Need help with floor and seats for a Meyers Manx

vintage fiberglass

I have a lot of questions but let's start here. My original Meyers Manx dune buggy, long serial number from Newport Beach should have new floors in the 1964 beetle chassie it was built on. The chassie is cut 10". When I buy new pans and go to put them in where do you cut the 10" out in relation to the seat tracks.

The second questions is, do Meyers use the seat tracks or not? I am missing the correct front seats but I see some repro's out there? Any help is appreciated. Tim

jspbtown · Samba Member Joined: January 27, 2004 Posts: 5157

http://www.manxclub.com/Resources-Tech4.htm

BL3Manx · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 11:28 am Post subject:

Was your Manx made in February or March 68?

First, I'd buy the best replacement pans, Wolfsburg West

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111701061M

Second, your chassis was shortened 14 1/4" or it wouldn't fit the body.

I never cut and splice/weld the outer channel. On yours, I'd attach it in front as stock and cut it in the back where it meets the rear bulkhead/rail. Cut the rear floorpan angle section to fit.

I don't use the stock seat rails.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=434522

Dale M. · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 12:27 pm Post subject:

I used after market sliders on my PHP suspension seats..... Stock VW seat rails did not cut it for me....

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Universal-Seat-Sliders,7103.html

Along with these.....

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Universal-Seat-Mount-Plates,7104.html

Gives you the freedom to place where you want them...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

jspbtown · Samba Member Joined: January 27, 2004 Posts: 5157

And square tube rails with flat steel floors are much better than stock pans. Cut the lip down in the back section of the tunnel and have a nice flat floor. It even adds legroom.

BL3Manx · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 2:25 pm Post subject:

On some bodies that don't have a lot of material or strength, they need reinforcement under the outer rails. With a 68 Manx, its good with stock floorpans

EVfun · Posted: Fri May 08, 2015 3:33 pm Post subject:

A lot of Manx biggies seem to run stock seats. Keeping the stock seat rails is the easiest way to do that. The cut in the floor is roughly right behind the back of the seat rails, but you will want to measure yours up as his can vary a little for different builders (on my buggy the back 1/2 inch of the inboard seat rail was cut off.) I agree with other posters that making the cuts so the outer lip is not spliced looks best (angled floorpan cut.)
_________________

Nectar1 · Samba Member Joined: September 21, 2009 Posts: 25

These images are from Steelart in AU.

Don't buy these pans though - the cost savings are not worth the headache in tissue paper thin sheet metal. Follow BL3Manx's advice and buy the good pans from Wolfsburg West. The pans come sans the seat rails on the later years.

The Steelart 'Miata style' seat mount or something of your own creation with a slider kit on top from any of the top motorsports vendors like Dale suggested will get the seat mounted as low as possible. At that point, your only trouble will be finding a seat narrow enough to ride down between the body and the tunnel with minimal interference.

Yet to see a flat steel floor and rail that takes that cake.

vintage fiberglass · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 8:45 am Post subject:

I know nothing about Meyers Manx buggies. I mean nothing. Talk to me about old beetles and that is a different story.

First, I greatly appreciate all the help people are trying to give me! Thank you! Second, I really need to figure out this floor plan thing. The last response was to cut the floors pans like in a zig zag and not straight across?? I am assuming most people don't use the stock beetle seat tracks so I just remove them?

I also would like to figure out more about this one. Like I said, the ID tag says made in Huntington beach. It has a 9 digit maybe serial number. How can I find out how early it is?? Thanks! Tim

Dale M. · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 8:55 am Post subject:

Initial appearance looks like a authentic Manx....

If its a true Manx, get hold of Winnie Meyers or go through the Manx Club to have body certified as a correct Manx, there are some counterfeits out there... Believe the true Manx has a id plate on fiberglass area behind drivers seat....

As for shortening chassis/pans this is how I have always done it, and I believe most popular way....

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

BL3Manx · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 10:01 am Post subject:

vintage fiberglass · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 5:24 pm Post subject: 1968 Meyers Manx

I will try to post a picture if it is clear enough of my body tag.
The numbers are: M1454B842S?? or 22S

The car is currently a solid yellow. No signs of any other color?? Tim

BL3Manx · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 5:32 pm Post subject:

Its the 54th tag put on a Meyers Manx and probably the 1454th Meyers Manx. Made in Feb 68, the first month they ever put on tags and next to last month they were in Newport Beach. 22S is the color code for Yuma Yellow solid (non-metalflake).

vintage fiberglass · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 6:24 pm Post subject:

Is that early? I mean good? So they made ones before without tags? Tim

vintage fiberglass · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 6:26 pm Post subject:

What color was 42S? Looks like a number was maybe accidently stamped twice?

BL3Manx · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 6:49 pm Post subject:

The first twelve Meyers Manxes were "monocoques" like Old Red, they didn't use a VW chassis, the fiberglass body was the chassis. They were made in 64 and 65.

In November 65 they started making "floorpan" Manxes. They made about 1400 Manxes total before they started putting serial number tags on them in Feb 68.

The last Meyers Manx was made August 13, 1971, the day the factory closed. They made about 5,000 total between 1964 and 1971.

42S wasn't a color. It wasn't unusual for the person stamping the serial number tag to make a screw up of some kind. Yours is definitely Yuma Yellow.

I'd appreciate it if you post a pic of the tag or send it to me PM, I collect pictures of them.

vintage fiberglass · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 6:55 pm Post subject:

Thank you so much for the info and the time to send it to me! Appreciated. Does the paint code exist somewhere?

BL3Manx · Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 7:08 pm Post subject:

Its not paint, its gel coat. Its actually the same polyester resin layer which the body is made of. The resin is tinted with color and applied to the inside of the mold in a relatively thick layer. Next the fiberglass mat is sprayed or laid in on top of it and worked down with a special roller hand tool. When it sets and the body is pulled from the mold, the colored and nicely polished gel coat is what you see.

Some people try to repair the gel coat which is difficult but a good body shop can match the color and spray it with a very tough epoxy paint.

vintage fiberglass · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:58 am Post subject: Meyers manx body tag

Here is the long awaited picture of my Meyers Manx body tag? For some reason the third and second to last numbers were stamped over? This car was originally Yellow.

BL3Manx · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 5:24 pm Post subject:

Thank you for posting that. Yes, you're right, those two numbers were definitely overstamped. In the picture it looks like it originally said 22S which definitely matches the original gelcoat color, but someone went back over it and changed it to 43S???. For what its worth, 43R was a Tow'd unique red/orange color.

However, that's probably just a unique feature of it being hand made in the factory. Errors on the serial number tags are definitely not unheard of. Bruce Meyers and other factory employees have explained that the tags were stamped at the end of the work day, sometimes after Beer:30. Its really nothing to be concerned about, just actually part of its "charm"

How about the floorpans? Have you gotten them replaced?


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