BBB-- BrianB's Buggy Build

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Postby Mook » 25 Sun Oct, 2009 1:30 pm

looks like its in pretty good condition
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gas cap

Postby cobra!tx » 25 Sun Oct, 2009 10:22 pm

Hey Brian is they a makers name on the gas cap on the hood-I have the same style in black on my buggy but mine was broken and i want to find another one and want a chrome like yours-I have looked on line but have not been able to find one like these -let me know if you know who made it Thanks
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Postby BrianB » 26 Mon Oct, 2009 8:38 am

You are talking about the cap on the red Buggy? I'll look when I get home. Go on E*ay Motors and and search Fuel Door. Lots of options will come up. I will be doing this on both Buggies. I dont like how flip top sticks out so much on the first buggy.

On to an update. I decided that the shifter needed to be further back so I bit the bullet and sliced and diced the beautiful fiberglass floor from Berrien. I have finished glassing the underside and do the top side tonight. I also finsihed installing the transmission.
Pictures to follow.
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Postby cobra!tx » 26 Mon Oct, 2009 10:12 am

Yes -I want the same fuel cap as the red buggy-I bought a billet door off a dodge but it looks to big-plus i already painted so to late to change now sticking with that style
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Postby BrianB » 26 Mon Oct, 2009 11:36 am

Ok but you have to remember that your hand has to be able to reach in there and get the gas cap off. This one on the red buggy is just barely wide enough to get my hand in there. If I had a choice I would go about an inch wider opening.
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Postby BrianB » 26 Mon Oct, 2009 4:16 pm

Here are some pictures.
Marked the tunnel and cut the vertical cuts with a hack saw(2 minutes)
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How they look taken out.
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Swapped. The shifter location is now 5 inches closer to the rear.
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Here is the top side after some bracing to keep it all lined up.
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And here is the glass work on the back side, hard to see :( The two white things are just temporary bracing
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Tonight if I have time I'll work on the topside.
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Postby BrianB » 27 Tue Oct, 2009 8:57 am

cobra!tx wrote:Yes -I want the same fuel cap as the red buggy-I bought a billet door off a dodge but it looks to big-plus i already painted so to late to change now sticking with that style
I see where someone on the Samba said it was a Marine item. I'll have to check some websites. I do like the look of it. This one on the red Buggy is actually plastic.
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red

Postby cobra!tx » 27 Tue Oct, 2009 10:45 am

yea-mine is plastic too-it looks like someone overtightened it and it broke in half-I looked at some marine websites but everything i found was metal and alot smaller or bigger-let me know what you find out Thanks
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Postby BrianB » 28 Wed Oct, 2009 5:41 am

Here is the topside of the rework. Ground down the joint then glassed in the joint. I'll sand it down tonight.
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Postby BrianB » 28 Wed Oct, 2009 5:47 am

Jack Duncan wrote:That engine really hangs out there, doesn't it? That much weight behind the axle could make a difference in the way it handles, couldn't it? I think I would check it out with someone who knows about that. Hmmmm! :?
This buggy has a heavy weight bolted to the front of the beam. One person I talked to who had one many years ago said they hung 2 or 3 hundred pounds worth of tractor weights from the front beam. I guess if you keep the gastank full and along with the weights it might be ok. Dont tell mr Nader we are driving it though :lol:
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Postby BrianB » 02 Mon Nov, 2009 7:16 am

A little progress over the weekend.
A spy photo my wife took :lol:
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Postby tx_1987_gta » 02 Mon Nov, 2009 6:36 pm

WOW... That sure is looking gooooood! 8-)
Thanks Joe

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Postby Bryan Porter » 03 Tue Nov, 2009 9:51 am

Did you pose that picture to look like you are working we know your son has done all the work lol.
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Postby BrianB » 03 Tue Nov, 2009 10:04 am

Dammit Bryan why did you have to go and spill the beans like that :oops: I had everyone believing I was a very talented buggy guy :lol:
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Postby Bryan Porter » 03 Tue Nov, 2009 10:10 am

You can't get any work done and stay on the computer at the same time that was the give away.
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Postby Bill K » 03 Tue Nov, 2009 11:09 pm

Bryan, he had me convinced he was actually doing that work. Thanks for flushing him out :lol:
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Postby BrianB » 06 Fri Nov, 2009 9:33 am

