Dune Buggy Body Manufactures

[Bkhansen93]

Hey guys. Does anyone know of any companies that still make buggy bodies? I know of Manx and Barrien are there any others?

[hillmotorsports]

I'm confused...
Meyers were the 1st, and many consider the best for both quality and value.
Anyone else is a ripped off clone.
The freight might be a consideration when comparing Berrien.
But the final factor will be choice of model style of each manufacturer... if they don't have what you want then they're not much value to you at any price.

Just my opinion....

Paul
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Rosemarie and Paul Hill
Morrisburg, Ontario

(With way more projects than spare time!)

[vwracerdave]

[Gary0302]

[joescoolcustoms]

"Clone" is just a word. "Original" is just a word. Either can be offensive to you, if you want it to be. Political Correctness run amuck.

The 'Original" was purchased, waxed, and chopper fiberglass shot over it producing a mold. The copied mold then produced a clone of the original. It is what it is.

MGM in SoCal makes bodies still. Long travel and bodies for stock length pans.

There used to be a shop in Georgia that made and sold bodies. But I cannot find the fellow on this site. May be the same fellow selling a Mold in Marietta GA.

A fellow in Texas did copy the Manx directly and then sold bodies. A direct splash and had the raised badge area on the front. But I have not seen him advertise for about 3 years.
_________________
Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[jspbtown]

I find it hard to call say a Deserter a "clone'...unless you are using that term to describe any buggy that is based on a VW pan.

[joescoolcustoms]

The Berry Mini T and T4, (and their clones) the Bradley GT, The Shalavette, the Deserter GT, The MG TD all share some of the same mold dynamics as the first Pan Buggy Bruce built Molds for. Even the Manxter 2+2 and the Manxter DS are included into that same parameter.

That is not an opinion, it is just a raw fact. Nothing to be offended by.

My wife's all time favorite buggy we have owned:

My personal favorite I have built, even over my Manx. It is a "X" body, (X-body means the manufacture is unknown):

If you like your clone, great! If you like your Manx, great! Drive them and enjoy them. I have a smile on my face when I am in a buggy, no matter the maker of it. My smile is not offended.
_________________
Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[vwracerdave]

Joe, I am offended that you refer to my Dunebuggy as a clone. It is not just a word. It is a derogatory term that diminishes the value of what should be a fun vehicle. Using the damn word clone implies that a real Myers Manx is superior to any other brand.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[joescoolcustoms]

I respect your opinion Dave. You have the right to be offended of anything you decide that offends you.

I do not think the Manx is superior to any other buggy, it was just cloned first.
_________________
Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[didget69]

[calebmelvin]

[YDBD]

it's the "Clone Wars"...

I only know of Manx making bodies, did not know that Barrien still did.

It's getting harder to get modified vehicles on the road, so I'm just going to say it's not a wise investment to manufacture buggy bodies, and hasn't been for a long time.

I don't know what mine is, but it's my favorite.
_________________
'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"

[Hartgeh3]

There's a company in San Marcos CA that is currently making and selling fiberglass buggy bodies that are of the Manx design.

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/for/d/new-fiberglass-manx-bodys/6659216748.html

[Gary0302]

I am not offended; in fact I have no problem whatsoever if someone wants to refer my Berrien Buggy Nostalgia body as a clone. The actual definition of “clone” is “make an identical copy of”; although my Nostalgia body is not an identical copy. Opinions will always differ (relative thickness, quality of glass job, etc), but I believe that improvements were made when my body was produced (simpler attachment of the front hood, one-piece dash-to-hood combo). These disagreements will go on forever. Back in 1924, Skilsaw introduced the world’s first portable circular saw. Since then, Porter Cable, Bosch, Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, and other companies have, and continue to produce “clones” of this historically innovative product.

Point of reference to my first post in this thread; here is one of hillmotorsports’ samba posts from back in 2015, as he discusses his ownership of a “ripped off clone” (his words above, not mine).

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=633121&highlight=60s
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Gary David Holbrook
Facebook and YouTube
Coastal North Carolina

Check out my videos on Youtube

"It's a buggy not a space shuttle...." - Dale M.
"When in doubt, blame it on the previous owner" - Gary0302

[calebmelvin]

[joescoolcustoms]

Here is the shop I referenced in my first post.

http://www.themanxshop.com/buggy-kits/mgm-frp-manx.html
_________________
Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[hillmotorsports]

Seems some people are touchy about Webster's thoughts on the word "clone".

I lean toward Gary's definition.... but I stand by my statement that the "clones" were and are a rip-off of Bruce's original work. I don't think there is any doubt that he originated the gendre of a fibreglass bodied fun vehicle based on VW running gear. The "splash and go" artists who shamelessly pulled a mold from one of Bruce's bodies were thieves, pure and simple. Strange how some here want to support such plagiarism yet scream about the copying of "intellectual property" by foreign powers.

Yes Gary, as you know from your quote of me, I have had a clone, in fact I have had 3. None held a candle in quality to my 1st body which was a Manx. That is not to suggest a superiority of the Meyers products in general, just in my own personal experience. Some may be excellent quality. But...I still say they were all a rip-off Bruce's original work.

Paul
_________________
Rosemarie and Paul Hill
Morrisburg, Ontario

(With way more projects than spare time!)

[Dale M.]

To further open a can of worms, what about replica cars like Porsche RSK and 356's and.... And...And... And.....

This can go on forever and there are some that will always be butt hurt about it..... Lets put this one to sleep....

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[glassbuggy]

Back to the original question.

There is a guy who just was asking to distribute bodies from Mexico on Facebook. This is the second version of the New Beetle inspired body, It goes on a full pan. You can see what it looks like on the last page of this thread...

[glassbuggy]

Back to the original question.

There is a guy who just was asking to distribute bodies from Mexico on Facebook. This is the second version of the New Beetle inspired body, It goes on a full pan. You can see what it looks like on the third page of this thread and posted by Heidelberg John.. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=182275&highlight=mexican+buggy