Well I always said working on china bikes is like working on

[TeamCheap]

a VW.

So I bought this 73 beetle.



These are pics from the auction and I havnt even gotten it yet but I did win.
It wont be running the roads anytime soon.

[Qingdao]

Are you going to restore to former beuty or make a hot rod complete with Porsch engine?

[tigertamer]

At least you don't have to worry about the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT :twisted:

Have fun,
Tigertamer

[TeamCheap]

Actually I hope to build the vehicle that I've wanted for over a decade.

I plan to put a roll cage in it and have a custom 2 piece top made for it
hunt down two power heated seats for it
partial baja bug kit (fenders trunk lid)
drop the body on a 4 door tracker or GV chassis and use as much of the tracker or GV as I can(PL-PW-PM-TILT-CRUISE-AC-4WD-AUTO...ETC..)
lift kit (3"-hoping for 4.5") with atleast 33's under it with front/rear lockers
front and rear mountable/moveable winch
7" hd radio dvd touchscreen gps radio
if I have room dual batteries and a 2000watt power inverter

I dont expect it to be done soon unless I just go with it being a VW baja bug which would be easy.

Ohh I'll most likely repaint it orange.

[Qingdao]

Good luck and have fun.

[warrior91]

Great project and good plans.

There is a guy here with a late 70's camaro on a lifted gmc 4x4 frame.
He completes mud bog events with a "sports car"...lol

[tigertamer]

I figured there was a method to the madness :twisted:

TT

[TeamCheap]

WHEW

We just got it home and off the trailer.

I havnt even seen it in the daylight yet but it is rough but the body is solid enough.

[knothead]

Originally Posted by TeamCheap

drop the body on a 4 door tracker or GV chassis and use as much of the tracker or GV as I can(PL-PW-PM-TILT-CRUISE-AC-4WD-AUTO...ETC..)
lift kit (3"-hoping for 4.5") with atleast 33's under it with front/rear lockers
front and rear mountable/moveable winch
7" hd radio dvd touchscreen gps radio
if I have room dual batteries and a 2000watt power inverter

I dont expect it to be done soon unless I just go with it being a VW baja bug which would be easy.

Ohh I'll most likely repaint it orange.

A CJ-5 frame, Ford Explorer 8.8" disk brake rear, Dana 44 from a full size Cherokee, Chevy 4.3 liter V-6 from an S-10 4x4 (w/ the NP231 t-case), add a second, divorce mount t-case (Dana 300 or early Toyota--either one is gear driven, no chain)... (or you could use the Tracker engine,tranny and T-case with a divorce case from a Samurai with a Rocklobster 8-1 lowrange kit!!) Using a Tracker as a base to build the way you want will be a money hole, you'd need to do a SFA swap to get it to work well, that's pretty spendy, the steering alone will cost close to $800 for a SKY conversion. The CJ-5 has the same wheelbase as the Beetle too.

Yeah, I've been there!!

But then again.... I'd be tempted to just restore the Bug. I've had several of them... with that one being a ragtop I think you could build a really sweet ride with it.

[TeamCheap]

Yep there is so many different options and I havnt ruled out just making it a ford powered convertible baja bug although I'd have to change the frontend over to a torsion tube type.
I'd like to try to ford engine option for the easy power and the fact I could have a REAL heater core in it.

I like the tracker chassis option because they are easy to get and without going to crazy I can have a decent handling on road vehicle that will be fun/capable in the michigan woods.

Anyway, I look at it as I have to most important piece right now and I'll just go from there.

[Willys]

I too have been this route....thinking of making a small car glued to a 4X4 chassis and having a play toy. I used to build old Jeeps so this was interesting. But after time went by.....I realized that my fun vehicle wouldn't be a fun vehicle for others...hense a money loss.
These tyes of toys never sell well if you ever want to sell them later in time...IMHO.

Personally I would make a street machine that is more of a classic cross hot rod type thing. Now a days they are selling well and timeless if you do it right. OR....make it right and as original as you can....they make good $$$ when it's time to sell.

You just need to figure out how much $$$ you are willing to spend on it and go from there and also how much you think you could sell it for if you need or want to.

Building vehcles is a great hobby not to mention driving the finished product. Just remember make a timeline and try to stick with it....if you take way too much time to make it...you will loose interest....been there done that..type of thing.

[TeamCheap]

I couldnt care less about resale and in fact dont expect to sell it/get rid of it for a long time.
I just want to do it to do it.

Here is a picture of it next to my tracker, sure is a lot of room in that trunk.

Now I need a 4 door tracker/grand vitara donor car and there was a perfect one on ebay that had a bit of body damage but I could have used what I needed from it for cheap ohh well I cant buy anything else now for a while.

Got it home friday night and it was cold out very cold.
Had to rent a car hauler trailer which worked OK and only cost $88.

[Willys]

Hey...to each their own..I'm not knocking you or your decission...believe me.

Where do you live..in a rustfree climate? But you still have seasons?
Both of those look rust free...must be nice.

I had your dream once..a bug on a CJ5...almost did it untill I found a militery body cheap in perfect condition. oh well.

Now I have a dream of a mini(old one) with a tube frame with a toyota echo motor driving to the rear wheels...lol see we all dream....won't happen but it's fun...

Have fun building! Nice shape that bugs in!

[TeamCheap]

LOL michigan is far from a rust free area.(I hate rust)

The 02 tracker is my little toy and It was bought new on the eve of 03 and still only has 29000 miles on it.I dont drive it much in the winter.

The bug has some rust but so far from what I have seen it is totally restoreable although it is very rough right now.

I really want that Vdub body on a suzuki chasis but I may still just run it as a bug or baja bug but it has the front struts so I'd want to change that over to a link pin front end for a baja setup.

In know it is way out there as far as a project and there are many many problems to deal with but I just havnt been able to stop the urge to do it.

[Qingdao]

Originally Posted by Willys

...Now I have a dream of a mini(old one) with a tube frame with a toyota echo motor driving to the rear wheels...lol see we all dream....won't happen but it's fun...

If you can make the trip down to Charleston, SC there is an ecentric collector that goes through phases... any way his latest phase is the old mini cooper. He rebuilds them and sells them for a pretty resonable price. Check out "turkys" in charleston, SC.

Currently I think he has over 40 in stock.