Air Cooled VW instead of Porsche

A very generous DR. I worked with back on 2015 sold me his '63 for $500.  He knew I would take care of it and I have.  I've wanted a 912 for long time, but not going to happen.  So to me this is the next best thing and gets way more attention.  Stock 1200.  0-60 in 24 hrs.  I absolutely love it!  I might give up the collector insurance one of these days and start some mods, but it's fun the way it is.

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

Interesting as I always thought the newest one is a '67 and you are suggesting a '69.  Because you have a lot of wisdom and experience I need to rethink my, well, thinking.

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

My college roommate had a '67 Bug followed by a ’70. The later one seems more modern at the time but, looking back, both were more alike than different. 

Just for fun I did some window shopping.

10K will get you into a Ghia that isn't a total wreck. I'd expect to spend another 4-7K to get it where I want.

By contrast bugs at that level are 5-7K. So one could probably get by for 10-14K for a fun driver. 

My Datsun, which is about the same weight, is fun to drive with the 100whp engine. If it weren't for the race suspension it would be a fun street car.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Subaru engines in these. Adapters are cheap. You just have to make sure that you don't overwhelm the transmission.

Then there's something like this:

But it's mid-engined and based on Euro stuff. Does anyone know of a similar DIY planset which retains the original configuration while updating the suspension? 

Fiberglass Dune Buggy with suspension set up for autoX? 

https://berrienbuggy.com/nostalgia-classic-design/

Didn't someone on here have a sand rail set up to do autox? I think it was called "The Lot Lizard"

I was never much of a fan of VWs . . . then

Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:

Then there's something like this:

By the way, does anyone know if a kit chassis like this exists that's designed for a superbike engine in the rear, instead of a VW engine?

Tom1200,  The reason I picked '69 over '67 is the independent rear suspension.  The swingarm old suspensions are problematic if you are into good handling.   (severe positive camber at the wrong time).   Also better cooling vents in the "hood", safer tailights for modern traffic, better seats for support and headrests, etc.

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

I had a 65 Baja bug..............I am intimately famliar with swing axle handling "characteristics".

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

There is a guy on Motorgeek who has a super rare set of Arao (I think) 4-valve heads for a Type IV engine.  He has it and a Porsche trans in a Type 1.  With a big turbo.

 

I found it remarkable that Arao actually made heads.  They always had cool products that seemed to be vaporware.

I had an Arao "Hemi head" 2.7 liter VW motor in one of my drag cars , 

these heads were angled exhaust valves , it was before they made the 4 valve , 

$8500 Ghia 

My wife was drooling over that one. $8500 possible driver. We can not swing it currently.

She has read John Muir's book, wants to buy and build her own motor, turbo it, and toss it into a Ghia.

It's so bad that our dogs are Karmann and Ghia.

Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:

are problematic if you are into good handling. 

LOL - we are a bit interested in that.  

preach (dudeist priest) said:

She has read John Muir's book, wants to buy and build her own motor, turbo it, and toss it into a Ghia.

She got an unmarried sister?

I used to be pretty heavily in the air cooled vw scene.

if I was building one today I would go for a 69 or later pan, and backdate the body to '66 and earlier style.

they still make a "camber compensator" that is supposed to reduce the strange camber steering from the rear end of swing arm vw's, still I would start with the better irs chassis.

One day. One day I'll build a super. Turbo and twin 34s. IRS and macstrut front, cheap disc options, nothing too wild. Just a fun street toy. 
One day. 

Lub me some Type 3.  Trish would happily swap the 914 for an old Beetle, but I'm pushing the Type 3 button hard!

Datsun310Guy said:

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

Interesting as I always thought the newest one is a '67 and you are suggesting a '69.  Because you have a lot of wisdom and experience I need to rethink my, well, thinking.

67 is the first year of 12 volt, and the last year of the swing axle (only year with a z-bar), as well as the metal dash.

68 has some wierd electrical box that historically caused issues (not sure the modern status on that)

69 is one of the prefered years (66 is another, last year of the enclosed headlights) so they might demand a slight premium (?)

For those in/near the Daytona Beach area: The No Dough VW show returns to Port Orange, Florida, March 24-26. You might find some GRMers there (again).

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Any chance you can screenshot that? Or note where in Port Orange? This is as much as I can see without a fb account