Buggy Identification ?

Mvovr · Post by **Mvovr** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 3:22 pm

Ok I know this has been asked probably 1 million times of you guys but how can I identify my buggy body? I know what the pan and motor are but the body is a mystery to me. There are no markings that I can find or numbers? The dash seems rare in fact I have not seen another buggy with the same style dash. I have posted some pics below if anyone has any ideas it would be appriciated. (NOTE) The dash was completley cut out and not being a fiberglass expert I fabricated the carbon fiber to cover the opening. Let me know if more pics will help.

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 4:01 pm

I think the best idea is to just keep your eyes open. Start clicking here or maybe e-mail them. Good Luck and it still looks like a nice buggy.

90volts · Post by **90volts** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 5:04 pm

have you checked under the hood. some buggys have a sticker there.

Tominator · Post by **Tominator** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 7:38 pm

[QUOTE="Mvovr"]Ok I know this has been asked probably 1 million times of you guys but how can I identify my buggy body? I know what the pan and motor are but the body is a mystery to me. There are no markings that I can find or numbers? The dash seems rare in fact I have not seen another buggy with the same style dash. I have posted some pics below if anyone has any ideas it would be appriciated. (NOTE) The dash was completley cut out and not being a fiberglass expert I fabricated the carbon fiber to cover the opening. Let me know if more pics will help.[/QUOTE] I'm fairly sure that your buggy is a "Rascal" . They were sold at SEARS . I have one with the same dash . I believe it even has a ID tag identifying it as a Rascal

Mvovr · Post by **Mvovr** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:28 pm

Tominator, Is the tag under the hood? also where can I see photos of your buggy?

Tominator · Post by **Tominator** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 10:24 pm

[QUOTE="Mvovr"]Tominator, Is the tag under the hood? also where can I see photos of your buggy?[/QUOTE] The body is at a storage barn - I haven't looked at it in a few years - not sure if it is the one that has the ID tag on it . if it is - the tag is not on the hood any where but rather on the forward bulkhead near where the steering column goes through the body . I don't have a photo of it but you can see one at "Buggy of the Month " . Look at Sept. 04 #4 .

Mvovr · Post by **Mvovr** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 10:42 pm

Thanks man!! I can tell the dash design in the last picture. I think your right about mine being a rascal. Sweet!!! So... How is the buggy now? Is it done yet?

newmanx59 · Post by **newmanx59** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 12:33 am

I have a friend that has a Sears Rascal. It has the rib in the hood and a battery box under the rear seat, but it also has a spare tire well and an ABS dash that looks like it came right out of an early Manx. There is a possibility that there were early and late style bodies too.

Mvovr · Post by **Mvovr** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 1:49 am

Mine has no spare tire well. Only battery box.

flaboyjim · Post by **flaboyjim** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 2:02 am

Now that I see all this - I guess that I need to find the family tree of my soon to be buggy. It looks like Rascal with a Manx Hood and Dash. The body had the aluminum bead around it, but the hood does not have a ridge and the dash is just like a Manx. O well, that just ads to the mystique and the charm - anyone want to argue that point????

Mvovr · Post by **Mvovr** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 5:02 am

No arguement here... Us Florida buggiers have to stick together!!! :drinking: I guess I could always call mine a Manx Type! :laugh1:

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Thu Dec 01, 2005 6:49 pm

Could it be a Fiber-Jet Clone? I saw a clone on the Samba a few months ago that looked mine, (a Rascal) and the guy called it a Fiber-Jet Manx Clone. It had the rib down the middle of the hood too, but he didn't have the spare tire well. So maybe the progression was like this: Manx - Coyote - Rascal - Fiber Jet.?

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 3:54 am

MVOVR, Ihave that exact same style hood, dash is shaped,formed,just like yours.I have a gap on each side of the hood @ 1/2" each side. I have no battery box or spare tire well. I wonder what kind of value they hold compared to the infamous meyers manx ? can you use the standard vw fender welting to go between the hood and body, I have the 1/4" bead ,iwish it was @3/8". If they were sold by sears would there be a ID tag ? When were they sold,how much? I remember sears use to sell house kits.

Mvovr · Post by **Mvovr** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:58 am

I use the standard VW molding between my fenders and hood. I had a tad larger gap and used some black household door molding with sticky on one side. This made it fit, stick and its not visible. (clarify) the molding is only sticky on one side. also mine has a battery box but no spare tire well. I have determined mine is the great secret of all time,,, the mystery buggy if you will...

Dune-Buggy-Archives · Post by **Dune-Buggy-Archives** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:52 pm

Hey guys, The single hood ridge IdTrait is common on five dune buggies I know of off hand. Let me go through them for you. This is all based on magazine articles and advertising we have collected at the DBA. The first one documented was built by Terra-Knife in Crawfordsville In about 1968. They were a fiberglass farm implement company that decided to build dune buggies. It had a single hood ridge and a very early small Manx style tail opening. About the same time out west a company Called Glitterbug started selling a single hood ridge body. So which came first? Who knows. By 1969 the popularity of the buggies craze was on every magazine and Sears executives wanted to get in the mix. The contracted Terra-Knife (now know as Terra-buggy) to build the buggy they called a "Cyote" and rename it as a Rascal. Sears advertisied this buggy for the first year with it as an exact match to the "Cyote". In 1970 advertising the body suddenly grew a tail box. It is not know if the box was changed to aviod the patent fights that were going on in federal court, or if a new company stepped in and started to make the buggies. By now even JC Penny's was offering the EMpi Imp in thier catalog department! Other places the single ridge body showed up were up north called a "Corsair" and then later in the 80's a California company FiberTech revived the single ridge hood and placed it on a Sand Rover tub to make what they call a FiberTech Manx. How do we sort out all these? You have to look at the hood of course, the Dash, and then the tail. I will try to post some pics tonight of the differences from home. With you tail cut, it will probably take a measurement of the opening to get this right. Depending on the size of that cut, will determine which tail style you might have had before the jigsaw came out and did it's deed. Hope this helps. John Shepard the Dune Buggy archives

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Buggy Identification ?

Buggy Identification ?

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Body ID

ID Tag

sears rascal

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