Dune Buggy owners out there?
 

Anyone out there have a dune buggy? I'm getting a project buggy from my
uncle that's been sitting for 30 years in storage, and I'm curious what
types of roof enclosures people have used to give a little weather
protection. Has anyone worked with hard tops? I'm sure I'll have a lot
more questions when it gets closer to the time I'll be working on it
(this summer), but that's it for now.

The buggy has a lot of work to be done still, but the major stuff was
all done 30 years ago. It's a Dearborne Deserter Series One, and will
have a 1600 dual port type 1 engine in it. My uncle did some design work
for the company back in the late 60s and early 70s, and started this
buggy with my gradfather, but they never finished it. My uncle is a
world-class procratinator, but he's finally decided he's ready to finish
it up with me and hand it off to the next generation. I've been waiting
to get this thing since I was 11, so summer is sounding a long way off
still.

My only regret is that it isn't the buggy my uncle designed the chassis
for, which is the Deserter GS. But those things are so rare that every
time I find one for sale as a shell, a chassis and a bunch of rusty
parts in a pile, they're going for at least $7K! Oh well...

Mark

"Mark Woodhead" > wrote in message
m...
> Anyone out there have a dune buggy? I'm getting a project buggy from my
> uncle that's been sitting for 30 years in storage, and I'm curious what
> types of roof enclosures people have used to give a little weather
> protection. Has anyone worked with hard tops? I'm sure I'll have a lot
> more questions when it gets closer to the time I'll be working on it
> (this summer), but that's it for now.
>
> The buggy has a lot of work to be done still, but the major stuff was
> all done 30 years ago. It's a Dearborne Deserter Series One, and will
> have a 1600 dual port type 1 engine in it. My uncle did some design work
> for the company back in the late 60s and early 70s, and started this
> buggy with my gradfather, but they never finished it. My uncle is a
> world-class procratinator, but he's finally decided he's ready to finish
> it up with me and hand it off to the next generation. I've been waiting
> to get this thing since I was 11, so summer is sounding a long way off
> still.
>
> My only regret is that it isn't the buggy my uncle designed the chassis
> for, which is the Deserter GS. But those things are so rare that every
> time I find one for sale as a shell, a chassis and a bunch of rusty
> parts in a pile, they're going for at least $7K! Oh well...
>
> Mark

Found this with a Google search

http://www.geocities.com/deserterownersgroup/

Mac

Thanks,

I've got that one. Most of the owners there who responded have focused
on making their Deserters stock, with the stock fabric top. My uncle
redesigned the roll cage, though, and it's a roomier interior now
(especially in the back) and the stock pattern won't fit. Dearborne also
did a stock fiberglass gull-wing design, but it's so dated, and also
very small.

Here's the stock setup:
http://www.geocities.com/deserterown.../S-1sketch.jpg

Here's the gullwing:
http://www.geocities.com/deserterown...p/GTsketch.jpg

Here's the original ad for the GS chassis kit my uncle designed:
http://www.geocities.com/deserterownersgroup/gspage.jpg

You can't quite read the specs, but it was mid-engine and with a Corvair
engine in it, it did 0-60 in 4.7 seconds! It wasn't a VW engine, but at
least it was air-cooled!

I've done a lot of woodworking, and I'd considered doing a strip-built
top for it. I saw one on one of the boatbuilding BBSs that was done as a
camper shell for a pickup that looked awesome, but that's many, many
hours of work. Still, you can do amazing things with thin wood strips
and a clear fiberglass skin. And they're surprisingly lightweight. The
real challenge would be windows, though.

Here's a link for the camper shell:
http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Bu...gi/read/101804

Mark

Mac wrote:

> Found this with a Google search
>
> http://www.geocities.com/deserterownersgroup/
>
> Mac
>
>

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