Manx Club

Fellas; My apologies in wanting to re-hash a topic that has been covered exhaustively, but I can not find the definitive answer. If authenticity of a Manx can be determined (read: photo of the Ident-a-Plates): 1. Are real deal nose badges available? 2. Are real deal rear name plates available? I should think the demand would be sufficient for Bruce & Winnie to run a batch from time to time. After all, this is a business. Iverson

I think you'd be best to call Winnie. (760) 749-6321 They used to be available, but rumor has it they are out of stock and no more re-orders are going to be made. And, I don't see them in the Manx Store anymore. Call Winnie and then report back here, please.

If it's any consolation Rick, your Manx II will almost certainly been supplied from new with a hood decal (still available from the store for $5-) and no rear 'name plate'. Here's my Manx II's decal... If you still feel you need badges (many feel the front ones are too bulky and plasticy and prefer a smaller sticker as fitted to the first 100 or so Manxes though) let me know, I may be able to help.

....but we will be in need of TWO sets of Badges and Name Plates for our 2 Meyers Manx. The turn key one has no visible holes ever being drilled for the name plate on the back. (looking underneath, no signs of holes being filled in) But the front badge holes have been filled in. The "project" one has both ends drilled and even the outline of the lettering is clearly visible on the back still. I searched the archives here and it seems there is currently no one re-popping these? May have to speak with Bruce and Winnie.....and just how many pre-orders we could arrange....but during my years in the Classic Pontiac world, I had a gentleman repop plastic horn button emblems for the very rare formula wheel found on 1970 GTO's only AND the "Judge" emblem for the glove box found on 1969-1972 GTO Judges. We got these down to $25 each at a time when there were only about 100 pre-orders or so. They are now readily available thru many of the GTO restoration parts providers...I.E. Ames Performance, Year One, etc.... Is this something that is needed in the Manx World?? If so, I can possibly get this into the works... And if so, we would need someone to offer up a pair of originals to make the cast moldings from.. Input here would really help with my decision to look further into this! Thanks

I think you are opening a can of worms,,,There are not any clone GTO's out there but there are a ton of Manx clones,,Bruce and Winnie try to keep the badges away from the clones by making sure you have a real Manx before they would sell you a set of badges,I have seen a set of Manx badges go for $400 on ebay,I looked for a year and got a set from one of the members here for my Manx II,,( Thanks,you know who you are )I also got a set of the first run with the small R on them from a guy in Texas $300,,Keep looking and asking,You well find some.But to make up a bunch would probable piss a lot of people off. You should talk to Winnie first and see if they are going to have more made. Trust me ,You don't want to piss Winnie off LOL,Tim ,,, PS lets see some pix of your new rides,,

Tim, Thousands (if not tens of thousands) of perfect condition Lemans' have been re-VIN'd using rusted out old GTO VIN tags and body plates and to this day flood the market with these "clones"....not to mention how many GTO's have been re-badged as Judge's (I have actually seen a clone sell on Barrett-Jacksons Auction for $75,000...about $60,000 more than it is worth) ....but alas, Pontiac has "Pontiac Historical Services" which is a couple of guys who had the forethought to grab up all of GM's old records of production and resell it as legit production information to the discriminating Pontiac Collector!! The "cloning" of desired vehicles has been around for many many years in all makes and models....especially the Corvette. Definitely not looking to "open a can of worms"... hence the point made to contact Bruce and Winnie about this. And it would never be done by me without the originators blessing! Unfortunately, A good CAD designer with plastic manufacturing ties could pump these out as fast as you can properly pronounce "Meyers Manx"!! As with any type collector car (or any collector item)...the first and foremost way of not being duped into ending up with a clone is to educate yourself with ALL aspects of that collector item prior to purchase. As the "project" I just purchased for $400 last week seen below shows...: Hump on front hood Manx lettering outline and attachment holes. and the best indicator....a B.F. Meyer & Co. serial number plate STILL mounted with original rivets to the hump! ...the tell tale signs of a true Manx. I also checked for the tubing under the fender wells. Every thing pointed this to be a true Manx and is why I purchased it. The turnkey one purchased for my wife and daughter below: Was/Is listed in the 2006 addition of the Meyers Manx Registry and I purchased it from the neighbor of the listed owner in Spring Hill FL. (It too has the B.F. Meyers & Co. serial number plate). I don't see why the re-popping of name plates and badges in any quantity could possibly hurt the significance of the true Meyers Manx. A true Manx cannot be cloned to perfection for the simple fact that 40-50 years has past since their production and I am not aware of any cost effective process to "age" fiberglass to look that old!! ; ) I'm just sayin'

