1970 vw beetle to a baja project. preplanning questions.

[klx300]

Right now I am in the first stage of transforming my beetle into a street legal Baja. This is the planning stage. I already emailed chirco performance for prices and some questions. It's funny after you get through you start thinking about other items to ask about.
Anyone know of any vw parts/specialist close to Wyoming? I have done business with chirco performance before. I recently learned about aircooled.net but it didn't seem like they had the selection like chirco had. But they are closer. Anyone have any issues with either one, or good experiences?
One thing popped into my mind was I know at one time a/c was an option with a beetle. Does anyone know of an electric heater/ac unit that could be mounted in the trunk area? Also does anyone know of a roof rack system for them. I have seen from some used ones that at one time roof racks were available. The reason for the heat and a/c is to make it more useable year round. Right now I am working on a parts list and a price list. thanks in advance for your help.

[DHale_510]

One thing popped into my mind was I know at one time a/c was an option with a beetle. Does anyone know of an electric heater/ac unit that could be mounted in the trunk area?

Some Beetles got AC by dealers but they were not a good fit. There is no room for either the condenser nor evaporator radiators, at least not out of harm's way. The compressor mounts on the engine also are lots of trouble. None were both heat and cool things. An electric one would seriously overwork a Beetle alternator. maybe you could steal this stuff from a Priuos sled.
Tradition was a good wool blanket.
Electric seat heaters are now common in the Jeep world and would work on a Beetle, at least with the wool blanket....

Also does anyone know of a roof rack system for them. I have seen from some used ones that at one time roof racks were available. The reason for the heat and a/c is to make it more usable year round.

Lots of good custom made Baja roof racks are made, the really good ones bolt to tabs that poke through the roof from the full cage beneath. The screw to the rain gutter street toy racks are trouble even over mall bumps.

Dennis[/b]

[philthy]

We're closer to you than Chirco is. (save on shipping!) Take a peek at our site (desktop is best for ordering). We don't have a lot in regards to Baja (ie: Baja fiberglass and off road suspension) but we have plenty of items you will need. Off road exhaust, KYB shocks, and other minor items we usually have in stock. Also, if you want a more permanent attachment point for a roof rack, look into nutserts. Particularly the thin metal versions. I have a bunch and use them regularly and love them. Just put a little Teflon sealant (like you use on pipes, liquid sealant) and you're good to go.


aircooled.net
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74 Baja 1600 Dual ICT

[klx300]

Phil,
I did email aircooled.net. My next step is going to browse yours and chirco's catalogs. Compare prices, things you don't carry etc. Then I will make my wish list.

[klx300]

Does anyone know who makes roof racks, or is it something a person will have to have custom built. I am considering getting the roll cage for it.

I have been looking at different videos, and realized that simple and cheapest way to go is to get rear body kit, rear bumper and tires and it could be considered a baja.

So I will have to make some decisions, whether to start out cheap and improve as I go on, or while I have it torn apart to do everything at one shot. I probably will get a full body kit, because that way a person could get it painted at one time, less likely chance of two different colors..

[philthy]

First and foremost, your brakes, steering and fuel system should receive some attention. For the roof rack, I know a bunch of guys who bought 3/4" tubing and bent it themselves, then MIG'd it up. That way they could add custom accessories like lights and so on. If you can't find a used fiberglass kit on your area, Mark V fiberglass makes some of best kits available. Based out of Nevada, so it's not too (ie California) far away. They try to box stuff together to save on shipping. Building a Baja in stages isn't a bad idea, and honestly there is no such thing as an ugly Baja. I don't care what anyone says. Ask others if they are done messing with theirs. Since the rear is easier to modify (no headlight issues) you can start there. Better filter for the carb, and a Baja exhaust (I really like the Trimil version with the muffler).
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74 Baja 1600 Dual ICT

[philthy]

Oh and by the way, instead of 30's on the back, try 255/70-15 General AT's. About same overall height but wider, and run about 100 each, which is better than 30's usually. Try it on a 15x8, bot not one with 2.xx" backspace, or the tire will stick out from fender, which may not be legal in your state.
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74 Baja 1600 Dual ICT

[klx300]

I am thinking of going with a disk brake conversion, I plan on either rebuilding or replacing the carb. Currently I plan on sticking with the stock fuel tank.

I haven't looked at tires yet. I did see 15 inch rims available. With the 255/70-15 General AT's can you run them on the front and the back? I was hoping to run the same size tire, makes it easier when carrying a spare. The larger rear and smaller front look a littler better though. What do you recommend steering wise? thanks..

[TDCTDI]

Are you going full bodied, cut down or fiberglass kit? What wheels are you planning on? The wheels I have won't clear calipers without spacers, so be careful how you chose.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[klx300]

I am thinking about the fiberglass kit. The run around 600 and you can get a new trunk lid, nose piece, fenders and rear deck air scoop.
I am not sure what wheels yet. I will be checking aircooled and chirco to see what they offer and if they have any suggestions.

