Can anyone tell if this is a real Manx?

[vwboop]

Just picked this buggy up for $300 from a guy who'd had it for 25 years. He originally got it from an estate sale, and didn't know much about it's history. There's no id tag on it or isn't anymore if there ever was. Thanks for any help.

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"Love and good roads"

[MURZI]

Looks definitely like a Manx to me!!!
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62 vert
2276
Tim’s welded heads
45 Dells
A1 sidewinder
Fk44 cam

[dirtydeedss]

hey boop did that guy have anymore in his yard?

[Yellermanx]

Possible. Is the dash plastic or is it fiberglass? Although the tube under the side looks correct it looks as if it doesn't go far enough or part of it is missing. How thick is it? Is there a steel bracket under the dashboard as in the left side of the picture below? (the rusty piece just below the dash) Is that the original gelcoat or has it been painted? If it's the gelcoat where the key is pictured it does not look correct. However the buggy sure looks like one.

[Jimmler]

Regardless if it's a real one or not: you got a heck of a deal for $300! Enjoy it and don't worry about authenticity. Mine was made by one of the companies that Bruce Meyers sued! That should make it worth even more, right?
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-Jim
Nipomo, CA

[vwboop]

The dash is black plastic.

When you say how thick is it, do you mean the reinforcing tube or the body itself. The body doesn't seem to be all that thick on the edges.

There is a steel bracket under the dash and a steel tube that seems to run the width just behind the bottom of the dash.

It was painted a blue metalflake and has a few coats of clear that have been discolored/oxidized. Appears to be red underneath

[Yellermanx]

The thickness part I was referring to the body itself. The Manx is one of the thicker bodies out there. However I have noticed that some of them are much thicker than others. If it has the plastic dash and the brace that hooks to the side like the one in the picture and has the tube go all the way across as you say I would say you got a good deal on a Manx. Congrats!!

[vwboop]

Here's a pic of the bar and bracket. I know it was a great deal regardless. Just if it's a real manx we're going to proceed differently than if it's a manx "style" buggy
Thanks again guys.

_________________
"Love and good roads"

[lostinbaja]

Nope...it's not a Manx. I have never seen a authenticated Manx with a string holding the windshield frame up.
It does look awful close to a Manx...with the exception of the string.
Jerry...

[Balboaislandbob]

and isn't it true that all manx's., except for very few early ones, are clearly marked under the dash?

Still a great find for $300.

[vwboop]

[Yellermanx]

Never heard of any ID under the dash. Just ID tag in rear. There is one more thing you can check that is a Manx trait that not everyone is aware of. However it is not on all of them. On the front of the firewall there is a piece of wood glassed in that was used to lift them out of the mold, it is in the red circle. There is also one in the rear. It is located on the opposite side of the other red circle that is below the ID tag. They look to be about a 3/4" slices of 2x4 glassed in. Bet yours has them.

[Balboaislandbob]

ok, so in the rear, I understood that the number tags were impressed in the glass, not glued on? Thus if it was a Manx, it would likely have one? and only the very early manx's did not have this impressed number?

I just read in the MAnx forums that the serial # above the access plate

[vwboop]

[Jimmler]

What's with the big crack down the rear of the tunnel? Looks like it goes right thru the VIN number. That could be a problem if welding is necessary. It would obliterate the VIN.
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-Jim
Nipomo, CA

[vwboop]

He said he had some problems with the shifter (made a real mess of the tunnel). If it turns out to be a real Manx I would like to build up a later beetle pan (IRS and ball joint), and give it a proper resto.
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"Love and good roads"

[Yellermanx]

Balboaislandbob, The ID tags are all pop riveted on as far as I know. You can see it just above the red outlined area in the picture I posted above.

[lostinbaja]

Take a closer look at the dash/windshield support. It should look like this one. If it looks like the OE Manx support it is probably a Manx because I haven't seen any other buggys that actually reproduced the support.

[vwboop]

That's exactly the support I have. I think I'm convinced, as I don't think anyone would go to the trouble of reproducing everything the same if they were just copying a buggy, and now that I look at it the hole someone cut behind the front seats easily could have housed the ID plate. Shame someone might of hacked it out. It also has the rear supports that come down from either side of the notch at the back (where the liscence plate goes?), and I've noticed some real manxes have the two same little bolts on either side of it.
I'm totally new to buggy's (split bus guy more or less). Just had to stop to check it out, and couldn't pass up a $300 buggy. I'm going to send pics off to see if they'll issue me emblems for it based on what I have.
Thanks again all

That paint should buff out. I will need to exfoliate some of the old clear. I think we will build up a new pan for it (mechanical resto) but leave it old school looking. We may stick to swing axle/king link.

One more thing. It has this little handle inside the front. I thought maybe that could've been used to pull it out of the mold. It is roughly opposite where the glassed in wood would be.

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"Love and good roads"

[vwboop]