adding 3inch body lift to baja pan already caged?

[Shifty2006]

so i have a pan with a full cage running suspension and all i took the body off since it didn't have a roof and i plan i putting a full body on it but i wanted to add a 3 inch body lift out of 3" x 1.5" my question for anyone that has some insight in this is if i lift the body 3 inches will the body still clear the width of the cage. I'm attaching a picture of what it looked like when i first picked it up with the old vw sides and everything before stripping and sandblasting everything it had the old sides attached to the pan so i'm assuming a body will fit but if its 3 inches higher im not sure if it will clear the b pillar? anyone with experience please chime in before i fab up the lift and get disapointed and have to remove it.

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63 baja (r.i.p)
64 baja (sold)
70 baja (sadly gone)
project of pieces to be assemble to someday be a baja (inprogress)

[SamT]

You could always lift the suspension 3". Unless you need the bodylift for tire clearance.

[no1clyde]

I don't know how mine my compare to yours but I kept my pan and built my cage and built my 3" lift and I can and do take my body off. I have to kind of rock the body over and around my door bars but it is easy to do. This is my car with the body on.

And this is it with the body off.

And here is the removal.

To me it looks like yours would be about the same.

Ed

[Shifty2006]

i guess I will keep my fingers crossed that the body fits on with the lift I guess I wont be able to tell until I actually go to mount the thing. samT my plan is to pick up some 3x3 to go along with my 6" wider beam and 2 arms I just don't want to get that far and have any issues later down the road with the clearance. I would like to pick up some 3" lift spindles but the $500 and some change for them when I have so much other stuff to get is holding me back at the moment. no1clyde I love the set up of the sheet metal blocking off the front "firewall" I've been trying to figure out how to go about it on mine and that gives me some ideas. do you still have any issues with the wind blowing in around the sheet metal and the body.?
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63 baja (r.i.p)
64 baja (sold)
70 baja (sadly gone)
project of pieces to be assemble to someday be a baja (inprogress)

[SamT]

I couldnt make myself buy them either. I built some though. But its quite controversial! The thread is not far down.

You can always add them later or I guess the best thing would be to luck into some thing spindles.

[no1clyde]

Shifty you see the red around the outside, that is rubber backed carpet I used as a gasket so to speak and it worked well. I sheet metal screwed it to the body for a seal but this time I will do a nicer job LOL. If your interested there is a complete build thread on ShopTalk forum under Ed's Baja Bug build.

Ed

[ORANGECRUSHer]

I am fairly certain there is not much Ed can not do when he puts his mind to it!
_________________
Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[Shifty2006]

Ed i just read your entire build that's some pretty amazing work. I like the idea of the gasket. When i get to that point i guess i will spend sometime at home depot and see if i can come across something i can use. I just really want to be able to seal this one up my last baja was wide open in the back and had no glass but the windshield the sides were just the nets. That set up was great in the summer but wow when i would find a puddle in the other months i might have well been on a motorcycle. Also are you using any type of sealer or gasket inbetween the the body and top of your lift?
_________________
63 baja (r.i.p)
64 baja (sold)
70 baja (sadly gone)
project of pieces to be assemble to someday be a baja (inprogress)

[no1clyde]

[no1clyde]

[Shifty2006]

[no1clyde]

These 2 may be what you want.

I was a little afraid to cut mine too but it had to be cut to clear the cage.

Here is one more with no fire wall just the cut out part and much earlier in the cage build.

Basically I left about a inch of metal and just cut down the top and sides of the front toe box.

Hope this helps.

Ed

[Shifty2006]

That's exactly what I need thank you again. I guess it's time to load up on sawzall blades and begin surgery.
_________________
63 baja (r.i.p)
64 baja (sold)
70 baja (sadly gone)
project of pieces to be assemble to someday be a baja (inprogress)

[Shifty2006]

Ugh after 16 days on the fireline trying to pick up where I was seems impossible to find. I'm still plugging away at the Baja I have the body set on the top of the cage and the lift it fits just fine but I have to find the length and thread on the bolts for the new lift, figure a parts list for getting 3x3 on to make a roller, and try to find an old listing I found a wayys back for sheet metal rear fenders.
_________________
63 baja (r.i.p)
64 baja (sold)
70 baja (sadly gone)
project of pieces to be assemble to someday be a baja (inprogress)

[dustymojave]

Sounds like you're a fire fighter. Not a pleasant job in that neighborhood lately. I hope your home is OK, No mention, so apparently it's OK. 19,000 acres and 150 homes burned in 12 hours is a NASTY fire.

My son's buddies were camping and fishing up the North Fork of the River at the time. They had no trouble. But it was close.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Shifty2006]

Affirmative the destruction is a bit different when we are dealing with it in our own homes instead of states away. My house was by the point of origin not where the head of the fire went so I was lucky, one of my seasonals lost his house but the support of the community for everyone that was affected has been remarkable. Yeah I will definitely say that it was an assignment that reminded us that sometimes no matter our efforts and how hard we try we may just have to get out of the way and save what we can. Sounds like his friends were up by my station in Johnsondale.
_________________
63 baja (r.i.p)
64 baja (sold)
70 baja (sadly gone)
project of pieces to be assemble to someday be a baja (inprogress)

[dustymojave]

Yeah, I think they were. They aren't so familiar with the area as I am, so they don't really know quite where they were, but from the pics they've shared with me, the background looks like it.
_________________
Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Shifty2006]

After finally getting some days off of fire I got my lift in and the body finally bolted but the body sways back and forth just my wiggling it I think it's because I don't have any firewalls or maybe something else. Has anyone else had this issue I am sure I cant be the only one I see plenty of people like ed whos body is just mounted over a cage but I am not sure how to eliminate the issue..
_________________
63 baja (r.i.p)
64 baja (sold)
70 baja (sadly gone)
project of pieces to be assemble to someday be a baja (inprogress)

[Mal evolent]

is the lift made of 16 gauge, or 1/4" square tubing? is the body swaying, or the lift?
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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[no1clyde]

Shifty mine did that too. I tried mounts at the top of the cage to the body and all that did was break the body so I took them out. I ended up making plates that attach to the cage at the top of the foot box and the front inner finder for the front and in the back I made a plate that bolts to the body under the back window and then to the cage all the way across to stop that. Here is the rear, you can see the 8 bolts in the cross piece.

Those things have stopped the body movement.

BTW my car is red now LOL.

Ed