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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 1:12 pm Post subject: "Texas Tacky". A new build |
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Wanted to introduce myself and possibly get some advice on a potential buggy build. I'm currently not at the computer with all my pictures, so I will post them up later.
I know how you all love pictures...
I was last in the bus section, where I learned all about VW engines. Now I want to build a buggy of some sort.
I say that because I don't have a solid direction as yet. I'm hoping you all can help me decide which direction to go. Let me explain.
I traded some solar panels for a home made ranch style buggy ready to drive minus the engine. It has a bug tranny and looks to be built with 1 1/2 tubes. floor is solid metal.
It has a link-pin front and an IRS in the back. Nothing is fancy, but looks functional. Seats are something out of a van maybe?
Maybe just the riser is from a van, and the seats are from a car, IDK.
Then I have a 74 or 75? beetle that is complete, but no title. Pretty rusted out, but for $200 I couldn't resist.
So after looking the complete blue buggy over, I see that the workmanship is not up to my standards as far as straightness and such. The design is ok, but it looks to be heavier than I want.
I'm digging the idea of starting over from scratch and using these two for parts.
After several days of studying various challenges, I have come up with a couple of different options on how best to proceed. I could order the Scorpion tube chassis and merge the beetles components
with it. I like this option, but don't like the hefty shipping charges involved in getting product to West Texas. So then I pulled the body off the bug so I could get a better idea
as to cutting out the old rusted metal and bolting in some diamond plate or welding in some metal plate. I have all the necessary tools and skills to go in any direction BTW.
Problem is that I only own 1 3/4 dies for my air over hydraulic tube bender. I would like to go with 1 1/2" to save weight. I'm just going with a pretty much stock 1600 engine. (for now)!
If I bend my own tubes, I have to do some design, which I have no experience with. Not impossible, just time consuming. I have the software to do the design and then feed it to the bender.
This makes the shipping charges not so bad after all.
Too many decisions.
Pictures and questions to come. Just wanted to get the formalities over with so we can get down to business. LOL _________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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Pictures as promised.
Here is right after I took off the body. Did it by myself in about 3 hours. Only broke off two bolts.
I don't like this squared off front skid. I prefer the rounded look.
needs some angle iron welded at the engine mount. The skid is cracked badly.
The seats are removed for cleaning.
Donor parts. I pulled the engine and set it inside my shop for a teardown.
_________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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brooksinc1976 Samba Member
Joined: April 09, 2014 Posts: 140 Location: Pasadena
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:39 am Post subject: |
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Good luck on the project. I'm on the opposite side of the state.I bet there are some great places to ride in the trans-pecos area. Look forward to the build. I am currently rail poor (got a 2 and a 4 seater) and have bugging all these guys with 101 questions. |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 10:22 am Post subject: |
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brooksinc1976 wrote: |
Good luck on the project. I'm on the opposite side of the state.I bet there are some great places to ride in the trans-pecos area. Look forward to the build. I am currently rail poor (got a 2 and a 4 seater) and have bugging all these guys with 101 questions. |
Thanks for interest. I had over 100 views and no comments until yours. I'm hoping someone with some buggy experience will help me out. I'm afraid to ask too many newbie questions yet because I know they have already been answered. I just need to search them out. Like today I took off the wheels and tires to see what the weird bolt pattern was. I found some spacers installed. The pattern is a 5 bolt but it must me a metric size because my jeep TJ or YJ rims don't quite match up. maybe a mm off. I could put a file to the rims, but don't plan on going that cheap.
I think I will just take off the spacers. The bug chassis is a 1972 and has a 4 x 130mm pattern. I'm guessing the spacers are a 5 x 205mm. _________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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cbeck Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2014 Posts: 2494 Location: high ridge, mo
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 10:29 am Post subject: |
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IN stlouis by the time you buy a die and all the tubing you could have a knock down frame delivered. A mso is also a nice way of providing proof of ownership. |
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WD-40 Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2006 Posts: 1178 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 10:34 am Post subject: |
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You should take some pictures from a few steps back. You're digging right into details, but the rest of us don't have the "big picture". _________________ "The new Volkswagen 1303. We've made so many improvements, they're beginning to show." |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 11:27 am Post subject: |
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WD-40 wrote: |
You should take some pictures from a few steps back. You're digging right into details, but the rest of us don't have the "big picture". |
You are correct. I had the "big picture" photos were on my I-phone and I didn't like the poor quality. I just never took any new ones. The lighting is poor on these, but you can get a better idea perhaps.
_________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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WD-40 Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2006 Posts: 1178 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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That looks like the VW wide-5 lug pattern on the front.
Call me crazy, but that's actually kind of a cool looking buggy. Looks like a homemade EMPI Sportster type of design - vintage, and very practical.
