New Member

[starrfisherman]

I met Bill last Saturday at the Wharton Car Show. He encourged me to hook up the the Texas Manx Club. I am in the middle of a rebuld of my old dune buggy. I will post some pictures when I can get them lined up. I have been told this is an early Manx body. It is on a shortened 69 frame. It has a fiber glass top that looks like a white vinyl top. It also had the paint in the fiberglass molding. There is no tags or anything with name, numbers or anything.
It has a VW speedometer with idiot lites and a VDO fuel gage. The fuel tank is an older model with a mechanical gage, that is broken. My question, will a 68 on newer float fit in this tank and will this work with the VDO fuel gage? Will I need a volt limiter with this gauge?
The buggy is titled as a 69 VW. Do I legally need back up lites on this buggy?
Hope to meet a lot of you people soon. I doubt if I will have this thing on the road by Labor Day.
Thanks
Herb Fish
Columbus, TX

[Bill K]

Welcome Herb, glad you made it aboard.

I had a great time meeting Herb and talking dune buggies.

[ckolek]

welcome aboard!!!

[Vee Dub Nut]

Welcome!

No idea on the fuel gauge sender. If no one chimes up, check www.thesamba.com as I'm sure the info is there

As for back up lights, I think legally you need to have what ever came factory with your year model. In all honesty, you likely wouldn't be hassled in Tx for not having them.

[Ken]

Welcome to the club.
Reverse lights are not an inspected item, for a passenger vehicle.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has a good web page [TxDoT - Vehicle Inspection].

Here is the inspection list for a Passenger Vehicle. Use their web site to understand the specific details for each item, because there are details not understood just from this list. For example, Windshield Wipers are ONLY required, if you have a windshield, but a windshield is not an inspected item.

05.01 Inspect Every Passenger Car For: (Listed in suggested order of inspection)
* Check for evidence of Financial Responsibility
1. Horn
2. Windshield Wipers
3. Mirror
4. Steering
5. Seat Belts
6. Brakes (system) (Parking - beginning with 1960 models)
7. Tires
8. Wheel Assembly
9. Exhaust System
10. Exhaust Emission System (beginning with 1968 models)
11. Beam Indicator (beginning with 1948 models)
12. Tail Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
13. Stop Lamps (2); (1) if 1959 model or earlier
14. License Plate Lamp (1)
15. Rear Red Reflectors (2)
16. Turn Signal Lamps (beginning with 1960 models)
17. Head Lamps (2)
18. Motor, Serial, or Vehicle Identification Number
19. 1988 & newer - inspect for window tinting or coating
20. Gas caps on vehicles 2-24 model years old.

[KIM-P]

Welcome to the club.
The VDO fuel gauge will work with if the gauge is oem style. Not sure how to tell which is which but I do know that the fuel sender will work in the older tank because I just installed one in my tank. It also had mechanical sender.

[starrfisherman]

Thanks for the info. The fuel gage is a stock VDO VW inside the speedo housing. So, I will order a new sending unit and give it a try.
As for inspections, I plan to register this with Antique plates, where I really don't need an Inspection sticker. I have a 48 Ford with Antique plates.
Herb

[KIM-P]

You might also need a vibrater. It mounts on the back of the fuel gauge.

[Jack Duncan]

VDO makes a fuel sender for that tank, and will work with your gauge. I'm not familiar with that vibrator he talks about, because my VDO gauge didn't have that. Yes, register it as an Antique Vehicle and forget about inspections.

[KIM-P]

The stock gauge mounted in the speedo takes viberator (little black box) to make the gauge work properly.

[starrfisherman]

Thanks, found an exciter in my Mid-America catalog for $25 and a sending unit for $27. Will order it next week and hope the stock VDO gage is good.
Herb

[KIM-P]

EXCITER....ya thats what I meant Glad you figured out what I meant.

[Jack Duncan]

Oh yeah! I've heard of that. My gauge is a VDO Classic though and doesn't need that.