SCBaja Pics
- Thread starter takotruckin
- Start date
Interesting
I'll bet that is one hot bug. I notice that you don't have hardly (if any) squat in the rear. What do you do to the suspension to get it to ride at that stock appearing height?
Having seen a few Baja rides in my day it seems a credit to you if you can get that configuration to work in a baja race. Man, the cooing and the suspension wouod kill most of us mere mortals.
Awesome pics.
I'll bet that is one hot bug. I notice that you don't have hardly (if any) squat in the rear. What do you do to the suspension to get it to ride at that stock appearing height?
Having seen a few Baja rides in my day it seems a credit to you if you can get that configuration to work in a baja race. Man, the cooing and the suspension wouod kill most of us mere mortals.
Awesome pics.
takotruckin
Registered User
well, im only 17, the shop is my dads body shop. if you really look at it the back end is squatting bad. i turned the torsion bars about to the max but the motor dropped it about 3 inches. i need to put stiffer bars or coilovers in the back. the suspension is the easiest part of the swap. cooling is tricky, but still not as hard as the fuel injection and wiring. the funny thing is that this all started just because it didnt have enough power to turn the 31"s on it, and i didnt have enough money to build a decent vw motor for it. i figured i could spend 500 on the adapter and use a free engine.. but no, im gonna end up with about $2000 into this thing. im not sure how fast its gonna be, but i can guarantee its gonna be quick.MIKE 38sc said:Just looking at your shop and the toys tells me you're my kind of people.
Keep it up.
17!!!!!!!! I like you even better now as you're not like the other kids.
Ahhh to be young with no preconcieved notions of the world being flat or if you excede 35 MPH you cannot breath. Just keep that mentality and learn everything you can from your dad and every craftsman you run into for the rest of your life and you will be ahead of the game of life.
Dont ever get to the point you think everything has been invented or all the qeustions and mystery's have been answered.
Good job there and just keep on keeping on.
I like you even better now as you're not like the other kids. Ahhh to be young with no preconcieved notions of the world being flat or if you excede 35 MPH you cannot breath. Just keep that mentality and learn everything you can from your dad and every craftsman you run into for the rest of your life and you will be ahead of the game of life.
Dont ever get to the point you think everything has been invented or all the qeustions and mystery's have been answered.
Good job there and just keep on keeping on.
That is so frickin sweet
I'd imagine that the intercooler will easily be held up by the IC pipes. As for the radiator hoses, who knows
I'd be more concerned on how the heck he's gonna cover that all up.. hehe.. that's gonna be one massive engine cover back there.
I'd imagine that the intercooler will easily be held up by the IC pipes. As for the radiator hoses, who knows
I'd be more concerned on how the heck he's gonna cover that all up.. hehe.. that's gonna be one massive engine cover back there.
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AnnivSpeCpe
Registered User
I agree with MIKE38SC wholeheartedly. This kid shows more good forward- thinking than most of us old folks. I want to adopt him. Not to take care of him, but so he can lead and take care of me. lol. Kudos to his dad and others that are leading him in the right direction. John
turbospeed
Registered User
sc in az said:
if its only for drag its ok.
but if for dunes the weigth is too far back , turn could get very very tricky if i were you i would move the engine a few inches to the front getting it into the passenger area , put a pinsulating palte there an tinting the heck outof the back windows.
i ve done pits in the baja 1000 a few times so i kinda know soem thing about baja bugs.
takotruckin
Registered User
actually it handles very well. its a superbeetle, so its a little longer than a standard bug. i have driven it before, but it wouldnt do much because the clutch was slipping pretty bad. the front end was kinda floaty but that was only because of bad alignment. the radiator lines are 1x2 steel tubing the length of the car with 1 1/4 black pipe for bends. i am actually planning on mounting the ic up on the roof or below the back window. what engine cover? this thing isnt for rainy days.. i am planning on rear turning brakes, steering doesnt even do a whole lot on a 4x4 in the dunes.
Mike8675309
Registered User
Does that still have a swingarm rear suspension? Unsafe at any speed style?
I assume not but your mention of torsion bars would worry me. It looks very cool, but all that weight in back will play havoc with the handling. Rear engine cars are notorious for scary oversteer and I'm sure your rear weight bias is even more now than it was. You may find you need to add some weight down low and to the front to try and get the handling a bit more neutral. I'm talking at the limit performance, not just crusing around performance. For crusing around it's probably pretty good.
Had a kid buy my 1968 Corvair and said he was going to pull the rear suspension and engine and use it in a dune buggy. He wished it was a Spider, but still took it. That kind of running around just looks like it's way fun!
Looks kool, and keep on working that project. I'm sure you'll have quite a rig when you're all done.
I assume not but your mention of torsion bars would worry me. It looks very cool, but all that weight in back will play havoc with the handling. Rear engine cars are notorious for scary oversteer and I'm sure your rear weight bias is even more now than it was. You may find you need to add some weight down low and to the front to try and get the handling a bit more neutral. I'm talking at the limit performance, not just crusing around performance. For crusing around it's probably pretty good.
Had a kid buy my 1968 Corvair and said he was going to pull the rear suspension and engine and use it in a dune buggy. He wished it was a Spider, but still took it. That kind of running around just looks like it's way fun!
Looks kool, and keep on working that project. I'm sure you'll have quite a rig when you're all done.
takotruckin
Registered User
it has irs, so no swing axle here.. i have the radiator mounted in the trunk, so it should help a little with weight. but like i said, i have driven it before and i couldnt really tell much difference compared to having a stock vw motor, and that was without the rad. in front.
Mike8675309
Registered User
Ahhh, skipping that swingarm rear suspension likely helps alot. That type of suspension didn't allow sufficient camber adjustment during suspension travel.
The main weight differences will be from the water in the engine, and the accesories mounted off the front of the motor. Also the weight is carried higher in the chassis compared to the VW horizontally opposed motor.
It's all theory though so your experience is what will count. The key to the theory is just so you're aware of the potential behavior at the limit so you can feel your way a bit with the car once you get it up to full bore. I'm sure it'll do just fine, it'll just be different.
Have fun with it for sure.
The main weight differences will be from the water in the engine, and the accesories mounted off the front of the motor. Also the weight is carried higher in the chassis compared to the VW horizontally opposed motor.
It's all theory though so your experience is what will count. The key to the theory is just so you're aware of the potential behavior at the limit so you can feel your way a bit with the car once you get it up to full bore. I'm sure it'll do just fine, it'll just be different.
Have fun with it for sure.