Thread: Buggies are loop-hole!

After getting rid of my ranger and picking up a 64 baja bug i was finally happy. What I didn't realize is that by purchasing a bug I avoided building a vehicle that would put me in the "bro" category by default. Its almost as if the world doesn't know how fun bugs are and therefore they aren't some kind of fashion statement. I don't know if I'll catch crap for this since it is in the "buggies" forum and everyone here seems really nice. Just wanted to say hi to everyone and that your secret is safe with me. I now get to off-road with the big boys and still avoid being stereotyped.

I love my bug. See you in the desert.

well I havent driven a bug, but I am glad you found a soulmate!!!

lol..Post pics of the bug!...I wish i could get rid of my ranger to get a bug..but i love air condtioning..and a smooth noise less drive

Sweet man!

I had two baja bugs before I had my first truck, and now am selling my Ranger to get another one. They are a ton of fun!

Have fun with yours, and yeah, post some pictures of it.

-Randy

don't forget CHEEP ! i don't have the cash$$$$$$$$$$ a truck takes !

I posted before in one of the "show your buggy" threads. But here are a few more. Still a work in progress. Carpeting the interior and paint are next. Going with two-tone color white top and orange bottom. I'm in the heart of my college career so its hard to do much with it. The nice thing about bugs though is since they are cheap and easy to work on, it fits my schedule really well. So far I've done the following:
Installed new sunroof
Fixed all the wiring (lights, signals, radio, speakers, fuel pump)
Put on all new brakes (master cylinder, slaves, pads, linkage, lines, etc)
Installed new seats (toyota celica seats with lumbar support! WOOT!)
Tuned the Carb
New axle seals and wheel bearing
New tires

Bottom picture is most recent. Just got 4 new tires last week. Went with 235x75x15 rears and 215x75x15 fronts. I am trying out the Cooper Discovery ATR's. Good price, good traction in dirt and sand. Quiet on the road too. Just gotta see now how long they last (pretty soft compound).

Originally Posted by b1z

lol..Post pics of the bug!...I wish i could get rid of my ranger to get a bug..but i love air condtioning..and a smooth noise less drive

Here you go a bug with AC.
http://www.desertrides.com/features/..._bug/index.php

^^^ No Beam? Sheesh.

I think having no AC, no power steering, no ABS, no power window, no power locks, and no power are what makes these things so much fun to drive.

Off-roading with the sunroof open, windows down, earplugs in, and handkerchief around face is way funner then windows up, AC blasting, listening to KMK. I dunno, maybe I just like the simple life better.

x2!!

Most bugs arent super flashy and require lots of work to get going. Maybe that deters the "bros" ??!!

Originally Posted by crazyracer

Sweet bug!!! Is that you?

Originally Posted by crazyracer

^^^ No Beam? Sheesh.

I think having no AC, no power steering, no ABS, no power window, no power locks, and no power are what makes these things so much fun to drive.

Off-roading with the sunroof open, windows down, earplugs in, and handkerchief around face is way funner then windows up, AC blasting, listening to KMK. I dunno, maybe I just like the simple life better.

Reading that I got a blast of hot air, dust, and ringing ears! Theres nothing better

Haha, no thats a friend of mine. We are leading a student orientation group together this fall. For some reason she felt compelled to model the new rubbers, who was I to rain on her parade right?

i pretty much do the same thing in my truck, windows down, sunroof open and sun glasses. dont have AC and probably wouldnt use it while offroad even if i do.

That's the great thing...your pre '71, so your clear of the fender laws. You can keep the plate, and pretty much do anything you want, and the cops really won't mess with you. They are cheap, easy, and fun.

Fender laws?

Originally Posted by crazyracer

Haha, no thats a friend of mine. We are leading a student orientation group together this fall. For some reason she felt compelled to model the new rubbers, who was I to rain on her parade right?

do u ever "make it rain" on her?

^^^ That comment is completely off topic and un-called for.

Any plans to do a IRS swap?......Im going to be picking up a 61 in a couple weeks...I can't wait.. Whats the plans for your bug?

