Many of the street driven Dune Buggies I've seen out there are in very poor condition, both mechanically and cosmetically.  They are not production vehicles made by an automaker. They were built by people with different levels of mechanical ability and  fabrication skills. The paint, interior, suspension, drivetrain, engine and lack of general maintenance on these Dune Buggies leave much to be desired. You don't want to buy someone's problems.

A well built, streetable Manx Dune Buggy is an absolute blast to drive, make sure it's a good one!

Here is a list of a few things you want to avoid when looking for a Dune Buggy:

The first and most important thing to find out before wasting your time and money, when considering  the purchase of any motor vehicle,  is to verify that the V.I.N. (vehicle identification number) on the vehicle matches the V.I.N. on the title, or in some states the registration. If you live in a different state than were the title is issued, you are required to take the vehicle to your D.M.V. for V.I.N. verification. If it does not match you could be in for a long and costly ordeal. Besides, even if you live in the same state, you want to make sure it matches if you would ever want to sell it or trade it in at an auto dealer. (dealers always check VIN's)   Insurance companies check also, if it doesn't match, they don't pay damages. They will tell you, that is not the vehicle we insured.

        I have encountered this problem myself, more than once. In the past, there were so many beetle titles floating around, and they got mixed up. Many owners aren't even aware that their V.I.N.'s numbers don't match. To avoid problems with potential purchases, have the owner check and send pics of  the title and V.I.N. number. Many sellers swear the VIN's match, but, make them prove it!   This is something you have to know.

BELOW ARE THE REST OF THE THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN CONSIDERING A BUGGY

   Wiring, Wiring, Wiring     This is the biggest problem Dune Buggies have. I have seen so many with horrendous, amateur wiring work done that it scares me to crawl under the dash and even take a look at it!   The wires are running everywhere, some too short, some too long, they're the wrong gauge (size), wiring circuits that have no fuses, too many wires are the same color (which makes electrical diagnosis very difficult) and  there is always some, if not many, electrical items not working. If you would take 99% of the dune buggies out there to your local automotive electrical repair shop, they would either refuse to touch it or they will insist on completely rewiring it. This work is very expensive.

If you are considering the purchase of a street Dune Buggy

ask the seller if these things work.

 Horn, and where is the button?  Turn signals, and do they shut off after a turn?  Headlights, do you have a high and low beam?  Fuel gauge, is it working accurately?  Does the speedometer and odometer work?  Does the oil pressure and charging lamp work? Do the night time driving lamps work in the speedometer and other gauges?  If it has oil and charging gauges, do they work? Are there indicator lights working in the speedometer showing the turn signals blinking and the high beams are on? Where are the fuses? Does it have a fuse box with all the fuses in it? Wiring terminals, are they butt connectors that come loose and cause problems or is it done correctly with all terminals soldered and sealed with heat shrink tubing?  Wipers may be visible in a picture, but, do they work? Does the dash have numerous switches in it, and you can't tell what they operate?

This is how wiring should be done!

Watch my wiring video on YouTube:  http://youtu.be/HW2JxCFUhZo

   Body braces & stiffening tubes:  A Meyers Manx 1 is a well engineered dune buggy. The body has 11 metal braces and stiffening tubes to keep the body in place and to keep the fiberglass from sagging, the braces also make it safer for the occupants. The Manx 1 was built before the copy cats produced cheap imitations that were less expensive. These copy cats were a major part of the aggravation that Bruce had to edure. He had to make them cheaper, like the later Manx 2's, to maintain sales. Quality suffered significantly. He soon after, sold the company.

Suspension height not adjusted: When the rear tires are leaning out at the top (swing axle vehicles) and the front suspension arms are angled down as they go rearward, the suspension is topped out. (See Pics)The Buggy's suspension will not travel upward any further. Any upward movement caused by a roadway mound or crest will cause the tires to leave the road surface. This is very unsafe, especially in a turn. Dune Buggies are 30% lighter than VW Beetles, 600lbs lighter.  That is why the suspension has to be adjusted. The VW Beetles suspension is designed to sit at a certain height and Dune Buggies are to sit at the same height. The suspensions geometry must be maintained to keep the tires in proper alignment which allows safety in corners and stopping. 

Torsion arm has yellow tape on it. The arm should be level with chassis.

Arms are angled down, suspension cannot move upward, this is unsafe.

         The only fix is to weld in axle adjusters. The suspension must have full travel up and down per factory design.

This is the only way to avoid having your buggy ride very stiff and be unsafe!

      Bent IRS / Diagonal arms  Almost all the IRS Buggies I've seen have bent diagonal arms. When you see a IRS Dune Buggy that sits high and the top of the rear tire is leaning inward, (negative camber)  the arm is bent. When these have the suspension set at the correct height, the top of the tire is leaning in even further.  This wears just the inside of the tire even more, this causes handling problems and is very unsafe when cornering fast or on wet roads.

   VW factory service manual  If you do your own work, you must have a factory service manual. The information is invaluable, it tells you how to do everything! Read it till you understand it, it's worth it just for the torque specifications alone.

Fuel gauge not working or accurate: Many buggies have problems here because of mismatched parts, lack of calibration or the fact you have to remove the windshield, headlamps, dash panel or gauges and the hood, just to replace the fuel level sending unit in the tank. Not an easy job.    You certainly don't want a Buggy with the fuel tank in the back seat. Not only are they in the way, the weight removed from the already light front end, makes the front tires lock up even quicker when braking and they will have less traction in corners, especially when the roads are wet.

Seats that do not adjust forward and back: You will want to reach and not be too close to, all the pedals, so you can stop, clutch and accelerate easily.

Speedometers that are not in plain sight, too far left and blocked by the steering wheel.  When driving, if you have to lower your hands, turn the wheel or lean over the wheel to see the speedometer, your eyes are off the road too long. You will need to know how fast your going, if any engine warning lights are on, if your high beams are on and how much fuel you have left, all with just a glance. That is assuming, everything in the speedometer is wired and working correctly!

Horn buttons not in the center of the steering wheel: When you have to blow the horn, you want to do it quickly without having to search for it's location.

 Working wipers: Even if you know its not going to rain, you might need them.    Ever have to drive through a large puddle?  Went by a sprinkler that was on?  Followed a truck or boat leaking water?    

Crooked tail lights and turn signals: Maybe a pet peeve of mine, but, it shows me someone didn't take the time to do it right. I wonder what else was thrown together?

The Buggy's appearance: Get good, close up pictures of everything, top, sides, front, back, inside, underneath, looking forward, looking backward, wiring, suspension, engine, transaxle and more. I mean everything. Then compare! Beware of advertisements with only a few pictures.

This frame is very, very rusty, previous owner installed new floor pans and was planning on driving it this way.

This example shows you what to be aware of!

       Not only the time and money was wasted  installing new floor pans, they were also installed incorrectly!