TheSamba.com :: View topic - Need feedback on somthing new! progress pics

Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:53 pm

I'm hitting up all the forums to get feedback on a new project.
I want people's feedback on a new car that we are building. It's similar to our mid travel manx's, but with some better options and a new body design.
The concept is similar to our mid travel manx, but with some added bonus's. We now have a platform that can utilize the vw pan and give us the interior room of a full size sandcar,(extra wide suspension seats, 45" wide rear bench) The car will have 18" of front and rear wheel travel, 4 wheel disc brakes, power steering, eventually even a complete enclosed cab. This first prototype will have a built 091 trans, with one of outbacks new twin turbo 2.5 subi motors,(pump gas friendly) Let me know what you guys think, let me know if you think it will sell. I want to sell them as kits, so that people can put them together them selves and save all of the labor costs. The roller kits shoud be under $20 grand, with a total build cost of $30 to $35K if you can put it together your selves. Thanks for looking!!

Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:54 pm

Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:06 pm

cool looking so far. but why wouldyou want to use a vw pan instead of a tube frame for omething like that? and 30K?

several people are in the big money kits. i think there is a hge market out there for something like the original manx... if you can ome up with a simple, easy to build $1500-$2000 kit I think you'd sell them out!

Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:11 pm

I remember when that body came up for sale.

Personally I would have built it as a humbug instead of trashing the body in attempting to bring an old school look to a tube frame off-roader.

otherwise the craftsmanship looks first rate.

Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:52 pm

The body kit will be about $2200. The rest of the stuff is optional, or you can build it yourself.

It is on a pan, because in California, it's a pain in the but to register a tube chassis only car!!

Remember, it's not finished yet, be patient, there is allot of work still to be done.

Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:59 pm

(Personally I would have built it as a humbug instead of trashing the body in attempting to bring an old school look to a tube frame off-roader.)

I did think about making a mold of the original body before I cut it, but the point is not to go backwards, but to move forward on a new design.
I already have several old style molds, and I hardly ever build those cars anymore. My mid travel and long body kits out sell the old school short body's 10 to 1. If I thought there was a market for this car in it's original form, I would definitly offer it to the public. And by the way Siggy manx33, I am the one that built your body kit for Bruce!!!!

Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:25 pm

Quote: And by the way Siggy manx33, I am the one that built your body kit for Bruce!!!!

Cool, you did a good job.

I would have bought a humbug, I missed the one you have due to the fact that your closer.

Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:28 pm

the original kits will be ALOT easier for us backeast here to get registered for the street than something like that. i'd love a manxter dualsport (if it alsowasn't 30K :shock: ) but there is no way in hell I could get it registered for the street. :cry:

Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:50 am

Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:50 am

Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:52 am

These are the mid travel cars, and kind of what we based the new chassis off of, only wider, with a little more travel!!

Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:49 pm

progress pics

Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:53 pm

Lookin good! Im not gonna buy one, too much $ for me and no place around here to drive it off road.
I will say this I am very happy with the quality of the long manx body I got from you. Ive built a couple short body buggy's and have now owned 6 glass buggy bodies including an original manx. My MGM FRP is by far the best quality.

Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:21 am

aquamanx wrote: Lookin good! Im not gonna buy one, too much $ for me and no place around here to drive it off road.
I will say this I am very happy with the quality of the long manx body I got from you. Ive built a couple short body buggy's and have now owned 6 glass buggy bodies including an original manx. My MGM FRP is by far the best quality.

Thank you for that. We try hard to produce a good durable product.