JBugs - Father & Son - 1972 VW Baja Bug - Bus Trans in a Bug

Nathan and Sam were determined to get Nate's Baja Bug to Desert Dub's 3rd Annual Vintage Volkswagen Car Show. With that end in mind they spent the better part of two weeks rushing to get Nate's car, a 1972 Standard Beetle that had last been registered in 1992, driving again. With the goal of running a 32" or taller rear tire, a Bus transmission, with it's bigger ring and pinion being better suited for that tire, is swapped in. Typically there are a couple of ways of doing the install, a standard "bolt-in" kit that mounts the transmission to the stock mounts on the chassis, but requires cutting the body, removing the parking brake handle on the tunnel and running a shift rod and shift box on top of the tunnel. Or there is a "10 degree kit" which requires cutting the chassis, but not the body. Most importantly to Sam, it keeps the shift rod in place in the tunnel. This means less cutting of the body, a stock rear seat can be used and the car remains more sealed up.

Anyway, Sam has never been one to stick to the normal way of going about things and doesn't mind coming at things from a different angle. So he decided to modify the EMPI kit and the chassis and modified it and the chassis and came up with his own "7 degree kit". Along the way, you'll see him make his own tool since he couldn't find one, a friend stops by and at the end, the 002 Bus transmission will have a new home in the back of a 1972 Beetle chassis.

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Tool that SHOULD have been used (if Sam had found his)

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Videos are intended for entertainment purposes. Factory specifications should be followed when performing any task on your vehicle.

[georgeezzell]

It’s nice to see your son learning from you by doing the work with you. Great kid.

[sniper]

Nice job good project you make a great team

[AndyHalaby]

So awesome Sam and Nate!! Lets go!! 💯👍

[hotroddevils]

Nice "working with what you've got" removing the pivot bolts! Your modified 10degree kit looks like less work and fabrication than the actual 10degree kit, and much cheaper! In my next video I'll be installing my transaxle in my Baja. I also wanted to run the shifter thru the tunnel...I went with a 5 rib, all Weddle internals and their bus to bug bell housing and dropped nosecone so I can use a solid mount bug kit...will make for simple installation but not the cheapest way to go😢 I'm also going to cover all the options for bus to bug mounts, their cost and fabrication required.
Nice job as always, keep up the good work guys!

[garyjones]

Looking good guys, thanks for bringing us along...

[Tanks-Link]

Mine are 17 mm Allen head bolts on my rear arms. I just went down and bought a 17 mm Allen head cut 2 inches off the end and put it put it on a socket and then I use my impact.

[RichardMurphyMurph]

Hey I have a question how do I get my vw motor is not level how do I level it

[Tanks-Link]

Also, that's the wrong adapter plate for a bus tranny one the one you need just has a couple holes in it at the bolts go through the motor through the transmission into that plate