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FatherProphet
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Stanford KY
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 Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:07 pm Post subject: Building a Baja in one day.. |
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I thought I would take pics of my "One Day Baja Build" and make a simple little website to show people that may be interested in turning that Beetle into an off-roader how easy it really is.. I hope you find something of use on this page.
http://fatherprophet.home.insightbb.com/baja.htm
I know everyone does it different... but this is just to show if you have a Beetle..... a few bucks... and a day you can play in the mud.
FP |
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Nicksan
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2004
Posts: 2777
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| Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Nice Job on your baja, and nice website.  |
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Chewbacca
Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2004
Posts: 182
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:44 am Post subject: |
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| I have often heard people call building a VW Baja a "Project" ,they talk about getting halfway through the "Project" and never finishing it... well that I don't understand |
I think the reason peoples "projects" take a long time and sometimes dont get finnished is because most people, myself included, don't begin with a bug that has few or no problems, or they are heavily modifing it.
The list of things I've done and need to do to my bug are endless, and its a overwhelmingly big task that is going to take the better part of a year.
Doing what you have done in a day is a fair effort dont get me wrong, but its a bit hard to do a body off resto in a matter of hours.
Anyway, thats beside the point, I do like what you have done.
I can't say I particually like baja kits which is why mine is staying full bodied.
Plus I couldnt bring myself to cut it up. |
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Chewbacca
Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2004
Posts: 182
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:49 am Post subject: |
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| Forgot to ask... hows it go with the front apron attached?? |
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grf74
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2004
Posts: 66
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:49 am Post subject: |
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Nice job, was gonna do my taillights the same way  . Glad to see how it looks before I did it though. Looks great!
_________________
69 VW Baja under construction.
Mostly steel, except rear fenders.
31x10.5 Rear 215/75/15 Front
Check it out at: http://mybaja.has.it
www.vdubsandtuners.com
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bljones
Resident Wit
Joined: February 08, 2002
Posts: 2377
Location: ontario canada
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:44 am Post subject: |
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NICE!
i am a big fan of the low-buck approach.
the only thing i would add is to run some cheap "door edge guard" around the unfinished edges of your fenders, just to protect people and tires from getting cut.
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OG JHC
Author of Original Rant #1
"It stingd itself to dead... now that is control on you"
2% |
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clearsurf2001
Samba Vaccinator
Joined: February 26, 2004
Posts: 1671
Location: Dave-AKA-fortyeye-Oceanside, Ca
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:28 am Post subject: |
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| bljones wrote: |
NICE!
i am a big fan of the low-buck approach.
the only thing i would add is to run some cheap "door edge guard" around the unfinished edges of your fenders, just to protect people and tires from getting cut. |
Excellent catch. My original low buck baja turned into a big bore 40 horse baloney slicer. The door edge guard will save knuckles, thighs, forearms, foreheads, etc. BTW ... nice job on the baja.
_________________
Get ready for the injection
| EverettB wrote: |
| Make sure it is coherent. Rodney |
| mharney wrote: |
I think Glenn has an EMPI crank in his engine. |
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scott the viking
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2005
Posts: 535
Location: bababooeyville
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:33 am Post subject: |
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I like it, it's straight forward and easy. I think when most folks say "project Baja" they are digging into it a little bit deeper. Like suspension upgrades, trans swap, roll cage, the list goes on. However....there are MANY who would be more than content with what you have created. Then..... there are those like me; who can never be satisfied with anything; no matter how good. My Wife has said to me "if you just won the Dakar rally you would climb out of the car pissed off because you heard a strange squeak from the front-end in the last mile of the race". I don't know if I am (that bad)  but I do know that my car never seems to be finished. Even when I am driving it and having fun, I am thinking "sure would be nice to have a little more power" or "a couple more inches of travel sure would be cool", (which is what I am working on today). But for those of us who do not like living in a shop  (weirdos) I think what you did is top notch.
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No more circus midget ...Vote for Herbie.
