PLAY-BUGGIES - AUGUST

BUYING A BUGGY

THIS SCENE HAPPENS MORE THAN YOU THINK IN THE BUGGY WORLD! BUT IT EASY TO AVOID THIS SCENARIO IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON A BUGGY SO YOU DON'T GET BURNED. IT IS EASY TO GET BURNED ON A BUGGY EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE EASIER THAN A NORMAL CAR BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS EXPOSED!

THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING IS EXPOSED ON A BUGGY DOES MAKE IT EASIER... IF YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR. AND THAT IS THE KEY... LOOKING AT EVERYTHING! THE FOLLOWING IS A CHECKLIST OF MAJOR ITEMS THAT TEND TO WEAR OUT OR BREAK ON A BUGGY. MOST ARE FIXABLE, BUT IF THERE ARE TOO MANY IT COULD BE A BIGGER HEADACHE THAN IT IS WORTH! ANOTHER TIP I HAVE FOR YOU IS TO SPEND AT LEAST AN HOUR PERFORMING THESE CHECKS AND NOTE THE SELLERS ATTITUDE - IF THEY DON'T LIKE ALL THE TIME YOU'RE TAKING TO LOOK IT OVER, THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING, WATCH OUT!!!!. IF THEY ARE HELPFUL AND POINT OUT PROBLEMS OR THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN REPAIRED THAT IS USUALLY A GOOD SIGN THAT THEY TOOK CARE OF THE BUGGY.

LOOK AT EVERY INCH OF THE FRAME!!! - YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR CRACKS (ESPECIALLY AT THE SUSPENSION AND SHOCK MOUNTING POINTS) AND SEPERATED OR RE-WELDED JOINTS. LOOK AT IT FROM SEVERAL ANGLES AND LOOK FOR TWISTING OR BOWING IN THE OVERALL FRAME. YOU ALSO WANT TO CAREFULLY LOOK FOR PLACES THAT SEEM LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN MODIFIED (SUCH AS SHOCK MOUNTS, ENGINE MOUNTS, AND TRANNY MOUNTS) IF YOU NOTICE MODIFICATIONS ASK ABOUT THEM. THE FRAME IS USUALLY NOT THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF A BUGGY, BUT IT IS THE MOST CRUCIAL. TAKE YOUR TIME, ASK QUESTIONS. IF YOU SEE MORE THAN A FEW SMALL CRACKS OR RE-WELDS REJECT IT AND LOOK AT THE NEXT ONE ON YOUR LIST!

STEERING - CHECK FOR EXCESSIVE FREE-PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL, WATCH THE TIE-ROD ENDS AND OTHER STEERING COMPONENTS FOR SLOPPINESS OR BINDING. JACK THE THE FRONT-END UP SO THAT THE WHEELS ARE HANGING FREE OF THE GROUND AND PERFORM THESE SAME CHECKS AGAIN. LOOK FOR STAIGHTNESS OF THE TIE RODS (BENT ONES MEAN THAT IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN VERY ROUGH).

SHOCKS - LOOK CLOSELY AT THE SHOCKS THEMSELVES CHECKING FOR BENT RODS (THIS IS BEST DONE WITH THE WHEEL OFF THE GROUND SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SHOCK ROD), ALSO LOOK FOR PAINT THAT HAS BEEN RUBBED OFF THE SHOCK BODY OR THE NEARBY FRAME (AN INDICATION OF EXCESSIVE FRAME FLEXING OR INCORRECT MOUNTING POSITION). WHILE YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE SHOCKS TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE MOUNTS.

SEATS - PROBLEMS WITH THESE ARE EASILY OVERLOOKED, IF THE SEATS HAVE REMOVABLE COVERS TAKE THE COVERS OFF AND LOOK FOR CRACKS, OR AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF MOUNTING HOLES (I'VE WITNESSED PEOPLES SEATS BREAKING LOOSE UPON LANDING A JUMP OR TAKING A HARD CORNER... NOT A PRETTY SITE!). ALSO CHECK FOR A GOOD, SOLID METHOD OF MOUNTING TO THE FRAME, IT IS PREFERRABLE TO HAVE NUTS AND BOLTS AND A SERIES OF HOLES IN A MOUNTING PLATE FOR SEAT ADJUSTMENT RATHER THAN A SLIDING SYSTEM. ANOTHER GOOD SYSTEM USED BY SOME BUGGY BUILDERS IS U-BOLTS ON A BAR. IF THE BUGGY HAS "BEARD SUPER-SEATS" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR THAT YOU CANNOT REMOVE THE COVER, GRAB THE TOP CORNERS AND FLEX IT IN ALL DIRECTIONS LISTENING FOR CREAKS OR LOOSENESS. LOOK UNDERNEATH TO CHECK THE CONDITION OF THE WEBBING AND EXAMINE THE OUTER MATERIAL FOR WEATHER AGING.

