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CoastalBug Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2025 Posts: 60 Location: TX
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2025 9:07 pm Post subject: How to baja wanna be? |
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I have a tendency to choose things that I generally can't afford, and/or are not equipped with tools or skills to tackle. As is the case with this '68 I'm picking up in two days. While I enjoy the classic and cali styled beetles, I generally do not like the cut off rear of the Baja bugs. I happened upon a few overlanding styled cars, such as those from the internet pictures below, and it really caught my eye.
After doing a few hours of research I've learned that I SHOULDN'T ask about lifts as it stirs up all kind of unwanted forum drama, and that doing so involves a lot of disassembling and welding and custom fabrication.
So my question is, how can I get an off-road look and function without actually rebuilding my car? (The furthest off-road we'd actually go would be the beach). Wheel spacers and knobby tires? Tub bumpers or bully bars?
If I were doing this on my old '89 Ford F150 I'd know exactly what to do. I'm completely lost on where to even start researching with this Bug.
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DesertSasquatchXploration Samba Member

Joined: April 16, 2021 Posts: 961
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:12 pm Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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A Baja Bug uses all stock parts and will do desert trails at 45+ when built right. On really rough hill climbs and mine roads even a big travel setup will be slow 20Mph or less. A heavy truck 2WD (PRERUNNER) will stay on flat ground and pound sand.
A Baja bug isnt hard to build right just takes the right Mods and will be easy on the wallet. You either want to put in the work and set it up right... or just hack something together? I can buy a 2door used 02' Toyota echo and do sand beaches all day long not hard with puffy tires. _________________ Key is to have downward travel Preload keep both wheels on the ground at all times once you lift a tire your DONE. Guys worry about clearance instead think of the opposite you want the suspension to drop that tire in the hole and keep you going. A spider for example they keep their body low but their legs can reach pretty far so they don't (bottom out) |
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CoastalBug Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2025 Posts: 60 Location: TX
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:15 pm Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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Well if I wanted a Toyota, I would have looked for a Toyota.
What I'm more or less getting at is what are some easy things to do to make it more of an offroad style bug without having to cut up a beam for a little extra clearance etc? |
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CoastalBug Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2025 Posts: 60 Location: TX
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:19 pm Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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I guess I need to do more research. |
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Schepp Samba Member

Joined: March 22, 2020 Posts: 454 Location: NorCal
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2025 7:38 am Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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Coastal,
You definitely need to do more research. Tons of info already on this forum IF you're willing to dig for it. Most people don't want to put in that much effort.
When you search online used quotations at the end of your search. Type "Samba" at the end.
Hundreds of posts from this forum will come up.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=123315
I researched on off-road VW's for over a year before I even started searching for a vehicle to purchase. I read and reread many other peoples builds including the high dollar builds for inspiration. Blake Wilkey's builds were huge for me. His builds are all on YouTube. Hours of detailed content on his builds.
How much can you afford? Be real with yourself on that. Then add $3k on top of it.
The more solid the initial base vehicle is, the less you'll spend in the long run. The basic general maintenance wear items are the ones that take the most time to fix. If you're spending all your time and money fixing someone else's neglected maintenance. You'll loose enthusiasm real fast. That kind of work is what many of us have already gone through to get where we are at now.
I started with a very neglected 1972 stock beetle for $2k. $10k and 6 years later, I have a car that's heaps of fun and more reliable than our family's 2007 Honda CRV. But I have fabrication and machine skills, plus tools to fix cars already.
Fill your brain with as much knowledge as you can. Then decide if this is truly the path you want to go down. Once you start there's no turning back. You wont want to...
If you take a neglected VW offroad, trouble will likely find you real quick.
You wont find on here many people who just bought a car and bolted on a fiberglass kit. Though you certainly can do that if you wish. Its your money. Be warned the fiberglass kits are not exactly "bolt-on".
Hopefully this helps. |
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ORANGECRUSHer Samba Member

