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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 3:24 pm Post subject: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Quick back story... Found a 76 SunBug around the corner from the house, pretty low price and it came with two Suby motors. Hard to say no to that.
After getting it home, we realized the body was further gone than we wanted to mess with and Suby conversions are spendy.
We did have a decent platform, a clean title and a spare motor from another project, so Budget Buggy was born.
At first blush, the car seemed fairly solid. Typical midwest rot, but not horrible and we were excited to drag it home.
As we dug deeper it became clear the ill designed sunroof drains had doomed this car to the scrapyard. Time for a new plan.
Thanks to the Samba, we sold the complete body to a guy that intended to put it on a mud bogger chassis. Cool to see it go to a good cause. Kid helped pull it (our first time) and Budget Buggy took a few steps forward. Also sold the Suby motors and decided to stick with an aircooled powerplant. _________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 3:41 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Next step was finding a decent fiberglass buggy body on the cheap. Luckily the kid had bought a semi complete buggy from a local family and remembered they had a long body laying against the side of their pole shed.
Few hundred bucks later, we were in the buggy business. It had 5 layers of paint (some of it likely brushed on!) and no windshield, but was largely intact.
Pan repair was next. The 68 vert we had picked up last month came with some crappy replacement pans that we had not intended to use, but would be perfect for the Budget Buggy. Added bonus is conversion to early gen seat sliders. Got the pans replaced, welded and seam sealed in a weekend. Getting better at that now what we've done a few.
Next up was dealing with the body. Couple hours of sanding revealed a yellow gelcoat and fairly stout fiberglass. Gas tank pocket had not even been cut out and there were very few holes drilled for lighting, etc. Deep battery box was going to be an issue with IRS trailing arms, but that could easily be solved.
Also scored a set of wheels and tires from a local VW shop. Chevy pattern, but a solid deal and adapters are fairly inexpensive.
While battery box mod was curing we started blowing apart the spare motor we had. Always entertaining to discover the "mods PO had thought were important. First motor we've ever had to use a sawzall to take apart! Heater box clamps had been JB Welded into giant glops of hardened horribleness. Also found a spare plug under the tin (guessing PO lost it during install and gave up retrieving it) and walnut in heater box. Cool homebuilt manifold also came with the program.
_________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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oprn Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016 Posts: 12586 Location: Western Canada
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Posted: Thu May 31, 2018 3:51 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Good stuff!
Subscribed! |
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Rome Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2004 Posts: 9584 Location: Pearl River, NY
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:07 am Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Quote: |
Deep battery box was going to be an issue with IRS trailing arms, but that could easily be solved. |
Did you end up cutting a section/band out of the battery box, then glassing the base back on?
I bought a Manx clone about 30 yrs ago that was sitting loosely on an IRS pan, and have the same interference issues with both the battery box and the spare tire well. If I ever get around to build it and mount it to the IRS pan, rather than converting the pan to wide swingaxle and remove the diagonal arms, I'd like to know my options. |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:31 am Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Trimmed up the battery box a few inches and used a piece of the panel I had cut out of the front (car did not have precut tank hole). Glassed in sheet metal in the corners for extra strength. Pretty low drama. _________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 2:47 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Got a fair amount done this weekend. Body is prepped for primer (interior will get undercoated, so we did not spend much time on that area). Filled every hole and crack with resin and fiber (very little body filler in car). Hope to shoot a few coats of Slick Sand next weekend and than back to motor build.
So far we're well under $500 into the car (76 SunBug was $600, sold original body, sold Suby motors it came with and some other misc stuff) Picked up buggy body for a few hundred and wheels/tires for the same. Had to buy brakes, master, carb rebuild kit and a few small items as well.
Replacement pans, gasket kit, semi complete motor and some other small parts are leftovers from previous projects, so we're not counting them in the total. May build our our exhaust system.
Still needs seats, wiring, lights and some sort of roll cage/windshield. Material for the cage looks to be under $100, but windshield is spendy or may possibly be integrated into cage. We have original harness from SunBug, but it's looking pretty painful to strip out all the stuff we're not using.
Goal is a driver by end of summer and spend less than 2K. Doable? Maybe.
Here's what we're hunting for:
1) Cheap racing seats
2) Dual port tin (stuff we had was rusted)
3) 3 bolt steering wheel adapter
4) Smarter hobbies. _________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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Merk Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2018 Posts: 43
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 3:13 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Hello:
Save up enough parts and it's time to build a buggy.
