What car is the Tamiya "Rough Rider"?

[kingjason2]

Back from the dead thread! Crazy. My first RC car was a Superchamp, came out the year after this one or so, I bought it new at Michaels in Duncanville when I was 11 I guess. I still dabble in RC cars amongst other things. So when I was researching this thing I had drug up, this thread popped up. Very cool and may change my paint scheme now. I have always been a single seat guy, and was looking to maybe build another Pilot when this popped up. My wife has a Polaris Ace 900 XC and I was looking for something to follow her around in when I get tired of MX when we go. Running when parked! I laughed and said BS, guys swears he drove into a field four years ago and parked it. Bones on it still look pretty good. I m stripping it down to phosphoric acid it and paint it. Dammit if I could only mold fiberglass. This thing has aluminum panels. I am guessing the nerf bars were removable. Looks like at some point someone spent some money on it.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZKNPianpL5EKVfyz9

[Guz Motorsports]

That is great news to hear that the Bel-Ray Bullet is still running and winning too!! It is always nice to see vintage race cars restored and raced.

Congrats to Bud, his son and the whole crew that made that possible.

Please give my salutes to Bud, we met years ago during Baja races.

Carlos Guzman
Guz Motorsports
_________________
'59 VW Baja Bug
'63 VW Beetle Rag Top "Herbie"
'66 VW Beetle
'73 Fugitive 2 Seater Sand Rail
'75 VW Type 181
'91 Corsair Dune Buggy
'95 VW Class 11 Look-a-Like
'75 VW Type 181 Safari
'03 VW Beetle "Ultima Edicion"
Bunderson Class 1 Off-Road Race Car
And a few other VWs Toys & Projects...

[LantanaTX]

Thank you for the great picture!

[flashho]

Congrates to the Bel Ray team! Here is a pic at km60 pre Loreto.

[LantanaTX]

I came across this older thread and thought you guys would like an update on the Bel-Ray Bullet. It is still owned by Bud Feldkamp and Malcolm Smith. It is prepped by Dave Tilton. We just took it to the NORRA Mexican 1000 and won first in class and second overall to walker Evans in vintage. The 40 year old car can still get it done. The car was driven by Bud's son Buddy Feldkamp. Here is our finish line picture with Bud, Buddy, Dave Tilton and Bob Lawrence. The car is currently on its way back from Mexico and will be on display at the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles for the next four months if you would like to check it out.

[Smupony2000]

I think I ended up with the ss2 that was for sale. Can anybody tell me if these things have any value? I was told they did and sunk some money into body/ paint work, but I have no idea ( or probably have an overinflated sense) of it's value?

. This is what it originally looked like.

[dustymojave]

[mondodestructo]

[Dave-co]

Hate to burst all your bubbles, the car that they modeld was Bob Maynards Funco ss2, not Malcoms or any other

[jtindel]

[carlos_magnum]

[jsturtlebuggy]

When Mickey Thompson was alive and running the stadium races, there were some of the racers that actually were able to make a living just racing in the series.
Mickey was the best promoter I have ever seen and there has never been anyone that has been able to fill his shoes.
_________________
Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[jsturtlebuggy]

I sold it. I never seen since, so do not know what happen to it. At the that time racing just was not fun anymore and became a chore of prepping it to race.
In off road racing you are always spending more than you make winning races. Unless you can find a person that needs to lose money and wants to sponsor you. I was doing it out of pocket.
I never losed my desire to play in the dirt and sand and now just have fiberglass dune buggies.

This is my Meyers Manx Dual Sport and it very fun to drive handles well in the dirt and on the pavement.
It has a Subaru 2.5L Non Turbo engine going through a beefed up 091 transmission.
_________________
Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[Guz Motorsports]

[jsturtlebuggy]

Malcolm at Barstow at California 400 race Jan 1978.
Broken CV joint. Bud rode a bike from another pit on the course with replacement axle in backpack to replace it.

My SSII at Mint 400 in Las Vegas 1979 Raced the old Class 9 which was unlimited chassis using 1200cc 40hp engines.

It was a very fun car to drive. State of the art for wheel travel, 9 inches for the time.
_________________
Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[jsturtlebuggy]

Was not really a modification. More of an option for people that wanted to set up right.
Gil never liked as it change to flow of the lines the had design into it.
The original cage design (low cage) looked fast just standing still.
With all the fiberglass panels on it just had a very sleak lines.
Most off road racing cars now days look like slab sided jungle gyms.
They do come up for sale once in a while. Scan some of the off road sites classifies.
_________________
Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[SplitPersonality]

I guess I am answering my own question...

Comparing this SSII which is for sale:

...with the original Rough Rider role model:

...it seems clear that the rollcage has been modified to be taller on the Bel Ray Bullet..

Does the highcage SSII's ever come up for sale?

[SplitPersonality]

So - the "Bell Ray Bullet" was a SSII with a modified, "higher" rollcage?

[jsturtlebuggy]

A Funco SSI was before the SSII.
The roll cage on the SSI only extended to the bellhousing of the transmission. Engine sat in the open and the engine cage that most used looked what you would see on a Baja Bug.
The height of the roll cage was pretty much standard except for some of the special one's Gil built for himself.
Gil was one of the first person to use Subaru engine and transmission in off road racing.
The SSII as you can see had the roll cage that extended pass the rear of the engine.
Gil George and his sons now build sand buggies and parts for UTV's in Southern California.
Gil has been involved with off road racing since the early days in the 1960s. One of his first creation was called a Wampuskitty. It used single a-arm front end with over 11in of wheel travel.
Funco sand buggies use air bag supension instead the commonly used coilovers shocks.
They have the ability of adjusting the supension just by changing air pressure in the bags.
_________________
Joseph
Fair Oaks/Orangevale, CA
Elrod Motorsports
Motion Tire Motorsports
Having fun with Dune Buggies since 1970
Into Volkswagens since 1960

[SplitPersonality]

Thanks again!

- What is the difference of a SSI and SSII ?
- Are you saying that the "highcage"-version was a factory built option for both the SSI and SSII?...or was it purely a homemade-modification?
- Who was/is Gil George? (again...I have got 20 years with pre-55 VWs, but just a few hours with Funco-buggies...)