Summer Project Car

[Island Bumpkin]

Well I've been lurking around here for a while doing some reading. For a long time I've been wanting to get a Baja bug, but my mom was against it (I'm 17.. parents can still veto car purchases ). I finally was able to buy one, and I trailered it home today. I'm new to volkswagens, but I'm not new to mechanics. I'm elbow deep in a frame off restoration on a '79 F250, and I'm doing it all myself.

Anyway enough of me and onto the bug! I bought a '71 standard beetle with a 1600 dual port out of a later model Mexican Beetle. Here's the rundown of the purchase

-71 standard body
-1600 DP
-Electronic ignition conversion
-Vanilla fiberglass rear fenders
-One piece tilt front
-Fresh powdercoated rear cage and front bumper

And the very long list of parts I got in no particular order..
-Carpet kit
-Headliner kit
-All new window gaskets
-Leather bucket seats
-Grant Steering wheel
-Full aluminum interior panel kit
-Short throw shifter with quick reverse
-Full array of digital gauges
-New wiring harness
-10 gallon spun aluminum fuel tank
-New pop-out window trim
-And much much more in a box that I can't remember this time of night

Anywho, here's the plan. I'll be getting this car slammed out by the end of summer, and it will become a daily. So that should tell you it's not going to be a crazy build like some of the others. It'll be a mild mannered driver with the toughness to take to the dunes in Eastern Washington if I so desire.

First things first, I'll be pulling the interior out and popping the windows out. I'll be getting in with my sandblaster, and get everything all cleaned up. Prime, paint, add some insulation, then put the interior back in. After that, all bets are off! I hope to get it painted professionally, but we'll see how my funds hold out. I'll need to get some exhaust for it, do some body repair, and a little shaping to the one piece front.

Enough of the ramble. Here are the pics.

I'll post my project here as I go. Expect a lot of pictures, because I take them of everything.


-Jameson
_________________
Vehicles:
1971 Baja Bug, 1600dp, summer/winter/summer project
Follow my progress!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=556996
1988 F250 SC/LB 7.3 IDI/ZF5/Dana 50 front, Sterling 10.25 rear. 4" lift -Daily-
1976 F250 Reg cab/LB Stock 300/NP435/NP205 -Long Term Project-

[GruesomeJeans]

Way to go Jameson! One of these days we will have an FTE meet and we can bring the bugs down and show them off. I actually plan to go tomorrow with mine.

Anyways that looks pretty sweet and with all the parts there it shouldn't be too difficult to get it where you want. Also if you plan to sell any of them fancy parts you know just who to talk to
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1973 Volkswagen Bug standard *unnamed"
1978 Ford Bronco XLT *The Green Machine*
Name's Dylan, Don't Wear It Out!

[wbrown45]

That is going to be a fun car. If it were me (I know, it's not ) I would hold off a bit on the body work and focus on getting it to be a dependable daily driver. Some thing that jumps out at me for a possible irritation is the spun aluminum tank. You probably don't have a provision for a fuel gauge. You would probably be happier with a stock fuel tank (you may have to fabricate mounts with it being a one-piece front end) then you'll have a way to run a gauge, and you can even get a 16 gallon tank for more range. My first Baja was in similar condition and I first got the feel for the car, and then when the kinks were pretty much worked out I took it apart and painted it. In retrospect I actually had more fun playing with the car in its multi colored form. After I got it painted it took me 6 months to finally get up the nerve and go out and play with it in the boonies. It has been 26 years later and that car is still giving my son, and I a lot of good times.
You will like this site. It has all the information you need to keep your Baja on the road.
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OK Thang

[Island Bumpkin]

[Island Bumpkin]

Since the aluminum dash panel that I have is just a sheet of metal where I cut the holes out, I'll have a relativity easy time adding stuff.

Starting out with the gauges, I'll put the tach next to the speedo on the left, like so. I'll trim the factory metal behind it so it'll fit

Then on the right side of the speedo I'll have a fuel level and voltmeter gauge stacked on top of each other. They are 2 1/16, so there is plenty of room. Once again, I'll be cutting.

In the middle, I'm undecided on what to do. I'll be leaving the factory headlight, wiper, and hazard switches in. I'd like to run a switch panel with push button start, and I can get a 5 rocker panel (4 on/off and one momentary) from Moroso that will fit within the rectangular cutout with a little trimming. Only drawback is the panel is just shy of $100.

Opinions?


Thanks
Jameson
_________________
Vehicles:
1971 Baja Bug, 1600dp, summer/winter/summer project
Follow my progress!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=556996
1988 F250 SC/LB 7.3 IDI/ZF5/Dana 50 front, Sterling 10.25 rear. 4" lift -Daily-
1976 F250 Reg cab/LB Stock 300/NP435/NP205 -Long Term Project-

[Island Bumpkin]

Got the bug pushed into my garage today. It's nice having a car that fits inside so I'm not dodging the rain

So because the rear apron was cut up too far, the rear fenders stick out past the body. When the cowling is on there, there is a gap in between the fender and cowling. I was considering cutting the fenders back so that they line up with the body, and are less floppy and back heavy. But now that I think about it, if I cut the fenders, the cowling will look funny because it will just be hanging over the back. Any ideas on what I should do? At the very least, I would like to trim the back so that there is less weight back there...