[QUOTE="tim morgan;16009"]I think you are opening a can of worms,,,There are not any clone GTO's out there but there are a ton of Manx clones,,Bruce and Winnie try to keep the badges away from the clones by making sure you have a real Manx before they would sell you a set of badges,I have seen a set of Manx badges go for $400 on ebay,I looked for a year and got a set from one of the members here for my Manx II,,( Thanks,you know who you are )I also got a set of the first run with the small R on them from a guy in Texas $300,,Keep looking and asking,You well find some.But to make up a bunch would probable piss a lot of people off. You should talk to Winnie first and see if they are going to have more made. Trust me ,You don't want to piss Winnie off LOL,Tim ,,, PS lets see some pix of your new rides,,[/QUOTE] Mel,, this is kinda like it is in the world of Meyers Manx buggies, but you were not to know all this.. As an ol fella Pontiac guy, I'm sure you meant well by making the offer of casting badges............. Yup,, I'm guessing you must be thinking this is SO crazy for guys to get up tight about such a thing,, but it just seems to be like that,,,,,, God help the AC Cobra forum! LOL! Hey Mel,, gotta tell ya this >> an old buddy of mine here in england bought a 65 GTO back around 1966,, he used to park up on the side of the roads back in the 60's and wait for Astons & E types to come by,,, then off he would go and race them......... He later got married and the GTO was used as the wedding car,,,,,, his wife passed away some years ago and my buddy has since retired from work, but he had the vehicle fully restored when he retired,, and BOY what a nice goat that is now,, she's red, 4 speed man and has the tri pac.. I'm gonna save the best Pontiac story until another post!!. Good luck with the buggy builds!!

[QUOTE="DuneBugFever;15999"]The "project" one has both ends drilled and even the outline of the lettering is clearly visible on the back still.[/QUOTE] Bear in mind that even if Winnie has any of the repro ones left, the pins on the repro rear badges don't line up with the pins on original badges so more holes will need drilled or (better) the pins cut off the new badges fixed with double sided badge tape.

[QUOTE="Manxdavid;16012"]Bear in mind that even if Winnie has any of the repro ones left, the pins on the repro rear badges don't line up with the pins on original badges so more holes will need drilled or (better) the pins cut off the new badges fixed with double sided badge tape.[/QUOTE] Dave, did you ever see the rear badge I cast for Ben Stubberfields 1167 M2 ??,,, it had an alloy SR badge on the hood which IMHO looks much better than the big plastic one and Ben wanted an alloy rear badge to match rather than a black one,, so I cold cast it in aluminium powder mixed with casting resin.... I only ever made that one badge , but it looked cool and polished up just like alloy... I'd be willing to share the technique on here just to help guys out, but if its going to cause bad vibes or upset the Manx police then I'd sooner keep my mouth shut..

[QUOTE="mel hubbard;16014"]Dave, did you ever see the rear badge I cast for Ben Stubberfields 1167 M2 ??,,, it had an alloy SR badge on the hood which IMHO looks much better than the big plastic one and Ben wanted an alloy rear badge to match rather than a black one,, so I cold cast it in aluminium powder mixed with casting resin.... I only ever made that one badge , but it looked cool and polished up just like alloy... I'd be willing to share the technique on here just to help guys out, but if its going to cause bad vibes or upset the Manx police then I'd sooner keep my mouth shut..[/QUOTE] Im Watching,( Manx Police ) LOL,,Hell Mel Im not uptight.I could care less if somebody made up fake vin plates and badges,,I would love to see the technique on how to make them. I was just saying there are people out there that wont like it..Hell ,I piss people off on a daily basis and I sleep good at night,LOL

[QUOTE="tim morgan;16018"]Im Watching,( Manx Police ) LOL,,Hell Mel Im not uptight.[/QUOTE] Tim, I know your not up tight and its good that you made the point you did. I've been out of making buggies myself (as a living) for quite some time now, its not something that I will EVER return to, but its given me time to sit on the fence and look at both sides and like you,, I don't give a damn anymore about what folks get up too,, there are more important things in life to worry about.. I'm currently making parts for genuine 246 Dino's in fiberglass,, these parts are obsolete now, even in Italy. The parts are for the resto of 10 vehicles,, with a total value (when built) of well over one million pounds,,, its kinda making me wonder now if there is a dino forum someplace that is kicking up a stink about having panels on their classic farrari that were made out of a shed in norfolk UK by some low life limey ex buggy builder LOL!!!..... If no one objects, I'll come on here later and tell ya how to do this cold casting thing with metal powders,, it really is VERY easy and you can make all kinds of things with it, you can even cast up your own gear shift knob in a matching flake color to your buggy..

