long wheel base buggie bodys....what arethe options?

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 8 Jan 2006, 12:34 am

#445103

what are the options as far as a second hand or new long wheel base basic buggy body are concerned.

i love the red buggy being done up in hotVWs by so cal imports.

can u get these in OZ? i suppose not.

62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 8 Jan 2006, 5:57 pm

#445313

Beachbuggys australia have one, As do sharpbuilt. WHM has them too but I think he's out of the buggy game now.
http://www.beachbuggy.com.au/body.asp
http://www.sharpbuilt.com.au/dunebug.htm
http://www.whm.com.au/bodykits1.htm

Second handies would be few and far between, most of the buggies made were SWB. You could buy an old SWB bady and lengthen it but it's most likely cheaper and easier to buy a new one, and that's coming from someone who actully modded his own SWB body.

[ Edited on 8-1-2006 by pete wood ]

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

bajachris88 The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 6

6,661 posts · joined Apr 2005 · 8 Jan 2006, 6:59 pm

#445326

http://www.rhinobuggies.com.au (they got a vw buggy body coming out, best thing, is that they are like 2 mins drive from me 😀)

As for the ones Wood mentioned, their pretty kool too. I like the bodies on the beachbuggy.com.au ones, the turn keys are superb, saw one at 2005 vw klub fest show, and talked to the company representative who brought it down. Looked very modern, and well finished, especially in the interior.

As for sharpbuilt, around the same price, from memory a lil' cheaper in $$$ with alot of different things they sell, plus they have a new release out now, and are more popular and from a technological aspect, seem to have more options.

Beachbuggy.com.au is bringing in a new buggy body in soon too. They aren't bad at all, They just don't advertise many technological aspects/options. But i love the finishes on their turnkeys.

Their all good, with a lil' difference here and there. Just talk to em, see their web sites, and choose what eva takes ur aspirations.

(ô_!_/ô) (ô_!_/ô)
69' baja: kombi box, thing spindles, irs, disc front, type 3 rear drums, 2 inch lift kit, 31x10 rears. 👍
New engine in process: 94mm p&bs, 74mm C/w chomol Crank, 35.5x39 SP heads, turbo. Wierd combo, hopeful torque monsta!

subibaja Wolfsburg Wizard

501 posts · joined Sep 2005 · 8 Jan 2006, 9:22 pm

#445376

custom off road

anyone who says it's bad to put subaru motors in vw's.....
hasnt got a clue about smoooooooooth

terry
brisbane
0403252522
you know who i am

Brad Wolfsburg Elder

3,764 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 8 Jan 2006, 9:38 pm

#445394

subibaja wrote:custom off road

Yeah the Geko is a LWB Buggy hehehe

Brad
Why copy when you can own an original ?
Meyers Manx Australia

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 8 Jan 2006, 11:37 pm

#445427

not really after a ute.....well im after anything really.....cheapest lwb buggy body i can find i spose.

will check out those sites pete.

62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 11 Jan 2006, 3:25 pm

#446328

Why do you want a LWB one?

Extra seating, or QLD rego laws?

Coz if you wanted to do something real different, you could put an SWB body on a LWB chassis. The way to do it would be to have the front of the chassis sticking out further and the front seats mounted further back. You have to shorten the gear shift and the cable tubes in the tunnel and mod the pan a bit, but you'd need to do that anyway. It could look very hot rod and extra cool if you found a old looking shell and made the car a rat of sorts. You could even put a spun Ali fuel tank up front like a gasser. :thumb

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 12 Jan 2006, 8:48 pm

#446698

i want LWB for simplicity (no cutting up of the pan) and because i dont want hassles if i went to rego it.

im thinking about a SWB body on a standard pan and in my head it just looks all wrong lengthening a body might be the go but only if i can get a cheap second hand SWb body otherwise id just get a MAXFX kit.

62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

ancientbugger Custom Title Time!

1,986 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 12 Jan 2006, 9:57 pm

#446726

The long wheelbase Rat buggies look good Nick and I believe they're still available in Oz.

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 13 Jan 2006, 8:40 am

#446794

fibrefab, in Vic I think

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

ratbug aka toddy101

439 posts · joined Jan 2003 · 13 Jan 2006, 6:47 pm

#446922

Yeah http://www.fibrefab.com.au/
I heard from them about 12months ago and they were still doing them.

Sharbuilt Beach buggy with Subaru 2L Turbo
Thunderanch Riot with Subaru 2L Turbo
Manxter with FA20turbo
Click here for wiring looms

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 13 Jan 2006, 11:15 pm

#446985

just checked out the website.

does the maxFX kit come with rollbar and all that jazz? cause the ratbuggy seems to be a more complete kit for your money.

62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

mattie182 Wolfsburg Wizard

466 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 14 Jan 2006, 8:12 am

#447011

I think that the Max kit is just the tub!!

You need to 'add-on' things like bar work ect. BBA can supply all this though

mat

Once you go flat, you never go back!!!!!!

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 14 Jan 2006, 10:25 am

#447023

The big advantage with the rat is that if you want to go watercooled later on, you a have a ready made grill cut out for a radiator. Might be worth messaging Ratbug (I think that's his name anyway), coz he has one and could give you the heads up on it.

As for buying the rat based on rollbars, I'm guessing you'll probably need something a little more substantial than a single rollover hoop for serious offroad anyway, so better getting that made up for the car once you have the body.

The other thing I should mention is, LWB pans need strenghening just like SWB pans. You will need to factor this into your budget, but if you can buy a cheap mig (NOT gasless) and teach yourself to weld, you'll save yourself heaps...and learn heaps too.

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 14 Jan 2006, 11:34 am

#447031

ive no intention of going water cooled so thats not really an issue right now.

by strengthening you mean with a lift kit style thing? there are manxs getting around without lift kits though?

i know id need more than a roll over hoop but if it comes with something thats better than nothing considering the kits are similarly priced and the rat bug kit appears to come with a lot more goodies.

62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 14 Jan 2006, 11:34 am

#447032

does anyonw have a pic of a LWB rat buggie in its standard or more or less standard form?

62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 14 Jan 2006, 4:02 pm

#447063

Anthiron wrote:by strengthening you mean with a lift kit style thing? there are manxs getting around without lift kits though?

i know id need more than a roll over hoop but if it comes with something thats better than nothing considering the kits are similarly priced and the rat bug kit appears to come with a lot more goodies.

Yes, you can strengthen the pan with a lift kit or just by putting square tube around the edge and thicker sheet metal in the pan with a few braces. And yes there are buggy's with unstiffened pans, but the tunnel generally ends up cracking around the handbrake lever. Bad. 👎

If you are planning to do anything above drive sedately rounds the streets you need a stiffened pan and adequate rollover protection. Ask someone like buggybrad what can go wrong if you don't. Don't risk the lives and safety of yourself and your passengers.

Anyway, it's not that hard to do. All you need is some basic welding skills and strengthening in the right areas. If I could learn to do it, I'm sure you can. Besides, if you want to invest thousands of dollars in it, you'll want to do it right.

"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/