hey
i wasn't sure wether to post this in here or in the buying/selling/swapping area, but i was wondering if anyone could tell me or direct me to a
website that'd provide me with the following information:
say i've got a complete beetle, a '68 in my case, and i wanted to turn it into a buggy, like a manx kinda thing. what is involved? what
things would i need? what sort of money am i looking at?
thanks in advance! 
Do you have a body?
How much you wanna spend.
best bit would be to buy a registered go-er.
You are in Sydney right? - contact Richard at V Force 02 9743 1247 and have a chat. He is doing 4 seat Bugsters - sorta Porche/Manx/???? cross. Also
he knows Wayn Horsh.......(?) at Uaranderra(sp)
Wayne builds floor pans but also has a few complete.
Just a LOT easier if it has been registered before
...
like i said, all i have is a have a complete car, a '68 beetle.
this sucks a$$.
I din't think building buggy would be that hard provided you have a couple of things.
(a) Spare time,
(b) Spare cash,
(c) an understanding engineer
(d) you know at least someone with a buggy or has done it before.
I'm all for more new buggies on the road but if I was going to build a buggy I think I would buy one first so I can build one that suits me best.
Their are so many differing types, shapes and uses for buggies that if your going to spend money building one it would be cheaper to know what one you
want.
Attending weekend like the recent Klub Offroad and Manx Club (Fraser) weekend would be a great start. Perhaps the sand / bush is not for you and you
want just a streeter. That's fine too. In that case check out the local shows and take lots of pics of you facourite buggies.
Understand I have never build a buggy from the ground up but certianly am looking for to doing so. I think the most benificial lesson I have learnin
is Joining a club, driving / maintaining the Dog-O-War and perving on other buggies.
I was going to build a buggy straight up then I had kids. Not fussed on the Lwb buggies I opted for a baja. Having seen many Lwb buggies getting
around, they go just as well, sometime better (on the kidneys) that their Swb mates. Having been out on the beach for two long weekends in the Sun and
sand, my buggy will definately have a roof and sides for the wet days here, and finally, My wife has to love it too, at this rate She'll be
driving it more than me and I'll have to keep the Dog because after riding in some at Stockton she's willing to trade her air-con to get
into one, and that's saying somthing.
Good advice above, ride in one while you build another, join a club, make buggy friends, start buying bits - looms, glass, tranny, mill, shell, lights
etc.
My 2 cent's.
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ok well another idea out the window
Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to extinguish your dream just because I haven't achieved mine.
If you want to build a buggy then go right ahead.
I'm just saying that their are a few pitfalls along the way, nothing no one hasn't encountered before.
If I had the tools, the space ad the dollars I'd be out there now searching for the donor bug and bolting a shell on top of a POR15 pan.
Street buggy, dune buggy, bush buggy is dosen't matter just as long as your having fun and if you beetle isn't doing it for you then why
not.
hey cray.
apparently in nsw. if you start chopping your beetle and then go to engineer, which you have to you are in for a lot of time trouble and $$$. i have
done alot on this as i am wanting one. the easiest is to find a buggy that is or has been rego'd. you dont say whether you want a short or long
wheel base. but if you are happy with a 4 seater. you know maybe you and three chicks.
i know of one in sydney that is for sale. he is asking 3700 but easily you could get it for less. it is a long wheel base, green buggy complete and
rego'd.
he lives on woranora hieghts. if youre interested.
save the 68. and get this if you want you can drive it tomorrow. and no hassle.
me personally i think i am after a short wheel base. but not sure as i worry about that time when the chicks are around.
oh well better just keep cruizin in the bus. it seats 6 plus lay room
Build a buggy, they are super fun. If you build a long wheel based buggy, it is so much easier, cause it gets registered as a VW Convertable. Less
hassles
Well thats in QLD anyways
matt
Check out these sites.
http://www.offroadvw.net
http://www.manxclub.org
Maybe you will find your answers or at least some inspiration there!
...and don't forget this one:
http://www.klubvwoffroad.aunz.org
with lots of cool stories and pictures to view. Of course nowhere on the web can you read about the recent Fraser Island Trip - Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Surely it couldn't have been that bad guys!
Has anyone done one recently? I know here in WA the law requires you to get engineer's approval before you even start a convertible conversion (i.e. the engineer submits the design to the authority and they approve it.) Everyone I spoke to about a shortened pan said forget it.
I got my LWB buggy registered Sep. last year. The engineer just wanted to see better brakes, a good roll cage and nudge bar that would deflect people
over the car, not under it
This was in Qld
matt