Out for 17 years, now back in it! Building a Berrien Genesis

[Rockbound]

[Rockbound]

Today's progress: carpet formed and glued to the padding and installed. Roll bar installed. Seats, harnesses, and side pods left to do!

[Ulu]

I hope this looks as good in person as it does in photos, because it is very attractive so far. Plus carpet padding in a buggy is something I wouldn't have considered, but if you can keep her dry . . .

[Rockbound]

[SBD]

Many years ago a guy my brother worked with built a dune buggy. This was in Kansas right after they had hurriedly passed a vehicle inspection law. To get it to psss inspection it had to have wipers. The law also had specs for what area in front of the driver the wipers should wipe and for how big windshield cracks could be and in what areas of the windshield so they wouldn't block the driver's vision. BUT, they never actually said you HAD to have a windshield. So the guy passed inspection with wipers on his buggy, but no windshield.

The inspection law didn't stay on the books for very long. I lived there for at least another 15 years after the law was passed and never had to have a vehicle inspected.
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"Just $99 down and $64 a month for 36 months buys you a brand new Volkswagen Beetle!"

[Rockbound]

Update time! Seats are in, 4 point harnesses are in. Side pods on! Now waiting on insurance and registration so its road ready. Got a few minor things to wrap up and final details but she is pretty much done and ready to cruise!

[Ulu]

I got busted for driving a car that low once.

Nothing much happened, but I lived in a small town. I had to move or raise the car.

Anyhow it looks like it's as low as it can go and not scrape the floor.

[Rockbound]

[Ulu]

So did you loosen the torsion bars almost all the way?

[Rockbound]

[Rockbound]

so unfortunately i forgot to put check valves in after the Y in my air system. i wanted the front and rear to be able to air down independently. they both fill up together and have separate release valves to air them down. not sure why i didn't test it all before hand .. None the less, the connection where the check valves needed to go was buried on the back side of the fire wall under the fuel tank. so i had to clip all my dash wires, remove the hood, and gas tank again to install check valves.. In doing so i decided to install plugs for all the wires in case i ever need to remove the hood again.

As much as i love the headlights, they came with a giant hole in the rear, i guess cause its a motorcycle headlight this part of the light would never be seen cause it would be up against the forks maybe.. IDK.. but the giant hole had to go. got some 1/2" thick rubber and made some grommets... not the best looking things, but much better than a giant square hole..

[Rockbound]

Home where she belongs!

[SBD]

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"Just $99 down and $64 a month for 36 months buys you a brand new Volkswagen Beetle!"

[Ulu]

This looks very much like one of my favorite dune buggy’s of all time and I am really digging the whole thing.

I’d like to see a picture of it with the suspension pumped all the way up.

I like the headlights and I might suggest you make some little smoked plastic lenses that go in the hole, with a little LED to let you know when your headlights are left on in the day.

My Cadillac did this with fiber optic cables and that would be another interesting idea.

[Rockbound]

[Rockbound]

[Rockbound]

time to address the rear seat. making my own for now.. until i decide what i want permanent.. depending on how this turns out it may say for a while.. but here goes.

[Rockbound]

So its not the nest but it was worth the 20 bucks and 3 or 4 hrs until I decide exactly what I want for the rear. Used cardboard patterns, plywood some.old foam and some fabric that matched as close as I could find to the front seats. Carriage belts through the body and I now have a finished looking rear seat.

[Rockbound]

Back of the seat was I bit more complicated. Being that it curves the straight plywood when not going to bow enough. So I used a second piece to fill the gap. All in all I'm ok with it for now.

[oprn]

Excellent job!