Topic: the building of a 4wd beetle

[kneedownnate]

  So one of my coworkers has a dad who's pretty good at fabrication on a budget, last project was a 67? bug with a v8 in the front.  He fabbed on a mustang 2 front end and made a rear to hold a 9" he narrowed himself.  His current project is a limo bug.  No doubt he's good, but his kid hasn't done very much as of yet. 
  We mutually know a guy who wanted a 4wd MG midget, so he took a midget tub, a running samurai and a lot of tubing and made a tubular frame.  The running gear all bolts up nicely to the chassis and the body mounts right to it, and it makes for a real head turner.  He even made his own fiberglass fender flares to be legal. 
  So we've talked many times about how cool it'd be to convert an older bug to 4wd, and got to talkin about it again today.  Well, he's super competetive, and today says, "I could build one way stronger than you!"  He's already said he thinks a bronco II, (coughCRAP), would have the same wheelbase and be very strong.....yea he's a ford guy.  My reply to this I'm sure you can guess, "OK, you build one and I'll build mine with toyota running gear and we'll see who breaks first"  This spawned a pretty good conversation about the projects, and one stipulation I laid down was he gets no help from anybody, especially not daddy.  Neither of us can get any fabrication help, but if we need physical help we can get it, just hafta agree on a nuetral party.  Also we'd hafta have equal budgets, and essentially sell ourselves parts we already have at fair market value, and have access to equally equipped shops and the same fab tools.  I've had a bitchin miller welder for almost a year and no power source to run it, but this might be the opportunity to use it. 
  He might know a little about fab work, but has absolutely no clue on what makes a good 4by and doesn't understand why the ford ttb kinda sucks.  I'm not exactly fab king, but I've been on here long enough to pick up some great info, and I think I can manufacture a strong enough chassis to bolt the body to, and know that a combo of the right toyota parts would be plenty tough under a light rig. 
  In all reality this will never come to light, cause we're both poor and neither really has the time or gumption to do this, just thought it might make for a decent read.  In my mind though, I have a bitchin 4by bug already built.............

[mr4x42u]

no doubt the toy is a great base to start..but you might be under estimating the bronco II..while the toy will out wheel the ford..the ford will out jump the toy..each has there place off road..I built a bronco II for mud drags and tough truck..it held up very well..the front end in less probe to bending like the toy front and is by fay much better rids for jumping and sand..should be cools to see what come out of it all..

[RHG]

  TTB like going airborne! I had a ranger with the ttb and I jumped it and had some crazy air(pucker factor kicked in) when that sucker slammed back to earth I thought for sure it had to be broke. I wanted more! But like mr4x42u said, it dont wheel for It all depends on what you will wheel on if you ever build these 4x4bugs. Sounds like fun though.

[dj]

me and thumper have been saying we were going to build a sa toy powered bug for a long time, with a vw wheelbase and only 31-33" tires to keep the cg's low. It is nice to know we are not the only people who think up crazy stuff like this.

[kneedownnate [OP]]

Yea, that's pretty much what we were goin for too, 31-33s.  So why don't you guys go and do what I will never, and make us proud?!!

[Skinny_Pedal]

seen one here in washington that sat on a samurai frame. had 31's. it was sweet

[kneedownnate [OP]]

That'd probably work pretty well, but I don't think I'd win in the strenght department. 

[dj]

    Not enough time, Thumper wants to retire his 4runner and build a buggy, and I am probably going to start a new rig out of a 91 runner.

[Cheesemaker]

TTB like going airborne! I had a ranger with the ttb and I jumped it and had some crazy air(pucker factor kicked in) when that sucker slammed back to earth I thought for sure it had to be broke. I wanted more! But like mr4x42u said, it dont wheel for It all depends on what you will wheel on if you ever build these 4x4bugs. Sounds like fun though.

 

I can agree on the Bronco/Ranger factor.  Bro-in-law had a 87 ranger stx with a power chip and we would get 6' of air out of the bowl @ Sandlake in reverse!  Have video to prove!  The little 2.9 v6 is powerful, but tended to breakdown alot more than the toyotas that we ran around with! 

So post up the pics!    

[mr4x42u]

two differnt beasts will have pros and cons like most anything else..take and give..one sixe fits all is hard in the off road world..

[kneedownnate [OP]]

True.  He was talkin about tryin to make a firebreather and I say I wanna use a basically stock 22r.  Less power means less breakage hopefully.  My landlord just drug home a baja this morning that looks like a perfect start.....

[dj]

so when are you gettin started