Budget Truck Buggy Build

Finished most of everything and got it tagged and insured!  I have put about 150 miles on it so far.  Still have to bolt in the roll bar, side panels and build the rear support.

Sweet very nice.... Looks great

67vdub wrote:Sweet very nice.... Looks great

Thanks I am very pleased with it!

I got the side panels and roll bar installed!  Spent most of the day building, painting and installing the rear body support.  

Looking good

looks good Bryce, be looking for another project

Tagged and insured last Tuesday and drove it to Panama City on Thursday and back home on Sunday.  I ended up taking tools to the P.C. with me so I could raise the back one click.  The way I had it the springplates were bottomed out.  So Friday morning me and Bob raised the back up and now it rides so much better!  I did have an issue with the alternator overcharging on the way down so I disconnected it in Eufaula and rode on battery the rest of the trip.  Yesterday I replaced the alternator for the second time (first one was bad from the start, second ended up overcharging)  I also replaced the leaking main seal and flywheel o-ring.  

On the way to the beach!



At the show!

I have been driving the buggy everywhere!  I have to fix my gas gauge though as I ran it out of gas on the way to Partners Pizza for the cruise in yesterday....oh well all apart of the adventure!

That thing looks fun. Have a paint job in the plans?
Glad ya got it working, nice job documenting progress

Yeah it's a blast! Not sure on paint yet.....if it didn't have so many holes that needed filling I would probably leave it weathered. Either way I won't be pulling it apart until it gets cold.

Nothing new to update except I installed another alternator in the buggy. Hopefully the fourth time's the charm!

Pulled the speedometer, ignition switch and headlight switch so I could remove the hood and change the fuel sending unit.....pulled the sender out and the float was full of gas.....I love these new quality parts......sender bench tested out good.....Also went ahead and changed the metal vibrator for one of the new plastic encased ones so if it burns out it wont burn up the sending unit

I have been wanting a small top for the buggy since I drove it to Panama City and today Mike made it happen. I love how it turned out!









I also picked up a set of semi weathered Cragars for cheap a couple of weeks ago. They are the same size as the wheels I have on the buggy so my white letters could be swapped over (14x6 fronts and 15x8 rears)......I like how they look mocked up on the buggy but I am not sure I want to ditch my current wheels

I drove the buggy to Cherokee this weekend for the campout.  It was well worth taking it as I had a blast with it!  Me and Bob went down the gravel part of Bunches Creek Rd outside of the campground.  It took us all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  From there we went down Heintooga Ridge Rd which dead ends into another gravel road....Balsam Mountain Road which was another awesome scenic drive



























Me and Mike drove to Bryson City for a new bulb holder and while there we drove down the road to nowhere.

Very cool. Love the buggie

I have been wanting to make some kind of a quick release for the engine cover on the buggy. Up until now I have used six small nuts and bolts to bolt it down. Over the last couple of weeks I finally gathered up all the materials I needed to try and idea I had. I ended up buying two leather pants belts, bolt together rivets, weather stripping and four footman loops. I think the straps turned out pretty good and they make a cool engine cover hold down. Now it is so much easier to remove the engine cover!

Dad has been wanting to paint the buggy for a while now since I traded it to him.   Well a few weeks ago we pulled it apart and he started the body work.  Last week he shot some color on it....Forest Moss Green Metallic from Summit Racing.   Yesterday we took the body back to his house and started putting it back together between rain showers.  Another couple hours of work and it will be back together

That looks great man!

Very nice!!!

fluxcap wrote:That looks great man!

Hobug wrote:Very nice!!!

Thanks guys! Hope to get the rest of it together today

It would look really good with those Cragars now if you still have them.

Hobug wrote:It would look really good with those Cragars now if you still have them.

Yup it would and I still have them. Would need to buy a set of chevy rotors and have the tires swapped over.

You could put a type 3 engine in there and have a flat bed.

vw57drvr wrote:You could put a type 3 engine in there and have a flat bed.

Yeah I thought about it when I originally put it together. I kind of like the oddness of it and decided to leave it be

It almost looks like the body engine cut out is the same size as a late bay engine hatch. Even looks like it is recessed to lay flat!
It could work.

Just a few pics from our trip to Cherokee a few weeks back