Just bought a fg Buggy, now what to do with it?

[SamT]

I bought a fg Buggy yesterday, I have wanted one for a long time, but I have 2 visions in my mind for where to take it. They both include a big engine, streetlegal, and tube chassis with roll cage. Im starting with BJ beam, and a swingaxle in Ira pan, I have a kp beam and a good Ira torsion with a bus Trans in it. Options are endless from here, budget is limited, but I have a huge parts stash and good fab skills.

One is setup for strictly street, focusing on handling.

The other is setup for trail riding and my wife to take to the dunes. Bus Trans, large tirrs, sits pretty high. Long travel suspension isnt in my budget, so it will be lightly modded vw.

My question is if I put big tires and build it to sit up high can I still have good street manners?

[slalombuggy]

I love my buggy with kingpin front end and IRS rear. It works awesome. Never driven a raised buggy on the street so can't tell of how they handle, but wide tires on the front suck, plain and simple. Mine's also a pretty simple tube chassis that is very strong.

brad

[BL3Manx]

I agree with Brad, stay away from huge tires. There's better ways to get what you want.

I'd say a ball joint beam and IRS rear is the best combination for ground clearance, a good ride and predictable handling.

Raised front spindles are commonly and relatively cheaply available for the ball joint front end. They have raised combo spindles but they're much more expensive. Raised BJ spindles will give up to 3"more ground clearance and still retain near stock trailing arm geometry which means good ride quality and predictable handling. Its also easier to remove leaves from a ball joint front end if you need/want a softer ride.

http://www.blindchickenracing.com/Products/Front%20Suspension/Spindles/spindles_and_bearings.htm

In the rear, IRS is all around better for handling and modifying, but swingaxles are actually stronger than CVs if you plan on doing high horsepower drag racing

[vwracerdave]

Get 2 sets of wheels and tires. A street set and off road set.
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK
Featured in Dec. 2001 HOT VW's Magazine page 63

Watch my racing video's http://www.youtube.com/user/okvwracer/videos

[manxdavid]

WTS^^^ and also don't think that you NEED to throw loads of money into a big engine, Buggies are so light that they can give surprizingly good performance with any motor 1600+.

[SamT]

Thanks guys, what I thinking is something I can cruuse 20 Miles to the river, oull off and cruise there. I will have paddle tires for sand dunes.
For tires im thinking 33x10.5 max on the rear, that should give me clise to stock gearing with a bus Trans 3rib. And close to stock size up front. Rear will be Irs forsure, I have short axles and thing stubs. will do disk brakes on rear, not sure what to do up front, I can do either lp or bj id normally lean lp. What do I need for front brakes? Do I need them at all? the front will be so light im not sure they would be useful.

[SamT]

I will get some pics up latrr of what I have and what I want!

[vwracerdave]

You are required by law to have brakes on all 4 wheels to legally drive any car on the streets, and yes you need front brakes even on a lightweight Buggy. If this is for sand dunes only then just rear disc and no front brakes are fine.
_________________
2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK
Featured in Dec. 2001 HOT VW's Magazine page 63

Watch my racing video's http://www.youtube.com/user/okvwracer/videos

[SamT]

Here is what I'm starting with, I took it off the pan, pan is in pretty good shape.

The guy I bought it from is a fibeberglass man by trade, so he have me a 2 hour lesson and some supplies to start with. It is incredibly easy, I was scared it would be harder than steel/bondo body work.

Here is what I would like to finish similar to.

Looks like this one is not lifted and over stock suspension limits and larger tires. I may go on and use the balljoint beam my pan came with it is in pretty good shape.

I'm concitering using the pan and not doing a full tube chassis, I may trim the pan down to skeleton and then build the edges from square tub and incorporate a 1" body lift into it.

[didget69]

The front beam on blue buggy is a king-pin beam that has either been cut/turned/welded, or it's had front beam adjusters installed to provide adjustment for lift. Stock KP beam snubber arms have been cut off... can't say what's been done to the rear suspension.

bryan
_________________
I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door.

[SamT]

So ill probably need lift spindles with the bj beam.

I did some gear ratio calculation and found that I can run a 3 rib with 31" tires and my gear ratio is almost identical to a stock bug with 4.12 Trans. 3500Rpm =68 mph, I assume thats a great ratii to have, or should I use a bigger tire?
Motor will be 2275, 45 Dells, cb wedgeport heads, xr302 cam. I have 3/4 the parts for this, should be pretty healthy!

[SamT]

here is the pan.

Some gomer cut off the bolt braces on the rear torsion, so it is IRS, just needs some work.

[[email protected]]

Are you posting images? I do not see any.
_________________
1974 Standard Beetle to Baja Bug
http://picasaweb.google.com/fvee1234/BajaBug02#

[HeidelbergJohn4.0]

[Dale M.]

[BIGMIKEY]

The inner trailing arm pivots have been amputated.. ? Looks like faint traces remain. A side shot of those areas would be helpful.

Geeze, who would do that?
_________________
BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[SamT]

It is a Irs torsion, the bolt braces are cut off the pivots. Threds are good, so no problem to rebuild them. What else is goofy is tge Trans is a 6volt case with 68 long/long axles with 5lug drums. , the drums are long spline.

Doesnt matter, im going Irs with a 3 rib.

[66 Shorty]

I would say its a 67. They had swing with balljoint fronts. 68 was the first year for IRS iirc... looks like a good start. Do you have any pics of it when it was together? Do you have all the parts for it, or are you doing a complete rebuild with all new parts?

I like the look you are going for. Keep us updated!

Edit: 68 was first year for 4 lug, and 67 had wide 5 with balljoint front...
_________________
~X-Man~

'60's Spatz Buggy body on '74 Chassis (Budget Build)
'69 Bug (Baja-to-be partial daily)
'10 Silverado (My daily)

[SBD]

Just an FYI. 68 was first year for IRS on a Beetle in the US, but only with the Autostick transmission. In 1969 IRS became standard on all US Beetles.

[SamT]

I dont have pics of it together, it was just sitting on the pan. Didnt come with anything not pictured besides a crusty 1600 dual port.
I ordered tons of new parts!
going for offroad look, suspension seats, 4 point belts, centerline style beadlock wheels, 33x12.5 rear tires, 235-75r15 fronts.

Im incorporating a 1.5" bodylift into my chassis, me and the wife have been sanding Like ctazy this week. will get some pics up soon.