Hello to everyone!

[Armadillo1954]

Newbie here, but not to VW's in general. I have owned a pristine 67 sunroof deluxe and a 67 split window, along with a few others. I've come to the realization that at 64 years next month I need to get shy of the motorcycles and try something new. So I figure it's time to build a Baja. Being as I don't really care about having 14 inches of travel and just something to daily drive, goof off and run some dirt roads with I found what I'm shooting for in the old pictures on here. I'm not exactly computer savvy but it's the one with 69 on it and it sits lower than the ones I usually see posted. All I want is to make it mostly bullet proof with a good torque motor for South Ga. dirt roads and maybe a field rally. By the looks of this one I could probably play autocross with it for kicks. So If you get a look at it can some of you knowledgeable guys give me some pointers on what suspension this has? I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions and still looking for a decent donor car so let's say I'm in the planning stages. Thanks in advance, I've surfed around on the sight and it seems like I'm in the right place for some good technical advice later.

[plotch]

Welcome to the mud hole.

[dustymojave]

We still need some kind of picture or a link to the Bug you're talking about in order to help you.

Welcome to our part of the addiction. You're the same age as my wife. 64 next month. I doubt the available terrain in Georgia offers much challenge for long travel in a Baja Bug. But stock travel or other mild modifications can provide some stimulating offroading. I'm sure there are some fun trails, but most are probably on private land.

My Baja Bug has stock linkpin beam, arms, rear trailing arms, etc. All of those parts have mild modifications, but they are original VW parts inside. Yet it gets offroaded pretty hard. You don't need huge trailing arms or tires or engine swaps. I don't even have expensive shocks.

My Baja Bug:

_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Armadillo1954]

Thanks for the welcomes. I'll try this photo posting. Should be an adventure. I off road raced motorcycles for years and dabbled in road racing until it got absurdly expensive, so I have had my wings wet so to speak. Yeah most of South Ga. is dirt road and swamps without the need for stilts on the wheels. Just wanting to build a fun reliable toy to act stupid in on occasion. I'll try the photo but it is about the ride height of yours. Thanks again, looking forward to the laughs and of course some cursing and crying. It all goes together.

[Armadillo1954]

[Armadillo1954]

OK wasn't so hard after all. I just like the swiss army knife look of it. Should be ok on dirt roads and still fun on a paved corner. I think I can keep the cost down on the build until I get that upgrade fever thing again. It's easy to get when you're single. LOL

[Dark Earth]

I would suggest a 1969-1972 Beetle. They have a ball-joint front suspension, an IRS rear suspension, and a 4.125 (AH) Ring and Pinion transmission. If it has a Macpherson Strut front suspension ... pass on it ... that's a Super Beetle. They're good for street use but not for off-road. The 1973 and later Beetles have a 3.875 (AT) Ring and Pinion transmission which is a little too tall for off-road rear tires.

The car pictured has a ball-joint front suspension and an IRS rear suspension. You can clearly see the front beam shock towers, that are ball-joint, and you can just barely see the rear lower shock mount that is IRS.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Armadillo1954]

Thanks Dark Earth. Surfing the adds looking for one. Man those supers are everywhere for cheap. I have a friend who used to race dune buggies and do the mud bogging thing, and have him calling me soon as to what he might have in his junkyard. He owns a wrecker service and probably has a bunch of starter cars over there. Have to be certain I can get it tagged though. He says he might also have most of what I need as far as pipes, trans, and possibly a dual port. Hope he has a bunch of his old racing motor stuff around too. We'll see. If nothing else he can help keep me out of trouble on buying stuff I don't need. So as with any project Prior Planning Prevents Pizz Poor Performance.

[Mal evolent]

do this to the rear trailing arms:

parts available here: https://www.mooreparts.com/vw-rear-irs-trailing-arm-box-in-kit-weld-on/

I did mine different so I can run stock shocks

read this: http://www.aircooled.net/vw-performance-engines/

do the limit stops shown here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=491123

I added 1/2" bolts welded to mine so I can position the trailing arms with a breaker bar when reassembling things. parts here: https://www.pacificcustoms.com/AC413100.html
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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[TDCTDI]

They’re more than capable with a mild lift & good tires, here’s my Ghia out on the power lines. I’m building it for rallycross.

Link


Realistically, you don't need much more than the stock engine in the single-track type stuff, you can easily go faster than your line of sight & you better hope that you don't meet a pack of kids on bikes or four wheelers coming the other direction.

I let a buddy of mine drive one of my Baja bugs down a trail once & he got to about 50MPH before I warned him about potential other traffic. No sooner than coming back down to 15mph, six kids doing about 50 all had to bail into the woods as we came to a stop. After making sure that they were OK we went on our merry way but I'm pretty sure a few of their rides had to be pushed out.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[Armadillo1954]

Wow! Thanks bunches on the ideas. I would have never thought to reinforce something that looks like it's "strong enough". And thanks for the parts hounding for me. Great ideas. I did know about the running head on into trouble. Been on both ends of that so yeah, with old age comes a heightened level of self preservation hence giving up the cycles. I think a stock, or near stock motor is a great option as your probably not constantly repairing it and I figure Ferdinand got it pretty much right to begin with. 1600 is all I'll need until that time when you say Hm..... I wonder. LOL But mostly I just want it to be able to get back to the trailer, or home. What's your opinion on sway bars for something that's probably 40/60 dirt road/ highway? I see a lot of posts saying no for off road and others a must for highway and such. Seems it's always harder to build a compromise.

[TDCTDI]

I still have my sway bar... stuffed into the tierods to reinforce them.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[dustymojave]

"with old age comes a heightened level of self preservation hence giving up the cycles"

As we ex-motorcycle desert racers and now offroad buggy racers say:
"With age comes a cage."

I raced motorcycles (like in "On Any Sunday") while I was building my race buggy back in the 70s.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Mal evolent]

I was looking for a motorcycle for trips to town when it occurred to me that I have not been hurt badly on one yet, and the time to quit is while I can still say that.

[Armadillo1954]

So after searching the internet I finally dug up two more photo's of the bug I'm using for inspiration. Can you more knowledgeable folks take a minute and give me an idea of this tire size, rim size, and possibly the ride height. I know it's not going to be perfect but I'm just trying to get all my ducks headed in the right direction for when I come across a nice donor bug. Thanks in advance.

[dustymojave]

Front and rear wheels are probably 5" or 6", all the same probably. Possibly 5s on front and 6s on the rear.

Front tires look like 205-70 and the rears 235s or maybe 30 x 9.50.

Ride height is stock.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Armadillo1954]

thanks Dusty. Been trying to figure it out. I like the stance, but now it seems I'll have to have a bit more ground clearance to go bombing down the woods roads. Not anything crazy but good to know.