A toad to be

[bullfrog]

If you go with any tire over 29” you will need to think about replacing the transaxle (cheap way is to convert to a transporter transaxle but you do have to modify the car) and axle components plus a much more powerful engine. Fortunately tire companies have started producing their light truck tires for 4 wheelers. Super Swamper is producing a 28” diameter (10 ply/10” wide) DOT (Department of Transportation) approved tire. If you do decide to go bigger there are several different aftermarket fenders available and most are bolt on. Light weight off road bugs depend on speed and momentum as well as a pan and skid plates to get through and over things. As I said before finding an old car with a kit like HDR installed for $100 would be much better as you could see exactly what had to be done to install it by taking it apart. Occasionally they come up on Samba.

 

[user 423]

Do you know the really thin weed eater string and some wooden dowels for handles works pretty well for installing windows. Wrap twice and overlap in the outer rubber gasket body groove, lots of Dawn dish soap and water. My last body was slightly warped so I had the windshield installed at a modern automotive glass place, with a guarantee. They bought/broke 2 trying to use too large a diameter nylon cord before I loaned them my set up.

That's something I need to prepare for. I'm not quite up to speed on how that string is used with the gaskets.

I'll practice first on the popout quarter windows. Should be fun.

 

[bullfrog]

It is used to pull the inside lip of the rubber gasket over the body’s metal window opening. There should be one of the parts houses or VW forums that have a video to show you how.

 

[user 423]

Piece of tin under 1-2. The piece under 3-4 was missing:

 

[user 423]

Air deflectors under cyls:






^ Smaller ones that I remember on my old bugs.

 

[Happy Camper]

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm debating on buying my daughter a bug as her first car. Will parts costs eat me alive? Used to be that they were dirt cheap, but I'm sure that's changed.

I'm in California, so I shouldn't have any issues with rust. Bringing this up here as it seems the bug knowledge is strong on this thread. If it's a great or terrible idea lend me your views. My last bug experience was in the 90s lol

 

[bullfrog]

Newer cars are much safer. After getting hit broadside in the passenger side by a heavy Ford station wagon pulling a boat on a trailer going 35 MPH my 1960 custom black with red interior sedan it was about 3’ wide door handle to door handle. I broke off the shifter with my leg and bent the upper window frame enough with my shoulder that I rolled out onto the hood of the Ford. My kids all got older Toyota Camrys newer than 2002 4 cylinders as they have timing chains not belts, get about 28 MPG, have the gas tank over the rear axle area and have air bags and shoulder harness seat belts. You may find one for about the price of a new replacement engine for an air cooled bug and you won’t have to worry about fixing it or breaking down or the price of insurance.

 

[Happy Camper]

Thank you for the reply bullfrog. I was leaning in that direction for those same reasons, but just needed another opinion on the mechanical side.

From a safety perspective it is night and day for sure. I was leaning against it even without the crash safety due to a few high school friends having their bugs catch fire. And car that needs to have a fire extinguisher mounted probably isn't the one my baby should be using as her daily lol.

 

[user 423]

x2 on the potentially expensive mechanical repairs. I've found that a rebuilt motor will cost about $3300 and that's just for the long block with just a 1-year warranty.

You can get them with A/C but I'd think that in summer that would severely tax that little air-cooled motor.

Unless you go with a big bore engine, an old bug can't keep up with modern traffic.