The "Mind changer" baja

so-calvwdude · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject: The "Mind changer" baja

I always change my mind on what i want to do. I have said i was going to biuld a baja a few times before but end up with something else. But now I AM going to biuld a baja. And im calling it the "mind changer" Heres the story.

My friend drives a 1969 bug, bone stock. And rear ended a toyota carolla on the side of the road that bent the beam and ripped off the fender on the passenger side. And his dad bought him a super beetle to transfer the engine and a few other parts to and drive that. So i said id give him 150 bucks for the old bug. And he didnt really give me a straight answer, but i know he will because he NEEDS the money. And he only payed 150 for the super. So, until the super is done (which i have been helping him do everyday after school) i cant get the 69. It needs a beam, an engine, a fiberglass front end and a few other things. I plan on going link pin, and buying a long block 1776. And green stickering it so i can tow it with my truck to the dez and run it. Heres some pics. Any advice is good advise so if ya got any i'd be thankful.

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pafree · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:42 pm Post subject:

i would have worried about framehead damage but if you are going with a link pin then you would have changed it anyway. my only other concern would be the passenger door frame and its opening and closing. are you going with a one piece front or try and beat the metal back out? there is alot of baja kits in the offroad parts classified these days.

so-calvwdude · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:57 pm Post subject:

The frame head is fine, that was the first thing i looked at. And the door jam is messed up a bit, but i have a door from a 73 bug and a sledge hammer to fix the door jam, haha. And i am going with a one piece front end because the quarter panel is jacked up pretty bad.
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so-calvwdude · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:13 pm Post subject:

Well, since i helped him so much with the super, getting it drivable and everything he said 100 bucks will take it. But he still needs a couple parts off it so i have to wait a few more days to pick it up, with will be a bit challenging because the beam is not on it.
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BugMan114 · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:11 pm Post subject:

Well, if the door jam is simply pushed in, and not bent itself, i'd prolly do something like somehow attach it (on more then one point, to prevent bending) to another car (a big truck preferably), and pull the door jam back out carefully. i usually secure the area with a big poece of steel, angle iron, or square tubing, and attach the cables to that, so it will push on the jam more evenly, instead of bending it. Ive done it a few times to other cars, with great success. But if the door jam itself is bent and kinked, then yeah, ITS HAMMER TIME Twisted Evil

.

100 bucks for that is a pretty good deal. even if you find its not worth doing (tunnel is bent, door jam is beyond repair or skill level, etc.), take the body off, cut the frame in half, have someone who knows what they are doing weld on a harly or honda front end, and you got yourself one badass trike Twisted Evil

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1974 Super Beetle: Custom resto in progress
1972 Super Beetle: Daily Driver
1971 Std. Beetle w/ 1929 Mercedes Benz Gazelle kit
1960 Baja Bug
1969 Baja Bug
Sand Rail- Homemade
Sand Rail- FUBAR

Aircooled Airheads

Why the hell do they call it a gland nut. its obviously a big fat bolt!!!

carlos_magnum · Samba Member Joined: April 21, 2009 Posts: 591

I think this would be a cool baja built thread. Keep us posted.

BugMan114 · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:13 am Post subject:

so-calvwdude · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:45 pm Post subject:

BugMan114 · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

get like 5 other friends, and a good hand cart. lift the front of the bug with the hand cart, and tell everyone to push. lol. i've done it this way many times, and always works pretty good, lol. just go slow, and make sure the hand cart doesn't slip. personally i have a an old aluminum hand cart made in germany (wierd, right?), with the original tires from 1985. they are cracked and old, but have moved a few cars. actually, today i used it to move a sand rail with no rear suspension.

tho not as heavy as a bug, i have used it to lift a front end of a bug before. Wink

_________________
1974 Super Beetle: Custom resto in progress
1972 Super Beetle: Daily Driver
1971 Std. Beetle w/ 1929 Mercedes Benz Gazelle kit
1960 Baja Bug
1969 Baja Bug
Sand Rail- Homemade
Sand Rail- FUBAR

Aircooled Airheads

Why the hell do they call it a gland nut. its obviously a big fat bolt!!!

so-calvwdude · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject:

Well, i could do that, but my street is 50 ft downhill, so im going to buy a beam tomorrow and get er bolted up to the bug and roll her on home.
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BugMan114 · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject:

ahh, gotcha, lol. That might pose a problem. tho you could still do that, but just ride it down Twisted Evil

, lol, jk
_________________
1974 Super Beetle: Custom resto in progress
1972 Super Beetle: Daily Driver
1971 Std. Beetle w/ 1929 Mercedes Benz Gazelle kit
1960 Baja Bug
1969 Baja Bug
Sand Rail- Homemade
Sand Rail- FUBAR

Aircooled Airheads

Why the hell do they call it a gland nut. its obviously a big fat bolt!!!

so-calvwdude · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject:

Haha that would work, but im leaving in like 20 mins to pick up a beam.
More pics are coming!
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so-calvwdude · Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject:

ITS HOME!! I got the drivers side front fender off, and finished installing the beam and towed it around to my yard. I got alot of work to do in the near future..........

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BugMan114 · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:01 am Post subject:

Sweet

. now its time to get your hands greasy Twisted Evil

_________________
1974 Super Beetle: Custom resto in progress
1972 Super Beetle: Daily Driver
1971 Std. Beetle w/ 1929 Mercedes Benz Gazelle kit
1960 Baja Bug
1969 Baja Bug
Sand Rail- Homemade
Sand Rail- FUBAR

Aircooled Airheads

Why the hell do they call it a gland nut. its obviously a big fat bolt!!!

so-calvwdude · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

Well I got home todaay and got to work, didnt get a whole lot accomplished, but just tinkering and getting familiar with the car. I pulled the rear fenders off, the decklid off, the rear bumper, and all the turn signal wiring exept the flasher switch. I noticed that power goes from the battery, to te ignition, then to the flasher switch and then to the fuse block. Can i just bypass the flasher switch and just hook the battery wire from the ignition straight to the fuse block? Because im not going to run any flashers or turn signals. This is going to be an offroad only car. Well anyways, heres some pics. I need to get batteries for my digital camera so i can stop using my phone.

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so-calvwdude · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:11 am Post subject:

Finnally got some updates. I got the car moved up closer to the house, (pushed it with my truck) got a one piece front end for 130 bucks that had been cut on one side but not the other. (see pics) I have a guy coming to trade my lowered beam for a stock beam so i removed the beam again. Cleaned up all the wiring. Im going today to get a front bumper and rear fenders. Then am going to start cutting.