This summer I am DD'ing it to work, so nothing is going to change much over the summer.

In the fall I am building a new roll cage and hope to convert to IRS in the process. Also gonna cut and turn the beam and possibly make or extend the shock towers. I want to keep it really mild for now. I'd like to build a class 5 eventually, but I'm in college still and I'd be better off just buying one built I think.

I think a set of 6" or 8" coilovers up front with some 10" or 12" in the rear would be a good goal for now. Keep it simple and fun. Not building it to impress anyone.

Paint is in order too.

Originally Posted by J.Johnson

Here you go a bug with AC.
http://www.desertrides.com/features/..._bug/index.php

You just posted that cuz you're the fab master.

I had built 2 rangers and then a full size silverado, Now i'm building a buggy, and so far i'm injoying it more.....

the most offroad fun i ever had was in a bug my brother built. all the suspension was beefed up but had to have stock numbers to remain in whatever class he ran. so it was still rough riding but it was a tank... i rolled it and kept goin,never let off the gas. then he gave the damn thing away

any updates?

I was looking into getting a bug or buggy. But then I realized they cost more than your average 6 cylinder prerunner. I got my taco for, less money than my buddy has into his bug. And the damn vw motors are expensive to make reliable. Plus towing the bug and all that, I got the most bang for my buck. But wish I could go duneing like a bug. And it works better than his bug. haha we have around $16,000 ish into them. yes you can do a bug cheaper but his is pretty clean.

I'm sorry but apples to apples a bug is cheaper and basically everyone knows this. they are lighter, so the parts don't have to be as strong. Less travel will do more etc. Sure yuo can spend a ton on a bug, but a mild built bug will that can do X amount in the desert will be cheaper than a mild truck that does the sameish stuff in the desert.

^^^^ I more than agree!

In virtually stock form (larger tires, cranked torsions, beefed up spindles and little things) these things are capable of soo much. For my ranger to take what this bug can take would cost me way more money than what I bought the bug for. In the dirt or dunes, these things are great. Heck, you gotta love the easy-to-reach handbrake too for those downhill dirt trails too!

ill sell you my 4 or 6 point cage for cheap

No thanks, I already have a 6pt cage but I don't like it. I'm going to build my own this fall and do it up right. My bolt in cage is one of the nicer ones I've seen, but still inferior to what I can build myself. Thanks for the offer.

I got to ride in a really nice bug last season, and I was very impressed.

I have some really simple updates I guess.

Last weekend I pulled the engine and replaced the front main seal. Ever since I bought the car its been leaking pretty bad when it is running. I got a seal kit and replace the seal. Little did I know you are supposed to have a clutch alignment tool when putting the engine back IN to place. Everyone I ever asked told me it was as simple as 4 bolts, removing the clutch/flywheel, changing the seal and putting it all together. 4 hours later I went to Pep Boys after doing some more research. They said they had the tool so I went in. They didn't have the tool. I went back home and eyeballed it the best I could. The engine finally went back in. It still leaks.

Fast forward 1 week. I pulled my engine again yesterday (Friday July 3rd) when I found out there was a small o-ring inside the flywheel that needed to be replaced too. I also cleaned up the mating surfaces from the leftover silicone someone put in there. After putting it together almost all the way, I snapped one of the poor quality pressure plate bolts off in the flywheel. I got it out with some effort (before the loctite set in thank god). I went to home depot to get 6 new bolts...they didn't have them. I got a burrito instead next door. Then I went to pep boys and go 6 new stainless steel bolts. Glory. I replaced all the pressure plate bolts and threw the engine back on (much faster this time with the proper tool). It still leaks.

After all that headace, I'm pretty sure its just my oil lines coming out of the back of the engine going up to my external oversized oil cooler. Those will be fixed next weekend when I have yet another day to spend.


I still love my bug though, especially now with the all new electrical parts feeding the engine. Runs great...still leaks.

Bugs are the shizz! I have a superbeetle sitting in my backyard right now that me and my buddy work on from time to time. Things are near invincible. We have launched it off small five foot legdes at fifty miles an hour and it just keeps trucking. Took it off a jump and launched it thirty feet. Hehe, mind you this is a SUPER beetle. Lol all we have done is welding in a tube between the unibody shock mounts... It keeps taking more.

