TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Jul 14, 2016 10:53 am

I just bought my first Dune Buggy 3 weeks ago.

I drive Uber part time on Sundays only to make some extra money for my project bus and when i was dropping off an Uber Rider passenger I just happened to have glanced over the parking lot area of condominium complex and seen what looked to be a buggy under some tree partially covered in a brown tarp.

I wasn't going to do anything because i was working on getting another Uber Rider then since nothing was coming into the Uber App i decided to knock on some doors and was led to a woman who had owned it for about 8 years and she told me that it had been sitting there under the tree for about 4 1/2 years.

I told her that i had worked on one with a friend when I was 17 and always wanted to own one. She said if i hadnt come along it would probably sit another couple of years. In my mind i thought initially i could just buy it and if it runs flip it so i can fund my 1967 Split Window bus project restoration.

Before

After

I am a glutten for punishment because the Dune Buggy looked great just sitting there but when i got it home it was going to prove an expensive flip because the motor had sucked in so much rain water that it was everywhere... wait to you see the pics.. but here is the preliminary photo of what i saw but in the pages to follow you can follow my journey to the point of no return :lol:

This is Frank "Volks Medic" a mobile vw mechanic...

This is what it looked like underneath the tarp

It took about 4 weeks to finally negotiate it from almost 3k to $1,800

Ready to be towed home

Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:08 am

The Dune Buggy is filthy

Damn cotter pin and bolt came off less than 3 blocks from where i bought it.

I am out on the road without a paddle.. I cannot leave the car here and the buggy so i had to call a friend to come sit with the cars so i can go look for the bolt and cotter pin... it was a very hot and muggy day in Miami and i was wearing a black tee shirt... HOT Sweltering HEAT !!!

I finally got her home but it took a long time because the right front wheel was locking up and smoking

All cleaned up .. debris , leaves, dirt, ant nest and vermin removed via Dry Vac... what a mess this buggy was in.. now to tackle the wheel locked

I am a big guy at 6'2" and 250 lbs.. lets see how it is getting into this

It wasn't easy but i have to get sliders under these seats.. i cannot drive it this cramped up

Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:19 am

I decided that i do not want these Trans Am wheels
so i put them up for sale on Ebay

these Trans Am Wheels are for sale.. all 4 with the adapters.. tires are extra as they are in like new condition..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191916311060?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:28 am

Time to remove the gas tank.. the guy who built this dune buggy used a plumbing contraption hardware as you can see by the pic.. it didnt seal well and in some future posts you will see the nightmare of water i removed from the gas tank..

Its off center.. .. what a mess

Its a good thing that i have experience working with fiberglass so i will make this better.. if you have seen my vw bug then you know what i am capable of

All these gauges wired up but not working..
No sending units to the wires

Removing the windshield

What a mess

Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:31 am

The windshield is off and so is the hood

Now to remove the gas tank

Before this it is time to siphon out the water from the tank and gas if there is any

Thu Jul 14, 2016 2:27 pm

Nice! I think you got a good deal.
Do know if it an actual Manx or a clone? Mine looks just like it but it's a clone.
Good luck buddy!!

Thu Jul 14, 2016 7:35 pm

Skulptorchaz wrote: Nice! I think you got a good deal.
Do know if it an actual Manx or a clone? Mine looks just like it but it's a clone.
Good luck buddy!!
Post a pic of yours.. and if you have a pic of the steering wheel column because i want to see what i can do with mine that is rusted out.

Thu Jul 14, 2016 7:58 pm

I think you got a deal. Are there many buggies in Miami? Seeing another one here in West Palm is a rare site.

Fri Jul 15, 2016 4:49 am

Great find and not a bad deal.

I purchased a set of Miata seats for my buggy build. They are an excellent fit.

Fri Jul 15, 2016 7:57 am

Unfortunately, I don't have many pix of the steering column. I used the whole column from a '73 Ghia. Worked great. I just filled the dash and manicured it in to fit snug. Here are a couple pix but probably not a lot of help.
I still need to find a real horn button. :)

Best of luck!! I'll be watching your posts!

Fri Jul 15, 2016 8:15 am

That looks like it might be a genuine Meyers Manx. The steel dash frame looks like an original one.

The dash is definitely one of the new replacements which Bruce Meyers makes now. It needs to be bonded with fiberglass to the back edge of the hood as per Bruce's instructions(figure 1).

As Bruce explains in paragraph 1., the frame actually needs to be modified for it to fit. The top crossbar and the two vertical bars need to be removed. I also filled the holes previously drilled in the two vertical side bars and redrilled them. The sheetmetal tabs he put on there definitely won't do. The bolts which mount the windshield frame should be right on the seam between the dash and the hood.

Your steering column installation was designed by the builder. Bruce originally had the column mounted on top of the cross bar

Fri Jul 15, 2016 10:57 pm

Zcarnut wrote: I think you got a deal. Are there many buggies in Miami? Seeing another one here in West Palm is a rare site.

I really dont know... I just happened to have driven into a complex and this one was hidden away under tarp under a tree for 4 years. I did see some on CL and last year there was one for sale at Bug Jam for about $400.00

Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:46 am

This thread by Vince shows how to properly bond the dash to the hood

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=588675

Actually you should check out all Vince's threads first if you're going to do any fiberglass work

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/search.php?
search_id=usertopics&user=84621

There are also lots of thread on subjects like gas tank and filler installation

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/search.php?search..._chars=200

Judging by the pictures you need a new wiring harness badly. If you want something simple(not a bunch of extra gauges, etc.), which uses VW switches, is easy to install and high quality, you can't do better than this one which is made in Florida

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Dune-buggy-Wiring-harne...2040232386

Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:39 pm

Thank you BL3Manx for the links

Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:49 pm

Time to tear down the motor .. get ready for some graphic images.. not for the faint of heart.

Water in the intake ports of head.

Some of the cylinders were so badly rusted that they only came out with the heads after some hitting with rugged rubber mallet.

Sun Jul 17, 2016 12:29 pm

This drawing and the other information in Bruce Meyers assembly instructions will provide good information on how your buggy should have been assembled. It appears the original builder had his own ideas.

Details like how the gas tank should be secured. How the windshield frame, dash/hood/ and body should be secured together in a unit(you have the new fiberglass dash which follows the instructions above. You also use the new H cross section rubber strip under the dash (not the L aluminum angle and flat rubber strip). How the hood should be attached. The brackets to attach the body to the chassis. The secure mounting of the steering column. All these as well as the chassis and engine mechanicals, make the difference between a safe and reliable buggy or something that really shouldn't be driven on the street.

http://www.tjkustoms.com/Dune-Buggy/Manuals/Manx.pdf

Tue Jul 19, 2016 7:55 am

Zcarnut wrote: I think you got a deal. Are there many buggies in Miami? Seeing another one here in West Palm is a rare site.
There are a few here in West Palm but not much. I know of a few that's just rotting away from being parked too long. Hopefully by this time next year mine will be on the road.

Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:54 am

Awesome find! You definitely need to watch out for some buggies headed through to the Keys next week! Look at this for details:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ECVKEYS/

Wed Jul 20, 2016 6:31 am

Thanx for that Brian. I requested membership. If they do this in the future, I'd like to try it sometime.

Mon Jul 25, 2016 10:15 pm

Continue tearing apart the motor

Removed the oil pump

No wonder the motor wouldn't turn over.. water got in everywhere