Bossride's rail buggy build thread.

[bossride]

I bought this rail buggy from a buddy.. the price was cheap and his shop has almost everything you could want. He's been building buggies for a while, and knows things I don't. I've had a grip of VWs, but never a rail.

I will try and do a build thread, which I hope will keep me motivated. There are some places to ride, and I would love to camp for the weekend and chase dirt roads. I live in Mississippi and not the Arizona desert, so I am learning there are woods buggies and sand buggies. Mine will be the first type.

It's a stalled project somebody started and lost interest. It actually used to run and did pretty good, but has been messed with. Apparently the other guy was a big dude and had some air bags mounted on the trailing arms. I'm taking them off... the wheelbase was also stretched by moving the torsion housing back wards. We will see how that turns out. I had to re-work the rear engine cage bars...

My plan is to get it running on a budget, and see what breaks and make changes accordingly. I also want to make it street legal, and will be dealing with that.

The wheels and tires are not going to stay... for now I have a stock type 1 transaxle, until I can find/afford a bus unit, so I am looking at much narrower rolling stock.

I have a 1600 long block I will be going through, and hope to run it without too much trouble. Like I said, I am attempting this on a budget, with the goal of just getting it running and then seeing what breaks before blowing it back apart for final paint and assembly.

Comments and suggestions are welcome, as stated this is my first rail, so any input is appreciated. I know the rear tires are not going to work for what I have in mind, but they are all I have at the moment. We have set up Tuesdays and Thursdays as shop nights so I'll see how far we get. Right now we are just getting the frame dialed in... bending and welding bars that need to be added since the wheelbase stretch and building a front brush bar. I will try and add photos and updates as we go.

Here it is at the moment:

I wanted to adust the steering wheel height so we made a little drop bracket:

and there had been a bar running across the bottom of the windshield bar that had been cut out. It was in the way of the steering shaft, so we added a sleeve in the middle, just to see if we could:

Here is my buddy's project, it's been powder coated in a three stage candy blue.. This weekend we drug everything out of the shop and cleaned it before winter, so now the leaves are gone and the floor is clean:

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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[[email protected]]

That dog is pan-handling
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1974 Standard Beetle to Baja Bug
http://picasaweb.google.com/fvee1234/BajaBug02#

[mondodestructo]

Silly shop dog, you dropped all the extra bolts.[/url]
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Building my first rail. Good times.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5464220#5464220

[ZARJDR]

Nice start, in the picture from the rear it looks like you need to re-index the torsion on one side as they are not even. Those rears should be good to go for a woods buggy, loads of grip.
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2006 RAM 1500 HEMI 4X4 92 LT250
06 Raptor DP1776 Sandrail
02 HONDA 400EX
03 YAMAHA WR450F 74 BAJA

[bossride]

[bossride]

Minor progress in comparison to some, but all the little things add up after a while. I scored a set of 6" off-road lights and some other stuff at the Goodguys show in Arizona this weekend. So I made mounting tabs to place them where I want them up by the windshield. I want a set of KC smiley face covers in the future, they came with the eagle ones.

I also scored some new front rims:

Some engine parts I got for cheap ($20 for the lot, Engle 110 cam) for the engine I will build:

And since I am putting it on the street, I purchased a set of these headlights with LED turn signals in the bottoms from So-Cal for the Dietz buckets I have on the way.. this will allow me to not have to use separate blinkers.:

Next week we are fabricating the stinger-style front bumper...

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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[EMPIImp69]

Looking good. I got mine here, $15 for the pair.

http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Lighting-Jeep-Lighting-Acc...=K%2fC5205
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1963 Ragtop Bug

[bossride]

Minor update. I only get to work on it for a few hours a week in the evenings. Tonight we made the bumper. I will add some plate steel to the bottom. We ended up tacking things together because the welding mask is pretty old. My buddy is buying a new one before next week. But here's where we are at:

Tube notching:

Main hoop:

Plate for the axle and support bars:

Next week we should add the skid plate portion and mount the headlights.
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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[bossride]

Made some progress this week. I made brackets to mount the headlights, which have an LED turn signal portion in the bottom, eliminating the need for separate blinkers, and I took some scrap bars and fabbed up a T handle and side handle for my lady friend so she doesn't flop around on the trails. It's on the same level and angle as my steering column. The previous owner had a bar that came up from the floor brace that had been cut off with a saw, so I ground it smooth. I haven't welded in a while, still getting dialed in with that, but it has been fun. I'm hoping to have it sand blasted after I get everything dialed in...

