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Ultimate Rat BUGGY?
Rural Baja - January 3rd, 2009 at 07:35 PM

Up at the property this beast has been in the next door neighbours yard outside for about 8 years. The bloke who I got it off, his father built it in Winter 1972 and it has been down the beach ever since. I swear this old girl must have seen more bush tracks than jesus did walking! She has been sitting unused since the owners death in 1991, then 10 year ago she was taken outside to rot.

Starting off with a flat pece of casing plate, old Merv proceeded to fit two pieces of flat steel bar down either side to which he welded the backend off a beetle. With the front beam he welded the front beam to the rails. You have to see the old girl to beleve it.

He must have manufactured everything himself, from the rollbars to the front headlight. She really is a ripper! And yes the glass in the front light is out of a speedo…..

Sadly after all these years in the open, she has got a bit of cancer in the floor and the casing plate around the front. But still make a good rat.

And she used to have BOBCAT writtenb in big black letters on the fueltank. You can still see the remnants of that!

The guy towed me the 500metres home with me hanging on for dear life and him in the hilux, got 100m and the wheel flew off haha. Had big wide tyres with white walls on it but I had to ditch them cause they were stuffed but ill probably chuck them back on for a few more pics.

Here’s old BOBCAT

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/18-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/17-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/16-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/15-3.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/14-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/13-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/12-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/11-2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/10-3.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/9-4.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/8-4.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/1-6.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/3-6.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/5-6.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/6-5.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/7-5.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/billholmes/4-6.jpg


eraser - January 3rd, 2009 at 10:47 PM

Did you try to start her ;)


Rural Baja - January 4th, 2009 at 06:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by eraser
Did you try to start her ;)

Nah not yet mate, probably will though!


old bugger - January 5th, 2009 at 08:50 AM

cool cat, i mean rat!


kroozzn63 - January 5th, 2009 at 11:02 AM

nice steering wheel "worth more than the buggy" pretty cool looks like one of those empi buggys, very ratty


Rural Baja - January 5th, 2009 at 05:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by kroozzn63
nice steering wheel "worth more than the buggy" pretty cool looks like one of those empi buggys, very ratty


I know haha! And as for the empi buggies, maybe this was styled of the empi buggies, all i know is i like her :lol:


Boozo - January 12th, 2009 at 10:14 AM

lol, that is ratty, almost decomposed more than rat, i noticed number plates, that thing was registered? ahh the things you could get away with in the old days.


Rural Baja - January 15th, 2009 at 04:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Boozo
lol, that is ratty, almost decomposed more than rat, i noticed number plates, that thing was registered? ahh the things you could get away with in the old days.


Yea she was registed up untill 1992. But still though could you imagaine this thing dropped on it's guts with a set of 17" Porches cup mags on her just rolling around Valla :crazy:


pod - January 15th, 2009 at 04:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1963 Empi Radar
But still though could you imagaine this thing dropped on it's guts with a set of 17" Porches cup mags on her just rolling around Valla :crazy:


i`ll say nope:crazy:


MY68VW - January 16th, 2009 at 12:04 AM

This has to be a candidate for "bit of polish and she'll be like new". I can just see someone standing next to it polish rag in one hand and scratching their head.


eraser - January 16th, 2009 at 06:13 AM

Hire a detailer and film it.

Tried starting her yet ;)


Rural Baja - January 16th, 2009 at 08:26 PM

Not yet mate, ill get around to her one day!

And ill do that after easter when i take her back to town hahaha :D


shaihulud - February 1st, 2009 at 03:10 PM

That was registered?

You are duty bound to get it re-registered as it is, to show people that the new rego rules are a lot of stuff and nonsense.

What a fabulous rat it would make.

Hose it off, fix the rust, add proper mudguards, lights, indicators, bumpers, seats, seatbelts, a quiet 4 into 1 muffler, compliant wheels and tyres, etc., and insist that it be re-registered as is..

Lots of luck. You will need it.


timmyj - February 6th, 2009 at 02:34 PM

does it come with a roadworthy?


11CAB - February 6th, 2009 at 05:14 PM

I'm guessing the RV plates are for Recretional Rego, which is offroad use only, so its not as bad as it seems. They have rec rego for the pipe frame buggies at Stockton, but you cant drive them on the road.


TheMiniMan - February 13th, 2009 at 12:35 AM

That`ll buff up ok ;-)


Rural Baja - March 5th, 2009 at 08:04 AM

Got the old girl running! A little rough but she does run!


eraser - March 5th, 2009 at 09:44 PM

haha awesome :D


volma1 - March 9th, 2009 at 09:19 AM

What do you mean running rough Will. If we had noticed the plug lead off in the 1st place it would have been perfect. The paper cup petrol tank with crud in it didn't help either. Ran sweet after a few minutes, but what can you expect after all that time especially considering the time spent in the open at the beach(10 years). If we had a better throttle than the stone wedged under the adjuster and the hotwire continually falling off that may have helped also. Volma1


Rural Baja - March 9th, 2009 at 10:15 AM

Ok a bit modest Greg, yea she ran well. Guess it heped pouring a heap of oil down the cylinders and cranking it over by hand for a few minutes over the last couplde of months, tourned out to be good. Have a video of it:


Rural Baja - March 9th, 2009 at 10:18 AM

Be up soon.


Rural Baja - March 9th, 2009 at 03:55 PM

Here we go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNsWDXsI8no 


eraser - March 9th, 2009 at 07:37 PM

haha i even called my partner over to take a look :P


Rural Baja - March 10th, 2009 at 08:02 AM

Now the next stage is a little but of tack welding to the gearbox linkage and the pedals and take her for a spin :D

I mean we have got this far..... :lol:


volma1 - March 10th, 2009 at 04:24 PM

Well done Will, came up a treat. Looking forward to seeing it on the dunes. Greg


Rural Baja - March 11th, 2009 at 09:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by volma1
Well done Will, came up a treat. Looking forward to seeing it on the dunes. Greg


Got a bit of welding to do next weekend...... :lol:


handycam - March 11th, 2009 at 09:43 PM

bit of a laugh. Will LOL so she will b out on belingham soon have to catch up done there mate


Rural Baja - March 12th, 2009 at 09:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by handycam
bit of a laugh. Will LOL so she will b out on belingham soon have to catch up done there mate


Yea mate definetly! Got a bug to use on the beach? Should make a trip to bridport along the beach!


handycam - March 13th, 2009 at 08:48 PM

No mate no bech vw yet but soon I got a 4x4 and camp there a bit I missed you by 5 min austraila day long weekend you had just gone of beach as. I was going on LOL I go down most long weekends


Rural Baja - March 13th, 2009 at 08:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by handycam
No mate no bech vw yet but soon I got a 4x4 and camp there a bit I missed you by 5 min austraila day long weekend you had just gone of beach as. I was going on LOL I go down most long weekends


Bugger that mate, you should have pulled me up! was i in the green bug or the white baja? :lol: