Possible potential Baja???

[BeaterBeetle70]

Here is my 1970 bug, she is my daily driver with a rebuilt 1500 single port in back (I was originally told 1600 but engine code has the H). But anyway! I've always loved Baja's, more than slammed cal bugs. This is my first car which I've had for 4 years now so I've decided to reach out to you pros to what y'all would suggest for a Baja conversation this summer.
Stock wheels in front with disc brakes, empi 8 spokes in rear (195/75). Kyb gas shocks all around. 2tip performance exhaust and jtubes attached to the engine. Besides cosmetics, that's about it.
SO feel free to drop me any pointers! Thanks a mil! Cheers!

[Mal evolent]

set aside the rear wheels. too easy to break them off road. everybody runs the same cheap steel wheels for a good reason.

Check out the Baja Bugs For Volkswagen Virgins link at the bottom of this post.
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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[BeaterBeetle70]

[Dürtwagen]

The white 15 inch baja wheels with the the red and blue stripes that everybody runs on there buggies are just fine. If you want the staggered look they make ones for the rear with a huge offset. That's what I run on mine and it looks aggressive.
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1974 VW baja bug
1979 Mercedes Benz 300D

[dustymojave]

As far as the engine size, it's a 50 year old engine. Likely to have lost its virginity decades ago. One could turn a 1200cc engine into a 1600. The pistons and cylinders of a 1500 and a 1600 are interchangeable. The cranks are the same. The heads are the same. The intake is the same. The flywheel and clutch are the same.

When rebuilding a VW aircooled engine, the cylinders and pistons are replaced. 1600 parts are easier to get and the same price as 1500 parts. It's free horsepower and the same fuel economy. There's no way to tell from outside the engine which size the cylinders are. (Well...There IS a way with a P&G displacement meter, but that's not common equipment even for any mechanic to have) Even for a museum restoration, it would make sense to use 1600 parts on what started life at the factory with a 1500.

I really don't understand why so many are so eager to cut up a full body Bug into a Baja. There are SO many Baja body shells out there. Why does everyone want to re-invent the wheel? There were once millions of Bugs in the US. They aren't so common these days.

For parts like wheels, check the classified section for wheels and for offroad parts used.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Dürtwagen]

I have to agree with dustymojave, I love baja bugs but I would never convert a beetle myself, it's a pain in the ass... it's not just bolt off the beetle parts and bolt on the baja parts. You'll be sawing off the entire front and back of the body to accommodate the fiber glass parts, and those don't just bolt on you have to drill your own holes and make it all fit and look straight.. and you probably wouldnt be driving it for a while during the conversion.
You can buy a baja with no engine and swap the motors back and forth or whatever but like dustymojave said there are tons of baja shells and rollers out there already converted. Just my 2 cents ,
And for the record I love slammed patina beetles just as much as baja, so this post is un biased
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1974 VW baja bug
1979 Mercedes Benz 300D

[BeaterBeetle70]

Ya know.. haha that's one aspect I wish I could dodge and keep steel fenders but I'm not a journeyman fabricator. Well I would at least like to even out the tire ratio though preferably slightly bigger in the rear. I was thinking 205/75/15 but would probably need something like a 2 inch lift... Without cutting steel haha possible? Yay? nay?

[Dark Earth]

There's a bunch of Class 11 guys on this site with really nice off-road bugs. You don't HAVE to convert it into a baja to make it off-road able. I'm building a baja myself, but I bought it that way. You could always cut and turn the front beam or add front beam adjusters to increase front ride height, and re-index the rear torsion bars to raise the rear for starters.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[BeaterBeetle70]

[AZOffTheWall]

Why not try to find a guy with a Baja that's willing to do some type of trade, or buy a Baja shell, switch what you need over to it and sell your uncut car. it's kind of a shame to cut one up especially when I see Baja shells on craigslist for a few hundred buck almost weekly.

[BeaterBeetle70]

[Dürtwagen]

If you want an off-road beetle but want to preserve the classic beetle look your pretty much stuck with class 11.
As far as you tire question goes my rear tires are 31x10.50r15 and I'm pretty sure whoever converted it to a baja left the suspension hight the same so you can get away with huge tires in the back with no lift, but NOT with the the stock fenders.
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1974 VW baja bug
1979 Mercedes Benz 300D

[cbeck]

Might as well go mid travel on the second one

[dustymojave]

Check the thread, "Show off your Class 11 or Class 11 Look-Alike". there are ideas in there for building a full fendered off road Bug. Room for bigger rear tires can be achieved by using fiberglass +3" fenders by Creative Car Craft in Florida.
http://www.creativecarcraft.com/stock.htm

Fronts are available too.

Those fenders will still allow a classic Bug look. Doesn't require cutting the body shell.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.