My first Beetle...

[68blackbird]

Picked up a '77 SB Convertible last week. As usual, after tearing into it, the more I dig, the more work I find. I've restored 7 or 8 old cars the past 15 years, so this isn't my first rodeo. A little research shows that the engine id from a 73/74 VW Bus? I know nothing about. Car runs, but a little rough. Plan is to go through fuel system, and rebuild carbs, looks like car has been sitting for awhile.
I'm sure I will have many questions moving forward, please feel free to comment or give advice...I'm gonna need it.

[Buggeee]

It's not a beetle engine and does look like a type IV bus engine at first glance. I would be curious to see what type of transaxle is in there if it was mine, as some people have put bus transaxles in a beetle for off road.

It's a Super Beetle, which means the front suspension is McPherson struts rather than torsion beam with trailing arms. The front suspension is suitable for street use, but not as robust for off road. If you intend to trail ride it, there are things you can do to beef it up a bit and researching is a little more time consuming, but doable, as the baja super beetle is a narrow niche of an application for the model.

You could watch the Dust Buggy series on YouTube as that is one of the few well documented baja super beetle builds.

For the front, off the shelf reinforcement can be had by adding a strut tower brace. Rally springs are available from Topline, and others sometimes, for a little lift, and off-center lift bushings for the sway bar and control arms are available to correct for the geometry of a mild lift. For fabrication, there is bracing the frame head, gussetting the control arm mounts at the frame head, stronger brackets and bolts at the front of the sway bar, and adding strengthening material to the strut tubes.

The rear suspension is exactly like a regular beetle.

Have fun!
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Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[68blackbird]

Thanks for the reply...1st..."Stuck in Ohio"...lol, I get it. I left Ohio in '78, got stationed in Corpus Christi, TX, haven't really looked back.

I got the car up on the lift, took a few pics, may help with your trans question?

This car is going to strictly a street car, no off road.

Again, appreciate your input

, Kelly

[68blackbird]

Was a busy weekend...body removed from chassis, many thanks to the Forum for the input and posts...Kel

[oprn]

"Oh Wow!"

That is as oddball as you can get and still be all VW! Not something I would drag home for sure but that is just me! In that configuration it is completely between all normal builds. It's not a true off road car, not a true on road car, definitely not a restoration... just someone's collection of VW parts!

In the end it will never have a definable market value... but what is value? Whatever works for you and makes you smile.

That type 4 Bus engine is a good solid engine when in good condition. In a Bus though they were hard on heads and the cams went bad. In stock form they make as much power as a modified type 1 engine that costs twice as much. Be careful though with the cooling fan down low like that, make sure it's not drawing in a lot of the spent hot air that normally collects behind the car as it drives and for sure do not use an exhaust system that crosses directly behind that fan! The system it came with addresses that but will make the lower part of the torque curve a bit flat I suspect.
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[68blackbird]

Been a minute since first post...lots done since then. Few pics of work so far.

[Rob Combs]

You've gotten quite a bit done on that!

What did you use to repair the dash pad? Lots of people with a busted-up Super dash would probably like to know!

[68blackbird]

[Rob Combs]

Clever repair technique.

Thanks for sharing!

[Glenn]

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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[vamram]

[68blackbird]

[finster]

I would have thought that flexible filler as used to repair plastic bumpers/fenders would be better and less likely to crack. I used paintable silicon caulk to repair a crack in mine but didn't paint the whole dash but it was quite satisfactory - to a blind man on a galloping horse!
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[Buggeee]

It looks great!
_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)