Slowlearner's 60 VW dunebuggy - Brindabella Motor Sport Club

slowlearner · 29-08-2007, 07:55 PM

Hi to all. great site I should have joined a while ago. Here's my ride. It's a 1968 J&S dune buggy body on a 1960 VW beetle bodypan. The car was build over about four years and has extensive (and ridiculous) modifications. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't, but there you go.

Specs;
95 subaru 2.5l quad cam boxer with stock ECU and 160hp
front mount radiator
stock 1800 kombi box, clutch and CVs, VW type 3 axles.
VW type 3 rear IRS and drums, 19mm whiteline swaybar, toughdog foam filled shocks.
adjustable Beetle king and linkpin front torsion beam (the worst part of the car) stock sway bar, toughdog nitrogen shocks and madza 323 calipers on aftermarket discs.

I'm doing motorkhanas ad khanacross with CACA carclub in NSW and having a hoot. The car is constantly getting little mods to help make the chassis work better as I have plenty of power but the handling and weight distribution lets me down.

here's a couple of me in action...

Rus · 29-08-2007, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowlearner

If I had to do it again, I wouldn't, but there you go.

I said that two cars ago...

Hi Pete, and welcome to the forum!

If you PM me, I can tell you which members to avoid.. *Coughs* Rallyray...

Sounds & looks like a whole heap of fun, especially for a closet Volkswagen fan like myself. I take it from the blacked out plates that the Dune Buggy is road rego'd? Any dramas with the Suby engine in regards to such registration? Last I heard, Subaru boxers (may have just been the Impreza Turbo engine??), were a no-no with the RTA?

I only ask, because I have visions of building an STi powered early 60s Beetle once the Chevy is completed.

Rus.

slowlearner · 30-08-2007, 01:22 AM

mmm, I don't get the rallyray gag, but ok.

the next car on the list will be a late beetle rally car for my kids. anything else would quickly secure me a divorce...and fair enough too I guess.

Turbo Subarus in the back of beetles are now quite acceptable to the RTA provided you stick with the EJ20, the 2.5 litre is too big in to stay in the capacity limits in NSW. And really, they are tremendous value for money. VW motors are stupid money if you want even moderate levels of performance while subarus are cheap at the local import wreckers. The only place it really bites is gearboxes. Start saving for one if you want a turbo.

Woody · 30-08-2007, 01:32 PM

My folks used to have a VW Caravelle with a turbo 2L in it. They had a sticker made up that said "Volksbaru" on the back. Was a great car to drive, lovely oversteer ...

Spac · 30-08-2007, 03:05 PM

One of my mates from Wollongong (Klausie) got a Type3 wagon approved with an ex-RS Legacy EJ20T in the last 12 months.

He's now fitting another one into a split screen Kombi dual cab...

Bah, old-style VWs are awful cars - best as I can tell they only remain popular with ugly people who are hoping the old hippy notion of free love might help them, 17 year old girls (who don't know any better) and gay people ("What a gorgous little car, darling!").
Klaus is all three of these things, so there's no hope for him.

I like that SlowLearner has ditched virtually all of the VW bits on his.

Makes it kinda sensible.

Swill · 30-08-2007, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spac

Bah, old-style VWs are awful cars - best as I can tell they only remain popular with ugly people who are hoping the old hippy notion of free love might help them, 17 year old girls (who don't know any better) and gay people ("What a gorgous little car, darling!").
Klaus is all three of these things, so there's no hope for him.

This from a man with a Volvo fetish who doesnt wear shoes?

Matt · 30-08-2007, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spac

...best as I can tell they only remain popular with ugly people who are hoping the old hippy notion of free love might help them, 17 year old girls (who don't know any better) and gay people ("What a gorgous little car, darling!").
Klaus is all three of these things, so there's no hope for him.

Klaus is an ugly, 17-year-old, gay girl? What mean parents...

Rus · 30-08-2007, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

Klaus is an ugly, 17-year-old, gay girl? What mean parents...

Bahaha!! (Keeping on track once again), Volkswagen...

Spac · 30-08-2007, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

Klaus is an ugly, 17-year-old, gay girl? What mean parents...

So you know him too?
I could easliy whore up this thread with Klausie stories, but most people wouldn't believe them. And poor SlowLearner wouldn't be able to look at his V-dub again.

slowlearner · 30-08-2007, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spac

I like that SlowLearner has ditched virtually all of the VW bits on his.

Makes it kinda sensible.

actually, the only parts that aren't VW are the engine, radiator, bleed tank and fuse box.

if VW had taken the time in the 70s do make a proper boxer engine it would look identical to the subaru anyway.

don't dis VWs, they're cheaper and easier to get bits for than datos or toyotas.

