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My buggy build - sort of


BearsZX72
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I’ve been on here for a while now and have not really posted anything about the buggy I bought back in April of 2013. Sorry about it being long….

My wife and I started searching for a buggy back in late 2012. We went and looked at 15-20 buggy’s locally in and around the LA area. Nothing that we really liked OR that I could fit comfortably (I’m 6’7” and 315 lbs.) in. My wife really like this one red buggy that was in the Phoenix area that she found on CL. I liked it too but really didn’t want to drive to Phoenix just to look. So we never talked to the seller in late 2012. Months go by as we continue to look and always see this one red buggy in Phoenix come up on multiple site. As the months go by the seller starts to drop the price by a few hundred dollars a week. My wife calls the sellers and talks to a “kid” (22 years old) that is selling it for his Dad. The “kid” tells my wife about the buggy, motor, transmission and suspension and other things that she understands. My wife tells me and I call the seller and talk with him (not letting him know he already talked to my wife). I get the same story from him and the story seems legit. The “kid” tells me his name and we started to research him to check him out. My wife checks FB and finds him. His story seems to be real. So, I call him back and start asking the normal questions on buying a used “car”. The “kid” tells me that his family had/has a vacation property down in Baja Mexico and his Dad used the buggy to go to and from the bar with a few trip to the dunes in Mexico. The “kid” sent us more pictures of the buggy and we decided to go to Phoenix and check it out. My wife really wants this buggy and I like it because there is no center console for my long legs to hit and hopefully I could use the clutch pedal.

Off to Phoenix on a Friday morning. Left my house around 5am knowing it will be a 6 hour drive for us. We arrived in the Phoenix area around 11am. We went straight over to the seller’s house, it was the “kids” parents’ house. Very nice area, big houses in the Northeast part of Phoenix, Scottsdale, I think. As we drove up to the house, the buggy was sitting outside on the street under a tree (wish I had a picture of it). We looked over the buggy, saw some rust on the frame from the Mexico beaches, no leaks on the ground or on the valve covers, seemed clean. The buggy was stored in the garage here at his parents’ house. Started up the Subi 2.0 turbo motor, the “kid” used starting fluid because “it was a cold start motor.” Me, not knowing anything about Subi motors, kind of knew that was not right. Well, anyhow, it started up idled fine with no ticks or strange motor noises. I drove it down the street and back. Ran fine, and I could fit in it and operate the clutch pedal!

We talked price and came to an agreement and bought the buggy. Signed the title over to us and it ours! Off to U-Haul for a trailer!

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We got the buggy home and parked it in the driveway on the trailer.

Saturday morning I unloaded the buggy and we took it out for a little test run. Found that the steering was toe-in and I was fighting the wheel to keep it straight down the road. Turned around and headed back to the house. Called a few friends over that have buggies to look it over and check it out. We jacked up the front end and adjusted the tie rods and arms. Took it out for another run. Much better this time, not fighting to keep it straight down the road. 1st problem fixed, nice and easy! Parked the buggy in its new home…for now.

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Now it’s mid-April and the season is coming to an end. The wife and I decide not to take it out until next season. We need to buy paddles and razors for the buggy. As the months roll by, we take little trips out in the desert with it behind our house. I notice little things that I need to address every time. The biggest issue is that when you step on the gas, the motor bogs down and no power. Other things are lights, shocks, mirrors, grab handles and to see if it fits in the toy hauler.

I tried to fit the buggy into the 5th wheel. It will fit but I will have to remove the wing and we will not be able to take any of the kids’ quad or my dirt bike camping with us. Looks like an enclosed trailer for us too! Off to hunt for one!

Went to the SSSS to hopefully pick up some sand tires and extra stuff. Only picked up a 4’ LED whip and flag.

I order small things for it, side mirrors, rear view mirror, grab handles and a green sticker plate. I install them as I receive them from KarTek, about $400. Next big thing is the motor/power issue.

At this time it’s mid-November and no sand! Our sons High School Football season is finally over. I take the buggy down to Outfront Motorsport. When John first hooked up the buggy to the dyno, the motor was only putting down 40 HP and the mapping was not correct. John and his crew started looking into it and found that the in-tank fuel pump was not supplying enough fuel to the fuel rails. John gave me a few options to fix this major problem. I ended up having them install an external fuel pump, pre and post fuel filters. The old fuel system had no fuel filters! John and his crew put the buggy back on the dyno, tuned the motor and now I’m getting about 170HP to the rear tires! We ended up dropping over $1000 for this fix. Now it runs strong and no more starting fluid (which I never used, only the “kid”).

Now it’s December of 2013 and still no sand! With Christmas coming and we just dropped over a grand we decided not to go out for New Year’s either and still no sand tires. Will wait until tax return to buy sand tires and get shocks reworked.

As the buggy was sitting in the garage, I noticed that it was leaking oil from the valve covers. Ordered a new set of valve covers from eBay. Installed them, no more leaks!

I was not sure how to go about getting my shocks reworked. I have SAW Race Runners on all 4 corners with triple bypass and coil overs on each corner.

