The dirt track beater bug

[stevensj13]

So, not really sure what to call it. It isn't a baja, but its a bit offroady and I intend to use it offroad. Less crawling around the woods and more, blasting around corn fields and whatnot. Dirt tracker is the closest thing I could think of. Anyway, its a 1976 standard Beetle I got with another car as a parts car. I fixed and have since sold the other car, made a big profit, and now have this pile lying around. I figured I'd do something with it. Has a 1600 dual port that was fuel injected but now has a stock carburetor setup courtesy of a previous owner. It has almost no floor, a partially stuck front brake drum, rotted rear brake line, and very little actually functions BUT it will be FUN! I'm gonna try and document some of the repairs and lunacy that entails with this car so follow along and watch the downward spiral of hackery and shenanigans

This was basically the car about a year ago when I first got it. You can see the yellow '73 in front of it, thats the car that I actually invested time and money into

The '76 kinda did this all winter

A few days ago, it looked basically the same as the first pic from when I first got it. Then, yesterday, I got motivated and did some things

I like where this is going

Magnificent.

And heres a quick and dirty photoshop of what I want it to look like next spring when I put it on the road.

_________________
Current: '73 standard (yellow) '76 standard (rust/gold )
Sold:
1967 Baja Bug
1973 Super (x2)
1971 Super
1968 bug on CJ 5 chassis w/ super swampers
1970 Baja

[SamT]

We used to have a blast in a 73 super that we had gutted and removed the fenders like your car. We put dirt track tires on it on wide offset wheels and would go tear ass down dirt roads. pretty much exactly what your doing. It was alot of fun. Id leave it stock ride heigth if you ever plan to do offroading or your roads are real cut up.
Its amzing how the handle on dirt with wide tires.

[stevensj13]

[stevensj13]

Well, more progress today. Since there is no floor at all left on the passenger side, including the battery tray, I relocated the battery to the driver side using a long power cable I had kicking around and relocated the ground. I aired up the tires, filled the float bowl and made it into the back yard before it ran out filled the bowl again, got it back in the driveway. I was gonna throw my little electric fuel pump and a test-tank in it (FI engine so no mechanical pump) but the inlet fitting on the pump sprung a pin hole leak. Tomorrow I'm going to pick up another fitting and hope to have the fuel system done, engine running decent, and the car moving around by the end of the day tomorrow. Then, I can focus on brakes.

_________________
Current: '73 standard (yellow) '76 standard (rust/gold )
Sold:
1967 Baja Bug
1973 Super (x2)
1971 Super
1968 bug on CJ 5 chassis w/ super swampers
1970 Baja

[mikec4193]

Hey Stevens

I will be following along on this build...I am huge oval track guy and would love to build a retro "mini-stock" as they used to call them back when they ran them on he local dirt tracks in my neck back in the late 1970's. Bob Hackel build some of the fastest stuff around...too bad the class got out of hand and interest waned as time went along...

Dont forget numbers on the doors and nerf bars too...I am loving this...right up my alley...looks affordable too...

thanks for posting on here...

MikeC
_________________
Dad bought his first Beetle on Dec 17, 1953.

[stevensj13]

[stevensj13]

So, another update. The driver front wheel has been hanging up pretty bad since I bought the car. I turned it until I found a relatively loose spot and then slid the drum off and this is what I found:

Yeah, gnarly . Luckily I kept the old shoes off my '73 from when I replaced those (about 65% remaining) and I have some wheel cylinders on hand to get everything inside the drum working again.

Regardless, I took it for a little drive around the yard and down the dead-end street I live on now that I have a fuel system.

Just some pics for fun

By the way, anyone have a stock muffler they'd like to donate to this pile
_________________
Current: '73 standard (yellow) '76 standard (rust/gold )
Sold:
1967 Baja Bug
1973 Super (x2)
1971 Super
1968 bug on CJ 5 chassis w/ super swampers
1970 Baja

[mikec4193]

Is that not the coolest looking VW on here or what?.....that stance is spot on....a highboy beetle with no fenders...doesnt get any better than that....wish I had parts to send to you...but I dont...keep plugging along on it...

MikeC
_________________
Dad bought his first Beetle on Dec 17, 1953.

[stevensj13]

[stevensj13]

Update time. Found some wheel cylinders new in box that I've had in my stash for almost 4 years. They are for the rear of a '70 but other than the bore being slightly smaller (if I remember correctly) they are essentially the same as fronts. Since this car will only see dirt use for the time being they'll be fine. I also dug out the shoes I pulled out of my '73 last winter when I did the shoes on that and threw those on. all the adjusters were siezed, I broke those loose and popped em out, cleaned em up on the wire wheel and put them back together with a little tube and everything seems copacetic now. I bought a 3rd brake light switch to plug the rear brake line port of the master cyl, tomorrow we'll see if I can bleed the front brakes and get them functional! I also changed the oil today, but I really need a muffler before I run it too long.

Here were the brakes on the driver side as I found them. The passenger side looked the same

Heres what they looked like with the adjusters free'd up, new/used shoes, and the new wheel cylinders

And, all assembled.

_________________
Current: '73 standard (yellow) '76 standard (rust/gold )
Sold:
1967 Baja Bug
1973 Super (x2)
1971 Super
1968 bug on CJ 5 chassis w/ super swampers
1970 Baja