What kit is this?

[pbburke1980]

Saw this for sale locally. Wondering who made it and any info on it. I'm interested in getting it but want to know what parts are available.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I think I have seen something like the but it was a long time ago.

BJ front end with cycle fenders but I would be curious about the missing fender.

questionIMG_20200922_113243 copy.jpg

I tried to see what the rear end is from the rear 3/4 view but I can't tell if it is IRS or swing but from what I am seeing it looks like the spring plate might be something custom.

Look for a windshield frame also as this is probably going to be something custom (windshield or no windshield you would have to check with your state's rules and yes, I see the holes that look like they would be for the windshield posts). The same for a custom pan or frame and check to see if you need receipts so they know that this does not have stolen parts (where I live that is pretty much a requirement).

It would make a different street or Autocrossing toy or even a racing toy... assuming there would be a class for it.

Lee

[pbburke1980]

More pictured

[Ol'fogasaurus]

If you didn't know this is IRS: IRS bugs started in '69 and went from King & link pin front ends to ball joint in '66. I think the trans might be a stock unit so I went out and looked at my backup trans' and it looks similar if not the same.

Difference between single and double spring plate 001.JPG

The early IRS suspension changed sometime in '71. The early style had double spring places on each side that capture the trailing arm mount in-between the plates. Both early or late styles have have slots to match the hole patterns in the early or late trailing arms for alignment purposes. The rear trailing arms shown here show the difference: the closer together three hole mounts kind is the later single spring plate design.

DSC03741.JPG

Early.

(This pix was not a late spring plate pix so I deleted it.)

They are suspension pieces are interchangeable only as a early or late pair not early to late.

Lee

[pbburke1980]

Thank you. I don't know much about vw's, but this kit is intriguing to me. They don't have a windshield/frame for it. They are asking $2000 for it as is.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

What kind of frame does it have: is it a VW pan and is it narrowed or is it a tube frame or something like that? The body looks awful narrow but it could be an optical allusion also.

2000 globnicks is a lot considering how much you are going to have to buy or build... but again, it is your choice so be prepared to carry a deep wallet when you go looking for parts. We are here to help you no matter which way you decide to go.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=du ... BasicHover

I went part way through this and there are so many kinds and opinions on what do do with them. This is a very large pix of buggies of all kinds. There used to be a site (I thought this was it at first) that dealt with the kinds of buggies but it went away back in the 90s as I remember.

Lee

[Ol'fogasaurus]

What is the body made from: metal, glass ...?

Lee

[pbburke1980]

Fiberglass body. I haven't been to see it yet as it's an hour away.

[Piledriver]

pretty steep price especially if the seller doesnt even know what it is...
Has great potential but fabrication skills will probably be desired...
Finding a shop to fix that up into a driver for you will cost kidneys and possibly a spleen.

Where you live is going to determine whether you will ever be able to register it for the road.
With a little luck it has a vw center tunnel and narrowed pan with a vin# just in front of the transmission on top.
You need that and to at least run a check on the vin# before even driving an hour each way.
With the pans vin# and the rest of the running gear still originalish, you should be able to simply register it as a bug of the vin# model year most places.

The more pics, the more help we can provide. You need a lot more...

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Pile said some of the things I was going to say but if you have a yen for it then I would advise:

Take the couple of hours and go look at it in person. Take a fully charge camera with plenty of photo storage available and a flash built in. Take a tape measure with you and take a friend and/or your spousal unit with you assuming you have one (get the battle out of the way in front of buying it).

The wheel base of a stock VW bug is roughly 95" and that measurement will probably tell you a lot.

Next look inside of the passenger compartment to see if it is a VW pan or a aftermarket/home built frame. Look at the condition of the material for rust/rust through. Look at the seats and how they are mounted. Also notice and take pix of how and where the "hoop" is mounted.

Now comes your friend/wife's job: get in the buggy and sit down. Since the body itself looks small, height wise, the seats probably be close to the floor. See how you feet are to the floor mounted pedals (stock VW?). Have you photographer take at least 5 pictures of you in the car:

1) 1 from the front,

2) 1 from about 45° to the driver's side,

3) 1 from the side,

4) 1 from about 3/4 the way to the driver's side at rear,

5 1 from the rear.

This will give you a look at (while you are making your decision) how you sit in it and where the show/roll bar fits distance and height wise from you "K"-noggin (don't smile as the seller might miss-construe how you are feeling... good or bad which might change any potential for a price drop .

Look and see what is there: are there are more parts stored somewhere.

The trans has been sitting out in the open for a while so check on it's condition (the throw-out bearing components especially (how the components work).

Since it looks like it has been sitting for a while you can assume that most everything will need to be upgraded or replaced. The axles are there so check for rust on them and the stub shafts (the smooth surfaces of a drive axle and torsion bars are important to not be dinged or dam(n)aged). The CVs and (especially) the boots will probably need to be replaced.

You will probably want to go through the front end also as there are some tricks that could be done to change the ride a bit.

"'Cycle" fenders are not that big of a problem now days as so many motorcycles have usable fenders. You definitely will want them for street use as the tires can pickup things and throw them around. The rears too but it is mainly for the vehicles around you. Like "Pile" said, state laws dictate a lot of these things to be sure to check and be sure you get a title or a "bill of sale" for what is there.

This is just a start from someone who is in his 30 years of his build .

Something else that is important and that is the e-brake. The hydraulic e-brakes are DOT illegal and fricken dangerous. they can lock up and you have to open a bleed valve to stock the lock up or they can let go if there is any bad connections in the system. Earlier this week I was watching a car show and the new car they were talking about had an electric e-brake built in. Not knowing how they work; e.g., with the hydraulic system or just how but I would shy away from them until you can get a good idea as to how the DOT thinks of them as this could be an insurance/legal problem.

Next, try to get out by yourself.

I hope this helps.

Lee

[SCOTTRODS]

Lee has some goo stuff there as well as Pile... Keep in mind, the dimension given is around 95 inches wheel base. A LOT of buggies were based on a 14- 14.5" cut out in the middle so don't be distressed if you come up around 14 inches short. In the pics the front end, the rear end and the rear Frame horn sections all look like VW originals... while it is possible the frame has been 'built". it looks unlikely from the pictures... but it still *could be*. All of the comments related to titles and such are really only important if you plan on making it Streetable. You've never said. But I suppose if you are thinking that direction it better have something to lean on for title/registration, such as the Frame VIN and/or a title.

The Rearend is Double jounted axles so Later than a '69 rearend, as Lee pointed out... likely the front end will follow from whatever the year of the rearend. This kind of stuff will eventually become important to "guess at" as you start trying to rebuild certain items and find replacement things (Bearings, brakes, etc...) There are some things that changed here and there according to year, even in chassis parts. The VIN If there (whether registered or titled as a salvage or whatever) will reveal the frame year, and suggest the rest is the same as well.

Pretty cool looking buggy as it sits, but I'm kinda like the others... $2K sounds a bit much for an unknown with a prognosis of "Build your own parts"