One Saturday in February was tinkering with the buggy and my Gardener asked about my shocks. I told him what they are and he told me that he has a friend that works for Sway-A-Way. I was like, “Hell yes, give me his number!” I gave my Gardener my cell number so he could give it to his friend. Later that Saturday afternoon, his friend calls me and wants to come over and look at the shocks. We talk and he comes over Sunday afternoon. He tells me that he can repair all the shocks, replace the oil, replace all the rods, a few springs, refill all with nitrogen and repaint and re-plate for about $1000. I told him, “Let’s do it!” He was going to come by and take the shocks the following week and have them back to me with a few days, then I would pay him. So, up on jack stands the car goes. I had all the shocks off and ready for him the following week. He took the shocks down to SAW and did them on his time off, before and after work (what he told me). He called me and that all my rods needed replacing and it would cost an extra $300. Okay, fine you have my shocks so what else was I going to do. So, a few days later he brings the shocks back to me. All complete is what he told me. Well, the shocks didn’t get repainted or re-plated or new SAW decals. Whatever as long as they work. He did everything else that he said, new rods and 2 new springs on the coil overs. He felt bad about not repainting and re-plating so he dropped off a bunch of SAW swag, t-shirts, pullover hoodies, stickers, a gallon of shock oil and extra seal kits for next time I need them redone. Over all I dropped $1300 for my shocks and they raised the buggy up a few inches overall.

In the end of February I decide we need an LED light bar! I start looking around, DDR, GD and other forums. I find a great deal on a new 2 row 30” LED Bar from M4 Products right here in SoCal, Chatsworth. I place my order and receive this great light bar. Ordered more mounts from KarTek, install the bar, wired it up and here it is. I have about $400 in this setup.

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In March, I seriously started looking for sand tires, I called around all the “normal” shops in my area and no one can or would get sand tires. So then I start checking the forums, DDR and GD. I find a few shops down in the IE, San Diego and in Las Vegas areas. I made a few calls around and decided to go with RAW Motorsports in Temecula. The wife and I loaded the buggy up and drove down to RAW for tire measurement’s and adapter plates. We adapted from the “stock” pattern of 5 on 4.5” to the 5 Wide pattern. Once we got down there and started talking to them, we decided to add a few things. The buggy had no “B” pillars, roof bracing and side brace behind the driver/passenger seats. We had RAW add those mods, along with a twin cooler rack! RAW also moved all the lap belt anchors to more of a 45* angle to the seats, they were 90* below the seats. The side brace also moved the shoulder straps from the floor to the brace. This was all for safety! So, our buggy was at RAW for a few weeks (April 11th picked it up) with these mods and we ended up dropping s little bit over $6200 for tires, wheels, adapters, lug nuts, safety fabrication mods, cooler mount, paint and submarine belts.

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Here it is, end of April and the buggy is ready to go but don’t have a way to get all the toys to the sand! Time to start looking for that enclosed trailer! Again, I check all the forums for a good used trailer. Nothing that we really like. Just looking for a plain, simple enclosed trailer at least 24’ long. At the same time that I’m checking out the forums, my wife is checking out the dealers on CL and the internet. She finds a few dealers down in Fontana. She calls them and starts to talk pricing with them. We end up going with Apache Trailers. We drive down to Apache Trailers to check them out. We end up buying a 2014 8 ½X24X7 tandem axle trailer, GVWR 9990. I had Apache add a few extra flush mount tie downs, enlarged the side door to 48” and added a winch plate in front. We picked up the trailer the end of July. Had one issue, NO WINCH plate! No worries, we got there early enough in the afternoon, so they dragged the trailer inside and welded up the plate and off we went! We dropped about $6300 on this trailer.

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Now the buggy is in the trailer and so are 2 quads, ready to go. BUT it’s now football season and my son just went off to a local University and is playing football with them. He has games every Saturday until Nov. 15. If they make playoffs, who knows when I’ll hit the sand! The earliest will be the weekend of Nov. 22, the weekend before Thanksgiving. Only time will tell!

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Holy hell what a crazy roller coaster that buggy purchase has been. Haha You have got to be going crazy to get it out and play. Sounds like you have it all dialed in now though. That first trip is going to feel amazing. Congrats and good luck getting out there. At this point I wouldn't let one more thing hold me back if it were me! ;)

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Holy hell what a crazy roller coaster that buggy purchase has been. Haha You have got to be going crazy to get it out and play. Sounds like you have it all dialed in now though. That first trip is going to feel amazing. Congrats and good luck getting out there. At this point I wouldn't let one more thing hold me back if it were me! ;)

Thank you! Hopefully my first trip with this rail will be in November! Can't wait!

Is that a Gecko sand rail? Cool write up :beerpint:

Yes, this is a Gecko sand rail.... Built by TheBuggyShop.com out of Phoenix by Jeff Pessetto (I believe).

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Great write up! :beercheers:

Thank you!

I hope to see as many of you out in Dumont on my first trip with this car...maybe around Thanksgiving or maybe the weekend before! I'll check back to see whats going on and who is all going around those weekends. i really don't like busy Holiday weekends but...we'll see!

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May I replace that flag with a dolphin flag....lol.

Ha ha! The Fins are okay...but not on my trailer!

Awesome write up and the rail looks killer with the sand tires. Nice trailer too! I'm sure ill see you out there! Come out for the Oct 5th day trip if you can make it. See ya

Hmmm...Oct. 5th...we just may roll out. Thanks for the good words!
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Don't see to many buggies with rear A arms. Mine has them too and we live in the same town. It's a sign...

Yes, I've noticed the lack of rear A arm cars. Good ole Rosamond! What else is there to say...I've been here WAY to long.

PM in bound.

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