Headlights:

T-bar for passenger:

Little side handle:

Nother shot.. all these were taken with my phone... sorry for the quality.

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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[bossride]

Minor update... mostly for me to goon at while I am at work...

I did not like the steering drop I made after studying it. Also, the steering shaft had been spiced with a piece of sleeve-over pipe in the middle, so I redid it. I have the top-piece for the bushing somewhere, and am thinking about adding a Heim joint on a tri-angle brace in the middle of the steering shaft to help control the flex that is in it...

The height was right, but I didn't like it, or the bolts sticking up where the windshield will go:

The shaft had been spliced in the middle. It was pretty ugly:

So I made another one-piece shaft with a splice for the steering wheel disconnect that lined up with the inside of the pass-through portion of the cowl area:

And I made a new drop bracket with bolts that hang down:

Next round I will be tackling the pedals and pedal box...
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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[69_67VWBug]

Looking good man your moving right along. Ive got a rail project goin on but the lack of parts has slowed me down, just need a few things like a gas tank and master cylinder and ill have it running. Someday i wanna do an ecotec swap. Keep goin at it and youll get it done
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New VW Rail project(traded for the bug/pickup)
1967 VW baja bug (get it goin one of these days)
1970 VW bug (Another Free One)
1970 VW baja bug (got for free, original 1500 sp)
1972 VW sandrail (1835 gettin it done)
ORIGINAL 1967 Meyers Manx dune buggy (needs to be redone)
1973 VW Bug

[bossride]

More updates for me to look at while working.. I am tackling one thing at a time on shop nights. This week's project was to straighten up the pedal box. It had a prefabricated one, but apparently it was wiggly, and somebody welded a wally side brace on it. We had another one that was cut from another buggy when they upgraded to hydraulic assembly. I'm going lo-buck, so I'm using the stock stuff. New master cylinder will happen when brake lines are run.

Here's what I was looking at:

Also, the pedals had been cut down and spliced together... they worked, and were the right height, but ugly:

I put my best two workers on the removal of the new steering column so I had room to work:

Then I added the thicker plates from the old buggy, and welded and ground the pedals until they looked good to me and mounted the assebly:

On Monday I also pulled apart my dual port and split the cases, and got the shop's parts washer running - it had a few issues. My Zenith 32NIDIX and intake came in, and I have a cool vintage two-stage air cleaner on the way also...
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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[dustymojave]

That's a "Fugitive" rail frame. Originally designed by Jim's Trailer and Sand Buggy of San Diego,CA, but made by several companies. It's the only style of rail frame available locally in England strangely enough. I see your friend's buggy is a Beeline. I suggest you add front frame bracing to yours similar to his, but put the front upper cross member 1-1/2" x .095 by the top of the uprights in the sides near your headlights. Then make an 'X' of 1" x .065 between the upper front cross member and the dash bar. Then add a diagonal from the top rail on one side under the front cross member down to the other side bottom rail at the 1st bottom cross member. This work will make an enormous difference in the stiffness of the frame in the front. It was designed without that cross work for sand dune use. For trails, woods and other offroad use the frame will flex like crazy and quickly break. The under dash bar that caused so much work to make the pass through for the steering shaft...is there for no known reason... Now you have light tabs on it, but it serves no other purpose. It will probably be good for keeping your knees sore though. Watch out for that right hand hold to poke your lady's thigh!I put a similar one in mine that mounted to the bar under the seat and angled forward away from the seat instead of towards it. Put bike grips on it and the 'T'. A front hood and a front inner splash panel will do wonders for keeping you and the lady dry too. Lights on those tabs you addded will do a lot to light up the inside of the front of the car while you're driving at night. And that will make it harder to see the road out front. Mounting the offroad lights closer to the front would be better. I also much prefer front brakes. They are not desired in dunes or sloppy mud. But all other situations it is way better to have them. I was very glad to see you upgrade the brake pedal brackets. The 1/16" bracket designer, manufacturer and sellers should all be put in a car with them on a high mountain road above cliffs.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[bossride]

I really appreciate the thoughts... it came as a knock-down kit from Johnny's Speed & Chrome in the '90s. My buddy with the shop actually put it together for his brother and they drove it quite a bit before it sat forever.

