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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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 Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 5:22 am Post subject: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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I bought this buggy a couple weeks ago and started restoring it. Originally I thought it was a Bandit buggy made by dune buggies inc of Colorado. Turns out it was when the company first started making them and was called Designers Manufacturing Inc. in 1967-68. It was called Piranha Mach V at the time. The name changed in 1969 to Dune Buggies Inc and they changed the name to Bandit and sold them through Montgomery Ward Catalog. So far I pulled the body off, stripped the pan, needs floor pan work, rebuilt a stock 1600 and went through the tranny. I had a buggy years go and thought it would be something fun we could put in our toy hauler camper to take with us.
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Wolfgangdieter
Samba Member
Joined: June 25, 2008
Posts: 1958
Location: FL Panhandle
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 6:56 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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Nice find! Love the wheels (with still old bias-ply tires) and the gold flake finish. Looks like it had weathered the harsh wether in PA very well.
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CMC '57 Porsche Speedster Replica and Dolphin boat tailed full pan VW MOD-T Street Buggy |
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Wetstuff
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2010
Posts: 700
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:29 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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Good for you, 72... It's nice to see there are still some treasures to be found in the weeds. Sounds like you're the rightful finder.
Jim
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Manx #2614 |
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Letterman7
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 3198
Location: Downingtown, PA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:27 pm Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| That's very cool. If you send me more photos of that logo/seal, I can make you a replacement for when you're finished the restoration. |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:22 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| Letterman7 wrote: |
| That's very cool. If you send me more photos of that logo/seal, I can make you a replacement for when you're finished the restoration. |
That would be great....I'll try to get some more pics. I might just buff the gel coat out and run it for now. There were 2 about 4" ones on the hood and 2 about 8" ones on the side. |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 6:28 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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Here is a pic of the engine.....just built a stock one for reliability since we will be taking it with us camping. I thought about putting the 1915 out of my bug in it but it can be fussy at times....
I have half the floor pan done and have started on the other side. For some reason they had made a battery box under the driver seat so I had to cut out and replace all of that mess.
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 12730
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2019 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| buggy5872 wrote: |
| I had a buggy years go and thought it would be something fun we could put in our toy hauler camper to take with us. |
Did you know they can be driven? Kind of fun to drive too! 
Joking aside, nice find! I hope you can save the finish, it looks awesome! |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 8:19 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| oprn wrote: |
| buggy5872 wrote: |
| I had a buggy years go and thought it would be something fun we could put in our toy hauler camper to take with us. |
Did you know they can be driven? Kind of fun to drive too!
Joking aside, nice find! I hope you can save the finish, it looks awesome! |
I thought we would just park it beside the tow pig so we could get more attention....lol Driving it might be fun though...
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1968 Beetle
Piranha Mach V fiberglass buggy |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 9:30 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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I was able to get the pans completed and fix a couple spots in the tunnel. A little more work on the top to repair where they cut out around the access to the shift rod coupling and I should be ready to start re assembling. The tunnel had about an inch of dirt/leaves in it. I cleaned it out and will be making it sealed like it is supposed to be after I spray some under coating in it.
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1968 Beetle
Piranha Mach V fiberglass buggy |
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 12730
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:21 pm Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| The Buggy is going to have to be pretty special to attract any attention parked beside your tow rig. That truck is awesome! |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 7:30 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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Thanks...I got a couple hours in that one...
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1968 Beetle
Piranha Mach V fiberglass buggy |
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BL3Manx
Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2006
Posts: 6767
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 10:35 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| buggy5872 wrote: |
| I bought this buggy a couple weeks ago and started restoring it. Originally I thought it was a Bandit buggy made by dune buggies inc of Colorado. Turns out it was when the company first started making them and was called Designers Manufacturing Inc. in 1967-68. It was called Piranha Mach V at the time. The name changed in 1969 to Dune Buggies Inc and they changed the name to Bandit and sold them through Montgomery Ward Catalog. |
I'm very impressed with your research and knowledge. Did you find the history on line or find someone with personal knowledge of the Piranha Mach 5 and Bandit buggies?
I believe they eventually changed their name to Unique Mobility Inc.
Last edited by BL3Manx on Thu Nov 14, 2019 5:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 12:24 pm Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| BL3Manx wrote: |
| buggy5872 wrote: |
| I bought this buggy a couple weeks ago and started restoring it. Originally I thought it was a Bandit buggy made by dune buggies inc of Colorado. Turns out it was when the company first started making them and was called Designers Manufacturing Inc. in 1967-68. It was called Piranha Mach V at the time. The name changed in 1969 to Dune Buggies Inc and they changed the name to Bandit and sold them through Montgomery Ward Catalog. |
I'm very impressed with your research and knowledge. Did you find the history on line or find someone with personal knowledge of the Piranha Mach 5 and Bandit buggies?
I believe they actually changed their name to Unique Mobility |
I did all my research on line. Dune buggy archives helped me identify it as a bandit, so I thought. Once I went and picked it up I found the badge on it and led to more research. I found a thread on dune buggy archives about someone who talked to a former employee of dune buggies inc. Then found some article about UQM turning 50 years old....from 2017 that listed the various names they had been. Now they have been bought out by another company recently. I also found some cool advertising from when it was sold through Montgomery Ward. I tend to research the heck out of things when I purchase something....
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1968 Beetle
Piranha Mach V fiberglass buggy |
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BL3Manx
Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2006
Posts: 6767
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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In case you didn't already have these
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dustymojave
Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2007
Posts: 5802
Location: Lake LA, Mojave Desert, SoCal
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:09 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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I too really like your tow rig. Love those big Alcoas. Does it have modern chassis and powertrain?
The Fargo is kinda cool. It looks sorta funky, but appears to fit on a full length Bug Pan. I myself have a Glitterbug Sportsman, which, like the Fargo, is a pickup truck style body. I remember the Bandit's at Montgomery Wards. I always felt the nose was too tall looking. The wedge shape is fine, just awful tall. If it had proportions like the fiberglass nose for my Hi Jumper Ascot tube frame buggy, I would like the nose quite a bit.
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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. |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 3:35 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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BL3Manx..... Thanks for the info.... I did not have all of those. Whats the car that is in the one picture?
dustymojave.... if you got some time....here is the build thread for the truck
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=557184
_________________
1968 Beetle
Piranha Mach V fiberglass buggy |
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buggy5872
Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2015
Posts: 17
Location: Enon Valley PA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 3:46 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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Here is what I found as far as literature. The last pic of the wards catalog does not look like a bandit though....
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1968 Beetle
Piranha Mach V fiberglass buggy |
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BL3Manx
Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2006
Posts: 6767
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 1:07 pm Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| buggy5872 wrote: |
| BL3Manx..... Thanks for the info.... I did not have all of those. Whats the car that is in the one picture? |
Its a Bandit, you can see the Bandit emblem on the nose
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BL3Manx
Samba Member
Joined: August 29, 2006
Posts: 6767
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 1:17 pm Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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| buggy5872 wrote: |
Here is what I found as far as literature. The last pic of the wards catalog does not look like a bandit though....
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That's a Safari, the first model. They were followed by the Safari Trail. Montgomery Wards probably sold then in the late 60s before the Bandit. |
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Letterman7
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004
Posts: 3198
Location: Downingtown, PA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:27 am Post subject: Re: Piranha Mach V buggy |
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I want to see more of the purple machine...
Damn you for showing photos of kits I didn't know existed  |
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