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My first beach buggy project
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Rome
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Joined: June 02, 2004
Posts: 9602
Location: Pearl River, NY
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 4:14 pm    Post subject: Re: My first beach buggy project Reply with quote

My guess on your original chassis is it's a 1960.

If you do decide to refurbish your '74 IRS chassis, you will discover a problem when you mount the body: the body's rear seat area wells extend too deep so that the bottoms will hit the tops of the IRS diagonal arms... I'm in the same predicament with a Manx clone I bought about 30 yrs ago. If I ever get around to it, my plan would be to slice off the bottoms of those wells, cut out maybe 2" to get me the needed clearance, then 'glass the original bottoms back onto the body. I definitely would want to keep the IRS rather than going to stock type 1 swingaxles, which is something you could do so that you don't modify your body.

Keeping a type 1 engine and IRS trans will significantly simplify your assembly, other than the body interference just mentioned.

I see a small hole in the vertical face of the rear seat area where a Manx ID plate would generally go. Have you looked closely there, if that hole is a drilled-out ID plate rivet hole?

What do the undersides of your front fenders look like? Mine have stiffening ribs going outward.
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Ctreve
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Joined: February 13, 2018
Posts: 7
Location: Manitoba, Canada
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:34 pm    Post subject: Re: My first beach buggy project Reply with quote

Hi Guys!

Quick update time!!!

The life of too many parts and not enough that are meant to fit together is hitting me.

My IRS frame is complete but upon inspection you guys were right in that the old front end I had (that was in good shape) will not bolt up to it.... The IRS frame front end I have has a nasty case of rust that is not fixable.

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Ideally I would like to to basically keep the buggy as it was when it was built. However, as I mentioned before, the old frame is bent in more places than I can straighten so I think it is out of the picture. My IRS frame is ok (ish?) condition with rust that I am prepared to deal with (replace the hat and the bottom plate and patch up the minor rust on the side of the tunnel area).

So the questions I need some help with.... Front end? Do I buy a new ball-joint style front end frame (like this one: http://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC-C10-4200)? Or do I buy a whole new front end for the old style and stitch it on (like this one: http://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VWC-113-701-037-B)? In terms of cost I think that going back to the old front end would be cheaper in the end but are there other factors I should consider?

Also Rome: I would ideally like to keep my GBR design because I think it is interesting and I know that it will work if I put it back together the way it was. As such I think I will have to modify my tub to compensate for that. I will check my body for those frame supports you spoke of as soon as I dig it out of the snow (we received about 10 inches yesterday).

On a closing note; I know more isn't always better but there is a local guy who is selling his old parts bug. I think it is 60's vintage and that he took all of the interior and the motor from it but I think the rest is there. Should I start this whole process over again with a new frame if I can get it?

Please let me know any thoughts you guys might have, I am currently at a stand still while I maul over my options but I would like to get moving on it soon as I would like to be done by summer!
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Ctreve
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Joined: February 13, 2018
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Location: Manitoba, Canada
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 4:45 pm    Post subject: Re: My first beach buggy project Reply with quote

Another quick update:

I went and picked up another beetle for parts, a 1970 that was complete (ish.. minus the motor).

My plan is the pull the body off of it and see how the frame is, if the frame is solid then I am going to buy new floor pans and weld them in and then shorten the frame.

I am going to shorten the wells of my body by 2" so that it clears the IRS suspension. From there I will keep the IRS suspension style and get a type 1 motor for it.

Any advice guys?
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heywebonya
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Joined: July 08, 2010
Posts: 823
Location: Portage, MI
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:12 am    Post subject: Re: My first beach buggy project Reply with quote

A 2" body lift will also clear the wells without having to modify the wells.
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If I knew what I was doing; I wouldn't be building a buggy!
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