Going Old School Dune Buggy -50 years -Winter Project

[YDBD]

Good to know, Frank from Chirco said the arrestors drop the noise level nearly in half.

Might just bolt them in so I can pull them out for car shows...
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[oprn]

Mine are bolt in and you adjust the number of plates to your noise tolerance level. I have them all in and it does turn heads at full song but is pretty quiet just cruising around. I'm very happy with them as is. The dual cannons that came with this Buggy would leave my ears ringing after about 20 minutes on the highway!

[YDBD]

So I put in the spark arrestors with 6 of the 12 plates, have to run a through bolt through them so they don't blow out at high RPMs, I just tapped them in.

Got the new road lights mounted pretty close to the originals:

Also got the daisy stickers and the horn in, hopefully get a chance to get those on this weekend.

Seats are in to Autosattlerei Spranger https://www.l-spranger.de/
Herr Spranger is really nice, but he couldn't quote me a price due to the complete custom restoration. Ball park it's going to be about 1000 Euros for the upholstery, but he's going to rebuild the seats so they are more comfortable and I'm pretty sure excellent craftsmanship.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[YDBD]

Got the daisy stickers on! Many thanks to vwbugnut for producing the stickers and sending them to me.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[oprn]

Looking better all the time!

[YDBD]

Things got busy, work got slow...

Put on a new steering wheel adapter and raised the front end. But still haven't drove it because the seats are out for frame up rebuild and reupholster with black vinyl.
Got the horn installed

Also going to use magnets for the old plates when (if) I go to car shows

Also working on replacing the dual Webers temporarily with a Holley Bug Spray, it will be interesting but I need to find a way to make this air cleaner

or if someone knows what the heck it is from?
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'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[oprn]

I can't help but think you are going to regret the carb change! Make good and sure you have good strong flow on the heat riser.

[YDBD]

Yeah, me too! But can't help it I loved bug sprays and it sets it back nice.

Going to try to keep it on until next winter, then back to duals. I won't be home most of the summer to drive anyway and hoping to make a quick switch.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[dustymojave]

That air cleaner is a pair of Filtron 2" "Sock" air cleaners. I had a pair on my '58 Bug before it was a Baja . Mine had the pair of "socks" mounted on a PVC plumbing 'Tee', using a piece of 2" heavy duty fuel resistant hose (Gates Green Stripe or whatever the current equivalent is) hose clamped onto the air horn of the carb and onto the 't'. For a Bug Spray that would be hose to fit 2-5/8". And yours may have been a 'Y' made of exhaust tube. 2-1/2" to 2-3/4" lower part with 2" uppers.

Filtron was the original urethane foam air filter brand. I haven't heard of Filtron for many years. But Uni is still around, still making foam air filters and still in SoCal. They probably don't sell such sock air filters anymore, but could probably custom make up a pair cheap and easy. The foam sock was stretched over a simple expanded metal screen in a 2" ID tube shape about 6" long with vinyl edge protector on the ends of the tube.

Screeeeech!!!!!!! Lock up them brakes!!!

I just Googled it. And found the Filtron name on cotton gauze (like K&N) filters. Funny that, because Filtron foam filters filter WAYY better than gauze filters.

Then I went to the Uni online Catalog, and found they not only DO still make sock filters, they make them in the same size 2" ID x 6" long. Part Number U-602. List price $15USD each.

https://unifilter.com/online-catalog/clamp-on-air-filters/

Uni now makes them with a spiral spring inside. They're even the same green color as the Filtron's of the 1960s.

Back in 1977, I was working Tech Inspection at all sorts of offroad races and was racing my dirt bike in the desert as well as getting my Hi Jumper ready to race. At a SCORE sanctioned race at Saddleback Motocross park in Orange County, I Tech Inspected race cars, then raced my bike. I took 3rd in 250 class (out of about 30) after starting out running away from the entire class and overtaking all of the big bore class too. But the rubber intake manifold cracked and started sucking air. The guy who took 1st that day was a Pro Motocrosser named Steve (can't think of his last name offhand) who had just retired from racing and bought the Uni Filter company from co-founder Jerry Parker. Parker was moving on to his new product line called Parker Pumper with fresh air into helmet systems. The fact that I smoked Steve on a track very familiar to him until mechanical trouble slowed me caused Steve to offer me sponsorship. I turned it down saying that I was just out having fun and not pursuing any sort of championship or big events. He DID use my bike to make a pattern for filters for my model bike and gave me a couple for free.
_________________
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.

