rally bug

nemesis gnat · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:36 pm Post subject: rally bug

anyone ever hear anythign about rally bugs and building them up? seems like a cool idea round my parts cause its all fire roads and twisty mountain stuff. i was thinking and bascially it seems like a lightened, stripped down, high hp, strong/ well braced, good handling bug would be a rally bug. anyon else think this idea is cool? what i cant figure out is, would it be lowered? if oy look at most rally cars, they arent very high, but still higher than a normal car. mostly theyre strong as hell and perform badassly.

iono, im just kinda putting this up for discussion, and this idea occured to me as i was doing a lot of research (playing colin mccrae rally for the xbox), and it occured to me that rallying is much mroe practical for my area cause i dont have the desert that you socal kids do. right now i just have a pretty standard baja, 70, baja kit (not a one piece front end) adj front beam, saw rear bars, stiffer shocks, evolving cage, poly seats and 5 point harnesses, evolving 1600cc dual port dual carb, and im debating doing this rally thing...

as far as i can figure for my car, do most of the durability stuff of a baja in terms of trans mounts, suspension strengthening, etc., work on that motor, machine it and make it big bore, keep on lightening it (im running out of stuff to cut off, but i bet i could find more) and so on...

anyones thoughts?

kbwakesk8 · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject:

mid engine put the motor in the back seet so the CG (center of gravity ) is in the center of the car. it would handle real nice.

nemesis gnat · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:00 pm Post subject:

i could put the time travel thing from back to the future in it... and make it a hover car

runslikeapenguin · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:08 pm Post subject:

if you want that rally look your going to need to put the stock fenders back on. but if you just want a play baja for what your doing then what you have is fine.
the mid engine idea is the best but that a serious project.

as in rally, did you mean like this?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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nemesis gnat · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:47 pm Post subject:

they make fiberglass everything cept for rear aprons... if i wanted to close it back up, which is a good point about the whole rally look thing... hmmm

whatever...

runslikeapenguin · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:50 pm Post subject:

nemesis gnat · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:07 pm Post subject:

true.... and i dont know anyone thats done it, so i might finally be original...

i think ill get started on this... first thing i need is a tubing bender die for 1.5 inch tubing...

btw, am i the only person interested in this? and penguin fella...

takotruckin · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:17 pm Post subject:

i'd still rather have a full blown baja.. but, if the roads are smooth enough, rally away. the article on the suby in dirtsports is pretty cool btw...
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MadDog69 · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:01 pm Post subject:

well I am just an hour over the border of california in oregon and the roads I drive are the fire roads here in oregon, the fire roads are BLAST to drive but one thing is, there is sometimes cars going the other way (fishers, hickers, people dumping dead bodies, ect..) so if you can travel with a friend in another vehicle with a Radio (CB, GRMS ) i recommend that when you want to go fast and in case of a brakedown. watch out for deer!

right now I drive a stock 69 baja bug and it handles it well, but the lack of travel in the front makes most drive's a jarring exsperience!

so I would recommend mild improvements like a linkpin front first.( I am not happy with the ball joint.)

the cage and welding things up stronger is always a good idea. and any of the mild improvements people do here like 2x3 rear arms or longer wider fronts arms is probebly a good idea as long as you keep the center of gravity fairly low.

Tire choice and size is probebly the next important thing after the linkpin.

have fun! I sure do!
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69' stock baja daily beater.
70' 091, linkpin, type 4, project.
VW trike , All 3 wheels leaning.

runslikeapenguin · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject:

nemesis gnat · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:34 am Post subject:

penguin- why do you think that?

subybaja · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:43 am Post subject:

Run what you brung! Why hang all that extra "rally look" glass back on there? I don't think the aerodynamics are going to be a big issue...
If you were starting from a stocker, I'd say rally it (OK, no I wouldn't, I'd say baja it!), but other than looking European, what's the point? Confused

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runslikeapenguin · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:39 am Post subject:

Tim10 · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:01 am Post subject:

Sounds like what you're looking to do is a hybird between a Class11 and a Drag Bug...

I'd be thinking rail for this type of driving...
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kbwakesk8 · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:58 am Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2068905

i found this car one line its kind of what i ment.

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nemesis gnat · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject:

wow

almost makes me regret cutting body... almost...

Mudb0gger · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:45 pm Post subject:

From past experience I would say Baja all the way. Depending on your driving style of course but I was unable to keep Baja fenders on mine much less stock or full fenders when driving on them kind of roads. I went with the stock but cut fenders only because you could bend them back out some but not fiberglass. The one I have now is mainly just a stock Baja that I have way to much in and I hate to even take it out riding much less offroad. I regret now that it turned out like it did.
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lostyzf · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:29 pm Post subject:

I have to keep my 69 very streetable for the next year while gathering, and planning my Baja with my Brother. I decided to go with a Class 11 set up for now. Its kinda the get you "near" everywhere bug. A couple of friends have some set up that do great in the desert, and they just drive them home. You cant have as much fun as a Baja, or beat the S@*# out of them but its a great compromise.
How do you download pics to the post. I have some Class 11 pics I can share just can't figure it out? I took them near our booth at the Off Road Expo. And here is a link to a great site with good info on the Class 11s. Have fun most of all, and make what ever you have safe!!!

class11coalition.com
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MadDog69 · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:04 pm Post subject:

run what ya brung is my philoshophy too! and I would say take it up in those hills to see what ya think, maybey the ball joint is ok with ya, or maybey a little more travel? or maybey the weight bias you want to change and make it mid engine? (The bug sure is different than my old Datsun 510 on these fire roads) and I keep thinking in that direction (Mid Engine)! But as I drive it more I am not sure if its the bias or just my driving technique? Or MORE POWER NEEDED!

Do what you can, with what ya got. and enjoy it!
_________________
69' stock baja daily beater.
70' 091, linkpin, type 4, project.
VW trike , All 3 wheels leaning.

DonM · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 3:53 pm Post subject: Re: rally bug

I'm looking to buy a baja with the idea that I will start with something well built and adjust and modify toward my needs. I'm looking for friendly opinions here.
First, let me explain how I plan to use the car. My wife and I have a cabin in the hills of North Central Washington above Omak. We love to drive the dirt and gravel fire roads that run for hundreds of miles around our cabin. We look for back road routes between little towns. I had a CJ5 that we drove all over the place and had a great time. Some of the roads are run at 35-55mph and others are tight and twisty dirt roads up the side of a mountain. Sometime we need to go out on the highway to run to another area. we get in and out of the vehicle often when we are exploring. We also love to go to the beach. In Washington, any driveable ocean beach is considered a state highway and requires a street legal, licensed vehicle. No atv/rvs allowed. We are not interested in duneing and there really isn't much in the way of desert style trails on open land.
That brings me back to the point I want to ask about. In my search for cars, I found a 66 baja with what I'm told is a class 5 chassis/ cage, modified bj front and swing rear that appears in pictures to be well built and clean. 1835 motor and trans have low hours. I know that in the desert, large travel is needed to suck up the large bumps and jumps of cross country driving. I guess what I'm looking to do is more like running up Pikes Peak on dirt than running the open desert. I'm not sure I NEED more than a beefed up BJ front and swing axle to throw gravel on a fire road or run up and down the beach.
Like I said above, I do intend to wrench on the car for basic maint. needs and to adjust the car to my needs. I will need help with any fab that I want done. I don't weld.
When I boil down my needs, I guess I'm looking for a rally Baja.
Am I missing something? Opinions?


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