Building either a Boonie Bug or a Phoenix

[fuzzymath]

Boonie Bug

Phoenix

They are made from a bus chassis and I have already found a great donor vehicle, '73 bay.

I was wondering if shortening the wheel base significantly reduces the ride quality, i.e. bump steer, etc. The designer of the Boonie Bug says that it allows for better off roading capabilities, which would be nice, though I live in the city and will be driving primarily on concrete and often make the Seattle-Portland shuffle.

TYIA

[bajaherbie]

i'm selling my baja and going BOONIE BUG!

seriously, if you're on the highway, the boonie might be twitchy driving w/ that short wheelbase.

build the phoenix (dig the trans am sticker) and just cruise around picking up chicks with that babe magnet.
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[UncleDirty]

They still make those? From the styling, those look like pics from the 70's, or early 80's, and they offer a Corvair engine, that too, hot back then.
The Bonnie Bug looks like fun, might need some love to work in the whoops though

[greatlord]

one note: fiberglass cars can be a real pain in an acident, its not that they aren't strong its that the fiberglass can cause a lot of issues if you get some in you, but the Phoenix definitly has that Buck Rodgers kinda sex apealthough I think it needs much bigger tires

[hotratz]

Looks like they'd be at home on the moon.
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[bajahank]

Wish they had a picture of the rear door open.

[MadDog69]

even though they look kind of cool and im all about the bay bus (I'm putting a 66 body on a 72 bay bus floor myself!) the flat fiberglass panels are not going to keep there shape very well. mostly under wind pressure and age.

round things out a little or add some type of ribbing, there are reasons why car manufacturers already do this.

these are not kits so comming up with a good design and modifying would not be to hard.
but finding windows to fit a round shape will be dificult.

thats my .02

good luck

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69 baja daily thrasher
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[jp16v]

JMHO,

I think the Boonie Bug is very cool looking. That would be a fun project. The Phoenix, on the other hand... whew, how to describe? No disrespect, but it looks like the offspring of:

+

[UncleBob]

Is that you, Dom?

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don't worry, the ciggaret is fake.

[gruven]

I picked up a Boonie Bug a few weeks ago. The original plans were published in the march 1974 issue of Popular Mechanics. The design is on a shortened split bus platform (about 18"), and is structurally reinforced by heavy duty square tubing. I'll have some pics uploaded in a few days....
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[bgs]

The Boonie Bug is too cool !! That would make a
sweet in town cruiser up in Big Bear.


But this other one...Is it the DeLorean's
granddaddy ?

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Hmm, ruff.

[didget69]

Both the Boonie Bug & the Klingon shuttle... er, ummm - Phoenix , were built from flat sheets of urethane foam that is glued together & carved into shape, then fiberglassed inside the shell & outside as well - lotsa sanding!

[acme39]

Well, as to the post commenting about the flat panels not staying straight. A friend and I built my Boonie Bug in 1975, and due to the 1" thick foam panels with the internal steel frame it's stayed straight these past 32 years. Also I should add that mine if anything should tend to warp more as we didn't shorten the wheelbase as the original plans called for.

Now my youngest son and I are now building a version of this body an attaching it to a FWD VW van.

[kustoms]

[nomis]

just when i think i have seen everything,


the samba throws up another couple of fantastically wacky VW's

[Letterman7]

Reviving a thread for a BB available in Indiana: https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/cto/6043887730.html