Couple of updates. Got some tires for the buggy.Fronts are 205/60-15 and the rears are 275/60-15's. All four total $75 plus I'll have to spend a couple of dollars to mount them. I went with the 60 series so I would have a little smoother ride.This will be pretty close to being a daily driver so that plays into it. Got the front turn signals in as well as the brake lights. Got both from Harrison Specialties( Thanks for the tip Bryan 8-) ). Also finished the filler,sand,filler, sand,filler and sand. Have not decided on the pods yet. I have a set but they are pretty far off from fitting this style body. I may go with my original idea of making some flat side panels out of aluminum like the belly pan and having it removable and painted body color. We'll see.
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Postby Bryan Porter » 06 Fri Nov, 2009 9:51 am

Brian berrien make a fiberglass flat side to cover the under side instead of side pods.
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Postby BrianB » 06 Fri Nov, 2009 10:15 am

Ya but those are $200 plus shipping :shock: I am sure I'll come up with something. May end up do ing the pod thing :?:
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Postby David Head » 06 Fri Nov, 2009 10:26 am

Man!!! I like those blinked lights.
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Postby CoryN » 06 Fri Nov, 2009 11:20 am

Find yourself a fiberglass shower surround or tub surround and make side panels out of that
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Postby Bryan Porter » 06 Fri Nov, 2009 12:16 pm

Brian give me a call I have a set
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Postby BrianB » 07 Sat Nov, 2009 7:44 pm

Bent up some heavy wall tubing today. I decided to make my own show cage. For a first time I must say I either got lucky or the old mechanic days of building skid mounted machinery came back. Zero mistakes and it all fits great. I have a few more pieces to make then I'll take it to work and get it all TIG welded, nice and purty. Probably going to just paint it black. Tubing was free, the use of the tube bender from work was free so it was a cheap weekend on the Buggy. I'll post pics on Monday from work.
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Postby BrianB » 09 Mon Nov, 2009 7:05 am

OK, here are some pics of the Roll Bar build.
Tubing bender from work.
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first bend
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2 bends
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Kick up for under the windshield
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test fit
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Angle is pretty close
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Mock up with rear roll bar.
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Side view. I'll have two runners from front to back down the middle. I'll be putting two LED's in the middle two for night lights.
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Postby Aquabuggy » 09 Mon Nov, 2009 7:32 am

Nice job on that roll bar/cage!
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Postby BrianB » 09 Mon Nov, 2009 8:42 pm

Made two plates tonight for mounting the windshield blind. No unsightly fasteners showing on the outside frame. Got the idea from the Berrien Buggy site. They sell them with the steering column mounting kit. Pics tomorrow.
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Postby Texasbuggys » 09 Mon Nov, 2009 9:44 pm

Looking great Brian! You have made leaps and bounds since I was over!
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Postby BrianB » 10 Tue Nov, 2009 8:22 am

Here are the brackets I made for installing the windshield. They slide into the groove of the windshield frame and are bolted from behind the dash. There will be two studs welded to them first.
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Postby Jack Duncan » 11 Wed Nov, 2009 9:27 pm

Brian, I did exactly the same thing. It worked really great, easy to install and remove if you have to. Looks great too. No bolt heads showing. :)
Last edited by Jack Duncan on 14 Sat Nov, 2009 9:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby David Head » 12 Thu Nov, 2009 9:21 am

I like the way you did that. I did something a little different. I found carriage bolts that the heads fit into the channel. It served that same purpose. But your way I think is better.
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Postby BrianB » 12 Thu Nov, 2009 9:51 am

Thanks to Bryan P I now have both types of side pods. Bubble type and flat type. Over the next week or so I'll figure out what style to go with. The bubble type look best but these that I have are far from even coming close to fitting. The flat panels clean up the sides allowing me to paint them body color and they fit great with a little trimming.
With the bubble pods I would hate to start cutting and trimming only to find out that they just wont fit right.
BTW thanks again Bryan, it was nice meeting up with you and taking the tour of the Purple People eater ranch. 8-) 8-)
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Postby Tom Kathleen » 12 Thu Nov, 2009 9:59 am

