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1968 Baja Bug EJ25 Conversion (mid-engine)


Bugaru
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Hello again USMB. Have a look at the new build my roommate and I
started over the summer.  It’s a 1968 IRS
conversion; it has FOA shocks with 14" rear travel, 12" front travel,
18" ground clearance and an EJ25 stuffed into the roll cage. We will also be
using a “mild” turbo as well as a Subaru 5 speed transmission.

 

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Right on Jesse do the mid-engine! What year is your baja? I am going to try and document the process thoroughly so stay tuned.



Ha Ha, O.C.D. we have already discussed that very thing, but it may have to wait until the STI engine arrives. However, I am also building the cage in SolidWorks so I can “roll” it in there, several times if necessary.

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Looks like somebody is a certified welder!

I've not seen welds that clean since leaving the shipyards in Alabama.

I'm willing to bet that they would pass x-ray and void specs!

Lovely work, clearly Master Craft Level!

 

Admiringly,

Timothy

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Sweet...but did ya have to with the cali bug eye front..I don't know why but the lights in the nose thing never apealed to me. I have always wanted to do that to a baja. I had a 69 baja (it was my first car) and still wish I ad it to be able to do soemthing like this to it. MIne had the lights in the fender style baja kit.

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks Timothy, yes certified welder here.

 

I finally got around to building the motor mounts. The design allows for easy low profile engine removal; once the primary locking pins are removed the engine and transmission can just slide back with the use of a transmission jack. The oil pan needs to be trimmed a bit, but not much.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Awesome work mate!

With the engine up that high, how are you going to do the drive shafts down from the gearbox to the hubs?  I'm thinking you might be using a divorced transfer case but can't work out how that would actually work...

I'm curious!

Cheers

Bennie

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Ah ha! Great question and you're both pretty close. We will be using the rear output of a subaru transmission only. The tiny driveshaft will run back into a custom vertically oriented transfer case and the bottom driveline will run forward into a custom diff. The diff we have in mind has quick change gears and will be fitted with the 930 flanges. Unfortunately the cv angles would be too extreme to run off the trans side flanges with the engine as high and far forward as it is.

Edited by Bugaru
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Careful running the rear only off of that Subaru transmission,

If I recall correctly, the rear drive acts only as a supplemental power drive,

and you can chew up the tranny running only rear output.

 

Somebody please correct me if I am mistaken on this point.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm with you on this Tsuru, you'll blow up this tranny if you do as mentioned.

The centrediff is not supposed to handle that much power in the way you discribe.

There is another way to do this, almost bullitproof.

You have to split the gearbox of its rear drive and make it  2WD.

There are aftermarket "nuts" to lock the rear output shaft but there is a cheaper way tot make this happen also.

You take the centrediff apart and weld some parts together to make the same locknut as mentioned above.

 

LOCKNUT and more: http://www.subarugears.com/Products.html

DIY locknut: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=104513

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers from the Netherlands,

 

Paul

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