Buggy General : mad max edition.

Just got my predator 212 today. Am excited.

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Anything is doable with the right amount of time, skill and tools/resources

What are your general concerns?

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>>17113610
Well, I'm quite new to the whole auto hobby field, and I thought a buggy was a good start, am a youngfag, 18, and haven't really been exposed to any previous auto work.

I'm planning to pre-purchase a frame, but I'm not sure how the entire process works.

It's a sandrail type buggy, essentially completely stripped down car + frame.

The frame I'm buying is Bernier Buggy, 2 seat rail, and is all you need just the vehicle and the frame, then you assemble it?

pic very related

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>>17113640
That does pretty much seem to be it

I've only ever helped in assembling and modifying ones where the floorpan has been shortened, not the rail buggy things.

Still, they're really, really simple cars, and a dream to work on - especially when you don't have stuff covering the engine

>>17113673
Alright, everything seems pretty awesome then.
But here's the thing, are these framed specifically designed so that if you have a beetle, you can salvage the parts, fit them onto the frame, and bam, buggy?
http://www.vw-store.com/Buggy%20Frames-%20Chassis.htm

>>17113594
HF, aircooled engines sound bae and are easy to work on

my uncle owns like 5 beetles and his son has an aircooled porsche, they all sound so good

>>17113687
I'm looking at it, but I can't tell if the stuff about the suspensions are customized suspensions better suited for the body, or if they are suspensions that fit especially to those frames, as the originals maybe wont

>>17113736
Suspensions aside, does it seem like the engine, seats, actual component-wise, would it fit?

I don't have access to welding equipment, nor a workshop where I live in Ontario, otherwise I would've gladly built a frame myself.

>>17113594
Again, they sell kit sand rails and buggies for cheaper.

This would make sense 30 years ago but to do it now is hipster tryhard shit.

Why a bug? You could do the same with some old Geo Tracker or fuckin Civic from the junkyard. Scrape everything out and put a motorcycle engine in it. Cheaper and more power than a bug.

>>17113750
Sure looks like it will

I'd send a mail/give the company a call and actually ask what is needed except for the frame so that you're absolutely sure

>>17113594
It's always far better to buy these types of things used. You'll waste more time and money than you even imagined possible building one.

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>>17113763
Good idea, thanks mate.

>>17113759
Thing is, I'm not looking just to buy a buggy and be done with it, I'm looking for it to be more of an introduction to automotive hobby.

I don't think the frames fit civics, otherwise I would've just bought the next cheapest thing.

The thing about beetles, is I've heard they're the easiest to modify, etc.

I'm planning for the final product to be pic related.

>>17113788
In terms of buying one, as I've said >>17113791 , I'm not looking to use this as a proper driving car, more like a car I can experiment on, and not feel bad about trashing.
I know next to nothing about cars, and I want this to be an introduction to the hobby.

Where's the fun in driving 5 miles, picking up a buggy, and that's it?

>>17113791
I would research more than going for old beetles. For your purposes any lightweight and simple chassis would work. Bugs are a thing from the past, unless you need some kinda hipster cred, find a more common and modern platform, is what I'm saying.

>>17113802
You'll have plenty to do working out kinks in a used one. You don't think it does how it be, but it do.

>>17113814
Any recommendations?
My only regulations as of now, is to make a sand-rail dirt/dune buggy for medium offroad use.

Anyone offer more advice?
Really appreciate it, in advance.

>>17113594
It's doable, but don't destroy a perfectly good car. Look for one with a body in bad shape that still runs.

>>17114147
I'm looking for a junkyard tier car, that's no more than 1k, so don't worry, I'm not going to ruin a good car.

Also, technically speaking, could a car still be driveable if only engine, steering, suspension, seats, and brakes remain?

>>17113814
People have been doing Volkswagen dune buggy conversions for decades. It's the most common platform out there for this sort of thing.

There are other starting points, of course, but most of them are designed to just add a designated engine (be it an economy car 4 banger or an LS or anything in between) into a kit that has nearly everything else.

The bug's layout and simplicity allows more of its running gear to be re-used, keeping costs down- and the aircooled engine is also rugged and well-suited to desert use to begin with.

>>17114147
This. Beetles are classics now, and good bodies are getting harder to find- it'd probably be cheaper to find a bug pan with the suspension bits you need an an engine without a whole car.

>>17114165
Probably driveable but also probably not road legal.

You could load and strap a bug chassis into the back of a long bed pickup without much trouble, if it comes to that.

>>17114243
Not planning to drive on road, we've got quite a few trails for offroad vehicles here in Ontario.

>>17114263
Oh, I thought you meant driving half a bug home to your garage from a scrapyard, kek

>>17114286
kek, nah, I've got a trailer for it, so it's not a worry.