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Sat Jul 15, 2006 5:19 pm

I just bought this Buggy as a project. I was told it's most likely a Kellison, but the PO wasn't sure. It's on a '66 pan, and has a '66 SP motor with period dual Solexes.

I'm rebuilding it to take a very ill friend of mine on a classic cross-country road trip. It'll probably be the last long trip he'll be able to make. We're set to go in October.

Any nhelp with an ID would be appreciated. I can't seem to get the Buggy Archives site to work for me, so hopefully someone here can help. Thanks in advance!

Here it is:

All of the photos are here:

http://community.webshots.com/album/552273350qLHiQH

Frank

Sat Jul 15, 2006 7:35 pm

I was told that my Buggy was a "Kelleston", and a search only gave one hit in the classifieds. Well, after posting my query, I did a bit of surfing through the forums. In a short time I found that I have a Kellison Sandpiper. I still haven't found any reference pictures of my paperclip front bumper or the odd rear cage. They may be unique.

I bought this from a Craigslist ad for $550, from a young couple who were expecting their second child and couldn't afford to restore the Buggy. It's mostly all there, minus a gas tank, dash, seats, brake hydraulics and misc hardware. There are a bunch of small holes drilled in the body and a couple minor cracks on the nose, but overall it's solid and straight. The pan was shortened really well, and they used steel Buggy pans instead of hacking in a custom floor. The wheels are aftermarket Chevy pattern, and it has the wide-5-to-Chevy adapters. The ball joint front end was just rebuilt. The car came with a new Buggy wiring harness, still in the bag, and a NOS Hurst trigger shifter.

I have a pretty big collection of vintage VW parts (been collecting for over 20 years now), so I pretty much have what the car doesn't. The only exception is seats - what do you guys recommend for a 6'1" tall guy with a bad back? :)

My buddy had a heart attack last year, and has been sick with liver disease for many years. He wanted us to ride to Texas (we're both in PA) on motorcycles, but neither of us has the spine for it anymore. I suggested a Buggy, and he's been wild for it ever since. We're both mechanics (he built boats as a young man), the Buggy will get restored at his place so that he can work on it whenever he feels up to it. I'll visit on weekends and do the VW-specific stuff.

After 300+ VWs, this is my first Buggy. I'm really looking forward to this project.

Frank

Sat Jul 15, 2006 8:03 pm

My first buggy was a Kellison just like yours, but after a while during the build I realized I couldn't get the seats back far enough for me to fit in comfortably and I sold it.

I wouldn't look too far into the front and rear bumpers since they are most likely made by some previous owner. The more you get into buggies the more you'll see alot of poorly fabricated sh!t that people on forums go berzerk about thinking it is "rare" and therefore valuable. In general, bumpers and roll bars fall into this category.

The Kellison Sandpiper pickup is definitely a cool body, and the flat tailgate panel makes it easy to install taillights.

I have an original set of instructions for the Kellison line of buggies (Sandpiper XP1, SP1, and pickup)...shows in a very basic way how to shorten the shift rod, make gas tank supports, battery tray, pan shortening, etc...

Sat Jul 15, 2006 8:56 pm

The passenger area does seem a bit short. I've been a mechanic for 20+ years, so happily I'm used to "little old lady" Bugs. You know the type, I'm sure - seat welded all the way forward (hasn't been moved since she bought it in 1962), right knee preventing starting out in first and left knee announcing to the world your intention to turn right every time you shift. Fortunately my buddy is five-foot-nothing. He'll complain about sitting too far back. :lol:

I may sell the Buggy after our trip. I don't know yet. I guess it depends on how the trip goes. Or how well the Buggy turns out. Or how much I'm offered for it. :)

I half thought that the bumpers were custom home-builts, but they are pretty nice if they are. They are symmetrical (unusual right there), cleanly bent and welded (not common at all for homebuilts) and actually cool (usually homebuilts are studies in bad taste). I've seen lots of peoples' "good ideas" when it comes to car mods, but rarely are they pulled off this well. Of course, I wouldn't want to rely on them in an accident, but I mean, geez, the whole car is fiberglass! Besides, they're only as valuable as someone will pay for them. These aren't for sale anyway. ;)

This Buggy has a battery tray (on the rear torsion housing - cool!) and gas tank mounts. I'd still love to see your instruction sheets though, if you've scanned them.

A DPO installed a Beetle tank in the floor of the pickup bed. I am going to install a flush mounted aluminum (diamond plate) locking box there, so I can have a bed AND a trunk. A friend of a friend makes them for boats. I'll mount a spun steel gas tank under the nose. Where the same DPO cut the back of the tub for a radio, I'm going to enlarge the hole and install a custom welded aluminum glove box, that should match the trunk. I'm thinking the dash will be made of the same aluminum diamond plate, with early switches and gauges. I'm going to use a spare 1963 steering column and wheel as well. All in all, the fiberglass repairs should be limited to small screw holes and the minor cracks in the nose.

I'm not sure what color it will end up, but the interior will be complimentary. I'm pretty good at stitching up an interior, so we'll see how it goes.

Frank

Sat Jul 15, 2006 9:40 pm

The locking box for a trunk is a good idea...I did something similar with the Sandwinder I used to own. Instead of having a rear seat, I went to Sears and bought ($50) a locking plastic truck box and it fit very nicely in the rear seat area. I kept a 12v air compressor, a plug kit and other assorted items in there.

I also had an angle iron battery tray on my Sandwinder. I made it out of 1 1/4" angle and welded it to the torsion housing within the swing axle rear suspension.

I'll see if I have the time to scan the instructions tomorrow evening for you.

Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:23 am

Hey Genom
Is there any way that you could get copies of the instructions?
I would love a set, and I know that Richard would like to have
a set also. Info on Kellisons Pickups is hard to find. I done a lot
of searching and haven't been able to turn up much.

Sun Jul 16, 2006 7:50 am

I also have one, nearly finished. Plus original windshield and hardtop. http://www.s72.photobucket.com/albums/i190/gfw1985
Lots of luck fitting into it. I'm 5'10" 185lbs. also with bad back. I shortened steering shaft six inches and poly seats all the way back. Drivable but, wouldn't try extended trip. Have seen one with back edge notched for high back buckets, could gain another 2" doing that. If I put top on no way I could climb in. "GetPsycho" also has one he is working on. E-mail me if you would like more pict's or info. Started registry on Dune buggy Archives if interested.

P.S. Shawn, we must have been posting at same time.

Sun Jul 16, 2006 1:42 pm

OK guys, I have the instructions scanned...send me a PM with an email address to send them to.

Sun Jul 16, 2006 6:55 pm

Wow, gfw1985! You've done an amazing job on your pickup. I really like the dash. Makes me wish mine wasn't cut. Your engine is really sweet, too. I'm going to rebuild the stock 1300 and do it up oldschool, with the Type 3 carbs that are on it and a stinger. I have stacks of near perfect OE tins, and I don't care much for chrome, so I'll paint a mural (actually, an artist friend of mine will paint it) of some type on the fan shroud and do up the tins to match. I had thought about painting my car in a similar green metalflake, but adding golden brown accent stripes. Checking it out in the driveway this morning, I thought that it looks rather like a leaf bug, and I thought I should paint it to highlight that.

I'll try the Dunebuggy Archives again. Last night the site was throwing errors all the time. I gather the site's bandwidth was being maxed out.

I'm installing the grubby old engine, for delivery to my buddy's house. I snapped a few pics, I'll drop them in my Webshots gallery.

Frank

Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:51 am

Have updated my photobucket to include Genom's file plus other paperwork that I had. Plus arranged photo's a little better.
Richard