[YDBD]

Dang dustymojave! Thanks for the info and the great back story. Off to find the unifilters and a concoct a mount to match!

I'll check around and see if I can find the necessary parts to make the mount, if not I may try to 3d print one using ABS.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[YDBD]

Just happened to stop by the upholstery shop and the seats are done!

Not quite exactly like the original, but completely rebuilt foam base and new vinyl. Should be way more comfortable to drive.

And got the manifold painted orange and the rebuild kit in.

Might get a chance to work on getting the seats in this weekend, but not going to do the carb unless there is a chance to drive-rain and snow are a possibility-finally winter again after two weeks of spring weather.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[YDBD]

Seats are in! Not quite original shape (The originals were tuck and roll all the way across and shaped less square) but they look pretty good and seem pretty comfortable.

_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[oprn]

Look mighty fine!

[oprn]

double post

[calebmelvin]

I like those seats! They look so comfy!
_________________
Caleb
'68 Tagged Manx | My Wanted Ads
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[YDBD]

thanks for the compliments!

I did get the buggy out for a short drive-still in the low 50s here. but it's running great and the change in tires/wheels and ride height made little difference on handling.

On to swapping out the carbs to a Holley Bug Spray, thought I had everything I needed until:

Going to see if I can find a hose to make up the difference on the right side. The intake is just about 3/4" short.

Looks pretty nostalgic, well at least for me:

Also 3d printed the mount for the bunny ear filter socks:

Disappointed I didn't to fire up the bug spray, which I plan to keep on until next spring and then back to dual carbs.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[62kellison]

NICE!..makes me want my interior done now!!...I like it!!….Sean...

[YDBD]

So finally just bought a piece of 38mm hose (a meter long) to seal up the right side of the manifold.

All in fits pretty good, had to do some finagling with the linkage arm to clear the distributor and manifold. I have the heat riser pipes, but haven't put them on yet and still a toss up if I will. I probably won't drill out the flanges on the header as I don't see how that actually works on this type of exhaust. just go with heat transfer.

Got the bunny ears mounted, need to oil them and I'm thinking of tucking the top section to round them off

I have fuel leak on the left side of the carb, it drips out of the shaft after the motor is off, but not when running. Have to check the floats and see if I have drip down the carb from somewhere, it's not a good place as it's right over the distributor.

The amazing thing was it started right up and sound pretty good

Link


Next up is cutting the engine cage to fit around the dual cannons and rewiring it for the trailer with new plugs.

Getting close as the weather is changing but lotsa rain this last week.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[YDBD]

So weather held up so I could take it for a spin...


HOLY CRAP! The bug spray holds it's own! Seriously barely felt a difference in the acceleration and was at 120kph with no problem. But being a center carb sure does run cold and loads up a little, have to work on those heat risers.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[YDBD]

So one day getting home early enough cut the side bars off the engine cage. The pipe for these was twice as thick as the rest of cage, wierd!

Waiting for it to warm up I worked on the binder and photos. Have pictures from '69 to '72, after that we used the buggy less and less and no pictures. Last trip we took with it was in '76 to Colorado and no pics of that trip. After that it sat in the yard until my dad rebuilt in over three years from '96-'99. So now I try to take as many pics as I can.

Long day putting the wheels back on after getting them balanced, which means, cleaning and polishing before mounting. Sanded and painted the engine cage as well as adding a trailer plug to remove the engine cage easier.
Engine cage is on! Way easier without the side bars.

Heat risers are on! Hopefully this will help warm the throat more, no flow through them just conduction.

_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"