How to Build an Inexpensive Sand and Off Road Worthy Baja Bug
How would you like to build yourself a baja bug to use strictly for sand and off road driving without spending a small fortune? Well, I wrote this article to help you do just that.
First you will need to decide on a Volkswagen Beetle to transform into a baja bug. The easiest Beetles to turn into baja bugs are 1967s and 1968s. That is because they came with 12 volt electrical systems and swing arm rear suspensions. Prior to 1967 Beetles came with 6 volt electrical systems which inhibit performance. After 1968 they came with independent rear suspensions that don’t easily accept the large tires required for off road and sand use. Do not use with a Beetle with an automatic stick shift. They don’t work well for street use and are even worse for off road use.
When looking at a prospective project Beetle keep in mind that much of the front and rear end will be cut off and replaced with a baja bug kit (more on that later). Since you are building your baja bug to use for sand and off road driving only don’t worry about rusted out areas in the rear part of the floor pans or glass that is in poor condition. You may want to remove the rear part of the floor pan anyway because it collects mud and sand, and the glass is just unwanted weight. Also, sand will scratch the windshield if you use the wiper blades.
The original front and rear ends of a Beetle body will not work for driving on sand dunes or off road trails. The front end does not allow enough ground clearance and the rear end doesn’t allow the use of performance enhancing exhaust systems. For this reason you will need to install a baja bug kit. You can sometimes find used ones in the classifieds, but if you can’t, expect to spend about $400.00 to $500.00 on a quality new kit. A baja bug kit includes a shortened front end, front and rear fenders and a rear body assembly that will allow an off road exhaust system. The nice thing about a new kit is you get the installation instructions. You may or may not get them with a used kit.
You can leave the interior in pretty much the way it is. Removing the rear seat will decrease the rear weight of your baja bug and also allow you to put an after market fuel tank in that area. You can cut the floor pans out from about half way under the front seats back. This will help keep sand from building up in the interior. If you do this however, you will need to fabricate a new place for the battery. The stock seats work just fine for sand and off road use. They are comfortable and provide shock absorption for your body.
A 1600 c.c. motor with dual port heads should provide plenty of power for your baja bug, but the size and performance is up to you. Whatever motor you choose, there are some important accessories you will need to install to keep dirt and sand out of it. Sand is probably a motor’s worst enemy because of its abrasive properties and because it always seems to find a way into a motor. All of the ‘sand sealed" accessories mentioned are easily installed. A filter pump is an oil pump with a built in spin on oil filter (stock Beetle motors do not come with oil filters). A sand sealed crank pulley includes an oil seal whereas a stock crank pulley actually pulls oil (and sand) back into the motor.
A crankcase breather filter, an after market air cleaner and an air cleaner outer wear (a nylon mesh sock that keeps sand off of the air cleaner) finish off sand and dirt proofing your motor.
The stock exhaust system is inadequate for sand and off road use because it is mounted too low to the ground. You should go with an after market system designed for sand and off road use.
To beef up the suspension you can replace the stock shock absorbers with after market coil-over units. This should be enough unless you do some really extreme driving. I have done nothing more than this to my baja bug’s suspension and have caught some pretty good air on jumps.
What tires you should use depend on whether you intend to drive on off road trails or sand dunes. For off road trails you should go with wide, low profile, aggressive treaded tires on the rear. For sand you need light wide tires with knobs or paddles. New paddle tires are expensive so if you can’t find a used pair the next best thing is a pair of knobbed tires. They are high floatation farm implement tires that have knobs grooved into them and can be purchased through mail order. For the front any slightly taller than stock tires with a good aggressive tread will do fine on either terrain.
Last but not least we’ll cover the tools you will need. Always go with metric tools if there’s a choice. The hand tools you need include a set of combination end wrenches, a complete set of sockets and ratchets, a set of screw drivers, an assortment of pliers and cutters, a pry bar, a ½" drive torque wrench, a set of hex keys and a floor jack. The power tools you need include a drill and bit set, a disc grinder, and a reciprocating saw You should also pick up a repair manual on air-cooled V.W. Beetles as it will cover maintenance, trouble shooting and in depth repair as well as technical data for your baja bug. It will also list any specialty tools needed for working on your baja bug.
Well I certainly hope this helps you build your baja bug.
Good luck and good baja bugging!
