Goal
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We set out to build a very detailed street buggy. The idea of taking this vehicle into the dirt or sand never crossed our minds. It was to be the basis of a
This buggy will be built in the same style as a modern street rod. It will be detailed through out the car, from the undercarriage, the body, paint, interior, drivertrain, and styling.
Since the car isn't built yet (but I hope to finish it soon), I will give you a description of it below. Use your imagination for now. ;-)
- Body
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The body will be smooth and painted a bright orange, what we call "competition orange". The lighting will feature chrome 7" headlight shells, 7" Bosch H-4 headlights with 55/100W bulbs, chrome taillight housings (from a '62-'67 Beetle), dark red taillight lenses, small amber rectangle turn signals mounted to the front beam and a small set of license plate lights for the rear. Fuel will enter through a polished aluminum gas filler in the middle of the hood and a stock gas tank below the hood. Once the car is done, we're going to see about custom California license plates, the ones with the beach scene in the background. The car also has a canvas top and doors that can be used for those cold early morning drives to Big Bear for breakfast.
- Floorpan
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The floorpan is a 14" shortened '66 Beetle floorpan. It's been reinforced along the center hump, stripped to bare metal and powdercoated gloss black. The floorpan also features a 3/8" aluminum fuel line in the tunnel, chromeplated shift rod access plates, and various chrome and paint detailing for the hardware.
- Front Suspension
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The front suspension starts with a standard ball joint beam. It has had Sway-a-way style torsion adjusters welded in, light tabs for the turn signals, sandblasted and powdercoated gloss black to match the floorpan. The steering components include a TRW steering box, heavy duty chrome tie rods, colormatched tie rod ends, stock steering dampner, and colormatched stock ball joint/disk brake spindles. The ball joints have had grease fittings installed so we could grease them occasionally. We haven't determined the shock absorbers yet, as we don't know what length and stiffness we'll want for a good ride. It also features a lowered, chromeplated swaybar.
- Rear Suspension
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The rear suspension is pretty much stock. It features chromeplated springplates and colormatched axle tubes and torsion covers. The stock axles are kept in place with chromoly axle spacers and mate with the transaxle with German axle boots. The springplate bushings are stock, as they provided a better ride.
- Transaxle
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The transaxle was built by Transform and is a mild street transaxle. It features a swingaxle snap ring Super-Diff, welded 3rd and 4th. The gear ratios are stock late model (3.80/2.06/1.26/0.93) with an early ring and pinion (4.37). This change in the overdrive in fourth gear, when matched with 28" tires, allows the engine to turn the same amount of RPM as a stock Bug with stock tires. This was important, as I wanted to drive this buggy to all of the major Southern California shows.
- Engine
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Initially the "Crate" will run a 1192cc 40hp Beetle engine that I've rebuilt. It's basically a stocker, but it will get it running. After that's going, I plan on installing a Type 4 engine. It will feature a stock 1.7/1.8 crankshaft and connecting rods, when combined with 96mm pistons and bored 2.0 cylinders, the engine will displace 1911cc. It will feature more head work (including 42x36 valves) and a mild camshaft from FAT Performance. The engine will have dual Weber 40IDF carbs, a header with a Turbo-style muffler, and Mallory Unilite electronic ignition. Nothing ground breaking, just something with a lot of pep and reliability.
- Interior
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The interior will be basic, but very clean and detailed. The floorpan will be covered with a sound deadening and heat resistant padding, and a grey carpeting on top. The seats will be lowback Beard-style seats, covered in grey vinyl and cloth. The rear seat will be upholstered to match the fronts with matching patterns and colors. The steering wheel is a 12" Formuling France three spoke with silver spokes and black leather wrap. The shifter is a Gene Berg 9½" locking shifter. The foot pedals will be chromeplated with the stock rubber covers. A 4-point roll cage will be built that will cover the front seats. The tubes connecting the front and rear loops will be close to the center of the car to make entry/exiting easier. The rollbar will be powdercoated (color unknown at this point).
The dash will be painted the same as the rest of the body. It will have an Autometer speedometer, fuel guage, and voltemeter guage mounted in it, alongside a stock early Bug ignition switch. The stock switches will also adorn the dashboard, keeping to the spirit of the original buggys. An Autometer Monster tachometer will be mounted either on top of or under the dash, the placement not determined yet.
- Wheels/Tires
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Currently the "Crate" will run EMPI Sprint Stars, measuring 5.5"s in the front and 8"s in the rear, with tires measuring 195/60R15 and 275/60R15 respectively. Eventually the plans are to have the rotors and drums drilled for a Chevy or Ford pattern and mounting a set of American Racing Torque-Thruster wheels, fully polished, in 4" and 8.5" wide. The 5.5" rims will have 195/60R15s and the 8" rims will run 275/60R15s. When the changeover to Torque-Thrusters occur, the front tires will be 145R15s.
- Brakes
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The stock '66 single circuit master cylinder has been replaced with a '67 dual circuit master cylinder, all in the name of safety. The reservoir is remotely mounted above the master cylinder
The front brakes are stock Karmann Ghia disk brakes. The "Crate's" rotors are Brembo stock replacements and the calipers are genuine Até (original supplier to VW). The splash shield has been chromeplated and the center of the rotor has been painted a high temp flat black. The wheels are held to the rotor via chrome lugbolts.
- Misc.
Tom Slider - Tuna Can Org