Texas Manx Club

by **CajunBuggy** » 16 Thu Apr, 2009 10:03 am

Hello fellow buggy enthusiasts. I am new to the club and wanted to drop in, introduce myself and show a few pics of my buggy. I started a year ago and had to take the summer off to spend on the lake...I know, I should have been working on my buggy but hey...too many hobbies.

I have not updated my website in about a year but you can see some beginning pics here:

http://www.arceneaux.org/buggy

I still need to bend a new roll bar (seemed to get the last one off by 3 inches...oops), diamond plate the dash and form the rear back part of the seat.

Almost there...waiting for a few misc. parts to come in from Chirco and cip1 but we have been driving around town and my family loves it.

I hope to meet many other buggy enthusiasts in Salado. I have really grown to love vw buggies and I am already looking for another to restore...my wife does not know this yet so shhhhh.

P.S. Got some cool leftovers, IRS tranny and other parts I will bring out to the Buggy Blast is anyone needs them. Do I hear swap meet?

Thanks,

Matt Arceneaux
CajunBuggy
matt@arceneaux.org

by **CoryN** » 16 Thu Apr, 2009 10:43 am

Welcome

We're not too far apart - We can cruise once I get mine running.

There's getting to be quite a few of us North Texas representatives - maybe we can put together a North Texas event.

Cory

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 16 Thu Apr, 2009 10:59 am

Nice looking buggy Matt...

Looking forward to seeing it out at the Blast. Oh, and bring your extra parts too! I'm on the prowl for pieces for my new project. 8-)

by **CajunBuggy** » 16 Thu Apr, 2009 9:12 pm

Cory - we will have to ride when you get yours done. How far along are you? Got some pics?

Vee Dub Nut - like the name! I will bring my extras. I am going to enjoy mine for a while so I do not think I will need the parts. I actually enjoy the hunt for parts so if I build another...a hunting I will go.

I will see you at the Buggy Blast!

Matt

by **Texasbuggys** » 16 Thu Apr, 2009 9:16 pm

looking good

by **freightshaker** » 16 Thu Apr, 2009 9:25 pm

Hey Cajun I'm up here in Sherman, like Cory not to far away....Maybe we can get some thing going up here...Nice buggy you got there, if you are looking for another I know where one is sitting....Don't know if it is for but its been sitting for awhile....

by **CoryN** » 17 Fri Apr, 2009 7:56 am

CajunBuggy wrote:Cory - we will have to ride when you get yours done. How far along are you? Got some pics?

Vee Dub Nut - like the name! I will bring my extras. I am going to enjoy mine for a while so I do not think I will need the parts. I actually enjoy the hunt for parts so if I build another...a hunting I will go.

I will see you at the Buggy Blast!

Matt

Plenty of pics - look for my thread in the members project section. I still have a ways to go - but hoping to make the blast this time with it.

by **MikeL** » 17 Fri Apr, 2009 1:20 pm

Hey Cajunbuggy, I live in Prosper a few miles from you. Lets go cruzin.

by **Bill K** » 17 Fri Apr, 2009 10:36 pm

Welcome Cajun Buggy. That is a real nice ride you've got there. We're glad to have you on board and looking forward to meeting you at the Blast.

by **CajunBuggy** » 17 Fri Apr, 2009 11:06 pm

Cory - just caught up with your buggy progress...wt heck..that is one hell of a transformation. I thought my body was bad. It was split down the middle, there was no dash and the rear had a little chunk out of it....but I was not missing a fender!!! You should be extremely proud of your progress. I would love to drive out and see the progress with my own eyes. Just let me know if you want to get together.

I can say everyone who I have met on the forum has open arms to new buggy enthusiasts. Very nice to feel so welcomed. I may plan a buggy ride here up north. If we plan it right, we could go for a morning run and end the ride at my house on the lake for a barbecue lunch..or heck, I am cajun...we should have a crawfish boil. Anyone interested?

by **CoryN** » 19 Sun Apr, 2009 7:02 pm

You are welcome anytime. Most weekends I'm out piddling with it. Got a bunch of new parts this weekend at the Classic, so I've got more to play with.

Cory

by **Bryan Porter** » 20 Mon Apr, 2009 8:51 am

sign me up for that crawfish boil and the cruise would be nice too.

by **David Head** » 20 Mon Apr, 2009 9:08 am

Hey Matt,
I have been trying to get some kind of a North Texas cruise set up for a while. There does seem to be a lot of us up here. I live in Wills Point and work in Greenville. It won't be the first time we have driven the buggy up that way. Right Cory.

Give us a shout and we can meet you up that way for a cruise. What lake do you have a place on?

David

by **CajunBuggy** » 20 Mon Apr, 2009 9:41 am

I live on Lake Lewisville on the east (Frisco) side. My wife gets back in town tonight and I will see what works best for us but we are pretty free (pending my kiddo's baseball games).

