"Raphael Orlove" (orlove)
03/08/2016 at 23:43 • Filed to: CMRBB, Baja Bug
3
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"Raphael Orlove" (orlove)
03/08/2016 at 23:43 • Filed to: CMRBB, Baja Bug | 3
| 31 |
I am having horrible dreams of buying some rust-free California VW and building up a new Baja Bug of my own. Do it right. Buy the nicest car I can afford, work from there. Maybe start with something unrestored like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , or something pretty like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Those cars almost look too nice, but it would be fun to buy a car from my home state, drive it back to NYC, and see about building up that engine to the mystery spec my motor is at the moment. Get a new Baja kit and paint it to match the new car, get new bushings and shocks and brakes and swap the old wheels on. Maybe get a new carb, and a new alternator, and a set of rally lights. Six or seven grand all in, time unknown. Maybe it’s the smart play, knowing the Baja I’ve had for years has done maybe more winters than it could be asked to handle.
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Contact the author at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
> Raphael Orlove
03/08/2016 at 23:45 |
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It could work. And the cross country drive in a classic VW would be an awesome article. Because I kinda want to buy a rust free classic in California and drive it back to my place.
CRider
> Raphael Orlove
03/08/2016 at 23:49 |
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http://www.race-dezert.com/classifieds/in…
Might as well get one with a cage already installed
G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
> Raphael Orlove
03/08/2016 at 23:52 |
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That would be interesting. However, the aircooled VW market is so hot right now, and spares are so available, that it almost makes more sense for you to fix what’s wrong with yours, rather than open the whole new can of worms that is building a new one.
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Raphael Orlove
> CRider
03/08/2016 at 23:54 |
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People keep telling me to get a cage in my Baja, to make it more crazy—it’s nice as just a low-key, light weight daily driver with a bit of torque and lots of room.
though I do like running rallycross, and I wouldn’t mind doing some desert runs
For Sweden
> Raphael Orlove
03/08/2016 at 23:56 |
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Does $3800 fit in your budget?
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/5461908369…
Building one would be fun! But not without a real garage, and I’m guessing the accountants at Gawker Media won’t approve that.
I’d start with a current Baja Bug that more complete than yours and improve it.
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For Sweden
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:00 |
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If you put $2300 of improvements on this $4700 Baja Bug, not only would you have an excellent car, you would be the King of Brooklyn.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/547538…
Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:02 |
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http://www.rallycarsforsale.net/ads/skoda-ex-s…
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For Sweden
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:03 |
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Another excellent candidate for $3000. Comes with Hot VWs sticker in the window. Probably does not come with the dog.
https://ventura.craigslist.org/cto/5476319988…
Blondude
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:18 |
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*cough* Cal look *cough*
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Raphael Orlove
> For Sweden
03/09/2016 at 00:19 |
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hm. I mean, the thing I keep thinking about my Baja is that the extra ground clearance is great, but I don’t know if I actually want the car as tall as it is. Maybe I want the Baja kit, but without cutting and re-welding the front torsion bars or getting longer-travel suspension. I think that would be plenty of ground clearance for, say, hopping up and down curbs and handling rallycross courses.
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CRider
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:19 |
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There are low key, well fit cages to be had and are worth it if you rally the car. More crazy doesn’t usually come from a cage, it comes from other parts associated with caged cars and there’s not much crazier than racing a car designed in the 30s with no safety equipment.
jdonahue
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:23 |
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You know, if you weren’t talking Baja, I’d offer you my ‘66. It's still a stock front beam, but with an IRS conversion and adjustable spring plates. Problem is I went for an 0.89 fourth gear and 3.88 ring and pinion, since I was building for autocross, not dirt, and I figured the 2054 could handle it.
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For Sweden
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:28 |
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That’s a good plan; you can always modify the suspension later if you want.
Almost every decent Baja Bug you’ll find on Craigslist in California should have stock suspension.
