Texas Manx Club

by **speedyshark** » 09 Mon Jun, 2008 10:17 am

I am new to the site and love all the info. Looking to buy a buggy soon and getting started. Looking right now for a buggy to start on. I am just not sure If I want a long body or old short body. I have a four year old and would like to take him along with me and my wife( if I can get her in it). I have always liked buggies and finally decided to get one. Since my back surgery I can no longer ride motorcycles so going to see if I get the same fun from the buggy as I did the bike.

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 09 Mon Jun, 2008 10:21 am

Awesome another San Antonioian (sp?) and an Aggie to boot

Welcome to the mix..

Here are a few adds floating around lately.. don't know how much of a project your looking for.

On the north side of town:
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/pts/687235131.html

This one looks good too (in conroe)
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... ?id=619581

in Austin:
http://austin.craigslist.org/rvs/694639958.html

I've got a buggy project in the works. Although its been sitting untouched a lot lately. I'm over on the westside of town (151 and 1604 area)

by **speedyshark** » 09 Mon Jun, 2008 10:27 am

Just sent you a PM. Vee Nut. Thanks for the posts. I did look at all of them. Went out to the S.A. one was not bad and not to hot on the bushmaster style.

I am over off Blanco and West ave.

by **Bill K** » 09 Mon Jun, 2008 10:44 am

Welcome aboard. You've come to the right place to get all the best help in guiding you toward making a buggy a reality.
I've had both, motorcycles and buggies, and this I can say for sure: You are going to be shocked and amazed at how much more fun you are going to have with a buggy, especially because of the kind of folks with which you will be associated (Texas Manx Dune Buggy Club)
I honestly cannot think of a vehicle, at any cost, that can give as much pleasure as a dune buggy.

by **CoryN** » 09 Mon Jun, 2008 3:22 pm

theres one just posted on the Samba in Keene, it looks like a manx body, has holes where the badge would have been. Definitely a project car, but might be a good start.

I'm curious about it, I sold that guy my extra buggy and it was in a lot worse shape than this one, not sure why he would be selling this one and keeping that one.

by **Bill K** » 09 Mon Jun, 2008 10:28 pm

This one sounds like a pretty good deal for the money.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... ?id=621252

by **speedyshark** » 09 Mon Jun, 2008 11:12 pm

Thanks. I will call on that one tomorrow. See if they have more pics but price looks good. I like the O.B.O. Especially since Mesquite is about 4 hrs away. would hate to dive there only to have one side all broke up or cracked in half. At $4.00 a gal. road trips are not that fun any more

by **speedyshark** » 12 Thu Jun, 2008 7:07 am

does anyone live close to mesquite? Can't seem to get the guy selling the buggy to send more pics of it(Like all sides inside and out). Just wanted to see by chance if someone was close could possibly check it out? I know as of yesterday he still had it.

by **CoryN** » 13 Fri Jun, 2008 1:27 pm

Did you have any luck?

by **speedyshark** » 15 Sun Jun, 2008 5:23 pm

Found a bug for a donor. Going to try and make it into a baja like the the maroon bug in: thanks for great weekend. Wife really likes that one. Was going to do the full manx style buggy, But going to be a family project so got to keep her happy. First need to get it running.
http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm102/speedyshark/

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 15 Sun Jun, 2008 9:30 pm

Looks like you have a good solid start.. time to bust out the sawzall :twisted:

by **speedyshark** » 15 Sun Jun, 2008 9:43 pm

Looks like i need to find a good 110v welder. Break out the sawzall reinforce the body and cut,cut,cut. Would this still qualify as a buggy? Or Would I be made to drive in the back of the pack come cruse night:)

by **speedyshark** » 17 Tue Jun, 2008 6:50 pm

IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE! Got Hermit running. Put new plugs static set the timing and boom started. Had black smoke coming from tail pipes. pulled plugs after 10min ride and they were black. Not oily more like powder black. Compression was as follows(#1-115 #2-119 #3-115 #4-105)is that ok? so put plugs back in and turned mixture screw on carb clock wise half turn. started it up and no more black smoke.

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 17 Tue Jun, 2008 8:10 pm

Make sure to check the valve lash..

Good work!

by **speedyshark** » 17 Tue Jun, 2008 8:42 pm

Will do. the trany was a little lose clutch and shifter. Is there a adjustment for them? I guess the wiring will be next, stop lights come on and stay on while car ignition is on.

by **speedyshark** » 17 Tue Jun, 2008 9:22 pm

What would be a good timing light to go and buy tomorrow and where?

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 17 Tue Jun, 2008 10:07 pm

speedyshark wrote:Will do. the trany was a little lose clutch and shifter. Is there a adjustment for them? I guess the wiring will be next, stop lights come on and stay on while car ignition is on.

There is a wing nut on the clutch cable up by the tranny to adjust the freeplay in the cable..

The shifter rod has a bushing in the tunnel right behind where the shifter mounts, and a coupler under the inspection plate under the back seat. Probably best to replace both. You'll have to pull the shift rod out to get the front bushing. Here is a good how to on the front bushing:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=157519

by **Vee Dub Nut** » 17 Tue Jun, 2008 10:10 pm

speedyshark wrote:What would be a good timing light to go and buy tomorrow and where?

I've got a craftsman that was passed down to me.. Anything should be good.

I prefer to have one that has the dial that you can adjust when the strobe is triggered. This is good for stock pullys so you can dial in the desired timing and see if it is set right (for example, you want 10 degrees BTDC, dial in 10 BTDC on the gauge, and the mark for TDC on the pulley should be hitting the case split as the engine is running). If you have an aluminum degreed pulley you don't really need this feature.

Does that at all make sense.. it does in my head, I hope that what I wrote did :lol:

by **blackthree4me** » 18 Wed Jun, 2008 1:03 pm

nice start to a good project
find you some good baja Kit
there cheap and look much better than a hack job
for the wife of course

also your engine seems to have a weber progressive carb
search it on the net as they can be kinda tuff to get right
but once you do youl love it they dump allot of gas
might have to re Jet it depending on whats in it
Like I said do your research its not a bolt on item it needs to be set up.

also with the progressive carb get you a set of headers

by **speedyshark** » 18 Wed Jun, 2008 11:53 pm

of course for the wife. It is a progressive carb. went to buggy wearhouse today and had a motor with same carb on it. Did do some reading and will try to set it up right. By the way if anyone lives around the Blanco/West ave area and want to stop by to help adjust the valves

feel free to let me know. And is the timing 5 atdc? So would I set the dial on the timing gun on 5 and have set to tdc?

by **blackthree4me** » 19 Thu Jun, 2008 5:15 pm

get you a haynes or some sort of manual so you dont have to go in and out of the house to read stuff.
setting the valves is pretty easy if you know what to do.

as with anything done right.
do your research then take your time.

by **blackthree4me** » 24 Tue Jun, 2008 3:51 pm

like this $350

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... ?id=626274

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