I have been thinking that the open area of the front needs some kind of bracing, but my buddy says it was ran like this for a long time without any problems. I would like to make it more stable. It just looks like it's going to flex...

I might put a front splash panel in, but I don't want a front hood. I've seen the English versions that were completely sealed, and I'd probably just build a baja by that point.

On the front brakes, (which I've thought about...) with the front being so light, would I need to do anything like a proportioning valve to set the brake bias? I know most of a car's stopping power is on the front, and I'm not planning on doing a whole lot of mud driving, and we don't have any sand dunes... but I don't want them locking up every time I push the pedal.

Thanks again...
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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[bossride]

More six hour weekly spurtage.... Lots of things to do, and only a few hours a week to do them in.. but it's fun.

Sooo.. there were two places on the front rails where somebody welded a cross bar and cut it out. I spent plenty of grinding time smoothing those back off.

Next, I have the correct seats for this frame, but they were bolted flat to the floor. I added a cross bar and adjusted their angle for just a bit of lumbar, it sits real nice now. Very comfortable.

I had my best helper on the job:

and then, after thinking about dustymojave's suggestions, I added a front brace and diagonal. I had previously felt the openness of the frame needed something else. Not sure if I will add the X-brace to the cowl area, as I like the open look, but I will be adding two off-road light tabs to the top bar in between my headlights. Should look pretty cool...

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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[bossride]

More four hour shop thrashing pictures for me to look at while I'm working.



First, continuing with the recommendations, I moved my off-road lights to the new front brace. I will probably get a second set for the cowl tabs, as I think that would look cool.

Driver's view:

Second, my tie rod was hitting the frame on sharp turns and I was given a quick steer kit. I searched the threads but never found a clear illustration of how to install, so I took some pictures:

Problem:

The kit is a piece of aluminum and two bolts. It has two other tapered holes for the tie rods.

Since bolts will be used to hold it to the arm, the tapered holes have to be drilled out with a 7/16 drill bit.

You then bolt the quick steer piece to the arm:

and place the tie rods into the tapered holes:

The result was more room, and a quicker steering, though I'm not sure exactly how much, I will just get used to driving the buggy as it is. I think I can handle that.

Also.... I made a little mount for the tach I want to run... just because.

View from the driver's position:

I will add, before I get hammered on, that the tie rods will be replaced and haven't been installed correctly, nor are the quick steer bolts. I will be pulling the box and adding the washer and packing it full of grease and cleaning it up a little later.

I've just been working on the front half of the buggy, and when I get everything dialed in, I am going to turn it around and work on the rear half... It's been a lot of fun.
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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[EMPIImp69]

Any more pics of the Camaro in the back?
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1963 Ragtop Bug

[bossride]

LOL.. It's my buddy's 68, he's had it since high school... It's been media blasted and been sitting for a while as he works on his buggys. It'll need to be blasted again when he gets back on it.
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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.

[faderrific]

Any new updates?

I love what you've done with it so far. It's looking pretty bad ass! You've given me a lot of great ideas for the rail I just picked up this weekend.

[bossride]

Thanks, it's been fun. Shop nights got bumped a few times, and we were tinkering with a gokart for the kids, but I took the steering box out and repacked the grease, and am adding a washer to the bottom... also am rebuilding the tie rod ends and king pins, and I hope to buy the spindle gusset kit... at under $20- it's cheap enough...

Then I can turn it around in the garage and start on the rear....
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'59 Beetle.
'66 Beetle.
Yellow rail buggy.