vehicles. I figured with a 67 I would be able to do whatever to the motor and not have to worry about passing emissions requirements. The problem with that is IRS 69 and later pans have to pass emissions test but earlier 65 kingpin front pans woun't. Either way I'm gonna covert mine to IRS for safety reasons. well, thats my dillema. I'll try to find a baja pre 66 so I get the kingpin front end. My garage is only so big. Don't know if I want 2 projects in it at once.LOL. well maybe I do. :D

Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:00 pm

It has been shown many times in this forum how to convert a BJ front to a LP front. If you have the ability to convert to IRS, you can do the conversion to LP.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:18 pm

Yeah I'm pretty confident I could do the irs conversion but cutting the framehead off and welding it perfectly straight back on may be a bit difficult. I also see you have GRB rear on your oval. Do you like how it works? I was thinking of going Thing BJ front and GRB rear but with all the stuff I hear about swing axles it turns me off to the idea of getting one. It would be good to hear from a person who actually has and uses one.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:38 pm

On the BJ to LP conversions on this site, they did not cut the frame head off, they modified it to accept the closer tubes of the LP, safely.

I cannot say how the RGB does yet, have not finished it.

Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:33 pm

I would go class 11 style. I am in Reno as well..

Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:05 pm

Awesome, i'm glad to find vw people here in Reno. There's a few of us around the area. mrbajadude is in yerington and has been very helpfull with info and parts he may know people are selling. Anyway, I have decided to go with the class 11 look. Here is the writeup I've been doing for it now. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=485091&highlight= As soon as I get more than a day off I'll have to meet all the Reno area vw peeps. :D