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colorado_aircooled 
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Joined: September 26, 2005
Posts: 281
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 Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 11:30 am Post subject: The Empi Baja |
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Just wondering if this car survived. Not many pictures or info out about this car. Could it be one of the most famous VW Baja Bugs??
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colorado_aircooled
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euromog
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Location: Oakhurst, CA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Not if it was built using the parts they sell today.......
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KrAzY-BaJa
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JonF
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Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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| KrAzY-BaJa wrote: | | euromog wrote: | | Not if it was built using the parts they sell today....... |
thats not really all true |
true this... a lot of that stuff is made by the same factory foundry what not and just has a diff label put on it for the diff brands. think about it. that generic gallon of milk probably come from the same cows as the name brand milk.
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cmiller95
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colorado_aircooled
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Joined: September 26, 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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In the early days Empi parts were the best, they were also leading edge. The company was into most forms of racing.Off road, drag racing and was also a big factor in the dune buggy market. At one time it was about the customer and coming up with great parts.Now it seems it is all about the buck.
 So then anyone have more info ,or pictures of the "EMPI BAJA" |
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TexasBaja
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Joined: May 21, 2009
Posts: 56
Location: New Braunfels, TX
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:14 am Post subject: |
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OMG!!! Is that Sal Fish??? He doesnt have any wrinkles. 
That must have been before S.C.O.R.E.
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blitzschnell racing
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Location: Oakhurst, California
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:48 am Post subject: |
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| That is Sal, and I talked to him about that car once said he loved racing it.....dosnt know where it is though. Go to Trackside photo and they have alot of pics of the old race cars from the 70s, coors, empi, revel models. alot of cool sponsors back then |
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Manx102
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Joined: June 07, 2010
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Location: California
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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| colorado_aircooled wrote: | | In the early days Empi parts were the best, they were also leading edge. The company was into most forms of racing.Off road, drag racing and was also a big factor in the dune buggy market. |
That is how I remember it. You would see Empi stickers on almost every type of VW from buses to buggies. Also lots of Empi advertising in the enthusiast magazines of the day.
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xirxious
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Joined: November 12, 2007
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Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:10 am Post subject: |
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| Ironic that Empi got those three letters in their license plate.... |
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blitzschnell racing
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Location: Oakhurst, California
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| There are some Empi parts that are decent, you need to know what they are. Saying its all junk isnt a true statement. They make a CV thats better than any other out there, three full seasons in a class 11 and no problems. I agree some parts may be junk, but your gonna get that from anywhere.... |
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thefladge
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Joined: July 25, 2005
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Location: Long Beach, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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| colorado_aircooled wrote: | In the early days Empi parts were the best, they were also leading edge. The company was into most forms of racing.Off road, drag racing and was also a big factor in the dune buggy market. At one time it was about the customer and coming up with great parts.Now it seems it is all about the buck.
So then anyone have more info ,or pictures of the "EMPI BAJA" |
The company using the name EMPI today is not the same company from the 1950's through the early 1970's.
The original EMPI was bought by the Lee oil filter company in the mid-70's and eventually faded away.
Mr. Bug gained the rights to the name "EMPI" in the mid-'80's and began using it from that point on.
Mr. Bug is actually the producer of the low quality parts we see today.
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crazyman1
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Joined: November 14, 2007
Posts: 365
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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| JonF wrote: | | KrAzY-BaJa wrote: | | euromog wrote: | | Not if it was built using the parts they sell today....... |
thats not really all true |
true this... a lot of that stuff is made by the same factory foundry what not and just has a diff label put on it for the diff brands. think about it. that generic gallon of milk probably come from the same cows as the name brand milk. |
The generic milk came from the generic cows.  |
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carlos_magnum
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| Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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Nice find. The psychedelic look of that Baja is really cool. |
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joescoolcustoms
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Location: West By God Virginia
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colorado_aircooled
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| Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 11:37 am Post subject: |
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 Ok Empi parts then and now are two different beasts. They were major players in early Volkswagen days. With out their efforts racing VW's would have never reached such high levels and all of the different kinds of racing.
Here is the Inch Pincher Too BAJA, is this the same car as the red one or did they build several different cars?
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crazyman1
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| Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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| It sickens me when people bash empi prodects. I run there stuff and have never had a problom with them. If you use the parts for what they were ment for then they will last but if you put them on a race car or a bug that you beat the hell out of then chances they wont last. Is that Empi's fault? Not at all. |
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joescoolcustoms
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Joined: August 08, 2006
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Location: West By God Virginia
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| Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| crazyman1 wrote: | | It sickens me when people bash empi prodects. I run there stuff and have never had a problom with them. If you use the parts for what they were ment for then they will last but if you put them on a race car or a bug that you beat the hell out of then chances they wont last. Is that Empi's fault? Not at all. |
I put a EMPI fan belt guard on my street buggy, had it one month before selling it and it already started rusting with only one wash.
The EMPI cylinder tins suck for fitment, and that has nothing to do with racing or offroading.
I have checked EMPI cranks and they are not machined correctly from the factory, have over the limit in runnout. Had not even made it into a engine case.
Buddy installed a new round air cleaner on his carb and had factory slots cut in the throat above the top of the carb that would let dirty air pass into the carb.
I have looked at EMPI stamped valve covers that were warpped just out of the package. The wire bails that holds the cover on the head were crooked to the point they would not fit the head.
I had a EMPI 1 3/4 merged racing header that was welded crooked out of the box new. I had to cut the flanges off, bend two tubes and reweld the flanges.
I saw a set of 34 ICT copy dual carbs that had so horrible carb castings that the fuel leaked down the venturi when the engine was not even running.
I can go on and on about EMPI. These parts barely made it out of the package and were not raced or offroaded at that point in their life. Even the best Titanium parts from BERG will crap them selves when abused, but these parts never had a chance to be even used and they were pittiful.
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colorado_aircooled
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| Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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Let's not go on about the parts, but take a moment to look back at Empi Racing history.
1969 Tom Bates and Don Ernst
1970-71 Bob Weggaland and Sal Fish
The first year Empi ran the Baja it had cut down metal hood and decklid. Crashed and went back the next year with fiberglass baja parts. Several different cars were used but all used the same license plate SHT 207. Any more pictures out there??
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