New Vert Baja - Where is best place to support?

[SANDFLEA]

Picked up this crusty 70 Vert for the pricely sum of $300 the other day.
Plans are to Baja it out with current parts I already Have.

6 Point Roll cage - Bolt in type (will be welded together)
One piece front end etc.

Question is being that its a Vert and has many rust areas (mainly lower quarters)
where should I concentrate adding support? The Pans are actually decent
but the rear Parcel tray has been Fiberglassed in. This car will see mostly mud
with possible easy jumping. I plan on tying the rear of the cage into the rear frame horns.
Any other suggestions? I assume the door area may be my weak point?

Thanks!

[Skidmark]

Everywhere!!!




If you do not want to keep the roof frame, and it opens and closes without binding, it is worth more than what you paid for the car!!!! Research some online prices for them, and make your money back. The windows and regulators are worth some good coin too.

If you are going a mild cage, there isn't much to worry about gusseting in. I would tie the windshield frame into the A pillars of the cage with some gussets. If you wanted to go crazy, do the same at the top of the body just behind the doors, to the B pillar of the cage as well. Not sure if you want to be bold enough to tie the beam into the cage too, but that is going way beyond a 6 point cage.

[Marc]

When I was stationed in Connecticut (c1977) I had a `68 Convertible which had spent its life exposed to road salt every winter - the 'vert reinforcement channels under the door sills were long gone, if you parked the car on uneven ground the body tweaked enough that it was difficult to open/close the doors. I had too many cars to bring back home when I got discharged from the service so I stripped that one of all good bits, smacked the top of the tunnel in with a sledge hammer and used a $20 come-a-long connected over the top between the bumpers to fold the car in half like a slice of bread. I did remove the convertible top, which was in very good condition - left it at the base auto hobby shop where it hopefully found a good home. Based upon that experience, I'd say it'll take more than simple/light reinforcement to make a rusty 'vert off-roadable - the six point cage is a good start provided you can find solid points to mount it to. The floorboards may not be sound enough for the job, expect to have to bring out some extra bracing from the body in the heater-channel area. I'd add some bars between the A and B pillars of the cage (at least one near the bottom - an "X" across the door opening would be better if you don't mind climbing over it). The rear legs can be tied into the rear shock towers with relatively simple brackets.
Many people build welded-in braces from the roll cage forward to the beam and/or from the beam to the front bumper. Personally I feel this makes it too difficult to make repairs if it ever gets pranged hard enough that the beam needs replacement, I prefer to weld brackets to the inboard side of the shock towers and tie them to angle brackets off the braces with small, hi-strength bolts (¼" Grade 8, for example) which'll stiffen things up and yet snap under major stress so that the amount of bent parts is kept to a minimum.

[TexasBaja]

Nice Score. Wish I could be so lucky.

[Hedrock]

Nice Score. Wish I could be so lucky.

Sell you mine!




Like Skid said... everywhere. Here's mine...

[CentralWAbaja]

Been eyeballing it for a little while. Hadn't actually gone to look at it, though.

Missed out on a nice little vert baja runner for $600 2 weeks ago in central Oregon. I was the second caller...1st one bought it. I was going to buy it sight unseen but.... didn't happen

Skids right on the money I think.

Look at his car and Hedrocks also. Mine has some pan left....sorta..... OK not really. my old car actually does have it all in tack though not a true vert. But those guys both do have the pans still also. Personally I might ditch the 6 point bolt together set-up and do a full cage the ties everything together a little better. On the old car I did a Class 11 Chenowith cage kit to start with and then added from there. Did a lot of things poorly from a design standpoint as it was 17 years ago and I simply did not know any better. But it has lasted OK and luckily never been tested hard. I think that Hedrock's cage started with basically the same kit. Maybe the 6 point could be an OK starting point....but I think that I would look at it real close as to design and quality of material prior to deciding to use it. Might be "OK" with a full bodied car but a vert.....???