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Raphael Orlove
> For Sweden
03/09/2016 at 00:32 |
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I was not thinking of buying another baja already made, but the stripe kit is tempting
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Raphael Orlove
> Blondude
03/09/2016 at 00:34 |
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love the stance and I love how low key they look at the back...but the baja kit just looks so good. I might do stock suspension, baja kit
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Raphael Orlove
> G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
03/09/2016 at 00:34 |
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right but that would mean, like, a new floor, a rebuilt transmission, taking my engine apart anyway, rewiring the car... it’s a fuck ton of work
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Raphael Orlove
> jdonahue
03/09/2016 at 00:35 |
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whoa, what’s it like running one of those big displacement motors?
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G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:38 |
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It may be a lot of work, but look at it this way: For the cost of building a new one (buying a project, fixing what’s wrong, suspension, baja kit, paint, interior, lights, etc.), you could fix your baja bug, and still have enough money to continue the legend.
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Blondude
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:43 |
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Also, your Baja is the fourth image when you GIS “Baja Bug”
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Raphael Orlove
> For Sweden
03/09/2016 at 00:51 |
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I am now bumping into all kinds of craigslist cars
http://chico.craigslist.org/cto/5463680055…
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/547967…
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/cto/547357…
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/542015…
http://medford.craigslist.org/cto/5470947945…
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Raphael Orlove
> Blondude
03/09/2016 at 00:52 |
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hah, yeah, I spotted that pic when I was looking for street rod style bajas a little bit ago
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Raphael Orlove
> CRider
03/09/2016 at 00:52 |
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hm, but like, if I really wanted to compete, I’d need a much sturdier cage anyway, so why go halfway?
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Raphael Orlove
> G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
03/09/2016 at 00:55 |
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I mean, I could get a new pancake for the car for a bit over a grand, but I don’t know how or where I would unbolt my body, then bolt it back on the new floor. or why I would, given the number of problems with the body, the trans,a nd the rest of the thing. I love my baja, but I wonder if it’s time to grow up a bit and say the car had its time. thank it for its memories rather than try to keep an old flame going.
Conan
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 00:56 |
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I’d like to see you do a fully 4x4 one.
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jdonahue
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 01:10 |
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It’s fun as hell, very torquey, but a handful. That’s not exclusively due to the engine, though.
My autocross instructor described it as having “too much power”: running my build through DubDyno came up with 135 HP and 140 ft-lbs of torque. When he rode with me, I still had regular passenger car tires and a swing-axle transmission. The mods I did (wider, better tires, custom transmission, sway bars, stiffer shocks) were all about keeping the wheels on the ground: like a lot of early 911s, I’d have daylight under one of my front tires while cornering, and the extra power with poorer handling made overseer a real thing.
By the time I had everything dialed in, I was getting more like 140-145 HP (overhauled my exhaust and intake systems, much tweaking of my 40 IDFs), and on a good day could compete favorably with stock 924s/944s. Last time I ran it, before life got in the way, I pulled faster times than two 944s, a couple early Ferrari Dinos, a ‘71 911T, and an early Booster.
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jdonahue
> CRider
03/09/2016 at 01:12 |
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My knees hurt just looking at that horizontal bar under the dash.
Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 01:40 |
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I picture that car as having like... Four wires total. If you drive it up to Michigan, I’m sure you could convince David Tracy and I to help. I think he could use another car in his garage
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CRider
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 02:08 |
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True, but you can build a sturdier cage that still fits well in the car. (or make an exoskeleton, but that would be too cool) If you want to really compete, though, doing it with your DD and only car is probably not the best option.
Sam
> Raphael Orlove
03/09/2016 at 02:12 |
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Don’t start with a pristine car, find one that needs work in the areas that you'll be modifying (suspension, rear end, engine).
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Raphael Orlove
> Sam
03/09/2016 at 10:04 |
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I have the same feeling, it’s only hard to find one like that but without rust
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Raphael Orlove
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
03/09/2016 at 11:47 |
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I have driven one such VW with four wires total and IT RULED but it was also a clean, solid shell of a car, unlike mine