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Ranger1316
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2018
Posts: 1
Location: GA
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 Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:26 pm Post subject: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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| So, been looking into baja or street racer style. Something in the 120-160hp range. I know roughly what engine, heads, and transaxle I'm wanting. But how often do yall work on them? I don't have a ton of time to work on it too often. Not that I don't want to, I find the stuff enjoyable. But ya know, just time... |
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Mal evolent
Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2009
Posts: 2912
Location: San Antonio, Nuevo Mexico
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| Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:35 pm Post subject: Re: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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an aircooled VW is a 1960s motorcycle, with side by side seating. you need old school motorcycle man skills, tools, and attitudes, but beards are not mandatory. beards itch.
they require more Inspect And Repair As Necessary than a more modern ride. this is a feature, not a malfunction. if it's driven three or four times a week you give it an inspection once a week. if it's driven two or three times in the summer, you check it out every time.
_________________
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 |
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Stauffenberg
Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2008
Posts: 342
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:57 pm Post subject: Re: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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| Not sure exactly what you are asking? Do you mean building them up or once its built doing routine maintenance and fixing things on it? |
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Dale M.
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 20385
Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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| Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 3:23 pm Post subject: Re: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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I think he is asking about reliability and how often they fail and hours required to keep the running....
Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.
"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ... |
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Brian
Samba Moderator
Joined: May 28, 2012
Posts: 8340
Location: Oceanside
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| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 9:19 am Post subject: Re: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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| Ranger1316 wrote: |
| But how often do yall work on them? |
How good of a mechanic are you?
_________________
Wash your hands
'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper
Only losers litter |
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Coyotemutt
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2017
Posts: 360
Location: Pecos, New Mexico
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| Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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| Mal evolent wrote: |
they require more Inspect And Repair As Necessary than a more modern ride. this is a feature, not a malfunction. |
Well said. I had a fender pop halfway off, a headlight fill with water, my starter stopped turning, and could hear a ball joint rattling after my last hunting trip.
Wanna know the final cost of repairs?
0$
I had spare ball joints lying around and pressed them myself, disassembled the starter in the dining room and fixed it, re-mounted the fiberglass fender, and found a way to seal the headlights.
And despite the help the car needed, it still brought me the 200ish miles back to the garage from Datil, NM to Pecos, NM. |
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dustymojave
Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007
Posts: 5802
Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:19 pm Post subject: Re: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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My Baja Bug has been a daily driver so much that it has acquired over 800,000 miles on it. Over 450,000 of those as a Baja Bug.
In the late 1970s
More recently.
It takes more maintenance than a brand new Prius. And you can't take it to the local Baja Bug dealer for service. But for the price of a brand new Prius, you can pay for one HELL of a Baja Bug. If you can handle your own oil changes, chassis lube, tune-up (doesn't take high $$$ exotic electronic equipment) and other maintenance, then it's a fine vehicle. If you need somebody to do such things for you, then it's probably not a good idea.
I've been taking care of mine since before I had a driver's license. Yeah, that's me in the cowboy hat in my early 20s in the black & white picture. I wasn't new to it then. If I could build and take care of a Baja Bug as a teenager, many others could also. There is a whole lot of information available here and elsewhere on the internet and some good books available now that weren't then either.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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dustymojave
Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007
Posts: 5802
Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 10:21 pm Post subject: Re: Looking for advice on VW baja |
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My Baja Bug has been a daily driver so much that it has acquired over 800,000 miles on it. Over 450,000 of those as a Baja Bug.
In the late 1970s
More recently.
It takes more maintenance than a brand new Prius. And you can't take it to the local Baja Bug dealer for service. But for the price of a brand new Prius, you can pay for one HELL of a Baja Bug. If you can handle your own oil changes, chassis lube, tune-up (doesn't take high $$$ exotic electronic equipment) and other maintenance, then it's a fine vehicle. If you need somebody to do such things for you, then it's probably not a good idea.
I've been taking care of mine since before I had a driver's license. Yeah, that's me in the cowboy hat in my early 20s in the black & white picture. I wasn't new to it then. If I could build and take care of a Baja Bug as a teenager, many others could also. There is a whole lot of information available here and elsewhere on the internet and some good books available now that weren't then either.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet. |
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