My Buggy (re)Build.

SANDDUDE · Post by **SANDDUDE** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:06 am

Question.....does that piece you made weld in? If so, do you now use bolts instead of studs on your transaxle to install/remove it? I LIKE your mounting bracket, that is the thing I hate about bus transaxles, trying to line up the bottom studs on your motor to stab through 2 pieces. With your bracket it looks easy to install the motor like on a bug transaxle.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:00 pm

Hiya SandDude! THe part I made could certainly weld in to the framehorns. However for my application that wouldnt work well. It would make the transmission a permanent part of the body since the nose runs into the normal spot. If you had the nosecone above the tunnel I bet it would work fine but require removal of the body to get the tranny out.

Below are some pics of todays work. I needed to make the transmission easy to get out. I also wanted to make it easy to drop another 002 into it should I need to. The only modification I made to the transmission was to remove those bottom 4 studs and put in longer ones.

I expect it to be even easier then my bug to put a motor in. There is actually less now in the way were you put the bolts through for the motor.

I'll let the pics speak.

Larger Pic

Larger Pic

I'm so far very happy with what I accomplished. In the last picture there I am going to cut the corners off the bottom. They are not needed and I dont need them catching on anything.

While I wait for replacement parts on my brakes, Next up is to fab a mock cage with conduit. Once I am happy with that and have the full cage built, it will be tied into the end's of the framhorns. Then I can work on strengthening the area's I cut out for the CV Flanges on the framehorns.

~RyanB

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:11 am

Well time to do a complete 180 on this project.

I've made the descision to switch pans.

See, I purchased the 3x3 arms and did all this work without a real clear understanding of what was going to be involved when it came to the shocks.

Hey. It is all a learning experiance.

So, I've decided that since I do not want to cut holes in the buggy body I am going to throw it on a Pan that I have that I didnt cut the shock towers off of. Once I get it back to the way I had it at the end of last summer, i'll consider doign small mods to increase the travel but keeping the stock shock locations.

Unfortunatly, the pan halves are totally shot from the donor pan. I also have to shorten the pan by 15". That isnt too bad as I have done that before on my V-rod project. It's almost too bad that pan isnt shortened the correct amount. It's only shortened 11".

So, after I finish shortening i'll have to weld in some sheet metal to replace the pans. I'll post up a beginning pic this weekend. Then I'll be waiting to post the rest until I am back to the point of having the body on the pan.

The plan is to get the buggy back going quickly so both the wife and I have something to drive.

What about the original pan and 3x3 arms you say? Well that is my summer project! I plan on getting the absolute maximum travel possible out of my 3x3 arms. Hoping to get some coilover shocks from FOA, and I have a black fiberglass body that I dont care about cutting holes in so that I can mount a good set of shocks. It will of course eventually replace my rail as the car I want to drive.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 8:40 am

One of the side things I have been wondering about for a while now has been who made the body for my buggy.

Looks like I have finally found it...

Thunder Bug

http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b372/ ... der%20Bug/

http://www.dunebuggyarchives.com/ThunderBug

Good info! Now I have to identify my other one.

I'd love to get a badge. but it looks like it was molded into the nose there or maybe painted. Not sure. I need to find out about that still.

Post by **Leatherneck** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:00 am

That is some good info, that is one of the hard things figuring out who made the frame or did the body.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:19 am

Putting my pics from my shortening thread here for referance...

So, over this weekend I worked my ass off to shorten a pan for a manx body. The pan wasnt in great shape, so I needed to do some repairs on it.

Took me about 6-7 hours each day. I have to fix my little screw up there on the passenger side. All pics should be clickable for larger versions.

Tell me whatcha think.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:26 am

Got more done this past weekend. Keep in mind that I am going for function over form here. So I didnt spend alot of time on cleaning the entire pan and painting it. I am more concerned with getting the car ready for memorial day and possibly Baja Crazy weekend.

I'm actually fairly close. I had to go with shortnened torsions from a swing axle to get the tires to fit. I'm having difficulty getting the spring plates on the correct side of the trailing arm mounts. Need to buy the spring plate compressor tool to help with this.

