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Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:12 pm

Has anyone ever Baja-ed a bus, and is it possible? Is the beam of an early bus similar to the one on the Bug? Would it be easy to put in a twelve inch over beam and 6x6 trailing arms in the back so I can lift it with a full coil over set-up? I see a ton of slammed buses but I want to go the opposite way.

For all of the hardcore splitty guys out there, I wouldn't be cutting up a pristine bus to do this. I have access to a 13 window '67 that has already been cut up in the rear wheel wells and would be too hard to put back to stock. Some guy made an abortion by putting the bus body on a 4x4 Chevy S-10 frame. It's now just sitting in a field on the back forty at a farm.

Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:57 pm

A bus beam mounts completely different than a bug one, but I'm sure, with the correct fabrication skills, you could make a widened one. Rear wouldn't be hard at all. Would I do it? No. Would I enjoy seeing you try? Yes.

Go for it, and good luck.

Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:20 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=303792
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=102004

Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:25 pm

i found this in the gallary

Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:38 pm

I found this in a field...

Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:28 pm

Put it back on the S10 chassis and drive it. Fabricating it to work with VW drive line components will be difficult at best, and likely very expensive.

Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:32 pm

Busryder wrote: I found this in a field...

I have all the doors from that bus. It use to belong to a customer of mine and lived in San Felipe, Baja. I knew it was for sale (in Mexico) but didn't believe it could have ever made it back into the states.

pic posted by me November 2000

Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:22 pm

splitpile wrote: Busryder wrote: I found this in a field...

I have all the doors from that bus. It use to belong to a customer of mine and lived in San Felipe, Baja. I knew it was for sale (in Mexico) but didn't believe it could have ever made it back into the states.

pic posted by me November 2000
This bus is here in the Central Valley, owned by a man that lives in both countries. I bought a Deleuxe from him for the wheel wells.

His name is Tyrone, and he is a cool SOB, that works for the power company. The Baja Bus needs a trans. but it starts right up though.

Not to hijack but.... I need one of those doors SP. :shock:

Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:56 pm

Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:20 pm

For me, this historical shot of Clara's baja truck in mid-flight is my ultimate concept of baja bus.

Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:36 pm

Here's a link that shows a prototype baja bus in 1978

http://dropgates.com/gallery/wtfwtt

Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:52 am

jj14u2c2 wrote: Is the beam of an early bus similar to the one on the Bug? Would it be easy to put in a twelve inch over beam and 6x6 trailing arms in the back so I can lift it with a full coil over set-up?

Which Beetle? To use those arms you'd need an IRS style setup. The busses in the pics still have the stock swingaxles. Since the body is already off maybe put the whole schmeer onto a Bay chassis then do the aborted arms and driveshafts.

Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:00 am

AGUILAR3 wrote: :o Anymore pics of this??^^^^^

Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:05 am

KarmannBob wrote: For me, this historical shot of Clara's baja truck in mid-flight is my ultimate concept of baja bus.

I love that pic!
Check out the action on the Johnson Anti-Hop Kit, rear wheels do not sag when off the ground.
They used a pic of the truck in the ad for the next years race:

Thanks to Kevin for finding this pic^^^^

Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:05 pm

Dave Beeson who built this race bus of Clara's passed away Aug 6, 2011 Dave had his demons he was always battling, but will never be forgotten by many of his offroad friends from the 70's he helped win races for. He was always proud of the help he gave Mickey Thompson in some of the first racing Baja bugs. And many of those Baja's he helped build still survive today including the one I own that we built in the 70's now restored as a class 5-1600. RIP Dave

Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:26 pm

I used to own this one. It was a chase truck for Bud Bulmer's Race team. It may look nice in this scanned polaroid but under neath it was scary! Rust, damage and hacks galore.

Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:32 pm

From the current classifieds. This thing is awesome. Would love to see it rolling a trail bash somewhere.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1147437

Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:50 pm

oldschool5er wrote: Dave Beeson who built this race bus of Clara's passed away Aug 6, 2011 Dave had his demons he was always battling, but will never be forgotten by many of his offroad friends from the 70's he helped win races for. He was always proud of the help he gave Mickey Thompson in some of the first racing Baja bugs. And many of those Baja's he helped build still survive today including the one I own that we built in the 70's now restored as a class 5-1600. RIP Dave

I am sorry to here that.

Sun Sep 13, 2015 2:18 pm

The orange bus with the rollbar work "Pavo Real" current owner Robert Skinner was on the Rubicon Trail August 22 2015. FB it vw bus vs. rubicon trail

Sun Sep 13, 2015 4:32 pm

oh wow. I saw that at Bugorama a while back. Thing looked like someone will sell it for a pretty penny just because it's shiny.