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BuggyMeister Mon May 01, 2006 10:47 am

A T-storm with hail blew through a car show yesterday. You should have seen people scramble. :shock:

See a pic here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/272872.jpg


It got me thinking. How do other Buggy owners deal with Mother Nature :?:

aquamanx Mon May 01, 2006 11:47 am

You could try a top Lone Star Buggy Accessories makes them.
http://hometown.aol.com/lonestarbuggy/page5.html

andk5591 Mon May 01, 2006 12:43 pm

I have a fold up convertible top - Keep it on the buggy, but folded down. Have side curtains in a bag jammed behing front seat.

bugdust Mon May 01, 2006 2:39 pm

I got caught in the rain last week. I got wet. :wink:

manxman63 Mon May 01, 2006 7:28 pm

Cool deal....Well Pat and i bought my buggy in Phoenix the 1st week of October. We made the Vegas Bug-in and then on to Seattle. We ended up going thru the passes in Oregon at 2 am and it Snowed like hell and then sleet. Fun!!!! We'd do it again in a heart beat.



manxman63


Oh i drive this sucker from MArch to about October and I deal with small snow and rain on a daily basis every spring and fall.

plasticman1432 Mon May 01, 2006 8:36 pm

'Unto each kit car a little rain must fall,' I always say. When I leave the top at home, people at shows ask what happens when it rains......I state the obvious: "I get wet." :)

I've been caught in the rain twice so far since I got the Manx. My wife was worried the second time that I'd be upset because it really poured, but I laughed my ass off the rest of the way home.

Vanhag Mon May 01, 2006 11:10 pm

It's just like driving along the beach, water will enter the car, water will exit the car. I drive a buggy because I like to get wet driving up and down the beach at the creek. When it rains, you get wet. But I do seal up my gauges, wiring, fuses, and other essentials. I also bought some water proof seat covers, frog skinz, I think.

Check it out. Here is a little trick I learned. When I drive in the creek I usually get a lot of water splashing inside. Like 10 gallons at a time. So I ended up drilling several large holes in the floor to drain the water out. But everytime I hit the water it'd splash UP through these holes. So I ended up buying some 1"drain tubing from the parts store and installing them on my drain holes. No more splashed up into the tub, water can drain out, and when I'm fording deep water I put a plug in them.

Flat4Tom Thu May 04, 2006 4:33 pm

Me, my 6 year old son, and my Manx SR got soaked all the way through about 3 weeks ago at the local - BIG - car show. It was not fun. It's finally about dried out now. :shock:

Regards,
Tom C.

vwracerdave Thu May 04, 2006 6:42 pm

I do not have a top for my Buggy and I will never get one. They are just not for me. When it rains, I get wet. If it is too bad I just park it and call somebody to stop by the house and get my tow bar that I leave on the back porch. I have removed the wipers on my Buggy because it does no good to wipe the rain on the outside when the inside gets all wet also. I have also drilled a few 1/2" holes in my floorpan for the water to drain out.

sometimes I plan ahead and take my rain suit and motor on. Getting wet is just part of the game.

wythac Fri May 05, 2006 5:00 am

I'm from the NW and am thinking that I may run a couple of pigtails for snowmobile suits to the seats in my clone. Might take the edge off and lengthen my roofless/heaterless car season. Anyone know the power draw of a heated motorcycle or snowmobile suit?

VOLKSWAGNUT Mon Jun 08, 2015 7:22 am

Ahhhh... a lil' bump for topic at hand...

The pitfalls and yet the fun of an open top car.... :wink:

My wife decided to drive her CopperTub to Pickleball practice.. about 5 miles from our home (yesterday).

I noted the clouds thickening around 2 and asked my son who is studying atmospheric science to check the radar.. He said.. looks like a quick light shower is coming our way..

Eh'... no worries as I revised the buggy a couple of years ago to be more rain friendly when road trippin'..

I continued working outside at home.. sprinkle formed.. then the downpour started.. and then it REALLY started to rain... :lol:

I was already soaked.. and about that time my son opens the door and yells.... "yeah the shower built into a nice sized storm"... :? ..