The other thing I noticed, when the front tires are almost at full turn both directions, the tread of the tires catches on the floor pan. I'll get a picture of what it's doing tomorrow. Has anybody else experienced this before? The fronts are 235/75 tires, so I wonder if maybe the backspacing on the wheels isn't enough?


Thanks
_________________
Vehicles:
1971 Baja Bug, 1600dp, summer/winter/summer project
Follow my progress!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=556996
1988 F250 SC/LB 7.3 IDI/ZF5/Dana 50 front, Sterling 10.25 rear. 4" lift -Daily-
1976 F250 Reg cab/LB Stock 300/NP435/NP205 -Long Term Project-

[GruesomeJeans]

While you're getting a picture of the wheels, get a picture of what the back end looks like. That way we can see what exactly you are meaning.
_________________
1973 Volkswagen Bug standard *unnamed"
1978 Ford Bronco XLT *The Green Machine*
Name's Dylan, Don't Wear It Out!

[Island Bumpkin]

So here's what the front tires look like. It's not at full lock, but almost there.

It might be hard to see, but the treads grab that metal lip from this position to full lock.

And here is the back end. If I cut the fenders, the cowling would be hanging down and look funny.

Lastly, anybody know what these two little levers next to the handbrake do? They have cables on them, but nothing happens when I lift them up/push them down. They look worn enough to be factory, but what do I know?

-Jameson
_________________
Vehicles:
1971 Baja Bug, 1600dp, summer/winter/summer project
Follow my progress!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=556996
1988 F250 SC/LB 7.3 IDI/ZF5/Dana 50 front, Sterling 10.25 rear. 4" lift -Daily-
1976 F250 Reg cab/LB Stock 300/NP435/NP205 -Long Term Project-

[Hamsterben]

When sitting in the drivers seat the lever to the far right opens and closes the flaps in the heater boxes turning the heat on and off. The lever on the left opens two flaps under the rear seat turning the foot vents on for passengers in the back seat.

[GruesomeJeans]

Ah I see what you mean now. So for the lock issue, could you trim back that lip a little more?

For the back I really don't know... It appears the rear of the body has been cut or something... Hmm maybe you could trim up the fenders a little? Not all the way to the cowl but a little further down from it?
_________________
1973 Volkswagen Bug standard *unnamed"
1978 Ford Bronco XLT *The Green Machine*
Name's Dylan, Don't Wear It Out!

[Island Bumpkin]

[GruesomeJeans]

[Island Bumpkin]

[GruesomeJeans]

Depending on the gap, it probably won't be as noticable once everything is the same color.
_________________
1973 Volkswagen Bug standard *unnamed"
1978 Ford Bronco XLT *The Green Machine*
Name's Dylan, Don't Wear It Out!

[Mr. Unpopular]

FYI, those front wheels look to be Mag Industries wheels. There is a guy in Florida selling a set of 4 for $850, because they aren't that common. You may want to consider selling your 2, buy 2 cheaper front wheels, and use the rest to fund the project.
_________________
"In any racing engine, the nearer you are to it disintegrating, the better it's performance will be"
-Keith Duckworth, creator of the Ford/Cosworth DFV

[Island Bumpkin]

[Mr. Unpopular]

Search the classifieds in Florida.
_________________
"In any racing engine, the nearer you are to it disintegrating, the better it's performance will be"
-Keith Duckworth, creator of the Ford/Cosworth DFV

[pafree]

[quote="GruesomeJeans"]

[Island Bumpkin]

[quote="pafree"]

[Island Bumpkin]

So I've determined the back seat won't be happening. For starters, I don't have the bottom of the bench, only the back. The other part of it is the front seats sit back so far, there is virtually no leg room.

Next up on the docker, I'm going to relocate the fuel tank. I'd rather punch a hole in the front end just for the fuel filler neck. So it's going in the back with a side mount fuel door. I have to do some bondo work anyway, so I'll just put it in then.

I'll also be cutting a notch in the bottom of the front end so that when I tilt it up, it won't run into the steering box like it does now.

lastly, it looks like the beam has been cut and turned? I think it is, but I don't know what a stock looks like

--Edit--
I forgot to add, the front shocks are installed upside down. The "this side up" sticker is facing the wrong direction. Anything I should be worried about?

-Jameson
_________________
Vehicles:
1971 Baja Bug, 1600dp, summer/winter/summer project
Follow my progress!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=556996
1988 F250 SC/LB 7.3 IDI/ZF5/Dana 50 front, Sterling 10.25 rear. 4" lift -Daily-
1976 F250 Reg cab/LB Stock 300/NP435/NP205 -Long Term Project-