Rus · 30-08-2007, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowlearner

actually, the only parts that aren't VW are the engine, radiator, bleed tank and fuse box.

if VW had taken the time in the 70s do make a proper boxer engine it would look identical to the subaru anyway.

don't dis VWs, they're cheaper and easier to get bits for than datos or toyotas.

Don't mind Spac.. He's "Special".

Veedubs rock!

slowlearner · 15-10-2008, 03:10 PM

Long time, but I thought it was worth an update. On Aussie day this year Zak (the buggy) ate his gearbox on stockton beach. Some 8 months later he is finally back on the road what with waiting for a transaxle specialist, creating lots of new bits, having child no.3 and releasing my first solo album.

Anyway here's how it went. I pulled the motor and bellhousing and found this....

...in the back of the old trans I pulled out.

Now I know why. Today I pulled the nose cone of the front of my old trans today and found the front mainshaft bearing completely collapsed with on 2 balls left in the bearing and the remains of the rest of the bearing in the nose cone looking very sad. Without this bearing working the gears literally pushed eachother apart. It was what I had suspected.

Must have been on the way out for a while and a weekend on stocko was enough to push it over the edge. I'll pull the rest of it apart at some stage, but I know it's going to be ugly. 1st and 3rd are bound to be completely stripped and who knows about the rest. The diff and ring gear seems ok though. Hopefully between this box and another one I have I can put together one useful unit. I have an 091 diff centre and support bearings to go in it too so all is not lost.

In other news, I finally got Zak regoed on monday (after wednesday would have meant a blueslip). All sorts of things have been upgraded of fixed while he's been off the road. The whole back end of the car copped a triangulated support frame, new engine/gearbox mounts, new rims from the US, plus wheel studs (I hate holding up 4wd tyres to put lug nuts in), a cutting brake and a quick fill setup for the cooling system.

there's a big write up on these two pages...
http://www.geocities.com/peterwood73...project20.html
http://www.geocities.com/peterwood73...project19.html

(when they decide to work

)

What a difference! the chassis is so much tighter, the gearshift is so much smoother. The rear suspension actually works, rather than the chassis just flexing. I have to admit I was wondering whether all the triangulation and such would help but the difference is amazing. Unfortunately, the new trans mounts have meant that the car is noticably louder than before. Urethane seems to transmit a lot more vibration to the chassis and so 4th gear scream (straight cut overdrive) is quite painful with a top on. Now I know why you guys love your earmuffs and intercoms so much. Might have to get one of those. However, the sound inside the car screams serious race car!

Sadly there was some clutch slippage (despite cleaning etc) on the first outing and I was expecting to have to pull the motor AGAIN and replace it. HOWEVER, I took Zak out for a spin this morning with a mate and the clutch slip seems to have disappeared so Oran pk Khanacross here we come!

Time to make up a better handle for the cutting brakes.

travellinbob · 19-10-2008, 09:43 PM

hey nice buggy, ignore all that spac says about vw's, it is a jealousy thing, he cant deal with emotins very well...sad really.
oh and i have just forward this thread onto 'klaus' too...i ma coming down to Y ass soon spac, and i am bringing him with me...he, he, he.

Matthew Ferguson · 19-10-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spac

One of my mates from Wollongong (Klausie) got a Type3 wagon approved with an ex-RS Legacy EJ20T in the last 12 months.

He's now fitting another one into a split screen Kombi dual cab...

Bah, old-style VWs are awful cars - best as I can tell they only remain popular with ugly people who are hoping the old hippy notion of free love might help them, 17 year old girls (who don't know any better) and gay people ("What a gorgous little car, darling!").
Klaus is all three of these things, so there's no hope for him.

I like that SlowLearner has ditched virtually all of the VW bits on his.

Makes it kinda sensible.

Saying things like this will not de-value them, much to you disgust, and most volvo owners would love to be able to afford them.

Trust me a back yard fo VW's is worth laughing at a volvo owner any day.......

VW owners know how to grow new skin anyway, so take your best shot....

slowlearner · 19-10-2008, 11:51 PM

I figured that since the car was all nice and fixed, it was time to go and break something again.

So off to Oran Pk raceway for a dirt khanacross (like an autokhana)!

Rallychris' PRC Datto 1600. He was the fastest of several million (ok exagerated) dattos. He'd easily be one of the quickest drivers in our club. We've been mates for years and into cars, but yesterday was only the third meeting we've raced in together. I think it's the most fun I've ever had racing. I know he's faster. He knows he's faster, but that doesn't mean I can't pretend I might beat him!

And here's me in action.

Last pic is my fave. Shows just how hard I was driving by the end of day. Flat out in 2nd and up towards the top of 3rd gear right round the back of the course. The car was awesome. Turning brake is good too, still getting the hang of that. Only downer of the day was loosing the front brake circuit AFTER the final run. Personally I could have cared less. Driving home was interesting but I got home ok. Proper writeup and more pics here...

http://www.geocities.com/peterwood73...project21.html