I remember Ben's badges, they were good jobs. I've seen a few Manxes with SR hood badges. I think they were just using up excess parts at one stage when the company was starting to fail. I haven't got a pic. of the rear one though...

[QUOTE="mel hubbard;16022"]Tim, I know your not up tight and its good that you made the point you did. I've been out of making buggies myself (as a living) for quite some time now, its not something that I will EVER return to, but its given me time to sit on the fence and look at both sides and like you,, I don't give a damn anymore about what folks get up too,, there are more important things in life to worry about.. I'm currently making parts for genuine 246 Dino's in fiberglass,, these parts are obsolete now, even in Italy. The parts are for the resto of 10 vehicles,, with a total value (when built) of well over one million pounds,,, its kinda making me wonder now if there is a dino forum someplace that is kicking up a stink about having panels on their classic farrari that were made out of a shed in norfolk UK by some low life limey ex buggy builder LOL!!!..... If no one objects, I'll come on here later and tell ya how to do this cold casting thing with metal powders,, it really is VERY easy and you can make all kinds of things with it, you can even cast up your own gear shift knob in a matching flake color to your buggy..[/QUOTE] That would be cool,,I would love to see how it's done,,Thanks Tim

Tim, this resin metal casting is a real simple way of reproducing quality metallic castings by using pure metal in a fine powder form,,, this powder is mixed into casting resin with catalyst. All your need is a container to sit the part in that you want to replicate,,,, when I cast the badge for my buddies Manx, I drilled two small holes into a plastic butter container, so as the two locating lugs passed trough the bottom of the butter container which allowed the badge to sit flat on the bottom. A good idea is to put a flat piece of plasticine or modelling clay in the base of the container, because it will stop the mould making material from seeping under the badge....... With the badge sitting flat on the bottom pour in the molding material and cover the badge by at least 1/2 inch,,, an inch would be plenty enough,,, I used silicone rubber for this, which I've found to be the best product and it replicates every little detail just perfect,,, when you buy the silicone it will come with its own hardener...... Let this cure for 5 to 7 hours at room temp,,, then pull the silicone mold from the butter container and take the badge (used as the plug) from your mold.... Once you have this mold you can make your badges,,,, hundreds of badges could be made from this mould and they will cost next to nothing to make, which just goes to show ya how much the rip off guys make out of the fakes that turn up on ebay....... The casting part is really easy,,,, you just buy a small tin of clear casting resin, which should come with its own hardener,, you just add the metal powder to the casting resin & catalyst and pour into the mould,,, once cured (and its quite fast) remove the badge....... The metal powders come in various types of metal like Alloy, bronze, Iron and nickel etc, I cant find a list of metal types at the moment, but you can intermix the powders like nickel silver with a touch of aluminium will give a pewter effect. If you want a black badge,, just mix in black pigment in with the casting resin instead of the metal powder,, various other stuff like metallic jewels can also be mixed into the resin for casting.. It really is so easy and involves little more than just pouring,, once out of the mold you can actually polish up the cold cast metal parts and they look just like the real thing... I cast a Farrari prancing horse in from a badge loaned once,, just something nice to stick on the tool box I guess,,,,,, the hardest thing I find is guessing the correct amount of casting resin for the job. I reckon the amount I mixed for the prancing horse would have made 20 of them, but it ended up in the trash bin as I never had any other molds to pour,, so don't mix too much,,, same goes with the silicone, once the hardener is mixed in it has to be used so best to measure out what ya need before mixing up.... Well there ya go Tim,, your have a lot of fun with it I'm sure... Any probs along the way, just give me a shout.

Wow,Thats sounds easy,,Ebay here I come,LOL,,Just kidding,,When I get some time I well give it a try,,Thanks