Hello car folks,
My son turns 5 in April and I’m looking for a cool, somewhat unique vw kit car for us to build. A fun, open/semi open summer cruiser that can fit myself, my wife and my son until he gets too cool to hang out with us. Any and all suggestions would be awesome. The skill level required isn’t important as I have plenty of time and can always use an excuse to buy new tools.
Thanks, Justin
Father and son project
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Ol'fogasaurus
- Posts: 17761
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:17 pm
Re: Father and son project
Sounds like the right kind of family project to work on together.
Roughly where are you located and what kind of driving of it would you be interested in mostly. All this does make a search easier... or harder.
I first got into buggies just asking around town but nows day I usually get into my local "Craig's list" or something like that. In "Craig's List" (setting the search city limit) I look into cars and trucks using the internal search engine for dune buggies or sand rails, ATVS and such and again, using the internal search engine for dune buggies or sand rails, Auto parts using VW or dune buggies as a narrower search engine. You never know what and where something will come up there. I am sure that there are other mail search engines also.
Keep in touch and when you find something start a build string for ideas and help that can be made.
Lee
Roughly where are you located and what kind of driving of it would you be interested in mostly. All this does make a search easier... or harder.
I first got into buggies just asking around town but nows day I usually get into my local "Craig's list" or something like that. In "Craig's List" (setting the search city limit) I look into cars and trucks using the internal search engine for dune buggies or sand rails, ATVS and such and again, using the internal search engine for dune buggies or sand rails, Auto parts using VW or dune buggies as a narrower search engine. You never know what and where something will come up there. I am sure that there are other mail search engines also.
Keep in touch and when you find something start a build string for ideas and help that can be made.
Lee
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J&W Lacy
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2022 4:05 pm
Re: Father and son project
I’m in Bowie Maryland. It would be just a fun, nice weather cruising car. I do plan on putting spirited motor in it. Im still deciding weather to order a crate motor or build one that can put down 100 horse at the wheels. I want it to sound a little aggressive and be able to burn a little rubber. I also live just outside of Washington D.C. so it would be nice to be able to take it out on the beltway without worrying about getting run over. My step father is bit of a bug guru. Unfortunately he has health issues that will keep him from really participating in the build but he is more than happy to be 24 hr tech support. Finding a vw chassis close by won’t be an issue. I’ve alway liked the vw trike concept and I don’t think I’ll need 100 hp at the wheels to make it exciting. I haven’t seen may trikes that have legitimate seatbelts without a fair amount of custom fabrication though. Summer cruising isn’t truly cruising unless you good summer music. I’m going to need a decent sound system to compete with the engine music.
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Ol'fogasaurus
- Posts: 17761
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:17 pm
Re: Father and son project
There are several street buggies on this site. Clonebug, for instance (this is his string: https://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=127936), has a nice street rig that he and the Mrs. travel around in and I seem to remember he also now tows a trailer with his white buggy. He is also into the turbo thing which you may or may not consider plus there are several other rigs, in process on this site, where you might get other info too.
When dealing with glass buggies you have to determine the long and the short of it too. They can be built off a stock length bug pan, or a shortened bug pan which each has its ups and downs. Also, there is the different front beam changes and the rear suspension changes in different years which might be important to your build also.
My 2 buggies are now off-road only but you might get some info from them too.
This is a good site as there is a lot of good info and not too much attitude in it (thanks again Doc).
Lee
When dealing with glass buggies you have to determine the long and the short of it too. They can be built off a stock length bug pan, or a shortened bug pan which each has its ups and downs. Also, there is the different front beam changes and the rear suspension changes in different years which might be important to your build also.
My 2 buggies are now off-road only but you might get some info from them too.
This is a good site as there is a lot of good info and not too much attitude in it (thanks again Doc).
Lee
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J&W Lacy
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2022 4:05 pm
Re: Father and son project
Thanks, I hadn’t really considered going turbo. The is never a shortage of opinions on turbos in my neck of the woods so research should be fun. I think I’m going to look for a 4 seater buggie that will work with a stock pan.
