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  View original topic: 60s Buggy Shops
BL3Manx Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:28 pm

The thread about the Vaquero that mentioned Fibercraft made me wonder about how many other Buggy shops that were in business in the 60s are still around.

Fibercraft of Reno is definitely one and Bugformance in Sunnyvale is another and of course there's CB Performance(Claude's Buggies). There was a Meyers Manx dealership(Allison Enterprises) on Mission Blvd in Hayward, CA that was sold to another shop called, The Bug House. I think they still sell VW/buggy stuff there. Donsco was in Belmont, CA until just a couple years ago. Is Unique Supply in Redlands still open?

Any other 60s Buggy Shops still out there?

manxcraig Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:40 pm

The "Terra-Buggy" was made near here in Crawfordsville In. by Terra-Knive Inc. Last I knew they were still making farm equipment with no intrest in buggys.
A man in Kokomo In. "splashed" a mold of a Terra-Buggy body and sold them as the "Terra- Car". He sprayed them up in the bays of his gas station. His old mold is setting out in a woods near Tipton In.

glassbuggy Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:13 pm

Any chance of pics on the terra car mold? I wonder if it was an older terra buggy body. Terra Buggy changed the design several times.

I called the owner a few years back to ask about his buggy building days as I was trying to identify my body - he was very mean and didn't want to talk at all about buggies. I even took a trip out that way to find the old factory but wasn't successful. forgot about terra knife, the locals would have known about that !
I did talk to a guy who worked there at one tiime but lost his contact info.
Bart

glassbuggy Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:17 pm

Back to the subject

Glitterbug changed the name to San Fernando Buggy Center and moved to a
bigger shop in the late 70's. Now they ether sold out to Prowlers or moved
to Canyon Country. San Fernando buggy Made the High Jumper frames (Sandrails).
Prowlers offers the High Jumper frames last I heard

mr_bill Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:05 pm

There was "Johnny's Speed & Chrome" in Buena Park, CA. Another was "PEPPERTREE AUTOMOTIVE" in Costa Mesa, CA...which is where my Manx was assembled..!!!!!!!!

BL3Manx Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:53 pm

glassbuggy wrote: Back to the subject

Glitterbug changed the name to San Fernando Buggy Center and moved to a
bigger shop in the late 70's. Now they ether sold out to Prowlers or moved
to Canyon Country. San Fernando buggy Made the High Jumper frames (Sandrails).
Prowlers offers the High Jumper frames last I heard

A couple years ago, I had Prowlers build me a narrowed High Jumper frame that I'm in the process as building as a single seat reverse trike. I had no idea they used to be Glitterbug/San Fernando Buggy Center. I heard Prowlers closed last year.

manxcraig Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:59 pm

glassbuggy wrote: Any chance of pics on the terra car mold? I wonder if it was an older terra buggy body. Terra Buggy changed the design several times.

Bart

The Terra-Car had the early tailbox and the "radio on the right" dash. I havent seen the mold in 15 years and I doubt I could find the place again but "a friend of a friend" has a Terra-Car. I MIGHT be able to get photos of it.

glassbuggy Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:52 pm

I have a few buggies that look like the Terra Buggy on file (same dash and tail but different hood design) and I wonder if it could be one of these Tera Cars, I don't think it could have been an exact mold without some resistance from Terra Buggy. Did the guy make other bodies??
Bart

Jimmy111 Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:15 am

BL3Manx wrote: glassbuggy wrote: Back to the subject

Glitterbug changed the name to San Fernando Buggy Center and moved to a
bigger shop in the late 70's. Now they ether sold out to Prowlers or moved
to Canyon Country. San Fernando buggy Made the High Jumper frames (Sandrails).
Prowlers offers the High Jumper frames last I heard

A couple years ago, I had Prowlers build me a narrowed High Jumper frame that I'm in the process as building as a single seat reverse trike. I had no idea they used to be Glitterbug/San Fernando Buggy Center. I heard Prowlers closed last year.

They didnt close, They just moved to a new building. They still build mainly watercooled sand cars



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