J&J LAM

[EmpirE231]

New to me J&J aluminum buggy! I "had" to have this thing, because it just looks so cool. I really do not know much about VW motors etc, so I will eventually have some questions. From what I do know, it is a 2276 motor. Mid engine, all aluminum buggy.... weighing in @ 780lbs. If anyone has any info / history on these J&J's, that would be awesome to hear about.

My father in law bought this a few years back, and I always thought it was BA. The plan was that it would be left to me in a "will" or what not, but I guess he really wanted another new motorcycle, and he was considering selling this car..... contacted me first, and even though timing is never really right, and this would most likely just be garage art for me, I said sure lets do it, and bought the car. There a couple deals I've passed up over the years, and kick myself for doing so.... I didn't want this to be another one.

 

[Fastdadtsmith]

Looks like a great car. Great for off weekends before the holidays.

 

[EmpirE231]

Looks like a great car. Great for off weekends before the holidays.

agreed! I drove this thing a while back, and it was a rocket!

cool part is, this will actually fit in the stacker with my other car... so I could bring both out on a off weekend and blast it around. Downside is the kids toys will be left at home haha.

 

[LBsuperJET]

Dang, that thing looks like fun! The rear of the cab reminds me of a mid-90's GT aluminum BMX bike rear dropout setup. Super cool!

Looks like you can pick the front end up by yourself

 

[DLC]

My friends had 2 J&J cars they are sweet one was all aluminum but had a corvair motor it’s was really fast ! it was a work of art all polished up! Beautiful car!

just carry some extra heim joints for the frt end and you’ll be good To go!

congratulations ! What a cool ride!

 

[EmpirE231]

back in the day these were comparable in status to the funcos, tatums, alumicrafts of today..

I'll get a few more pics in the next few days... some of the details on it are pretty impressive for its age. The aluminum center console is pretty trick for its time. Having had done an all new aluminum body on my big car, I know the time and labor that goes into making 3d aluminum pieces.

 

[Lower river sludge]

That is awesome! Brings me back to the "good old days." I'm sure this is obvious but those didn't hold up too well if someone wadded it up.....

 

[badgas]

That is so sweet

 

[EmpirE231]

Couple pics showing some more of the cool aluminum detail

 

[Meaney77]

Bad ass car!! Sure brings back memories of the old mid engine buggy days!

 

[69hondo]

Couple pics showing some more of the cool aluminum detail

View attachment 1036673 View attachment 1036674

better teach the kids how to polish.

 

[EmpirE231]

better teach the kids how to polish.

Oh they are gonna learn, they were already talking about how they will be driving it and following me around lol

 

[69hondo]

Oh they are gonna learn, they were already talking about how they will be driving it and following me around lol

My dad used to tell me "that's why had you so I dont have to polish aluminum anymore"
Lol now I love polished aluminum.

 

[Backlash]

Such a BADASS car!!!!! Man it's beautiful! Please keep this thread updated for those of us who enjoy these classics!

 

[FlatNv]

wow that is bad azzz!! friend was selling this, thought about it.. but just don't have the garage space... would find space for one like yours !!

 

[Nanu/Nanu]

Ho ree fook that thing goes fast just sitting there in the garage!! Beautiful car man.

 

[Meaney77]

wow that is bad azzz!! friend was selling this, thought about it.. but just don't have the garage space... would find space for one like yours !! View attachment 1050105

Looks like an old San Fernando Buggy Hi Jumper/ Prowlers Sand Sprite ? I had one of these back in the day. It was a 100" WB mid-engine car, I built a SCAT 2110 motor with a draw thru turbo set and Holley ProJection. The thing was an absolute rocket! It was a super fast but squirrely go cart!!

 

[RitcheyRch]

Bad ass and like the polished Aluminum look. Enjoy and have fun with it.

 

[monkeyswrench]

J&J made 2 styles based on that chassis. The other one was a "roadster" chassis. The A-pillar was pushed back, more of a shoulder bar, and there was a "dash bar" to hold the column. I don't think they made many, only seen 2, and a picture of a third (with a tri-ported Corvair). I would also think that the roadster may suffer from more fatigue from torsional loads over time. Always thought that was a bad ass chassis.

 

[69hondo]

@EmpirE231 you take this thing out yet?

 

[EmpirE231]

@EmpirE231 you take this thing out yet?

I have not yet! it's been garage art for now... but I am planning on taking it out in march to the old school buggy roundup in Glamis. I might also take it to an off weekend dumont trip before then.... but then I run into the hang up of getting the kids quads out w/ both cars.

 

[Bpracing1127]

sequential?

learn how the ignition works on a VW, points ect.... learn how to work on the carbs and adjust valves. you will be ok once you learn that

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

sequential?

learn how the ignition works on a VW, points ect.... learn how to work on the carbs and adjust valves. you will be ok once you learn that

Type 1 or 091 I’d wager.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Type 1 or 091 I’d wager.

Looks to be a Type1 with the whizbang billet shifter instead of the stock hockey stick. That car has all the cool stuff I'd see in Sand Sport in the 90's!

 

[EmpirE231]

Looks to be a Type1 with the whizbang billet shifter instead of the stock hockey stick. That car has all the cool stuff I'd see in Sand Sport in the 90's!

Yeah I really don’t know much about these trans. I thought 091 or “bus box” but from searching online for a while it seems like it’s a type 1 or type 2. Not really sure how to tell, or what the differences are.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Yeah I really don’t know much about these trans. I thought 091 or “bus box” but from searching online for a while it seems like it’s a type 1 or type 2. Not really sure how to tell, or what the differences are.