SAFETY HARNESSES - NO BUGGY SHOULD BE WITHOUT THESE!! IT SHOULD HAVE AS A MINIMUM A 4-POINT HARNESS WITH 2" WEBBING, A 5-POINT WITH 3" WEBBING IS PREFERRABLE. LOOK AT THE MATERIAL AND STICHING CLOSELY, IT SHOULD BE PLIABLE AND NOT FRAYED. MOST HARNESSES HAVE A MANUFACTURING DATE ON A LABEL AND MOST RACING RULES REQUIRE HARNESSES TO BE LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD.

WIRING - CHECK TO SEE THAT ALL SWITCHES ARE FUNCTIONING. LOOK AT THE WIRING ITSELF, IS IT CRACKED OR BRITTLE? IS THERE BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE IN THE MIDDLE OF RUNS? IS THE FUSE PANEL IN A GOOD PLACE, AND ARE ALL THE FUSES WHITE? (A LOT OF RED FUSES CAN MEAN WIRING PROBLEMS) CHECK THE BATTERY CONNECTIONS, ARE THEY CLEAN AND IN GOOD CONDITION? AND WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE BATTERY MAKE SURE IT HAS A GOOD MOUNTING METHOD. WIRING SHOULD RUN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME PROTECTED BY PLASTIC FLEX-TUBING OR WRAPPED WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE. THAT THROUGH-THE-FRAME WIRING MIGHT LOOK TRICK ON A SHOW BUGGY BUT IT HAS NO PLACE ON THE TRAILS!

ENGINE AND TRANSAXLE - DETERMINING THE CONDITION OF A VW ENGINE AND TRANSAXLE CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT WITHOUT SOME DISASSEMBLY. THE BEST TRICK I KNOW FOR THE ENGINE (OTHER THAN LISTENING TO IT RUNNING CLOSELY) IS TO PUT THE TRANNY IN NUETRAL WITH THE ENGINE OFF, GRAB AHOLD OF THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY WITH BOTH HANDS AND TRY TO WIGGLE IT IN AND OUT. ON A WORN OUT MOTOR YOU WILL FEEL A "CLUNKING" AND MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO SEE THE PULLEY MOVING IN AND OUT. ON A GOOD MOTOR THERE SHOULD BE NO DISCERNABLE PLAY. IF THE OWNER SAYS THAT IT HAS HAD WORK DONE ON IT, ASK TO SEE RECIEPTS. WITH THE TANNY YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR EXCESSIVE LEAKAGE, AND CRACKS IN THE SIDE PLATES OR NOSECONE. ALSO CHECK THE SHIFT ROD COUPLER FOR WORN BUSHINGS. OTHER THAN THAT ALL I CAN OFFER IN THE WAY OF ADVICE IS TO TAKE IT ON A THOROUGH TEST DRIVE, GOING THROUGH ALL THE GEARS AND LISTENING FOR GRINDING NOISES, CLUNKS, OR HARD GEARS TO GET INTO.

THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE ANYONE CONCERNING BUYING A BUGGY OR ANY VW AS FAR AS THAT GOES, IS... DO NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH THE FIRST ONE YOU LOOK AT!!! I'VE HAD SO MANY CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE COME TO ME TO SHOW OFF THEIR NEW PRIDE AND JOY AND ASK ME TO LOOK IT OVER FOR POTENTIAL PROBLEMS ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY HAVE BOUGHT A "CAN OF WORMS" THAT WILL TAKE MANY $$$$ TO PUT INTO RESPECTABLE SHAPE. PLEASE DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE, IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT A BUGGY YOU ARE LOOKING AT, TAKE IT TO A VW MECHANIC TO GET THEIR OPINION. THE FEW DOLLARS THIS MAY COST YOU CAN SAVE YOU HUNDREDS LATER!

NEXT MONTHS TOPIC WILL BE: TIRES AND TERRAIN

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dirtbugz@oasisvw.com
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