Hello. New guy here.

[johber41]

My Ride

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After hurricane Ike blasted into the Houston Texas in 2008, my elderly neighbor (car enthusiast) lost his garage to a fire that was started from another neighbor fueling a hot back-up generator. I was helping my neighbor with the fire clean-up when I found a 1961 Volkswagen Manx-style short-pan dune buggy (neglected and damaged) inside a storage shed in his back yard. My neighbor explained that he built the kit-car in 1966 and last drove it in 1980. My neighbor then told me that if I could get the buggy started that I could have the car to own. Over the last couple of years I have been slowly rebuilding it. The wife and I are having a blast driving the buggy regularly. The car has some minor fire damage to the glass body but it is basically still all original. (1200 CC engine, 6V electrical system, Keystone mags…etc). I hope to be able to catch up with you guys in the Manx group to show the car off and get your opinions. I never had much to do with air-cooled before but find the mechanics fun and interesting.

[BrianB]

Welcome aboard John! Fine looking buggy there. What part of Houston are you in? There are lots of us around Houston. May see you at a local show.

[johber41]

Thanks Brian. I am in the Seabrook area of Clear Lake. If you live anywhere near Clear Lake I am sure that you may have seen me around. Having the buggy to drive has been a wonderful experience and it has been fun to see people's reactions when they see the buggy as you drive through Kemah or other local areas. Thanks for your response.

[GregR]

Great story John and welcome the the madness!

[Bill K]

Yes indeed, Welcome Aboard,John. I'm in Rosenberg, and Brian is right, there are a good number of us in the Greater Houston Area.

You are so right about the public's reaction to a Dune Buggy. I can't think of another car that can get that much favorable attention.

[johber41]

Thanks for the welcome Greg. My buggy looks alot like the pic in you mail. Bill, you are so right! I occasionally drive to Clear Lake Shores to the Home Depot, on Saturday evenings, to admire the rare, antique and hot rod cars that arrive for the regular visit. If the weather is nice, there are a large number of cars and car enthusiasts there. The interesting thing about the visit is that although there are a few rare older VW Beetles and Corvairs among the 40's, 50's 60's and 70's muscle cars, my buggy is the only dune buggy in the mix. Another fun aspect is watching the kids accumulate around the buggy for mom and dad to get a photo. I realize that it is far from a muscle car, but it seems that the novelty of the buggy just makes people smile and point. I have owned muscle cars in my younger life and never saw the excited reaction I see when people waive and point at the buggy. You guys have stumbled on to something fun here and I am glad it found its way to me.

[johber41]

I Saw where a lot of you guys post a few before and after pics of your project. I am new to this forum but I will try and get some of my pics to the right size for submission. I am very impressed with how beautiful many of your projects are and I hope to get my buggy to that level of excellence someday.

[Bill K]

You are already looking pretty darn good right where you are.

[johber41]

Thanks Bill........

[staggerwing]

Awesome story! Welcome to the club dude! Looking forward to meeting you and seeing that little gem. We are in Seguin near San Antonio and you are right, there's nothing like it. We wish we would have started this 40 years ago!

[Bryan Porter]

Welcome and I agree I did start 40 years ago or maybe more I forget.

[BrianB]

Ya, you old fart you

Welcome and I agree I did start 40 years ago or maybe more I forget.

[johber41]

Thanks for the welcome guys.....I am submitting a picture of my neighbor and buddy Victor along side the buggy in 2009. He was the original builder back in 1966 and told me that he had a great time driving it on Texas beaches in the 60's and found the car to be a magnet for the ladies. This pic was the day I got done rebuilding the brakes, replacing the rotted tires, and drove it down the street for the first time. Boy, I found there was so much more to do after the buggy's thirty year nap!

[Bill K]

My wife calls Dune Buggies, "Chick Magnets". And they are that indeed.

[staggerwing]

Hey; what's that thingy sticking out of the hood? Whatever it is, I have to have one! Hats off to your neighbor Victor, for "paying it forward" - salute!

[BrianB]

Thats the flux capacitor indicator

Hey; what's that thingy sticking out of the hood? Whatever it is, I have to have one! Hats off to your neighbor Victor, for "paying it forward" - salute!

[johber41]

Victor is a classic car guy and when he built the buggy he used 65 Chevy Impala lenses for the rear lights and that is a 68 Pontiac GTO tac on the hood. Fully functional but needs a new internal bulb for night time.

[staggerwing]

A LOT can be said for old school. I love the Impala tail lights, always have. But dude, a hood tach on a dune buggy? How cool is that? Very cool, especially if it came of a GTO!

[Gert]

Great looking buggy. Very nice color. Those Impala lights and Ansen Sprint ? wheels are excellent.

[Bill K]

My first new car was a '65 Impala (I thought I was rooster of the roost with that car ). I knew there was a reason I liked those taillights. I wish I had thought of using them.

[johber41]

The wheels are actually 60's version Keystone Cut-out mags. I remember them when everyone was buying the Craigers or Mickey Thompsons to put on their hot rods, the Keystone mags were the more affordable product. I had forgotten about the brand until I saw them on the buggy. The fun part was taking the wheels with the rotted tires over to the Discount Tire store and watching the salesman measure the rubber. They had fun converting the old tire measurements to the modern style numbers.