Lets plan something for the next couple of week. That would be great! Lets try to get something on the books. Lets come up with a a couple of days and see what works best for all.

Thanks,

Matt

by **David Head** » 20 Mon Apr, 2009 12:58 pm

Baseball for us too. My son is a senior. I know Mike Lee has to work around baseball too

by **CajunBuggy** » 22 Wed Apr, 2009 10:37 pm

I kind of forgot what my buggy use to look like...here are some pics:

Amazing what a little time, sandpaper and love for the buggy does for your buggy project!

Thanks,

Matt

by **CoryN** » 23 Thu Apr, 2009 8:00 am

I see you started with a basket case too. Good Job saving another old one.

Cory

by **Bill K** » 23 Thu Apr, 2009 8:45 am

I think we need to think about a special car show class for you guys.

It is abosolutely awesome what you have accomplished.

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 23 Thu Apr, 2009 11:30 am

That's some impressive glass work..

Did you paint it yourself?

by **CajunBuggy** » 23 Thu Apr, 2009 12:27 pm

Thanks all. the guy I bought if from had filled many holes before I grabbed it but I can not tell you how much glass I went through. Vee Dub - yes, painted outside on a calm day...got a few bugs I had to pick out before the clear coat but all worked out fine. Bought the paint from a guy here locally. grabbed 20 cans for $15 Still have about 15 cans left. He had building full of automotive paint.

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 23 Thu Apr, 2009 12:31 pm

That's impressive.. looks good!

by **Fred** » 23 Thu Apr, 2009 8:05 pm

I Got to looking at your buggy and Im pretty sure mine is the same body, Do you have any idea what it is? The car looks great! Fred.

g

by **blackthree4me** » 24 Fri Apr, 2009 12:15 pm

Both of you guys have what they call a spatz hood

but niether of your bodys are indicative of what I have seen privously for a spatz

two trade marks are the hood and a larger rear deck area than a typical manx clone see photo of the above notes

the side pods are a custom mod on mine and should not be included in the evaluation

The spare tire holder is definatly not a Spatz trait but more along the Manx line

post up the Picks and we can continue to evaluate

look in the club photos at Rickys Plum Crazy he has a Spats that is a little later model than mine and shows the upgrade side pannels and tail fin
hope thes helps welcome to the club to the both of you
I feel ya on the body work
mine had angle iron and caulk holding it together :shock:

and oh yah Fred love that Wrangelr MC in the background SWEET

blackthree4me

by **CajunBuggy** » 01 Fri May, 2009 9:46 pm

Ok...new rear tires and rims. I can thank Bill K for providing me the inspiration for putting 295/50 15 on my rear tires...Those are some wide tires.

Off for the hunt for some new front rims to match.

by **CoryN** » 02 Sat May, 2009 7:12 am

Looking real good - gotta love them big meats 8-)

by **Bill K** » 02 Sat May, 2009 1:06 pm

Great looking buggy. Those big tires in the back really make it look beefy. ;-)

by **DannyT** » 02 Sat May, 2009 3:24 pm

Matt, those look nice!! Give us a shot of the rear rims so we all can help locate some matching fronts......and then I can get the fronts from you as well.

by **CajunBuggy** » 02 Sat May, 2009 3:41 pm

Danny - if you locate some front rims for a killer price while you are on the hunt, I will give you the fronts off of mine

by **DannyT** » 02 Sat May, 2009 5:19 pm

Get me a picture of the rears so I know what I am looking for. There is an auto swap meet at Canton next weekend. I plan on making the trip over Saturday to see whats there. Last time I went there was a buggy that went for $500. So anything is possible.

by **BuggymanJohn** » 03 Sun May, 2009 6:23 pm

Love that color.

by **CajunBuggy** » 03 Sun May, 2009 9:42 pm

Danny, here is a close up of the rim...I have not put my center caps in yet. If anyone sees any, let me know. I have not done the conversion to disc up front so I am still 4-lugging it. I could buy an adapter I guess.

by **Texasbuggys** » 04 Mon May, 2009 2:35 pm

Those look like Douglas Wheels

by **CajunBuggy** » 08 Fri May, 2009 12:37 am

Glassed the side pods in tonight. I still have to fill the gap (that should be fun). I will hopefully do that tomorrow and then sand on Saturday. Paint on Sunday. I will have to post pictures when I am done sanding the pods.

Next up, I need to cut the diamond plate for the dash, carpet the center and replace the push rod tube gaskets....dang oil leak.

