TheSamba.com :: View topic - the cost to build a simple daily-driver Baja Bug?

Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:56 pm

Hi Guys,

I'm new with this kind of stuff. HELP ME. Budget is at $3,500.

I have been looking though the classifieds and getting some ideas on what I would like to do with a baja bug. I have questions for you all.

Suppose I find/buy a rolling 60'-67' baja bug with no motor for, say, 250?

Now, I would like a simple baja with back seats and drive it as a reliable daily-driver. Let's say, I buy a rebuild 1776cc single port (want to keep it as stock as possible) along with the upholstery, 26"-28" tires and maybe a matte black paint job?

Would I be able to make my budget of 3,500?

OR

DO I JUST BUY A BAJA READY BUG and RISK IT INTO HOPING IT WONT BREAK DOWN AS MUCH?

I would love to hear your advices! Have a good day!!

Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:00 pm

Buying the motor will be majority of your budget.

I would buy a prebuilt one, save up for if something happens to the motor. It's the cheapest way to go. A simple baja can be had for cheap if you can do all the body work, tube bending, welding and etc.

The route I took was to buy a cheap pos and slap some tires on it and then try to break it.

Wed Sep 24, 2014 8:50 pm

you should be able to find a good running reliable beetle/baja for about 2k then as needed use the extra $ for anything you want to personalize- paint,tires ect.. making a simple baja "fiberglass fenders" is cheap

Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:59 am

Playing devils advocate. For 1500 bucks more, you could have something pretty bitchin. Look around and keep adding to the fund

Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:04 am

Exactly - unless you HAVE to have the car today, keep saving money until you find the right car and you will have the money for a nicer car or a bigger budget to fix/modify. Be patient. Took me 6 months to find my 65 bug, but it was worth it.

Complete decent cars end up being cheaper than something you have to build/fix.

Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:14 am

Give this guy 4 and drive it back from Nevada. All ya gotta do is cage it.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1694253

Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:23 am

I'd sell my adult children that live with me, for about 4500 and go get this, Holmes... I'd pass my house and keep driving after I made her mine 8)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1661025

Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:02 am

the cost to build a simple daily-driver Baja Bug?

This is not enough information. Is your daily drive 20 miles or 200 miles? Is it to San Diego or Scotty's Castle? Does simple mean pretty and reliable or just plain cheap? Will you start from a partial car or a bare shell? Do you want all new, top quality stuff or someone else's used up treasures?

If all you want is a short range commuter, maybe a cosmetic Baja works, but a full fendered car is better in most ways. Buy an early 70's Bug and put a tune up, brakes, shocks and tires on it. This fits the budget.
If you want an occasional commuter and occasional light weight off roader, then a standard travel, stock motored simple Baja may be the thing. It likely needs the same stuff as above and cost about the same whether you cut up a sedan yourself or buy someone else's. The budget is less predictable here as the options are very tempting.
If you want to go deep or fast off road, then a wild long travel . big motor car is the thing, and it will cost lots more than your budget.

As for building budgets, do your homework with the online catalogs and the books out there starting with Hibbard's work.
A fresh engine will cost from $1K to $4K.
A fresh transmission will cost from $1K to $2K.
A set of shocks cost from $150 to $1K.
Wheels and tires cost from $500 to $1500.
Interiors cost from $100 to $2500.
Fenders, decks and bumpers for a Baja cost from $1k to $5K.
Paint costs $50 to $5K.

So maybe your budget will work, and you will definitely find these estimates very simple. I never can build to my estimates either, but it is a start.

Dennis

Thu Sep 25, 2014 10:13 am

Well, leave it to Dennis to let you know your woman's ugly. 8)

Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:15 am

that's a good question,

I'll let ya know when I get done spending money but I don't think that'll be anytime soon. Hope you weren't in a hurry for that answer.

Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:28 am

Okay thanks for all the advice! One more thing. My VW friends are telling me it's better to get a '67 or under for better value and the value of the car stays. Is that correct? That way I can sell it for the same price in the future?

Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:35 am

if you take a car and go full baja it doesnt matter what year it is.

well unless its 57 and under. thats a whole different issue. 67 and under are swingaxle and 65 under have link pin beams, that's all you should care about for offroad use. Search "baja bugs for virgins" mal did a great write up for beginners

Thu Sep 25, 2014 3:44 pm

Buy one that is mostly done then go from there. Get an irs car. Can always put a conversion beam on much easier than swapping swing to irs. Travel as far as it takes to get it.

Thu Sep 25, 2014 4:06 pm

All of the above is good advice.

Brian says to check Mal_Evolent's Baja Bugs For Virgins. That''s very good advice. The knowledge is important. A Baja Bug isn't a car you take to the dealership when it has a problem.

wyattsdad's advice is very good too and is basically what I would recommend, whether you build one yourself or buy one already built.

SoCal is chock full of Baja Bugs already. There is little sense in starting from scratch to build a "new" one. To start off, and especially for a DD, a radical Baja is not a good choice. Get your toes wet before you dive off the tower into the pail of water, ya know?

My 58 Baja has over 800,000 miles on it, many of those as a daily driver. It can work, though many these days will tell you otherwise.

In fact, there are a couple of Bajas sitting in my back yard right now which the owner of is talking about selling. I'm about to move and they both need to find new homes. One is a 64, the other is a 74. They would take a little work to get them daily driver ready, but at WAY below your budget. So if you want to know more, PM me.

Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:06 pm

Some years back I bought a 63-based baja with no engine for $1000 to be my winter driver here in Colorado. I happened to have a stock 1600 DP. Here's the story:

http://www.maxwelton2k.net/baja/

Max

Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:23 pm

It all depends on what your end goal is. Do you want a looker, a toy or a race-car?

Read everything before buying. You need to know the differences in suspension types, transmissions and body lines.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=490543&highlight=baja+virgin

Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:48 pm

Well, the original post says "simple baja with back seats and drive it as a reliable daily-driver".

Max

Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:33 pm

HERC wrote: I'd sell my adult children that live with me, for about 4500 and go get this, Holmes... I'd pass my house and keep driving after I made her mine 8)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1661025

Back in April I saw that car online for 4000. I was going to look at it but I was sick and I had finals that week. It was pretty nuts but very impractical even for a Baja Bug. No speedometer, just a tach. NO side windows at all and the mirrors mounted inside and out. This guy just bought it to turn a profit I had seen it pop up in a different place not even a month later.

Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:59 pm

Yeah, I'd like something like that very much but is it reliable? For me, i don't judge it by its cover.

Thu Sep 25, 2014 9:19 pm

One thing that I would judge this car off the cover is, it looks sturdy. Note the bend on the lip of the front wheel. How did that happen? Probably driving hard.

But in reality, there is no way to know that other than knowing the health of every metal bit on it