Next up is to complete the braking system. A tiny bit of wiring (Most is attached to the body) and then put the body on. After that there is some fiberglass work on the hood and fabricate a better roll cage.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:57 pm

OK. so as some of you know, I have been working on an issue with the transmission sleeve and the clutch. Well I got the small sleeve from bcbaja (Thanks man!) and then I pulled the motor back off the tranny and found to my dismay that there were no mounting holes for bolts. So, I could not use the sleeve I received. UHG!

So, out came the transmission and in went the one I had before. It pops out in second but I suppose I'll deal with that later. Didnt really want to do it but it only took me about 2 hours to complete.

I also finished up my braking system. No pics or anything as it isnt that exciting. Only thing left to do now is put on the rear coil shocks and then I can put the body back on.

New fuel line is run, the minimal amount of wiring is complete.

Just need to get a few small carb parts back from Scott and this baby should roar back to life!!

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Wed May 02, 2007 11:34 am

Well Baja Crazy is around the corner and I am working on my baby like mad.

i've worked through most of my carb issues. It still runs really rich though.

Need to fab up my battery mount tonight. then bolt down the body. Fix up the hood, windshield and seats and it should be ready to go.

On a side note, I have just about completed my 2 car trailer. I decked it, got tires for it and it's about ready to go. I put the rail up on it to see how it looked.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:17 am

No updates in a while...

I've been to Sand Lake a few times now this summer including Baja Crazy.

The car did well, but it's mainly built for my wife to have fun anyhow. Well a few trips back I blew the motor in my rail and after a few swap arounds on engines, the one that was originally in this car has moved to the rail.

In it's place I have pur a Type4 2.0 out of an early 80's vanagon. It has EFI.

I've had to get creative as I am trying to do this on a budget plus using the bus motor is somewhat of an experiment. So, keep the cash output on this as low as possible and use as much of what I have on hand.

Sadly I still had to spend a fortune on the flywheel, disk and pressure plate. Dan Hecker helped me out there alot!!

Anyhow, here are a few pics. Notice the horrid exhaust. Well, it couldnt be helped and needed to be done quickly. Also my little attempt at putting a smaller air cleaner on the air/fuel mixture part. I've since covered the opening with the slider btw.

Also notice the FOA Oil Accumulator. It's the last thing I have to connect up. Once I have it connected I will do a small write up on it for the forum.

Post by **Leatherneck** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:04 am

Anything you would of done different, how did the trailer work out, any pics of that?

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:35 pm

Leatherneck wrote:Anything you would of done different, how did the trailer work out, any pics of that?

Yea... I would like to spend a fortune on a good exhaust but I am stuck with what I have for now. And I would prefered to have a rear mount but I dont have a cage back there yet.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:47 am

Leatherneck wrote: how did the trailer work out, any pics of that?

Yep. Here is a pic of the trailer with my cars on it...

Post by **Leatherneck** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:03 am

I am not trying to nit pick but would the trailer not haul better and maybe safer with the manx loaded engine over trailer wheels vice front wheels over?

By the way nice looking trailer, heck of a deck on there, what do you have for tie downs? That looks like a whole bunch of fun in a nice package.

RyanB · Post by **RyanB** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:26 am

Leatherneck wrote:I am not trying to nit pick but would the trailer not haul better and maybe safer with the manx loaded engine over trailer wheels vice front wheels over?

By the way nice looking trailer, heck of a deck on there, what do you have for tie downs? That looks like a whole bunch of fun in a nice package.

I've taken it to Sand Lake 6 times this summer so far. I've not noticed any problems hauling it. And the way they are in the pic is really the best fitting solution I have found. The heavier Manx in that position seems to help balance the lighter rail which is on the longer end of the trailer.

For tie downs, I have chain loops that go around the metal subframe. I hook onto those with 1000lb tie down straps for a total of 4 straps per car. I also bring my manual winch and put some tension on it to the Manx so it kinda has 5 tie downs.

Thanks for the compliment.