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Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:38 pm

Hey guys,

I have been wanting to build a Manx for about 3 years, and I am now ready to start. I would love to get an actual Manx but they are hard to find and when I do find one, they are expensive. So I was doing a search and found www.dunebuggybody.com and they have a model called the SS MAX by supersport. Well it looks like an exact match to the Meyers Manx. Does anyone know the quality of this make? Originally I was going to order the berrien square tube chassis and their Nostalgia body. But now im thinking of ordering just berriens chassis and picking up this body. Let me know what you guys think?

Thanks
Steve

Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:34 pm

I contacted the owners for the SS Max, they said their body was very thick. Apparently Berrien is very thin, from what I've heard. I'm in Raleigh so I have been thinking about the SS Max also, but want to see it in person. I'm going to the Rockingham show May 7th, maybe they'll be there. Let me know what you find out.

Mark

Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:19 am

I have a friend who has seen the SS MAX and said it is very thick. I have never seen one personally.

However, I have seen the Berrien body and will second ygubenud's statement about them being "very thin". I have the Berrien frame and although it has some issues I would do it again. There again the fiberglass is very thin. I think they are afraid to use one ounce more material than they have to.

Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:38 pm

Ive seen a couple of the berrien bodys nice finish but very thin.
Teaxasbuggys http://www.texasbuggys.com/ builds an exact copy of a manx and is very thick, I have two of there bodys and have been very happy with both of them.

Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:46 pm

I am real happy with my Berrien body. I don't think it is extremely thin, but I can tell you it it nowhere near as thick as a TEXASBUGGY, but how thick do you need it? No complaints here yet.......

This pic may give you an idea of how thick the body is. I would say it is between two or three stacked 25 cent quarters.

Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:58 pm

One thing that the Savage Brothers (SS Max Makers) can do is give you a GREAT flake finish. Berrien does not offer the metalflake finish. I dont know about the Texas Buggy's choice, but I have seen the way that the other SS bodies finish turn out - above compare, if I had it to do over again, I would go with the SS Max rather than re-doing the body that I have.

The Berrien Chassis is what I went with - it makes things so much more of a new-car build rather than a restoration. Yellermanx's car drives like a caddilac - everything is tight, and very drivable... That said, there is another chassis maker that started at the Berrien Chassis plant and now has his own line (check the classified here on the Samba). His has several more crossl members and has several options for flooring - even a model that has built in lateral members and nerf bars...

Just my 2 cents...

Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:12 pm

Others may chime in, but having just finshed my car, I would suggest buying a good running, crappy body, buggy for around 1500-2000 and then removing the body and replacing it with a new one. You could replace the interior, rims, tires, chrome out the engine, etc and still have a buggy for less that $5000. Those that have gone the long route can attest that building one of these piece by NEW piece can cost twice that easily.

These cars were designed to be fun, towards the end of my long, expensive process, it was not fun anymore and it actually sickened me at the money I spent on my ride. I will tell you I am enjoying the car now, but if I had to do it all over again I would do exactly as I suggested. My two cents......
MURZ

Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:54 pm

That said, there is another chassis maker that started at the Berrien Chassis plant and now has his own line (check the classified here on the Samba). His has several more crossl members and has several options for flooring - even a model that has built in lateral members and nerf bars...

Thanks for everyones input. Does anyone know how to contact or a website of the chassis fabricator mentioned above?

Thanks
Steve

Mon Apr 10, 2006 3:35 am

He has several ads that run here on the Samba....

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=262570