Just a couple pennies worth of opinion

The real key is that you keep us posted to progress and congratulations on the new money pit

[STOICH]

I am gonna catch some serious grief over this, but... I have cut up my fair share of cvts, and one ragtop, I have built a number of Bajas- Never again my friend. (At least not a convertible... Next one will be a superbeetle being that I would cut all of the suspension off anyhow)
Check this ad out- the convertibles are getting WAY too valuable nowadays - Flip it on ebay or http://www.thesamba.com and buy something that runs or is already caged up- I bet you could probably net $2500.00 for that thing if you were patient enough- More if it runs...Could get a pretty nice head start with that kinda coin- I don't mean it from a tree hugger standpoint, (I'm certain everybody here is shrugging shoulders and going "oh god, this conversation again" But I gotta say.... I really like quadrupling my money just before I invest in a toy Helps when it comes time to buy shocks... Just my 0.02$

(I sold the door glass by itself from a 66 convertible for $1000.00 at Pamona once)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1304780

[KBWAKESK8]

[SANDFLEA]

Oh Damn you guys are making my mouth water.
Absolutely beautiful! (in a Bad A$$ way)
And thank you for the ideas. Great idea on the bar across the bottom of the door Mark.
Mine wont be any where near as nice but I am really trying
to get the right look. I have seen allot that just dont look quite right
So plan is 6" wider front beam with 4 adjusters.
One Piece front end.
Dual rear cage that will tie into the 6 point cage also.
I'll be running 10" wide rear rims with 31x9.5's and 5.5 front rims.
From this car which is now a Volksrod.


This car is giving up some much needed metal with its title. I picked it up for $100
with the 6 point roll cage. Some well intentioned kids had had there way with it
so its been hacked to much to save.

Evan came with a Whale Tail!
I sold the little 14inchers and made my $100 back.

Still undecided on the motor. I have a semi built Mexican case 1776 that was in my last baja

Love the motor but I hated the dual Web 40's offroad since they kept clogging the main jet every 5 minutes. (in Wa state so dirt and mud are our main forms of offroad fun)
Currently refreshing an AH case 1600 but not really sure if it will be up to
those 31's.

Do Verts tend to be heavier or lighter than there Standard Brothers?
Ive heard that the front Beam Torsion leaves may be heavier duty also???
(have not been able to verify that though)

[SANDFLEA]

I actually tried to sell it for $600 on TheSamba and Craigies.
But only one guy looked at it since he wanted the front cowl
and doors for a volksrod he was building.
Its just a little to far gone for most. Plus it was hit in the rear at some point witch
tweaked the rear Quarter a little.
Honestly the pics make it look better than it really is.

[CentralWAbaja]

Where are you located SANDFLEA?

[Ol'fogasaurus]

When a similar question came up (I think it was this year) I mentioned how I stiffened the body mount tunnel on the pan I have being built; the VW Cabriolet pan stiffener from VW was also mentioned. I also did a search and found a bolt in (what looked like a very satisfactory piece that bolted to the two slotted bolt holes in the front of the pan that allows the bolts to go up into body) from a business I had never heard of. I posted it and dang if I didn't put it in my favorites for easy reference. Did someone happen to save it so it can be posted again?

Lee

[STOICH]

I actually tried to sell it for $600 on TheSamba and Craigies.
But only one guy looked at it since he wanted the front cowl
and doors for a volksrod he was building.
Its just a little to far gone for most. Plus it was hit in the rear at some point witch
tweaked the rear Quarter a little.
Honestly the pics make it look better than it really is.

I hadn't noticed the rear luggage area, hell - CUT IT!

[Hedrock]

I have to agree with saving the car if possible. A package tray can be replaced. If the car is worth saving then I'm all for saving it. There is always one that could lend it's self more to the cutters. The pans and tunnel on mine were totally rusted when I bought it. They were so bad that the car actually sagged in the middle enough that it pinched the doors shut. I had to kick them from the inside to open them. This made my choice easy . As far as weight, mine weighs in right at 2,100 lbs as is.

[SANDFLEA]

CentralWAbaja - Im in Olympia out in South Bay - still willing to sell it if the price is right

Well its a little more than just the partial tray...........
Support under doors are both shot underneath. Pan is rusted through
by pedals, Rear Quarter on drivers side is rusted all the way through to the
Rear support were the rear seat goes.
Front quarter lower portion is rusted through.
Both aprons are shot, I found some more fiberglass on the pans last night.
Im sure there is more.....
I think it is right on the edge of being savable.

Thanks Lee
We just bought a new house so this will be a cheap build (for now )
I'm hoping to use what I have on hand (which is allot)
Its getting new brake lines and brakes but everything else will be from my stash of parts
(which seams to get bigger every year)

I will have to buy some tubing however,
What would you all recommend?