Nice work, I will be watching.
Thanks
Merk |
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oprn Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016 Posts: 12586 Location: Western Canada
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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That thing is looking a lot like ours!
Are you building it to keep or just to flip for a buck? |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 3:35 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Damn! That does look like yours!
Not sure on long term plan, we still need to get through the build before it snows!
oprn wrote: |
That thing is looking a lot like ours!
Are you building it to keep or just to flip for a buck? |
_________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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oprn Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016 Posts: 12586 Location: Western Canada
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 5:44 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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The thing about building a Buggy to sell is you can't pimp it out to suite folks because everyone wants something a little different.
For instance - My tastes are for a simple nostalgic look - like it just dropped out of the late 60's. No modernizing - no clutter. The next guy wants all the bells and whistles with fancy seats, 22" rims, pencil thin sidewalls and 300 pounds of stereo. The third guy wants 3 sets of shocks, 6" body lift, roll cages from Hell, 36" tall rubber, 2 fire extinguishers, 5 point harness...
Well, you get the picture! |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Made some more progress. Layed on a coat of Slick Sand primer. Have not used a paint gun since the 80's, but managed to pull this off without any runs. Some sanding a second coat of primer should wrap this up for now. Won't lay on the final paint until cage and balance of car is wrapped.
Next up was motor build. Had a 1500 that someone had converted to dual port 1600 laying around. Also had a fresh set of 1600 pistons and cylinders. Cleaned it up the best we could and combined everything we had in the garage with a set of Empi tin. Hoping the generator is operational, but picked up a new fuel pump. Carb rebuild and distributor should wrap it up.
Cage design is next. Started some sketches and a ton of research. Kid wants me to make it a 4 seater, but I love the fastback look. Might wrestle for it.
_________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 6:58 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Found some low dollar led tail lights and gas filler and frenched them into the body. Stoked with the look. Should be able to wrap engine and get well into cage this month.
_________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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oprn Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016 Posts: 12586 Location: Western Canada
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 4:08 am Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Looking good!
I am personally not a fan of cages. I think they spoil the looks of these Buggies. A single roll bar looks more right to me. Personal thing!
Decided on a color yet? |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 5:31 am Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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I don't have a windshield, so it'll end up less expansive to build a simple cage and cut a plex windshield than it would be to buy a traditional unit and do a roll bar.
All about the low $$!
We're leaning towards yellow. Car was originally school bus yellow (gelcoat), so we're thinking it'd be right to return it to that color. _________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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oprn Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016 Posts: 12586 Location: Western Canada
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 11:09 am Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Ours has a traditional windshield and it wiggles and squeaks on rough roads.
I thought yellow was the original color of our Buggy but when installing bigger tail lights last week I found out that it was originally red metal flake! Anyway sticking with the yellow. It's very visible, no excuse for pulling out in front of us!
And I like it! |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Work seriously getting in the way of building VWs. Finally getting back to this thing. Built up a motor out of spares, scored some cheap eBay parts and finally got body bolted down and motor installed. Need to rethink the exhaust choice.
Next is electrical and cage build.
_________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug |
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MrGoodtunes Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2012 Posts: 848 Location: South Florida
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:14 am Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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AirKooledGarage wrote: |
... Need to rethink the exhaust ...
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You could use a hole saw drill bit like you did for your tail lights, and run a rat tail stinger thru it.
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veeweeman Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2009 Posts: 940 Location: New Port Richey, FL
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:30 am Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Looks like you are having too much fun _________________ Never be a follower...Do your own thing, make it your own! |
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AirKooledGarage Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2012 Posts: 314 Location: Wisco
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:48 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Budget buggy is plodding along. Almost time for it to go into winter storage (wife wants her garage spot back for the cold months).
Sorted a tidy brake reservoir mount,
Got the tank tucked in (had to 'mod' it a bit to fit under hood). Now to plumb to filler. Fuel filler hose is stupidly expensive
Sorting Empi harness next. _________________ 1973 Bus
1974 Long Body Buggy (sold)
1965 Manxish buggy (kids car)
1961 Patina Bug
Last edited by AirKooledGarage on Mon Oct 22, 2018 3:29 am; edited 1 time in total |
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57BLITZ Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2012 Posts: 2385 Location: DEEK - U.S.A.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 9:42 pm Post subject: Re: Budget Buggy Build - Pic heavy |
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Did you have to heat the corners of the tank to reshape it like that? _________________ Jesucristo es mi Seņor y Salvador! |
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