With enough foam & fiberglass, you can make the bubble side pods fit. a bodyguy friend managed to mold in Manx pods on my FiberFab Buggy, they are nowhere near close in shape. See here: http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/Toms ... ggy?full=1 I just wish we had thought to hang them lower to cover the sides of the floorpan. Tom
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Postby BrianB » 12 Thu Nov, 2009 10:19 am

Yes I realized that but I just did not want to spend a bunch of time on it. I JUST WANT TO GET DRIVING IT!!!!!! :shock: Thanks Tom. That car is super.
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Postby blackthree4me » 12 Thu Nov, 2009 1:27 pm

David Head wrote:I like the way you did that. I did something a little different. I found carriage bolts that the heads fit into the channel. It served that same purpose. But your way I think is better.


looks like there is more than one way to skin a cat? I like it although I used the above method as well.
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Postby BrianB » 13 Fri Nov, 2009 6:32 am

OK, I bit the bullet and after much deliberatin got out the jig saw and respirator and went to town on the bubble pods(sorry Chris). After an hour or two I had the driver side pod pretty close. It still needs some trimming and then add more fiberglass to certain areas. These will not be molded into the body but they will however be watertight. I'll be filling the backside with expanding foam and creating pockets for small item storage and speakers. Here are a couple of pics.
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Postby Aquabuggy » 13 Fri Nov, 2009 8:01 am

No doubt the pods are the way to go, lookin good!
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Postby Texasbuggys » 13 Fri Nov, 2009 8:33 am

Way to go Bryan!!! That buggy is looking good man!! Keep the updates coming!
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Postby CoryN » 13 Fri Nov, 2009 8:45 am

Why do you want to fill them with foam? Lot of extra weight.
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Postby BrianB » 13 Fri Nov, 2009 9:06 am

CoryN wrote:Why do you want to fill them with foam? Lot of extra weight.
Should only add 5 or 10 lbs. Just some added safety and stability. Like I said I will not be molding these to the body so any stiffness added is a plus. It will also help with water sealing. You'll see as I progress my thought train on it.
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Postby BrianB » 14 Sat Nov, 2009 8:11 am

Decided that I'll mold in pockets to the main tub which will be covered by the pods. This will keep them waterproof from the outside. Now I just have to figure out how to keep the rain water out from the inside :lol: I guess some kind of flap or door?
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Postby CoryN » 14 Sat Nov, 2009 8:34 am

I haven't done it yet but I plan to use deck plates like on a boat. Round screw on/off lids if you will. Just google deck plates
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Postby Mook » 14 Sat Nov, 2009 1:10 pm

coming along very nicely
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Postby Jim B » 14 Sat Nov, 2009 5:02 pm

Check out some of the marine supply companies. They should have some watertight doors & such. oops I missed where Cory had already suggested that.
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Postby BrianB » 15 Sun Nov, 2009 10:36 am

Thanks for the tips. After looking behind the pods it looks like there is very limited space back there. Maybe four or five inches deep is all you could use. This will be a challenge to come up with something that looks good as well as being useful 8-)
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Postby BrianB » 16 Mon Nov, 2009 5:14 pm

Took most of my Sunday and sanded off most of the filler that I(my son Lee) put on the flat sides in order to be able to glass in some pockets for behind the pods. I'll be scouting WalMart for some plastic containers to use as a mold. Just have to find the right size. Maybe a Tupperware container of some sort. 8-)
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Postby Texasbuggys » 16 Mon Nov, 2009 9:00 pm

Hey Brian, try Harbour Freight if you have one close by for the tubs, they are cheap and have a bunch of sizes or also the Dollar Stores.
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Postby BrianB » 18 Wed Nov, 2009 11:14 am

Texasbuggys wrote:Hey Brian, try Harbour Freight if you have one close by for the tubs, they are cheap and have a bunch of sizes or also the Dollar Stores.
I see you dont like to give Wallyworld your business either. It is my last resort that more than likely will have it.
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Postby ElijahTurtle » 18 Wed Nov, 2009 12:36 pm

How big of a pocket are you trying to make & what shape? Round, Oval, Square, Other?
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Postby jspbtown » 18 Wed Nov, 2009 12:46 pm

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Postby BrianB » 18 Wed Nov, 2009 12:52 pm

That actually looks like it would be pretty waterproof. I dont know about the size though. I'll have to do some measuring. Kind of more money than I wanted to spend also. One other point it has to fit behind the side pods.
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