I agree the square front skid plate needs some changes, but with how many horrible buggies are out there, maybe this one is good enough to save as-is? _________________ "The new Volkswagen 1303. We've made so many improvements, they're beginning to show." |
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Brian Samba Moderator
Joined: May 28, 2012 Posts: 8340 Location: Oceanside
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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WD-40 wrote: |
That looks like the VW wide-5 lug pattern on the front.
Call me crazy, but that's actually kind of a cool looking buggy. Looks like a homemade EMPI Sportster type of design - vintage, and very practical.
I agree the square front skid plate needs some changes, but with how many horrible buggies are out there, maybe this one is good enough to save as-is? |
The complete blue buggy does have a 5 lug VW pattern on the front and the VW 4 bolt on the rear. Link Pin up front, IRS on the back.
The spacers were on the 1972 chassis I have for parts. I'm wanting to use the 72 chassis to build me a lighter tube buggy. The blue chassis is 3" out of square. It wasn't wrecked, but built that way. It bugs me too much. It also looks like a major job to fix it. I'm not wanting to rob any parts off the blue one, but rather get it running also.
I'm just not sure yet if I should build from scratch or purchase a chassis. _________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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WD-40 Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2006 Posts: 1178 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds good.
3" out of square in what way? The nice thing about that design is that the front and back at least are essentially completely separate. So you would only have to fix half of it?
If you built your own design, what are you thinking? (Any photos of inspiration you are planning to copy?) _________________ "The new Volkswagen 1303. We've made so many improvements, they're beginning to show." |
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2RL Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2010 Posts: 177
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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The blue buggy is cool in its own weird way, and definitely wort restoring. |
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Q-Dog Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010 Posts: 8687 Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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One of the best ways to figure out what you want in a buggy, is to drive one for a while. I would make the blue one a driver and then drive it around. It won't take very long to figure out what you like and don't like about it. _________________ Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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WD-40 wrote: |
Sounds good.
3" out of square in what way? The nice thing about that design is that the front and back at least are essentially completely separate. So you would only have to fix half of it?
If you built your own design, what are you thinking? (Any photos of inspiration you are planning to copy?) |
The squared off front stinger/skid plate points off to the right and the dash is slanted off to the right also. I measured it out to be 3" off. The front bars are bolted on to a flat plat that was welded on to the tunnel area. That plate is off to the right, so the whole front end is off enough to be noticeable. The back end seems fine.
The engine to the blue one is on my bench now. I plan to tear it down and see what kind of shape it's in.
As for my own design, I'm not so good at that sort of thing. I would have to either copy something already built, or just but a kit. I really like this one:
https://www.v-dubstore.com/Articles.asp?ID=136
_________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress
Last edited by biotex on Sun Oct 12, 2014 6:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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uh60ce wrote: |
The blue buggy is cool in its own weird way, and definitely wort restoring. |
I will definitely get it running. He needs new front wheel bearings and ball joints. I'm looking for an engine, but they are not plentiful around here. _________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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Q-Dog wrote: |
One of the best ways to figure out what you want in a buggy, is to drive one for a while. I would make the blue one a driver and then drive it around. It won't take very long to figure out what you like and don't like about it. |
I don't have a title for it, so it would have to be only driven on our ranch, or other private roads not listed as county. Lots of choices, but also means trailering. I'm leaning towards something street legal now. I like the buggy pictured on your avatar a lot. _________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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no1clyde Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2013 Posts: 365 Location: Elko Nv.
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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I chose to buy a kit kinda like the one you showed, a berrien warrior and their body kit too. The car has been a joy to build and own. I put a Toyota motor and a 002 trans in it and I like it a lot. All that said I would maybe chose a different kit but over all I am very happy with it.
IMHO the kits are a great way to build a first buggy and get a good usable car. You do learn a lot about these cars this way.
Ed |
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Q-Dog Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010 Posts: 8687 Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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Go to the DMV and find out what it would take to get a title for the Baja bug you have, then build that. Even with the stock suspension and engine they are surprisingly capable cars. And as much as I love driving my buggy, there is a lot to be said for a car with a roof, rollup windows and locking doors. _________________ Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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Started the teardown. The engine was hard to rotate, and I didn't force it. Now I see why.
Here is the good side:
Here is the side that got some water in.
Little WD-40 ought to do it huh?
113 101 375A '71-'73 1600cc dual port same w/ ledge
Looks like I have the original engine. _________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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biotex Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Alpine, TX
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Forgot to mention there is no noticeable movement on the crank (end play). I'm thinking I can just install a big bore kit and clean up the heads.
Might be wasting my time, but honestly the barrel is the worst of it. The heads look pretty decent. _________________ ACME Cruiser Sand Rail, 1776, Combo spindles,
Coil Over conversion in progress |
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