Well, I'm in the process of selling the manx style buggy and I'm going to buy a tube frame rail. What exactly do I want to look for? I understand that a bus tranny is a good thing to have but do you need a five rib or is a three rib good enough? I can only spend around 5,000 so it will probably be a vw engine. What else should I look for?

Start with "what you want" and take it from there. Your question has a million answers so you need to narrow it down a bit. Start with how many seats do you want. Then ask yourself if you want a long, mid or beam travel car. 5K will get you a new frame but not a whole lot more, depending on who you go with. You would be a lot better off getting a used buggy, letting someone else take the hit of a new car. JMHO.

Zilla

$5000 will get you a nice used, standart travel, VW powered rail. So start lookin at www.cycletrader.com and see what you can find. Then go test drive some things, and buy the best buggy you can afford (I would look for an IRS buggy myself, because of the potential of future upgrades to mid-travel). It really is that easy. Good luck

Yeah, I plan on buying used. So can you get by with a 3 rib or is 5 necessary?

Three and five rib trans are both 002s, five having a better case, an 091 is a six rib case (strongest), 002 trans is fine with a VW, but if your not gonna run alot of hp you can get away with a type 1 and upgrade later.

make sure whatever tranny you go with, that it's a "close ratio" tranny. Otherwise you will have 1st gear, some of second, and 3rd, and 4th, will be useless. It's easy to swap between VW trannys, so don't be so conserned with that. I would be more worried about wether it's an IRS rear, link-pin front, front brakes, or rear only, or if it's a nicely welded frame, that kind of stuff. Those are the things that are hard to change in the future.

like sais above, the 6 rib (091) is the ticket, but the 3 and 5 rib (002) will work just as well. the 5 rib is stronger than the 3 in thaqt it has the beefier 4.86 r/p compared to the skinnier 5.37 in the 3 rib. the 5 rib also has the stronger first gear. for 5k you can probably pick up a buggy with stock vw suspension, suspension seats, possibly a 2 liter vw, but any kinda really built up tranny is not likely. make sure it comes with every thing you need to run, (paddles, etc.) because a set od 4 new sand tires and aluminum wheels will set you back at least 1k (cheap). look mostly for comfort and relaibility in the car, because if you plan on building up from what yo have, you need a good platform. suspension and engine work are alot easier than re-fabbing a frame.

Okay, how about this one? It's a 1995 fugitive frame with an 1800 vw with two hours on a rebuild. The tranny is a bus tranny built to a sand tranny by a company whose name i cant remember. It has close ratio gears and all that. It's IRS, it has a powdercoated purple frame, and 13 inch paddles. Heres a pic
http://www.glamisdunes.com/photopost/showp...&cat=all&page=1

Looks good, how much?

They want around $4,000.

Thats a pretty good deal, looks like it has alot of good parts on it.

$4000.00 sounds pretty good to me. I had that frame once... Even the same color. But watch out if you're a tall person. Not much head room.

Zilla

About how tall would be too tall? It looks like it would be ok in the picture but ive never sat in one.

Forget what all these guys are telling you. Look for the most chrome and the best paint you can find. If it runs like crap, get you're buddy to tow you to the hill and just stand by it with a beer. Chicks dig all the Bling!

I'm 6' 2" and I didn't fit in that frame. I had to cut the top off it and add 4"

Wow, that sucks. Well this ones out. My dad is 6'3" and I'll probably be there too. bummer. Thanks for all your help.

This was my old car... Before I cut the top.

[attachmentid=30609]

Nice car shame that they didn't design it for taller people. It is very sleek though. Quite the step up though to your new zilla.

Thanks chevelle100. We had a lot of fun it that car but I STILL have knots on my head the roll bars! ... Even adding the 4" didn't put it far above my head. But at least I didn't have to drive it with my head hanging out the side!

Zilla

Ya know thats funny because thats what my dad was doing the first time we took out the manx style buggy. The cage was actually near his neck and his head was sticking out the side. Had fun but I took that thing out without regrets. The morons who put it in actually welded a bolt on one bracket so it couldnt be undone, so we had to use a grinder and cut off part. Glad to be rid ot it.

Hows this one look. http://www.glamisdunes.com/photopost/showp...&cat=all&page=1
It's the one on the right. It has an 1835 vw with dual carbs, new cnc pedals, turn brakes, a three rib bus tranny, and a set of paddles. It's a chenowth frame and has a ton of lights. Everything runs well and is very dependable. The frame is a shortback. They want 3,000. How's it sound?

Looks ok, should try sitting in it though, and check out that left rear trailing arm, looks like that wheel is toed out (could just be the angle of the picture). Have fun!

I think it's just the picture, and he says it has enough room. I won't buy sight unseeen but it would definatelly be worth looking at for the price.