View attachment 1079333 View attachment 1079334

Reclock that half shaft boot, but yes Type 1 it appears.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Reclock that half shaft boot, but yes Type 1 it appears.

I always tried to put it at 2 o'clock on the bolt together. The German ones won't ever leak, but have to pull the axle ends off to install.

Yeah I really don’t know much about these trans. I thought 091 or “bus box” but from searching online for a while it seems like it’s a type 1 or type 2. Not really sure how to tell, or what the differences are.

View attachment 1079333 View attachment 1079334

Definitely a Type 1. The gear train is relatively stout. I used to have case issues, spreading the ring gear and cracking the case. I ended up having a case gusseted either side of that casting line.

 

[EmpirE231]

Reclock that half shaft boot, but yes Type 1 it appears.

I was gonna replace the boots and then put them at the right angle.

 

[EmpirE231]

I always tried to put it at 2 o'clock on the bolt together. The German ones won't ever leak, but have to pull the axle ends off to install.

Definitely a Type 1. The gear train is relatively stout. I used to have case issues, spreading the ring gear and cracking the case. I ended up having a case gusseted either side of that casting line.

Was told it was a “built” trans, “HD swing axle, super diff, HD side coves with close ratio gears.

Obviously I’ve never opened it up... but hopefully a decent build.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Was told it was a “built” trans, “HD swing axle, super diff, HD side coves with close ratio gears.

Obviously I’ve never opened it up... but hopefully a decent build.

I don't know if there were better cases available, but the case was the only thing "factory" left. In all honesty, it was a pretty stout 2332, 13.00+'s and I drove it like the 20yo kid I was...until I learned.

 

[endobear]

Those swing axle Transaxles can take alot more power and beating on than the post 69-70 IRS. You just can't add any travel.
Sweet ride.

 

[77charger]

Yup type 1 trans.Cant realy do the bus box easily since you cant put the ring gear on opposite side but i have seen the bus boxes run upside down for mid engine set up!

 

[monkeyswrench]

Yup type 1 trans.Cant realy do the bus box easily since you cant put the ring gear on opposite side but i have seen the bus boxes run upside down for mid engine set up!

I've only seen one, and it was a Mazzone with a 5 link setup. It was pretty damn cool. This is also going back 25 years...

 

[EmpirE231]

So is a type one not as strong as an 091?

how does the hierarchy go in order? is a "bus box" an 091 or 092?

 

[monkeyswrench]

I believe the 5 and 6 rib are 091's, and were supposed to be the strongest in terms of stock cases. The ring gear and differential are larger/stronger than a type 1. With a type 1, normally you'd run the taller Super Beetle ring and pinion, as they found them to be a stronger choice than the earlier, shorter gear choices.

 

[Backlash]

Bus box is stronger.

 

[lantz]

That is a work of art. Don't drive it like your RZR. Get ready for bucket loads of sand in your lap until you figure it out, and don't break it before that. Built, that trans will handle a little bit of HP (point and shoot in the smoothest line you can find) until the back end hops and spins up and drops back down. Maybe like airing out a bravo and dropping back into the water at full throttle? I don't know. I have a jet. but I have blown up a couple of type I VW transmissions. There is nothing like finding a smooth line through some big dunes in one of those those- you're ass is just inches from the sand and you're flying.

 

[monkeyswrench]

That is a work of art. Don't drive it like your RZR. Get ready for bucket loads of sand in your lap until you figure it out, and don't break it before that. Built, that trans will handle a little bit of HP (point and shoot in the smoothest line you can find) until the back end hops and spins up and drops back down. Maybe like airing out a bravo and dropping back into the water at full throttle? I don't know. I have a jet. but I have blown up a couple of type I VW transmissions. There is nothing like finding a smooth line through some big dunes in one of those those- you're ass is just inches from the sand and you're flying.

Until I read this, never thought about it. The cars now are monsters. Some have front tires as tall as the rears I had. It's like the difference between a 28ft deep V and a flat bottom. Different lines taken, and one is way less forgiving, but feels like a roller coaster rolling through the bowls.

 

[racetrash]

Pertronix in the dizzy...no points phuctuckery

 

[endobear]

Bus box, 3ribs
Better bus box 091 5 ribs. Both have 2 CV joints per axle.

I don't tecall.there being a bus specific swing axle tranny.

 

[racetrash]

67 and earlier buses had a swing axle with reduction boxes at the end of the axle.

 

[Riverbottom]

Also remember that reverse gear is a little tiny gear. In the V.W. owners manuals it says for moving the vehicle slowly on flat ground. Be very gentle in reverse, takes nothing to destroy it with paddle tires and a heavy clutch. Beautiful car, work of art.

 

[monkeyswrench]

67 and earlier buses had a swing axle with reduction boxes at the end of the axle.

And us cheap/broke people would pick them up whenever we could. Spare trans that already had a flipped ring gear for mid-engine

 

[77charger]

094 is the strongest of the bus boxes as it has a stronger reverse. But it’s also a side shift heard it can converted to front shifting like all other boxes or use different linkage.

Like said taller the ring pinion the stronger. 4.57 stronger than 4.86 which is stronger than the 5.37

 

[Bpracing1127]

put an albins in it and be done

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

put an albins in it and be done

That's more trans than car. It seems like an awesome car but that chassis has got to be worse than chasing stress cracks on a Can Am after rough terrain use

 

[EmpirE231]

Yeah I will definitely not be trashing this car.... I have the bigger car to do that with! Surprisingly the chassis is in very good shape... I haven't found any cracks or significant repairs yet. Looks like it was well taken care of.

 

[Backlash]

It's a beaut Clark! One of the best looking cars out there IMO!