Baja Bug

Baja Bugs originated in Southern California in the late 1960s as an inexpensive answer to the successful Volkswagen-based dune buggies of the mid-1960s, especially the Meyers Manx. The building of the first Baja Bug is generally credited to Gary Emory (now of Parts Obsolete), circa 1968. Gary and his hot rodder father, Neil Emory, built the car in the bodyshop at the Chick Iverson Volkswagen dealership in Newport Beach, California; Gary worked in the parts department there after leaving school and Neil was working in the bodyshop. The first Baja Bug in racing is credited to Dave Deal, the Californian cartoonist, in the Mexican 1000 of 1968 in Baja California. More power was attained by fitting dual port heads and modifying fuel injection systems from Volkswagen Type 3 engines to work on the Type 1 Beetle engine. Some installed the larger, 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 Volkswagen Type 4 or Porsche 914 engine. Corvair engine transplants were another common way of achieving a large power hike. ==Conversion==

Basic modifications are simple. A lightweight, shortened fiberglass front body panel is fitted after the sheet metal from the trunk lid edge forward and rear engine deck lid and everything rearward (rear apron and engine compartment) is removed. The rear treatment leaves the engine totally exposed to aid in cooling. A tubular steel cage, along with a front and rear bumper, is fitted to the body and floor pan for protection of engine and occupants. Shortened fiberglass fenders both front and rear meant removal of the Beetle's distinctive running boards and the likely addition of more tubular steel parts (side bars) in their place. The rugged torsion bar front and rear suspension standard on the Beetle, allows it to withstand the rigors of offroading and the rear ride height to easily be raised slightly and stiffened to make clearance for larger heavy-duty off-road tires and wheels. The relatively light front end of the Beetle allows some compensation for the lack of four wheel drive. The taller sidewall tires provide more flexible ride comfort and rocky road ground clearance. The Beetle suspension "stops" can be moved to allow more suspension travel. Longer shock absorbers, for the increase in suspension travel, provide more damping control over bumps giving more driver control and comfort. Some people eliminate the torsion bar suspension and install coilover-type springs that mount to a roll cage, allowing extreme amounts of travel with a very comfortable ride. There are two basic styles, the Narrow and Wide Eye Baja Bug. The Narrow Eye (Bugeye) places the headlights on the front apron (see picture below), while the Wide Eye has the headlights on the front fenders in more or less the stock location. ==Images==

File:Kit Baja.jpg|Fiberglass Bugeye "Baja Bug" body kit parts - lower spoiler not typical File:Autocross01.jpg|Rallye Baja File:VW Baja Beetle.jpg|Street-legal Baja File:Baja Califórnia Dianteira.jpg|Baja California File:Baja Califórnia Traseira.jpg|Baja California File:Rebelbaja.JPG|Mildly modified Baja File:Bajamotor.JPG|Volkswagen exhaust header system with glass pack muffler File:Volkswagen Fusca n82.jpg|Baja Bug racing at a closed dirt circuit in southern Brazil ==See also==