A little something for Fritz

[PonoBill]

It is indeed a wooden surfboard, complete with fin.

[stoneaxe]

I dig the pipes. I bet that thing sounds badass, in a VW kind of way.

That engine looks a lot like my 66. A little cleaner though. Similar pipes so I know what Greg is saying...was alway fun downshifting and punching it in a tunnel....

This is the only crappy pic I have of it....such a fun car....lots of great memories. 100's of mile of dirt roads amongst the cranberry bogs were perfect for it. Rooster tails coming off those knobby 50's in the back...

[Bean]

And where would you put the license plate?

I would opt for the crankshaft pulley

[stoneaxe]

Propeller plate....

Speaking of crankshafts. Any idea what it's pushing for HP and if the flywheel has been reinforced (extra pins). I kept blowing front oil seals and ovaling the holes in the flywheel in that 66 until I had 4 more machined into it. Too much torque for stock 4 pins. I was thinking that you probably won't drive this as hard as I did mine so it likely wouldn't matter then realized what a stupid thought that was.....

[stoneaxe]

https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/money/cars/2018/05/17/dune-buggies-never-go-out-of-style/35021931/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories

[PonoBill]

I spent most of today making a front hoop for the rollbar. Part of the required Dianeification process. Actually to carry a surfboard it needs more than just a windshield frame bolted into the fiberglass. I'm adding a front hoop that precisely follows the contour of the windshield but protrudes another half inch all around. Snakes in at the sill and bolts to the floor. It took two tries and a very complete cardboard mockup to make the curves work. Nice to have a really good tube bender. There will be one or maybe two top bars in the middle, I think two would look a bit slicker, especially is I make them angle together a bit. The open question is: make the top bar bolt in so the cage can be removed easily, or just assume it's not going to come out. I think the latter. I'm also going to do two side intrusion bars. These will run just under the sills and bolt through to hard points welded onto the roll bars. I was going to hide them, but I think they'll look pretty cool. I want to keep the thing looking very clean, so I'm trying to minimalize everything, so I might paint them black and tuck them high instead of making them visible and painting them silver.

I have to add turn signals, so I'm doing turn signal mirrors from a motorcycle. They look too modern, but the vintage looking stuff was fugly. I'll mount these to the new front hoop. Also some dinky LED turn lights front and back, and a slick LED license plate light that's built right into the bolts. Then I'll go camp out at the DMV until they agree to register it. There's no reason why they won't, but I stupidly said the words "dune buggy" instead of kit car.

It's a very cool dune buggy, and it will continue to be very cool when I'm done fiddling. I just need to be very careful not to go nuts.

[PonoBill]

Finished the rollbar modifications today except for adding the anti-intrusion bars and turn signals. I'm going to black out the bases and the hardpoints for the anti-intrusion bars. the bars will be under the lip of the body and will also be black--mostly invisible. I want the buggy to stay as clean as feasible. The trunk will be aluminum instead of white metalflake Naugahyde.

[eastbound]

how'd ypu fit in that thing, stones?

i figure you were full grown when you owned it......

[stoneaxe]

Looking good bro.

how'd ypu fit in that thing, stones?

i figure you were full grown when you owned it......

bugs are like Mini's. The straighter seat posture helps big guys. I also modified the front seat bracket so it could slide back another 6". No seats in back. I tore out the rear bench and built a flat platform with a cushion. My dog (Conan the wonder dog... )was with me 24/7 for the most part and that was his spot. My Mom re-upholstered the back and head liner for me....or maybe she really did it more for him....she spoiled my dog terribly.


My wife and I had so many laughs in that car. We were talking about it just last night.