Empi Dune Buggies

[pflaming]

Is anyone familiar with this Buggy? My frame is similar, note the front fenders.

Edited April 9, 2018 by pflaming

[greg g]

Never seen one before. Was is a kit?

[greg g]

Think it is an Empi sportster not eppi.

 

https://rustybuttrusty.com/2015/01/06/ur-buggy-1967-vw-empi-sportster/

[59bisquik]

Yup, its an Empi Sportster. Back in the day they sent you the plans and you fabbed one up on a shortened VW pan. They are pretty rare now days. Many years ago, a family member built about 6 of them with a few variations such as a longer bed so they could be used for deer hunting. My father in law has one of the remaining 6 and I helped him get it back on the road. They are pretty rare and get tons of looks!

 

Is yours the top or bottom one?

 

Edited April 9, 2018 by 59bisquik

[pflaming]

So the front fender difference was someone's fender preference, and the windshield mount also. I other words, it's unlikely that today there would be two alike?  

[59bisquik]

I see quite a few differences between the two and would venture to say that the two photos you have are different manufacturers entirely. 

 

Which one is yours? The top one looks rat rod cool and ready to go. I would drive the wheels off of it!

[DJ194950]

3 hours ago, 59bisquik said:

Yup, its an Empi Sportster. Back in the day they sent you the plans and you fabbed one up on a shortened VW pan. They are pretty rare now days. Many years ago, a family member built about 6 of them with a few variations such as a longer bed so they could be used for deer hunting. My father in law has one of the remaining 6 and I helped him get it back on the road. They are pretty rare and get tons of looks!

 

Is yours the top or bottom one?

 

 

Can anyone picture Paul flying over the dunes while throwing sand everywhere on the sand dunes with those paddle tires of Pismo Beach Ca.??  

[pflaming]

Mine is the frame with the PVC pipe over the top. I agree with bisquick, mine is not an Empi, yet is will be a great project with my gramdson. To be continued. 

 

DJ: I see it this way, sand won't burn! LOL

[Dan Hiebert]

They're scarce, but not all that rare.  A couple of the air cooled VW sites I haunt have one, or parts of one, for sale at least every other month or so.  There were so many kits you could slap on a Beetle pan that they're hard to keep track of.  Paul - yours has a bit of that WW2 command car look to it, ought to be a really cool project for you and the grandkids!  You've probably already done the research, so you'll know air cooled VW parts are readily available, and relatively inexpensive.

[pflaming]

This pic is as close as I have come. This number is on the tunnel, so it must have been a production frame for some one. Today I reaffirmed my purchase and set a pickup date for Friday noon a slight side trip to the BBQ.  My checkoff list is down to ten inconsequential items. 

 

See you at the "Q"? I hope so. 

Edited April 11, 2018 by pflaming
Added possible meaning of frame number

[59bisquik]

If the number is on the tunnel in the back by the removable plate is, that should be the VW serial number. Most if not all of these use a shortened VW pan.

[Plymouthy Adams]

12 hours ago, pflaming said:

This pic is as close as I have come. This number is on the tunnel, so it must have been a production frame for some one. Today I reaffirmed my purchase and set a pickup date for Friday noon a slight side trip to the BBQ.  My checkoff list is down to ten inconsequential items. 

 

See you at the "Q"? I hope so. 

 

 

 

I had thought earlier you stated the vehicle was given to you.....

[pflaming]

Plymouthy,  he posted it at $100 on CL. when I called him he lowered the price to $5.00. So I did post incorrectly yet at $5.00 I view it as a "gift". My bad! 

[pflaming]

1 hour ago, 59bisquik said:

 

If the number is on the tunnel in the back by the removable plate is, that should be the VW serial number. Most if not all of these use a shortened VW pan.

 

 

I'll know more on Friday. It will be on my truck at the BBQ so others may be able to fully identify it. 

[Merle Coggins]

How do you intend to haul that up to the BBQ? Do you expect it to fit in the bed of your truck?

[pflaming]

Merle, the frame is 4'8" wide and 8' 6" long. The seller estimates it to weigh around 500#'s. Me bed with the tailgate down is 8'6" long and the bed max with is about 54". So today I will build a rack to carry that frame, set it in there, and strap it all down. I've hauled 218 engines with no issues so I'm not concerned, should work out fine. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I would be a bit concerned at that close of proximity between German tin-worms and those of America interbreeding and getting some hybrid tin worms working on both chassis' ..

 

is there an engine/transaxle in the mix?      

[Merle Coggins]

9 hours ago, pflaming said:

Merle, the frame is 4'8" wide and 8' 6" long. The seller estimates it to weigh around 500#'s. Me bed with the tailgate down is 8'6" long and the bed max with is about 54". So today I will build a rack to carry that frame, set it in there, and strap it all down. I've hauled 218 engines with no issues so I'm not concerned, should work out fine. 

 

Hmm... My math puts 4’8” at 56” wide. You say your bed is 54” wide. Gonna need a BIG shoehorn, 

Oh... and I thought that the 1/2 ton beds were 48 or 49” wide. 3/4 and 1 ton beds are 54” wide. 

[pflaming]

The half ton beds are 6'6" long, the tailgate down is another 20". The inside of the bed is 49" and the overall width including the flared out top edge is 57". 

 

I now have a strong but simple wood frame on the bed to carry the buggy frame. With this I will have a nice balanced load and will not have metal against metal.

 

Today I drove the truck on a 24 mile flat road run, on the way out it was comfortable at 2000 RPM but started to loosen up on the return and was running smoothly at 2500 RPM's.  So 2200 will suit me fine.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2018 by pflaming

[Los_Control]

Yeah, I dunno .... trying to keep those metals apart in such close proximity, kinda like keeping teenagers apart in same proximity.

If needed, ya could always get the cat to burn your truck again to rid it of German worms? 

[Plymouthy Adams]

German tin worms are much like termites...they eat from the inside and when you see them...it much too late......little German car I am messing with at the minute suffers greatly from PO disease more so than tin worms

[Los_Control]

Really looks like a fun project though, well worth the time needed to invest.

[RobertKB]

On ‎2018‎-‎04‎-‎11 at 6:33 PM, pflaming said:

The half ton beds are 6'6" long, the tailgate down is another 20". The inside of the bed is 49" and the overall width including the flared out top edge is 57". 

 

I now have a strong but simple wood frame on the bed to carry the buggy frame. With this I will have a nice balanced load and will not have metal against metal.

 

Today I drove the truck on a 24 mile flat road run, on the way out it was comfortable at 2000 RPM but started to loosen up on the return and was running smoothly at 2500 RPM's.  So 2200 will suit me fine.

 

 

 

Paul, hope you don't have to stop suddenly with that set-up as what you are hauling is at your head height. Hope everything works out but safety first!

 

How do you plan on loading the buggy onto the wooden support? If it has engine and tranny it could be more than two people can lift.

[pflaming]

There is no engine nor transaxle, only the frame. I will secure it so that it is a part ofthetruck. I've hauledcttle, hay,grain, tractors, etc. so this is no challenge.

[greg g]

Looks like a bit of wire wheel work and a couple cans of camoflage bed liner would trick the puppy right up.  A 1600 dualport with a small weber or one of those bug spray units, zoomy exhaust, would get her done.