Almost complete for the blast....pshaw, forgot, I need to cut a part out of my hood, re-glass and spray. double present for wife for mothers' day, CHECK.

by **CajunBuggy** » 12 Tue May, 2009 1:12 am

ok..call me crazy. Take a perfectly good buggy and two weeks before a cruise, take a recip saw to the bottom, add pods, cut a hole in my hood to repair a bad spot and blast and paint my drums. I just bondo'ed the last few small pits. Tomorrow I will give a once-over and then spray primer. Thursday sand the primer and Friday or Saturday...paint & clear coat.

Sorry about the quality of the photo. Took with my iPhone in a not so bright space.

I am still hoping to replace the push rod tube seals next week. Just in time.

by **CoryN** » 12 Tue May, 2009 10:14 am

Those pods look good. Lot of work in just a few days time.

That had to hurt - I know I had problems taking the paint back off mine to fix the 3 spots I had. But looks a whole lot better now.

Cory

by **blackthree4me** » 12 Tue May, 2009 12:29 pm

if Im looking at this correct in the photos your front end trailing arm have the sway bar mounts still on with no sway bar?

might clen that front end up a bit if you ditch those pieces
dont realy need a sway bar 8-)

just a thought

Great work on the pods mine were nowhere near that nice a fit up .

by **CajunBuggy** » 13 Wed May, 2009 8:59 am

We guys...I am done sanding...I forgot how much I did not like sanding, bondo, sand, bondo, sand, bondo...I can not tell you how many small pinholes I had to fill. I also forgot that I re-glassed under my rear seat to make a storage compartment. I forgot to sand so I was up pretty late doing that. I hope to spray the primer this evening. If I can get three good coats of primer today/tonight, I will be able to paint on Friday just as planned! I will update with pics later this evening.

As for other things, I replaced a few odds and ends (shift coupler, dash lights, fuel filter etc..). I also replaced all of my oil filter studs. For some reason, they were too far into the block. Next week I hope to disassemble my engine to stop the small oil leak between the head and the jug.

blackthree4me, yes, I was going to do that. When I first started my buggy addiction, I did not know much about buggies. I did not know if I needed the sway bar or, more to the point, if it would really help. Now I know so I will be removing tomorrow.

One sidebar, one of my friends has succumb to the power that the buggy has and is having me pick out his donor buggy. Manx-style. The is the best of all worlds...I get to search for another buggy to buy with using their money.

by **CajunBuggy** » 17 Sun May, 2009 9:40 pm

Ok guys...I have completed the pod project. I will have to upload some pics of the buggy with its new look tomorrow but here is a sneak peak:

I decided to paint the drums as well. Looking pretty sweet. Other items off my checklist this weekend, diamond plate dash board and the rear coupler cover.

I will post better pics tomorrow. Kudos go to my wife for putting up with by buggy craziness this weekend. She is also helping me carpet the center channel. Off to strip engine down. Should have complete by tomorrow night.

by **CoryN** » 18 Mon May, 2009 11:21 am

How are you going about buffing yours out?

I started with a really shiny surface after about 10 coats of clear, but it had some orange peel. So I spent all day yesterday wetsanding, and then did the rubbing compound on the buffer and then the polishing compound, but I'm not anywhere near as shiny as I started, its perfectly flat and smooth but not shiny.

by **CajunBuggy** » 18 Mon May, 2009 2:10 pm

did you make sure that you buffed the buffing compound until it was dry? I had that issue. Then if you use a polishing compound after that, it would look a little flat. I do not know if I will have the time for a complete buff of my entire car but hopefully I will.

by **CoryN** » 18 Mon May, 2009 2:31 pm

If you don't do it before - bring it over and we'll have a polishing party.

by **CajunBuggy** » 18 Mon May, 2009 11:22 pm

cory - a polishing party it is!! I am not going to be able to get to it. My wife wanted me to remove my seats and interior so that she can do her carpet thing. That and my crazy engine stripping will take up the rest of the week. Will you be working on it on Memorial Day?

by **CajunBuggy** » 21 Thu May, 2009 12:44 am

OK folks..I am DONE!!!! well...I guess you are never done with a buggy. I did not have time to polish my new paint job :cry:

BUT it still looks good for the Blast. I may get a wild hair up my you know what and buy some new front tires tomorrow but I will have to sneak past the wife. Did someone say in this thread to stash receipts in the toolbox?

My family is excited about the blast but with a 5 and 4 year old, we might have to take turns letting them drive all of the buggies.

I will post pictures tomorrow in the sun!

by **Bill K** » 21 Thu May, 2009 12:55 am

CONGRATS on being ready for the Blast.

Reciepts are too easily found in a tool box. I recomment buring them. :lol:

by **Texasbuggys** » 21 Thu May, 2009 6:29 am

That was one quick build!! See you folks at the blast!

Texas Manx Club

New to the Club - My Project is almost ready for Buggy Blast

New to the Club - My Project is almost ready for Buggy Blast

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