Originally Posted by J.Johnson

Here you go a bug with AC.
http://www.desertrides.com/features/..._bug/index.php

mine has ac heat power steering pressurized cab with a parker pumper, and leather interior!!! its not as nice as that one but it has all the creature comforts...

there is nothing wrong with being able to go to the desert in the summer and mobbin the whoops in a perfect temperature cab! be jealous haha

Hows that "bro" truck coming?

bugs are awesome, i beat the s#%t out of mine and i never have any issues. i did happen to lock up a motor but that was due to my learning stage, i bought a new motor for $100 then put another $50 into it and have not been nice to it at all

Originally Posted by WannaB-Class5

I'm sorry but apples to apples a bug is cheaper and basically everyone knows this. they are lighter, so the parts don't have to be as strong. Less travel will do more etc. Sure yuo can spend a ton on a bug, but a mild built bug will that can do X amount in the desert will be cheaper than a mild truck that does the sameish stuff in the desert.

Having built both, trucks are cheaper. For what a tranny costs that isn't going to pop the first time you put it reverse you can build a complete drive train on a ranger. Lift spindles, arms and combo's on a matching wide beam? More than an I-beam front end. Doing a bug right is not cheap or easy. The maintenance on them alone is a major task. CV's? Fuck that.

Whats funny is looking at the for sale ad's for buggy's. 90% of them say fresh tranny, Meaning they just rebuilt it again and want to off load it before it blows again........

Originally Posted by partybarge_pilot

Having built both, trucks are cheaper. For what a tranny costs that isn't going to pop the first time you put it reverse you can build a complete drive train on a ranger. Lift spindles, arms and combo's on a matching wide beam? More than an I-beam front end. Doing a bug right is not cheap or easy. The maintenance on them alone is a major task. CV's? Fuck that.

Whats funny is looking at the for sale ad's for buggy's. 90% of them say fresh tranny, Meaning they just rebuilt it again and want to off load it before it blows again........

i have to kinda dissaggree with that, yes cvs are not fun but if done properly then you wont have any issues. i have a sedan trans in my car and i am far from nice to it, everyone has told me i need to get a bus box because they are stronger but so far i havent had any issues with my stock type1 sedan transaxle from 1969.

Originally Posted by partybarge_pilot

Having built both, trucks are cheaper. For what a tranny costs that isn't going to pop the first time you put it reverse you can build a complete drive train on a ranger. Lift spindles, arms and combo's on a matching wide beam? More than an I-beam front end. Doing a bug right is not cheap or easy. The maintenance on them alone is a major task. CV's? Fuck that.........

I 100% agree if you want to put serious HP through a very serious off-road racer vehicle, hands down a truck is cheaper. You are 1000000% correct that the transaxle alone is almost exactly as much as the entire drivetrain of a truck.

Now, if you just want a fun toy that isn't going to race, a bug can be built much cheaper and go faster. You have to stay with a bus box but that's the biggest limit. a truck that this type of bug would be compared to is a bolt on LT kit, deavers and MAYBE a cage. My bug is light years faster. Again, apples to apples.

Originally Posted by partybarge_pilot

Whats funny is looking at the for sale ad's for buggy's. 90% of them say fresh tranny, Meaning they just rebuilt it again and want to off load it before it blows again........

Mine is currently for sale (and about to be sold) and mine says the same thing. And I didn't blow anything up. I just took it in to have all the gears checked. 1st had some pits so now its new!

PS I'll never own a beam car, or VW type transaxle again. Not worth it!

Lets re-state the original hypothesis. Mildl built bugs are cheaper than mild built trucks. Wazzu "buggies" are a shit ton more than wazzu trucks. Cool?

If there was a fuel injected bug with power steering, power disk brakes and a water cooled motor that moves it fast enough to go freeway speeds with ease for $1500 id be back into a vw in a heartbeat.

Bugs are just rad man. I sure dig mine haha.