The Cal-look Lounge

Hello everyone, I'm new on the forum. and I'm new in the vw world too. Last year my dad give me an old italian dune buggy. It was manufactered from the Autozodiaco, who at the beginning copied the Manx. The buggy was found in a junkyard in good condition, but the pans were rusted.

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/autozodiaco.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/fondi.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/cambio.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/avantreno.jpg)

and after one long year of work...


(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/DSCN0918.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/DSCN0915-1.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/DSCN0928.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee76/chopperdentist/DSCN0922.jpg)

The car is a '71 on 65-67 pans.
I restored it completly. changed the pans, molded the welds, and painted it black after an epoxidic base.
broken parts were changed and other were restored.
the body was painted apricot metalflake (i spent my summer holidays on it!!!). the hard top come from Rob at Eastcoastbuggies.co.uk
the wheels are 15x6 Cal Parts with g70-15 wide ovals in hte back and firestone f560 165x80x15 in the front
the engine is 1600, lightened flywheels, forged pistons, lightened rods, forged and counterweighted crankshaft, worked original heads, home made cams and 2 40 weber.

it's fantastic to ride, so fun!!!

but I have to tank all the people who helped me during this year!!! thanks so much buddies

That is a really sweet looking ride. I love the color.

--louis

Very nice!! Love the tires and the overall styling... and welcome to the lounge ;)

Not Bad - I wonder where he got all his idea's  ::) ;) :)
















 (just kiddin Bro - its very flatering)

you know guys. you two are the first person i have to thank. your buggys were my inspiration. since the first time i've seen pics of you on the web i understand that was the style i like. and thank you for the help.
hope to meet you again soon. maybe with buggys too!!!

thanks for nice words on my car.

p.s.: now it's my daily driver!!!

I know dude - we're just playin  ;)

And its ALWAYS cool to see a manx done the way its ment to be done OLD SKOOL  ;D

I was thinking I would like to see Rob's flower roof on your buggy (more idea's ;))

And yes I look forward to seeing you and your buggy - I want to take a drive down to Italy sometime, take in some "famous roads" ie from the italian job etc I am trying to convince Rob to come with me  ;) I just wanna see all 3 buggies together  :)

By the way your "other parts" will be done next week ;)

Wanna borrow a coach?  ;D

Yeah man we can get both buggies in the back and live in comfort  ;D

the best and comfortable way to come in italy is to take the train and carry the car on it. it travels from Hamburg to Verona(Italy) and it's cheap too.

Yeah but where's the adventure in that dude - Its all about LONG distance road trip, especially in a manx  ;D

Italy is long enough. don't worry. by the train you don't have to drive thru the boring german freeway!!

Good point dude Germany is SOOOOOOOOO boring  :)

Nice Manx ! I saw it at Hills Race.

Thank you very much Nico. yours are first pics of my buggy done!!

There at Hill Race I got some clutch problems so I couldn't try the car on the drag strip. I'm waiting for the next year event to race!!

Does anyone have some old pics about how to close the buggy on the side and on the back using a softop beetween the roof and the body?

 ::)

Oh oh, any more pics of that buggy?

--louis

 ;)

whow!!!

grat pics. thanks a lot!!

But I never understood if the one on the side was a door or how it could be opened? by a zip fastener or what else??  ??? ???

Yep its just a zip dude - very old skool ;) They are the big chunky type that you see on boat covers,

That Fusia Pink Manx is one of my personal favourites - I think its a factory promotion car  :)

Nice pink one, love the wheels!

And nice orange one too, great work ;)

I think those rims are Stock type chevy wheels - I've seen these on loads of 70's Station wagons etc  :)

the wheels should be Ford. stock 70's ford.

probably i'm stupid but where is the zip on the windows? and how they are fixed?
I got no problems for the rear windshield. but how are fixed the left and right windows? just with 2 or 3 buttons in the back, in and out of the roof? and where is the zip to open them?

i will check my book louis  ;)

(http://www.sandaddiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/red_1-manx.jpg)

(http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/1562/manx1.jpg)
 ::)

Thats an AWESOME pic of "Old Red" ;D

Old Red ready to win the Baja!!  thanks Speedwell

To answer your question about the zips dude - I think its one zip the runs accross the top of the door and down the back edge,

it is fixed to the screen and can fold forward  :)

At risk of embarrassing myself! :-\ Are the 'gas like' bottles attached to keep this buggy afloat in case it hits deep water? They don't look like they are connected and don't seem like they are situated in the best places if they are carrying extra fuel....  ???

Cheers,

J

 ;)
(http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/albums/Buggy-Photos/manx_red3.jpg)
(http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/albums/Buggy-Photos/manx_red2.jpg)
(http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/albums/Buggy-Photos/manx_red1.jpg)
(http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/albums/Buggy-Photos/unknown_qld_buggy.sized.jpg)

the pictures came from here  manx club australia

http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/slideshow.php?set_albumName=album197 (http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/slideshow.php?set_albumName=album197)

I am trying to decide between a hard top and having a custom soft top like this one made:

(http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/albums/album240/DSCN0598.jpg)


BTW, this car is owned by a guy from North Carolina. If you dropped the hub caps, painted the wheels white and went with a white top you would have close to what I think mine will end up looking like. While I like the looks of the single hoop roll bar I like the protection of the 4 point bar he has.

(http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/albums/album208/DSC00277a.jpg)

--louis

chopperdentist , why don't you try this forum  :D

http://www.manxclub.com/forum.htm (http://www.manxclub.com/forum.htm)

Their forum is not all that active. There is also the Dunbuggies Archive, the Dual Spot Buggies site & the RBC dune buggy forum. None are real active with just a few posts a day. The most active one is The Samba forum but there is a high dickfer quotient on The Samba so enter at your own risk.

--louis

Dude they ARE extra gas tanks - its a long way to Baja  ;) I do agree not very H&S is it lol lol lol  ;) :)

Also that other red one kinda looks like a buggy I know - roofrack, light on the roof, Tri phase air cleaner etc etc  ;)

thanks for the advise. I try to post the question to the dba.com and manforum.com . let's see what happen.

Louis, I like a lot your project. but I prefer the hardtop look.

Yeah I agree. I think I will go with a hard top and have side and rear curtains made. Now the trick will be getting someone to ship a hard top to me.

--louis

where do u come from?

Florida, USA.

--louis

did u ask to http://www.meyersmanx.com/mmstore/store-main.shtml

I have been in touch with them before. They will only ship their 3 piece roof. I may get it if I can not find a one piece some where.

Thanks,

--louis

I am sure if you ask Rob Nicely he will ship one out to you - its been done before  :)

I couldn't imagine the cost of shipping one over seas lol.

--louis