Customer Reviews

Baja Bugs and Buggies: How to prepare VW-based cars for off-road fun and racing

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was very glad to find this book. It is straight forward and full of photographs look at how to beef-up a VW based bug or buggy. There are tons of tricks ad tips in here that aren't HIGH DOLLAR jobs. Simple and easy things to do during your build up that will save you hours trying to go back and fix things later. It should be called How to do it right the First time! It is one of few auto books with real knowledge in it that skips the technical jargon and flashy billet parts and suggests things that will work!

You will be pleased with it wether you are building a Baja, Street Bug, Rail Buggy or Dune Buggy. The air cooled VW motor still rules an always will!

Hibbard really knows what he's talking about; he's raced and won off-road races, and built VW based races cars and buggies.

He offers good advice, and it doesn't always involve throwing more money at the problem.

On the downside, the book was written in 1983(?) and is a bit out of date. Obviously, the VW market has changed, and the book needs to be updated.

Overall, it's a good book, and worth the money if you're building a Baja bug or a fairly stock (Class 11) racer.

This is an excellent book for first time builders and as a reference book for the more experienced. What made it so valuable to me is that Jeff explains the cost effective way to build buggies and baja bugs. No flashy boulevard queens here, just real world functional stuff. All the complicated aspects are explained. So read it, think about it, then go back and read it again. I have built two cars, a baja and a class 1/2 1600 and I still refer back to it for the detail technical facts. The only reason that I would not rate this book a 5 star is that I would like to see more information on none VW engines and the newer A-arm suspension cars.

The best VW book I have ever brought. If you off-road a buggy it is an essential buy. After 10 years of abusing buggies there is not one thing in this book I would disagree with.
A definate buy!

The book contains useful information drawn from experience. Good pictures. Not really a "Sandrail" book. Very good advice given by the author when talking about the engine. Would have liked to see more engine diagrams. The book is a bit dated-1983.

If you are thinking of building a Baja Bug there is little material available. Jeff Hibbard manages to cover all areas of construction in this comprehensive manual. Further chapters on driving tips and first-aid make this the perfect source for any prospective Baja burner.Not for the VW purist....

This book is one of the few 'how-to' books available. It has the benefit of being written by an experienced racer (and fireman, so he's concerned with safety, not just going fast). It emphasizes the important parts of keeping a VW engine alive in rough conditions, prepping suspension, and gives the reader ideas on interior layout, lighting, and pros and cons of a variety of issues. Too bad it is getting dated; the massive changes in the past ten years for engines and suspensions are not included.

This has been the best investment I made when building my race baja bug. Lots of great tech information, do's and don'ts, and general helpful information. A must have for anyone building or thinking of building a baja bug.

I built a Baja bug with a friend many years ago using this book. Now my son is building one and it is still just as informative as it was then. Although some of the products they show are dated, the concept and application are still very accurate for today's builds. I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about, already starting to, or well into any kind of off road buggy build.

I was a little let down as I was looking for a little more modern information.Not a bad book, just don't plan on it helping you build a CORR race car.or a modern buggy for that matter.Would be a great start for a "Baja Bug" buildup,a buggy not so much.