New guy from Ga.

[Mock1racer]

What's up hot rod people! Names Chris,Just thought I'd start by sayin this is a pretty cool site and there are some awsome builds goin on here.
Kinda makes me feel like I should be here. Been around Bugs my whole life but mostly offroad stuff, My uncle builds buggies for the Baja in Ca. I've built a few baja bugs and some big off road trucks.
Now I live in Ga. and there's not any sand dunes to jump or long offroad spots to run a comp truck. Mostly mud and more mud.So I thought I would build a street ride that I could take to the drag strip, play around with on the street, burnouts.
I was turned on to this site by a fellow rodder here,V8superbeetle, As I too have a V8 powered beetle. My build is a little different than His as I fabbed my chassis, and I'm using the beetle front beam suspention, With a 4-link rear.
I have always loved the rumble of the V8's, and wanted to bring that attitude to my bug. I started this build with no plans, just the ideas from previous builds. I also wanted something different,very different.
So, lets' get on to the car,huh?

[Mock1racer]

Here is where I started

[Mock1racer]

[Mock1racer]

Started working on the rear,



close enough for now

[Mock1racer]

Just for the record, that rear end was 64" long when I started cuttin it up, now it is 41" hub to hub, with a 3:25 gear. I didnt spend a lot on the rear end, I did all the cutting, beating ,grinding, welding, cussin,bleedin. I turned my welder up and blazed about 6 7018 welding rods in the spool to weld up the spiders. When I cut the axles, I ground them down to points, tigged the root and stick welded the rest.

[Mock1racer]

The front of the beetle had to be replaced because of rust sooooo...

here's my Huckleberry,

This is all I wanted anyway

[Mock1racer]

[Mock1racer]

I did get a sway-a-way bar for the front

full cage

[Mock1racer]

Starting to get it together so I can make the firewall and run tubing for the gas, brakes, trans, radiator.

[Mock1racer]

I still have a long way to go but I have a driver now( not legal yet but I can do one helluva burnout!)
Workin out some kinks here and there, It's been a wild ride to say the least.
Lookin forward to comments and hope to learn some stuff from you guys, and gals, thanks,Chris

[Mock1racer]

Okay, now all this goes way back to when I was kid grew up around a bunch of gearheads in a hot rod neighborhood. But I've always liked the bug,this is my first bug in 1989, It's a 74 Beetle.

Had a lot of fun in that car, it wasn't stock, had a porche 914 trans 1600 dual port with a weber two barrel on top. It sheared off many a wheel stud.
So that got me to thinking about taking my bug and putting V-8 in it and then use a strong rear end to make a street rod of a different flavor.
Well a long time seemed to pass before I could start on my V8 Bug reality, about 15 years to be exact. Then I got to finally get started on it, I picked up a 305 from the local chevy place for $50, and yes it was worn out. I spent very little to rebuild this engine, ( about $150). I was pretty tight for money still, but managed to get things here and there. some times people I knew would "donate" items to the cause. I picked up a carb, radiator, hoses, leaf springs, wheels,seat,etc. this took even longer to do but I only had about $2K in the car total. Granted it took me three years to get it built but oh well.
Then one day my luck turned and I got a better job, started spending more on the car, and got a built 350. I took out the 305 and replaced it with the 350 and...

[Mock1racer]

The headers were made by me from two sets I found at the junkyard for $40.All the frame and roll cage were scrap metal leftover from different jobs I had worked on over the years. The battery box, fuel tank, frame, cage, mounts, brackets,and yes even the seat was made by me with very little tools and no cost in material. I collected cans for over a year to spend $600 on the ignition system ( went to an all MSD setup).
It was the funnest car to drive for the testing and seemed to work well. The first time I took it to the track, was the last time. I had some issues. The fan switch I put in failed ( it was free), it melted because the wire that was feeding it failed ( it was free), which led to the fan shorting out ( it too was free). Well I could'nt know this because the exhaust was screaming in my ears through both windows.
When I went to do my burnout, (which I had done at home a few times) the front brake lever failed, ( yes it was free) I hit the rear brake, that lever sheared the bolt off, ( of course it was free too!!).I could'nt stop, so I went shift the car into nuetral, it was stuck because release spring broke( yes the shifter was free).I almost called it quits when that happend. By the time I got all my issues resolved it was time to race and when I did my burnout that time brake worked great, but now the trans was acting funny and I heard something strange it the rear. Keep in mind that the exhaust is blasting right in my face so loud the the track tech guy had to stick his head in the window to talk to me.I couldn't hear shit, I just shook my head and said yeah. Green light... foot to the floor, and ... nothin but a screamin pissed off motor that want's to run. I had burned up first gear and spun the bearins in the rear end.
when it did start movin I jammed it in second and it started movin good then I shifted into third, POP, broke the gear or something cause it went redlined.
It wasn't until I got back to the hauler that I saw steam coming from under the hood, as I shut the engine the radiator was pukin all over the place, busted.

[Mock1racer]

So the build you see here is the second build with a lot of the same attitude but I'm buying EVERYTHING!! no more free any thing. Some of the parts are still the same parts from the first build, steering wheel, VW front end,etc. but if it's important it was bought new.

[Mock1racer]

some new shots...

[Mock1racer]

Okay ,so far I have bought as many tools as I could to build this car. I went to Summit to get this sheet metal brake...

So that I could get the metal work done a little faster... WRONG. This thing turned out to be a peice of shit! it was rated at bending 12 ga at a 120 deg. HA! It wouldnt bend 16 ga at a 45!
So, I called the 800 number, bitched a little, and they told me to bring it back for credit. Okay, loaded it up and took my birthday $ and got me two of these...

They are sooo beautiful...


all I need now is one more seat belt.

[Mock1racer]

Okay so because I went the cheap route and used a free radiator, it was clogged up with rust and crap. So it didnt cool Dammit at all, dammit. The fans I have will work but in a pulling ,not pushing setup, I need to place them that way and build a shroud for them. I ordered a new radiator from Speedway and it should be here wed.

Went on and got some stainless hoses too, why not everything else is stainless...

All I need to do now is get them placed and make up a shroud

[Mock1racer]

Okay so while I'm waiting on the new radiator to get here, picked up adigital camera and took some quick shots to see how it worked...
got the dash in...

layed some aluminum in the doors...

these are the holes I cut in the hood, I dont like em so maybe one day i'll change it.

[Mock1racer]

Okay so its been a while since my last post so an update is in order...
New radiator is in and needed to make some adjustments...



Didn't quite fit like the previuos one did so I had to make some modifications...


Now I got the room for it...

[Mock1racer]

Got the fans mounted, I went a little over the top but Rather safe than sorry...





yes , that's three fans you see, the big one one the left side is a 14" and the two smaller ones are 9". The 14 is on one switch and the 9's are on another, it pulls plenty of air now.

[Mock1racer]

Had to order a new water pump, got an electric unit comin, the mechanical POS failed cause ,Yes it was not free but from a Salvage yard and I only paid $10 for it.
So, that's the only thing holding up me getting a video shot.

[Mock1racer]

Got some more steel work done to the interior...


Still got a few peices to put in but gettin it close.