Grabbed a towel, poured out my boots, rung out my underwear.. and awaited the call.... :lol:

No call.. just could hear the dual cannons coming...VVRROOOOOMMMM...then rocketing and splashing up the road and our driveway..

Needless to say.. she ... they .. were soaked.. :lol:

Pop'd the tent, unloaded the tub.. and waited it out..

No worries.. the pan is self draining now.. :lol:

Rinse, dry and repeat.. ..

I just hope it didnt kill the CB and Stereo... :x

. [-o< .... So far so good..




AMAC1680 Mon Jun 08, 2015 9:09 am

vwracerdave wrote: I do not have a top for my Buggy and I will never get one. They are just not for me. When it rains, I get wet. If it is too bad I just park it and call somebody to stop by the house and get my tow bar that I leave on the back porch. I have removed the wipers on my Buggy because it does no good to wipe the rain on the outside when the inside gets all wet also. I have also drilled a few 1/2" holes in my floorpan for the water to drain out.

sometimes I plan ahead and take my rain suit and motor on. Getting wet is just part of the game.

I hear ha.
My ride is also a "beach buggy" with a "flow thru" interior.

Back to the topic I carry a rain suit.

Be Big,
AMAC

weasel_ugs Mon Jun 08, 2015 6:54 pm

I have a bikini top and a rain coat, the pan shall we say drains itself rapidly, lol. I use rain-x on both sides of the windshield, I have been in some very heavy rain and could see perfectly.

VOLKSWAGNUT Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:44 am

You always have to treat Buggy travel and driving like motorcycle riding.. always keep an eye to the sky..
Rain gear, coats etc.. (helmet is optional) :lol:

My son and I were caught on the Blue Ridge Parkway a few years ago in our Buggy without any protection.. Its amazing how cold it can get once the rain, sun and temps start to fall..
I literally puled the rubber floor mats up and used them as side splash/air shields and duct taped cardboard sleeves on our arms..

Memories..( and lessons ) that cant be taken away.

.

Q-Dog Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:45 am

I keep a rain jacket in mine all the time. 50% chance of rain here every day for at least the next week.

impaleale Tue Jun 09, 2015 3:08 pm

You got to find a shop to make you a top. You don't need to "suck it up" it's just going to punch your wallet or purse. I'm going to get a full too made. I think it looks good and I don't want to get my MK purse wet. I'm not tough I just like to drive my cars year round in the north east.

lostinbaja Wed Jun 10, 2015 6:17 pm

Five years ago I was leaving the FunFest in Effingham and it started to rain while I was at the stoplight just south of the show. By the time the light turned green, there was over an inch of water on the floor of my buggy.
It storms every year I go to Effingham and I have been there many times.

Glasser Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:10 pm

Living in the Hail capital of Canada (Calgary Alberta and area) We take storms very seriously. My house is currently being repaired from a hail storm last year. $30.000 damage to house, $10.000 to my 2013 Chevy Silverado. Daughter owned a Mint low mile 2012 Fiat 500. Had under 30,000 KM's on it. They wrote it off. Hail was Golf ball size and lasted 20 minutes.
They actually seed the clouds to try and knock the storms down. Info here if interested... Airdrie is where I live, just north of Calgary.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-s-cl...-1.2744786

Anyways I did get caught in a hail storm once in the buggy. The traffic started to slow right down, I needed to speed up and find some cover!!! I ended up having to use the shoulder of the highway and hauled a$$ to get under an over pass. Very dangerous situation as if someone would have pulled over it could have been bad. I could not see well getting blasted in the head and face and I'm hell bent on getting cover! Luckily that storm was tame in comparison as the one we got hit with last year or the out come could have been ugly.
You know come to think about it I should be keeping a full faced helmet with me........

Here is a bunch of pictures form the storm last year. My parents were here visiting with truck and fifth wheel. $27.000 damage to both units.
http://s21.photobucket.com/user/HHighfly/library/Brent/Hail%20August%2007%202014?sort=3&page=2

So to answer your question "How do you deal with mother nature"? VERY CAREFULLY!!!!

daanbc Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:43 pm

WOW thats some damage!

Mrav8tr Sun Jun 14, 2015 8:51 pm

I have both tops. Full top folded down when not needed, and using my Bikini top up on sunny days. both work well.




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