The car started its life as a 1971 standard Bug. I bought it off of eBay in 2004, and boy was that a mistake. The guy misrepresented the car in a huge way. It was supposed to be recently restored and in great condition. Upon pick-up the Bug was not even in good condition. It had a 1600 cc motor with dual carbs and upgraded exhaust that scraped the ground every time I drove over a speed bump or entered the driveway. The deck lid was supposed to be mailed to me, but that never happened. The motor never ran strong over the several months I drove it. The heater was not hooked up in favor of the extra 1/3 horsepower gained by running J-tubes so I was always shivering while I drove it. It had some wiring problem that only reared its head during right turns. It stranded me on the side of the same off ramp twice. The passenger side windo crank was replaced with a cheapo set of vice grips. After a few weeks of driving in the rain I found out the rear window seal was not installed correctly when I slammed the door and watched the rear window operate like a shutter. When the car was parked I had to put plastic grocery bags over the air cleaners to keep water out. A little tip: take the plastic bags off the air cleaners BEFORE you drive the car, oops. Basically this car was not in any shape to be on the road as a daily driver.
I am sure by now you can see why this car is not driven anymore and in pieces waiting for a rebuild. The car was fun to drive, in temperatures above 50 degrees and was not as slow as I thought a Bug would be. I like the look of the car and the fact that it is super easy to work on was the main reason I wanted one. I had never really worked on cars before and wanted to learn. Working on it turned out to be easy and the current smog laws meant that I could put any motor I wanted in the bug without worrying about passing the stringent California smog checks.
I wanted something that was more reliable and faster than the aircooled motor. I originally opted for the Mazda rotary motor as one can be had from Pick N Pull on their half day for only $90 out the door. Kennedy Engineered Products ( KEP ) makes an adapter plate and flywheel that makes the rotary to the VW transaxle. The adapter plate and flywheel is $400 and a 6 volt starter is also needed. The only other thing needed is a radiator and a 120 horsepower Bug is created with only about 40 pounds of additional weight. A standard bug only has 50 horsepower so this is a big improvement. I was pondering this setup and decided it still used too many old, flimsy, and low tech parts. A new design is definitely needed.
The Goal:
I want to build a car that is quick and handles well. All the work on this car must be done by me or with cheap labor from some good friends.
You may ask yourself what makes me capable of building a car like this. Absolutely nothing! I have to learn every aspect of car building and design as I go. I don't have a background in cars or engineering nor did I spend my childhood working on cars. I had a billion Legos as a kid which really helped my brain operate in weird ways. I can build anything out of random stuff so I have no doubt I will be able to build this car to my satisfaction. I am willing to learn from others and read books to find the information I need.
You may ask yourself what makes me capable of building a car like this. Absolutely nothing makes me capable of this and that is the best part. I have to learn every aspect of car building and design. I don't have a background in cars nor did I spend my childhood working on cars. I can build anything out of random stuff so I have no doubt I will be able to build this car to my satisfaction. I am willing to learn from others and read books to find the information I need.
