Bad Thing, good buggy

[wythac]

Thought I would help our new friend by posting a few pics of his build from the gallery

[impaleale]

Thanks wythac! I'm a bad friend, I can cut, weld, design but I can't seem to figure out this picture post thing. I read the picture post thing.. And still I can't. That's the frustrating part. I can build a car, but I can't post a picture on this website!

[impaleale]

I have a 76 gas tank from the thing. I noticed a lot of you guys used early tanks. Why? The last buggy I did I put a 8 gallon fuel tank in the back. Did not like it.

[manxdavid]

[impaleale]

Also, I have a thing front beam that I'm about to rebuild. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to take a leaf out? The buggy front ways a lot less and I don't want a hard ride. This will not be a street racer, it needs to do both well.

[joescoolcustoms]

I would suggest not using the Thing spring pack, or at least the center 4 main springs, but getting a set from a Beetle instead. The Thing springs are different and made to support more weight. Three of the main springs are thicker giving a larger spring rate, so removing the small springs will not make that much difference.
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[impaleale]

You are a smart man joe custom. Does anyone have any beetle springs they want to trade? Even with beetle springs it would be on the very stiff side right? Do all of you buggy people take springs out? And if so how many? This my first buggy build without heavy drinking involved. I'm trying to avoid the part at the end where I ask myself "what did I do wrong."

[joescoolcustoms]

I already have a few Thing front torsion packs or I would do some trading. All you need are the 8 wide springs. Bet you could sell the Thing spring leaves for some coin to pay for another set.

In my buggy experience, the ball joint has been tunable with dual adjusters and not have to remove leaves to get a good ride.
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[impaleale]

I don't really know about coin. I had a av thing trans on here for awhile for sale. I ended up selling it for 80$ it need a new rear main seal. I'm still plugging a away at it but my stupid job always gets in the way and my body parts failing on me. This buggy will be done by summer! Even if I have to higher some one to finish it! I'm tired of driving my Jetta.

[impaleale]

Well, I have not given up on my build. It just happened that our dear Uncle Sam needed me to go some place for awhile. I'm about to be home soon and just ordered about 1000$ worth of parts! Here is my question to you all; what degree do you put the back spring plate on at for preloading? If it helps I'm using 3x3 arms and I got a 73 bus trans back there. I left it completely apart. And joe, if my wife has not tossed out those plates you can have them, just need cost of shipping. The internet sucks where I am so doing google search or any search takes awhile.

[joescoolcustoms]

I would start out at about 22* to 23* on the spring plates.
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[impaleale]

[impaleale]

Well, a lot has happened. I got a set of 3x3 trailing arms for my rear. I'm running a bus 002 trans. I also got a 2 inch lift spring plate set. Because of the spring plates I needed longer axels. Duh. I did get the engine in. It's a 1915cc from MoFoCo. Running all the cables through the tunnel now. It's a pain because in my haste to see progress I did not make the tubes 1 again after I cut them. So I'm pretty much threading a needle in my tunnel with a pool bridge device I made. Good times.

[impaleale]

With 14 inch rims rolling 24 inch tires I'm at 14 inches of ground clearance

[impaleale]

Ran the cables and had to shorten the cable cover for the clutch. It's been a real pain useing this bus trans. I really hope it pays off.

[impaleale]

New tires on! 30 inch by 7 inch. Yep, went a different rote with the tires. I will be putting on the front beam this weekend to find out how much I need to turn the beam. Then connect up the shifter and shorten the shifter rod.

[impaleale]

I put the front beam on just to take some measurements. With the Thing front beam it does not appear you can turn the beam or adjust it without the tie rods becoming the suspension stop. Just trying to keep the buggy level. I think it will be close enough I hope.

[joescoolcustoms]

[impaleale]

I was referring to cutting where the grub screws go and rotating and re welding. I don't like the idea of adjusters in it. That's my opinion, but if that 1 bolt breaks your up poop creek. While on that topic, I have seen people talk about setting one adjuster as the "main" if you will and the other a lot lighter. Your putting more strain on the torsion pack! That's how parts wear faster. Dr. Porsche did not do that and neither did Mr. Meyers. You have shocks to smooth your ride. All right, off the soap box and back to the tool box.

[impaleale]

At an airport having a few and thought of my bumper design and had to write down something to remind me later. Ideas strike at the worst time. No tools around and the buggy is far away, that's when the drive strikes the hardest.