What is it…

[rustydusty]

So I’m a new guy here, over the years have owned numerous hot rods, muscle cars, and classics. This is my first “dune car”. Bought this last week after selling a Fiat Sport Spider (that I did not bond with)
The add called it a dune buggy, but all the pictures I check out are Manx/Empi kind of cars.
Is this a sand rail? Runs and drives, 1600cc engine, and I really like it…

 

[Stinky]

I'd call it it a dune buggy, sand buggy, sand rail, buggy or rail.

In the early 80's....my and my girlfriend, fiance, wife (I don't remember when it was) went over to Sandy Eggo for the weekend. I had a picture drawn a picture drawn by a guy in one of those booths. I said dunebuggy and he drew me in a fiberglass job on a pan. I had a rail that I drove in the dunes. I was disappointed.

 

[rustydusty]

Well, that helps a lot… either way, I’m looking forward to playing with an air cooled VW, just trying to cruise to a few local shows, and if it
towed ok, dragging it to the Outer Banks with my Jeep JK…

 

[Fireballsocal]

A sand rail is a broad term. Back in the day, water pumper buggies used a stripped down chassis that consisted of the bottom frame "rails", the engine/trans, seating arrangement and not much else. These were almost always built for exploring the sand dunes. A dune buggy is also a broad term. It was originally a name for the meyers manx fiberglass bodied VWs. We mainly know them today as air cooled Volkswagen based like yours Silverlake sand dunes in Michigan had the earliest purpose built buggies made for a tour outfit in I believe the 50's. It's been awhile since I got into the history. That looks like a late 90's or early 2000's build and probably a desert car with the dual rear shocks, street kit, and extra bracing. See that one small gusset above the right rear shock assembly that isn't on the left side? I wonder what that's about? Sand cars were built to be lighter. The sand was alot smoother then.