Play an accordion...go to jail. |
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FatherProphet
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Stanford KY
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:26 am Post subject: Thanks guys... |
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Yes I in no way ment to offend anyone who is always "Upgradeing" and modifying their bug... as I mentioned on the sight if you want to go crazy then you need some money for suspension and engine modifications... if you just want to hit the trails, then just do what I did.. I love VW's and have had at least one (sometimes 4-5) since I was 14 years old.. I have been off- roading them for about the same amount of time.. I have also been guilty of building a couple of "high end" buggies with crazy horsepower(which seemed to break almost every weekend) but I really enjoy the Baja the best.. I just wanted to make a low tech site to maybe help somebody thats been afraid to tackle the process... I will be adding pics and procedures like cut and turn on my front beam etc as I do them... Like I said on the page, my bugs not done... so I guess it is a "Project" as well
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Nicksan
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2004
Posts: 2777
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| Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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About not finishing A Baja project, Ive been working on mine for 6 years now and still have more to go, LOL. Should I do the front Disc Brakes next or pickup some Kadrons?  |
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FatherProphet
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Stanford KY
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bajabugman66
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2006
Posts: 612
Location: Clearwater BC
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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Stumbled across this a few years ago, it was one of the few websites that actually made me beleive i could build on in a day. One year, 3 months and 29 days later 
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Im like a moderator with no real powers or motivation.
66 baja-rotary powered \=O=/
Oh I get it, the robot doesn't have any arms! |
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shegel
Samba Member
Joined: November 03, 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Kennewick, WA
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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i dont know why more people wouldnt build a baja like this. it seems the cheapest and easiest way to do it.
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My stuff with engines
1969 Karmann Ghia
1999 Jetta tdi
1977 Honda gl1000
1993 Honda xr250L |
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bajabugman66
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2006
Posts: 612
Location: Clearwater BC
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| Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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I think its because the common idea of a baja bug its like 14" of travel on both ends so thats what people seem to try to acheive. Either that or we buy cars that need work so we build them as large as the budget alows.
_________________
Im like a moderator with no real powers or motivation.
66 baja-rotary powered \=O=/
Oh I get it, the robot doesn't have any arms! |
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FatherProphet
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Stanford KY
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:49 am Post subject: |
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Bump... thought I would bump this back up again.. I get alot of email and traffic to my little page and like to help as many people out as I can... here is my website..
http://www.bluegrassghostinvestigations.com/baja.htm |
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GreeneHoosier
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2004
Posts: 406
Location: Southern Indiana
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:47 am Post subject: |
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| I remember this was for sale, I guess you decided to keep it? Great car. btw. I thought it was well worth the asking price. |
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SpenceSuper11
Samba Member
Joined: October 31, 2008
Posts: 146
Location: Arlington, WA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:07 am Post subject: |
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| shegel wrote: |
| i dont know why more people wouldnt build a baja like this. it seems the cheapest and easiest way to do it. |
It's the same way I decided to do mine since Super fiberglass kits are just way too overpriced and hard to come by.
_________________
1600cc '73 Super baja
Opinions expressed in this post are not necessarily shared by anyone who is not intelligent, sexy, well-off financially, and a great dancer. |
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FatherProphet
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2005
Posts: 110
Location: Stanford KY
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:33 am Post subject: |
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| GreeneHoosier wrote: |
| I remember this was for sale, I guess you decided to keep it? Great car. btw. I thought it was well worth the asking price. |
You are correct.. I was going to sell it..got alot of interest.. I decided to sell my "Slammed" 65 instead.. hell I have driven this car almost everyday for the last six years with no problems.... I just couldnt let her go..it's the only Bug I've ever had featured in a magizine... I plan to redo it this spring..fix the surface rust..paint it Grey etc.. Im a Baja guy... I always have been..well I still have my Ratty-ass Thing |
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oktr6r
Samba Member
Joined: March 02, 2008
Posts: 1436
Location: Sand Springs, Ok
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:36 am Post subject: |
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I remember looking at your web site about a year ago, when I first got my car. I agree with not turning it into a project. Get it running and upgrade as needed once you find out what you can and can't do with the car.
I've had more fun with my car over the past year than most here. Yeah, it's ugly, rusted, dented, and doesn't have any trick parts other than the bus transaxle and associated parts, but what's more fun, looking at a project in the garage, or driving a baja out on the trails?
_________________
Les
'73 Thing - Offroad project
'68 Lightning Bug Baja
'66 Type 1 waiting heart transplant
'60 Baja Volkstruckin' future project
'58 Chassis w/ Beau Hickory Virgo body
Quote from RLAP: "dude i think the last thing you need in your bug is more horsepower, you would only get yourself into trouble" |
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Lotrat
Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2007
Posts: 2528
Location: Vista, CA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:53 am Post subject: |
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I gotta tell you, your build was a great inspiration to me. My donor car wasn't all that mechanically sound, so it took me more than a day. My buddy would say, "Come on Lotrat, It's a baja in a day!" My day turned into 5 months...
I will tell you new baja guys to not underestimate the value of your stock German parts. I sold all my OG for more than what used baja parts cost. I gave up looking for front fenders and cut mine. Don't throw out all the stuff you strip off. Someone wants or needs it.
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