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Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:07 am

Has anyone here successfully made a 4x4 beetle? I've always been curious how it could be donw.....and just recently was given a 1983 Nissan 4x4 pickup.......pondering the possibilities......

Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:14 am

It's been done, but the resulting car usually not much of a VW any more. It's a custom frame 4x4 that just happens to have a VW body bolted on top of it.

Now, VW did make a 4x4 out of a bug though during WWII, I'd love to see one of those up close and see just how convoluted the front suspension ended up after modifying it to work with power-driven wheels up there.

Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:06 am

Yeah...i would like to see how "they" did it....even for a custom job...It would be nice to follow in the footprints of the original creators. I thought I remembered hearing of some 4x4 "synchro" Things being produced in central or south america at one time.....but have not found anything more on that yet.

Perhaps a slightly stretched beetle body on an old Unimog 404 chassis would be fun??? :lol:

Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:22 am

you dont need a VW to be 4x4 it will do fine with two wheel drive.

this subject has been covered before and the only way to get this done right is to adapt an ass load of special expensive parts,like a VW motor going from a powerglide to a transfer case to a tube front end with some IFS parts.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=217152&highlight=wheel

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=150784&highlight=wheel

Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:52 am

That's what I'm talkin' about! lol

I was just curious....I've always had great snow and off-road traction in my 74 beetle....and my 74 thing was a beast in the sand!

Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:39 pm

go to this link its got a complete rebuild of an original vw 4x4 but i dont think you will see one up close because there are only like 5 left in the world

http://www.vwbroukklub.cz/autosalon/brom/brom.htm

Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:42 pm

Thanks for that link. From that website here's a pic of that front beam with the transfer case.

Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:48 am

bigpapakamen wrote: go to this link its got a complete rebuild of an original vw 4x4 but i dont think you will see one up close because there are only like 5 left in the world

http://www.vwbroukklub.cz/autosalon/brom/brom.htm

What language is that? I thought it was czech but my translator didn't work.
Thanks, Marvin

Sun Jun 10, 2007 5:07 pm

.cz should be czech

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.cz

Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:24 pm

The translator I used was czech, most of it came through but some words didn't come across and the grammer is czech of course.

Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:08 am

Could you just modify a Subaru Brat Transmision? I think it has the transfer case built in, which would cut down on the amount of modifications needed.

Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:42 am

The problem with a Subaru trans is that it would spin the wrong way. Now IF U could figure out how to put a CV joint right on the back of a bus redux box U could make front knuckles out of them and run them on the rear as well. THAT would be the hot setup 8) 4WD, LOTS of ground clearance, and U could just use the Subaru engine and have a nice water heating sys. in the car. Not to mention that it would have around 90hp stock.

Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:20 am

It was my understanding that you could reverse the direction of a transmission rather easily. I am not sure how..., but it was something I had debated with my engineering friends. Plus, do we know for sure that it spins in the other dirstion? I have seen many bugs with subaru engines in them, in thery, you could keep the VW engine and go subaru tranny.

Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:55 pm

:roll:

Buy Synchro van.
Strip Synchro drivetrain.
Weld crapload of mounts.
Kick Jeep ass.

Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:19 pm

Well a 4 wheel drive bug has been done... follow this link!

http://www.davesport.com/cgi-bin/davesport/old_bug.html