The custom Vw scene is a culture that has been very strong from Gene Burgs beginnings, up until now. Appearing to have been built in the golden days of the Baja Bug fad, this ’73 Bug has undergone a “narrow eye” Baja conversion and features some awesome hand painted flames, and the name “Blue Thunder” over the engine. Appearing period correct it would seem this Baja’s nick name comes from its massive 2276cc engine that offers somewhere around 150 horsepower! Sadly the engine is “blown” but not many details are given about the extent of the damage. A solid car with no rust, this Baja bug project has less than a day remaining and bidding has only reached $1,915. Check it out here on ebay out of Galena, Illinois.

Beginning with a 1600cc engine, it takes a fair amount of work and machining to attain the 2276cc displacement of this engine. Many times a custom block is required like a CB Performance set up, unless you have a machinist who is willing to go through the headache of modifying a stock case to take that large of a piston and jug. Packing a “stinger,” dual carbs, electronic ignition, and some “head work,” this Baja Bug was likely an absolute joy to drive. The current engine apparently has a “blown rod” but I am not exactly sure what the seller means. Vw’s are famous for push rod failures, but I suppose it is possible a connecting rod either snapped, or even possibly damaged the engine case. Large displacement air cooled Vw engines need a lot of oil, an oil sump, and an oil cooler to keep the increased displacement well lubricated and cooled. The engine may be completely trashed where you would need to start over, or it may literally be a damaged jug and maybe a cylinder head, where the engine could be rebuilt. It would appear that “Blue Thunder” has had engine issues before as there are burn marks on either side of the rear window most certainly from an engine fire. Either way, the next owner has some work ahead of them.

The bright blue velour isn’t exactly my favorite, but it’s a Volkswagen so it’s easy to change. One thing I do love is the JC Whitney Beetle rubber mat on the passenger side. We had a set of those in our family Beetle back in the day. Although a little untidy, this interior is actually very nice compared to some Bajas as they were more sand and dirt oriented. The carpet is in fine shape, and the seller was even kind enough to pull the carpet back to show the pans, which have some surface rust but are solid as a rock. Hanging by a few wires, the horn button needs to be installed. A sunpro tach has been added, but it is rather low and out of the line of sight. There is also a voltmeter and oil pressure gauge mounted below the ashtray.  A few minutes with a vacuum and your hands and this interior could be cleaned up nicely.

Clearly repainted at some point in its life, this Baja Bug’s paint is a bit rough, but the cool classic paint scheme may be more interesting or appreciated than a repaint. The engine cover has paint chipping off and likely some fiberglass issues from UV exposure. The rest of the fiberglass kit looks to be in good shape with no obvious signs of cracking or paint chipping. The two burned areas below the rear window should be painted to prevent rust, but otherwise I suppose this one could be enjoyed as is. These later model bugs love to rust in the c-pillar thanks to the crescent moon vent. Thankfully this Beetle looks very rust free and solid. There are a set of “baby turbo” mirrors fitted and a set of very wide chrome “paddle wheels” as well. Despite the blown engine, perhaps there is some hope in saving the expensive and powerful heart. If not, even a standard dual port 1600 would be plenty of fun with a set of dual carbs. Would you jump on this big engine Baja?