[philthy]

http://m.summitracing.com/search/department/wheels.../4-x-130mm

255 for rear only. If you want the same all around, 235/75 is the better bet, but might be sluggish in the steering. Bajas are generally built with narrow fronts, wide rears. So long as the front and rear are close in diameter, the spare should be close to that as well
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74 Baja 1600 Dual ICT

[DHale_510]

I built a Baja Bug [a red '62 close eye with a 1200 and stock heater boxes] for my father many years ago that he used as a vehicle to do back country building inspections in Idaho year round. He was based in Cascade if you happen to know Idaho and his area covered about 1/4 of the state, little pavement around there. It snows there. It often drops below -20 too. Had a hard time with spin on oil filters backing off with that temperature range. The pedals would ice up sometimes because there was not enough heat to melt the snow from his boots around them.
He drove mostly on logging type dirt roads year around. He eventually replaced the Bug with a Subaru, mostly for the heater I think, it wasn't nearly as much fun.
In the summer we ran the then "normal" white spoke 8" rear wheels and wider tires and 4" front wheels with bug size tires [ 4" x 26" or so?]. Those days they were using the old letter designations, not the inch or mm sizing used today, and it was many years ago.... It worked really well in the dry and mud.
This did not work once the roads became snow and ice covered, the car would track different ruts front and rear and jump all around. Trucks all make big long lasting ruts and they are all different spacings. The Bug was generally too light to make ruts, at least in comparison. We put equal front type wheels and snow tires all around and it worked fine. Mostly tried to keep it out of the ruts on top of the centers of the pack.
I suppose now I would set it up with 7.00 x 15 truck snow type tires all around on 4" or 5" wheels in the winter, and 30" x 15" Jeep type tires on 7" or 8" wheels in the back during summer weather.
Dennis

[klx300]

I appreciate all the Good info. It gives me a lot to ponder on. I realize that my first thing is to figure out what I want the end bug to look like. I am looking at doing the equal height on the tires, torn between same width or wide rear and narrow fronts, I have seen picture of all types, it makes it hard. To make mine drivable, I need tires, 2 out of four hold air, none of them are really road worthy. I will also need to clean/replace the carb. The steering, I will need to check over and possibly up grade. The brakes I plan on doing a conversion, and probably replace the master cylinder at the same time. I noticed that with most of the baja, they have the 5 lug wheel, is that system a little better? I have seen the 4 lug disk brake conversion set up for about (i am going by memory) about $90 per tire. That should make it road worthy. But once I do the tire, I will most likely need to do the body kit. It has one bad spot on the floor pan on the front passenger side, which will need some attention. One part of me wants to get it all done in one shot, but the other part says, do it a bit at a time and use it. If a person can use it, it make it easier to put more into it, and also not have down for too long of a period.

[TDCTDI]

Unless your pockets are deeper than most, do it a little bit at a time, you'll experience lots of down time either way but if you get to enjoy it in between, you're less likely to give up on it. Doing it one part or system at a time allows you to change it as it progresses & as your vision of the project changes. Start simple & cheap & upgrade as you go. If you don't have a body kit yet, get the tires you want, trim the existing body to clear them, get the brakes, steering & engine working optimally & drive it, enjoy it & decide where to go next.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[klx300]

Well I have been looking at different parts and pricing out things. I still need to do some more research, but the first thing I am going to do, is do an inspection, I know the brakes currently work, I will look over the steering, and the rubber fuel line looks good. I am not sure whether to clean the carb myself, have a shop clean it, or get new. Last time I talked to a shop, was for a 1 barrel carb and they were talking around a $120.00 or so, about the same price as a new one for that vehicle. But, the weber carb I have for my beetle, would be considered a 2 barrel, which would be more, and a new one is about $550.00. I did clean it before, I did notice, that the last person who owned damaged the support for the float on one side, but the float appears to work properly, the pin feels solid. When I originally cleaned it, I thought I was having carb issues until lately, when I realized that I could have had tight valves, and I was correct.
I have been looking in this forum and doing internet searches, on different aspects of making a Baja, so far, I have seen some with the same size tires all around, some with wider rears and narrow fronts, and very few with actual smaller tires on front. Wheels and tires will have to be my first big purchase. The painted wheels are inexpensive, its the tires that are going to cost you. I have some questions about tires. Would the rim be the same width for a 255/70-15 as for a 235/75-15? If I were to run a 255/70-15 back, what would be the ideal front tire and wheel size? I might actually have some older 235/75-15, but I would have to check the size they are on another project vehicle, that was parked for few years, had it running and parked again.
My other thought was going to get the body 3 inch lift kit. They run about $250.00, but after some research on line, it looks like people have issues with the steering shaft and placement. The other problem I had, is then I would have to fix the on edge on the floor pan, and then possible body work, then with it apart might as well paint..... With this I will wait and do a little more research, and maybe do it at the same time as the body kit.
I cannot find much on the laws in Wyoming, does any else know for sure? I did find information on lift laws, and it is uncertain if there is any laws on fenders and mud flaps. It pretty much says for the vehicle to be in safe operating condition.
The reason I am wondering, is I have two choices. 1. Cut down the fenders so the new tires will fit. 2. Remove the fenders, (possibly sell them)and get a set of cheap lights and temporarily wire them in, until I get to the point of doing a body kit. Down the road I plan on getting a new wire harness.
The rear apron I am not sure whether to leave it in tact, whether to cut part of it out, or wait till, I get an exhaust or body kit.

[philthy]

205/75= 5"
215/75= 6"
235/75= 7"
30×9.5= 7/8"
255/70= 8"

Those widths seem to work pretty well to allow proper handling and tire wear
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74 Baja 1600 Dual ICT

[TexasAxMan]

[Bugzilla]

Howdy, neighbor! Where in Wyoming are you? I'm in the Black Hills (SD).

Have you considered going with the Class 11 style? This is not mine, but it runs around out here and it has really got me thinking about building something like it:

(click for more info)

It's running 215/75/15 General AT's all the way around, stock fenders with 3" lift spindles.

I can tell you from experience if you tear into it too far and "bite off more than you can chew" it will become a 10 year project... haha (your mileage may vary).

T

[philthy]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=G...;tab=Specs

Go to specs and look at the width recommendation for the 255/70. 6-8.5. Tread width is 8.6" with a 10.2" section width
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74 Baja 1600 Dual ICT

[dustymojave]