Joined: June 09, 2006 Posts: 3489 Location: West Coast (Michigan's)
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2025 9:41 am Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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So I'm unclear on whether you already bought the car and want to offroad it or if you're looking for the right car still. If it's the latter I'd say you're on the smart path. It's always better to know what you're getting in to.
That being said, I will warn you that a lot of what you see took some hands on modification to get it that way. The parts we have available aren't that great these days (china) and there is a certain amount of knowledge required to make them work or even fit sometimes. Parts also can be hard to find. It helps to get active in your local VW community or a group that offroads and get to know some people because sometimes that's your lifeline to getting parts or advice that you just can't get from the internet.
There a hundred of ways to modify a VW for offroad and I'd bet if you can dream it up, someone has done it before. So there should be information available. Sometimes you just have to ask the right way. We see people come and go asking common questions and the experienced quit offering help when they get the impression it's a waste of time. You gotta have a lot of passion for the type 1 platform to get very far with it. It will take effort and you will get frustrated, but if you have that passion the payoffs will be worth it.
I know your question wasn't whether or not to get into VWs, but I feel these are valid things to think about before you get in too deep. Before too long you find yourself with totes of VW parts that you don't know what to do with. You'll find yourself checking valve lash instead of watching that game with your friends. Your wife will be jealous because you spend more time with the VW.
I experienced one of my payoffs this morning. Driving my baja in to work while it was drizzling rain on a tree lined country road, The little wipers just barely keeping the windshield clear. My new 2110 droning along behind me as steam rises above the pavement ahead. It's a feeling I love that takes me out of this screwy time we live in and harkens back to a simpler time. It's about the only thing that makes me happy anymore, driving that thing.
So you want a full bodied/fendered baja? There are racing classes for that very thing. I'm no authority on them, but they can get very wild and expensive. The back end on a baja gets trimmed for a reason. It makes access to the motor a lot easier. It also simplifies the cooling of the motor. If you have a full bodied car you will want to make sure it has ALL the proper cooling tins on the motor.
You will run into limits with the suspension and stock fenders, but there are ways around that like body lifts.
I guess what I would suggest if you're certain you want to get involved and really lose all practical sense when it comes to offroad (see toyota comments above) then I would say try to find the straightest type 1 you can find with everything "there". Good floors, fenders, bumpers, and engine tins. Pay a little more up front for a solid car and you'll thank yourself down the road. Find a road car that someone hasn't offroaded. That way it'll probably be in better shape and you won't be fighting with bad decisions the previous owners made.
Once you got the car, clean it up and do some maintenance and get to know how everything works. Drive it a bit on road. You need to understand how everything works because when you take it off road somethings going to break and you'll need to know how to fix it or even what to bring with you to fix it. Then start doing some light offroading. You'll find the areas you want to work on real quick. Probably tires, maybe gearing, and suspension travel. THEN you go looking for your answers to suspension mods.
A fairly stock bug can do an aweful lot in the hands of a capable driver who knows it's limits. There's tons of videos with basic bugs putting some serious offroad rigs to shame. The trick is not getting too caught up in modding that you never get to drive the damn thing. One of my issues... _________________ Brian H.
OrangeCrushERBerrien Warrior-2.4L Quad4-2x3 arms-1.5Fox coilovers-094-930CVs
LAZY MARY1970 Baja 2110cc-82mm CB forged crank-AA pistons/cylinders-Grant rings-1.1 vw rockers-CB serpkit-CB chromoly PRs-CB maxiflow filter pump-wix51515 filter-Dual 44IDF-cut/turned front beam-AEM wideband-Auber CHT-Donaldson Dual PowerCore filters-custom AL air boxes |
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Safety Ed Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2023 Posts: 9 Location: San Pedro CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2025 10:33 am Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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A couple easy ways to get the "overlander" or class 11 look, raised spindles for the front gets you about 3 " of lift , since you are looking at a 68 which is a swing axle , you can reindex the rear swing plates one notch and get about 2" of lift in the back (don't go any higher or your wheels will camber funny). add in some good Billstein Rez shocks all around and a skid plate under the engine, and some 28 ish inch tires you are about there. You can do as little as necessary or go completely crazy and build a street able class 11 car if you want. Nobody on this form will give you a hard time for building /modifying your bug into an offroad car.... unless its a perfectly good oval window, but in the long run , its yours, do what you want. Just be smart and keep safety in mind when modifying.
Ed |
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dirtkeeper Samba Member

Joined: February 19, 2008 Posts: 3252 Location: Left of everywhere
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Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2025 6:30 am Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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Safety Ed wrote: |
A couple easy ways to get the "overlander" or class 11 look, raised spindles for the front gets you about 3 " of lift , since you are looking at a 68 which is a swing axle , you can reindex the rear swing plates one notch and get about 2" of lift in the back (don't go any higher or your wheels will camber funny). add in some good Billstein Rez shocks all around and a skid plate under the engine, and some 28 ish inch tires you are about there. You can do as little as necessary or go completely crazy and build a street able class 11 car if you want. Nobody on this form will give you a hard time for building /modifying your bug into an offroad car.... unless its a perfectly good oval window, but in the long run , its yours, do what you want. Just be smart and keep safety in mind when modifying.
Ed |
You may be lucky, 1968 is a transition year and some are IRS , much better than the swing axle if you intend to lift it |
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MI-Bug Samba Member

Joined: March 12, 2016 Posts: 143 Location: Marne, MI
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indianpeaksjoe Samba Member

Joined: July 27, 2017 Posts: 636 Location: Moab, UT
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joemama Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2006 Posts: 1664 Location: La Crescenta, California
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Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2025 7:48 pm Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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I no longer own this bug, but its like what youre thinking of
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...ffroad+bug
I used Atomwerks lifted spring plates for the rear, and liked them. Not sure they are available any more. Also front lifted spindles. Also used type 3 torsion bars, that are 23.5 mm, instead of 22.
I regret selling this bug, and would buy it back if I could. |
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Dusty1 Samba Member
Joined: April 16, 2004 Posts: 2090
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2025 9:29 am Post subject: Re: How to baja wanna be? |
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CoastalBug wrote: |
Well if I wanted a Toyota, I would have looked for a Toyota. |
I've got it both ways. I have a barn full of Bugs with more in the woods and several of the iconic 2000- 2004 Tacomas. And a Prius for when I want 50mpg with the AC blasting.
I built a '67 "Class 11" before Class 11 became highly specialized. 30 years ago you could do a little suspension work, weld in a "Class 11" cage and beat on it in the desert until something broke.
I initially bought a Mexican replacement front beam which set the front ride height nosebleed high. I raised the rear suspension up one full spline for a "pretty good" off- road stance. Mind you this thing would bang its way though our East Coast muddy rocky trails (Yup. We have rocks in our mud.) this thing would bang its way through our muddy rocky trails with little drama.
You can fit 195/65-15" tires under there on 5.5"- 6" rims. The 6" rims are better for street and gravel roads while narrower 4"- 4.5" rims are better to avoid rim damage on those muddy rocky trails I mentioned.
Stick KYB Gas-a-Justs on all four corners or pretty yellow Bilsteins if you have the coin.
In short just about every hippy knew 50 or so years ago a nearly stock Bug would go just about anywhere until you found someplace it wouldn't.
Bear in mind my '67 was practically identical to your '68 underneath.
If I were to do it again and I just might... I'd start with a '69 with a Thing front end or a post- '69 pan with a '65 frame head.
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