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Ol'fogasaurus
- Posts: 17761
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:17 pm
Re: Father and son project
If you are looking for an already built buggy make sure that the pan and the title match or the vin numbers on the pan have been changed. In some states they are not that tight on things but in some states, they are very strict.
Check the pan for condition which sounds obvious but look at the details carefully. Rust, for instance, is pretty common.
There were some suspension changes, front and rear, in the mid-60s so if you are really interested in maybe a turbo update there could be some work ahead for you. You also might want to beef up the pan itself a bit but there are ways to do it. A good father and son, also with the help of the wife makes a good family project.
If you want to talk details just ask, there are plenty of people here to help you and have a lot of ways of doing it also.
Lee
Check the pan for condition which sounds obvious but look at the details carefully. Rust, for instance, is pretty common.
There were some suspension changes, front and rear, in the mid-60s so if you are really interested in maybe a turbo update there could be some work ahead for you. You also might want to beef up the pan itself a bit but there are ways to do it. A good father and son, also with the help of the wife makes a good family project.
If you want to talk details just ask, there are plenty of people here to help you and have a lot of ways of doing it also.
Lee
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John S.
- Posts: 735
- Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 10:37 pm
Re: Father and son project
I’m up in Havre de Grace, md. There’s a vw shop down your way. He posts and sells on the samba.
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woodsbuggy1
- Posts: 820
- Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:15 pm
Re: Father and son project
Justin, welcome to the STF, great to see more people here. My suggestion would be to find a project car from CL, FB or wherever then update/repair what is needed to be a safe driver in current times(disc brakes etc). I would be looking for a balljoint front suspension and IRS rear for good handling and easy upgrades. If you are only wanting around 100HP then a turbo is not necessary. Also turbos are a disease, I speak from experience, after having a boosted motor it is very difficult to go back to NA. Best of luck in your search!
Kenric
Kenric
Good quality is getting harder and harder to find.
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Ol'fogasaurus
- Posts: 17761
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:17 pm
Re: Father and son project
J W Lacy, did you find the buggy you wanted?
If it is for street only then the options are easier. Just remember that since your father is knowledgeable about buggies, he and we should be a lot of help. If you buy a rebuildable setup, then there are bodies built to match in length, but a lot of buggy bodies are shorter than stock so you will have to do some measuring of the mounting areas of both the pan and the body's mounting flange.
The shortening dimension is usually 14 inch's or 15 inches but not all are necessarily that dimension. I have seen bodies shorter that this and would require a shortening of longer than the 14" or 15" length.
There are several ways of doing the pan shortening... some are stronger than others and some aren't. Do a search on this, I have posted what I think is the strongest way to do it, but it is more complicated than some of the other ways of doing the shortening.
For the street, as suggested, a BJ front end is the easiest to deal with and the IRS rear end setup is better than the swing axle; say 1969 or later is the best-looking at point to start at.
There are other things I would consider looking into to start with also.
Lee
If it is for street only then the options are easier. Just remember that since your father is knowledgeable about buggies, he and we should be a lot of help. If you buy a rebuildable setup, then there are bodies built to match in length, but a lot of buggy bodies are shorter than stock so you will have to do some measuring of the mounting areas of both the pan and the body's mounting flange.
The shortening dimension is usually 14 inch's or 15 inches but not all are necessarily that dimension. I have seen bodies shorter that this and would require a shortening of longer than the 14" or 15" length.
There are several ways of doing the pan shortening... some are stronger than others and some aren't. Do a search on this, I have posted what I think is the strongest way to do it, but it is more complicated than some of the other ways of doing the shortening.
For the street, as suggested, a BJ front end is the easiest to deal with and the IRS rear end setup is better than the swing axle; say 1969 or later is the best-looking at point to start at.
There are other things I would consider looking into to start with also.
Lee