Manx Club

My buddy just phoned & told me about this company, maybe its history to some of you guys, but I thought I'd share it with ya > http://www.red9design.co.uk/type1.htm Whats the verdict guys? personally I would stick with the old torsion bar set as was proven in Baja, but I guess some of the street buggy boys who have the monetary equivalent of a Ferrari invested in their buggy will take the plunge & buy one.

May work good on a big-buck Manxter, but I've been a VW fan for as long as I've been a Buggy guy and prefer to keep my Manx as 'VW' as possible...Nice 'n cheap to build, run and fix...

That's pretty nice looking. If it were about half that price (actually that's euro's.. so if it where about 1/3 that price) I might take the plunge.

If you are interested in something like that, check out club member Pete's front ends: http://a-arm.com/

[QUOTE="GotManx;12794"]If you are interested in something like that, check out club member Pete's front ends: http://a-arm.com/[/QUOTE] Thanks for that Jon, I will pass those details onto my buddy that phoned as he plans to fit one to his Manx type, maybe with the exchange rate he could also save a few ?$ by going to Pete. Nice to keep things within the club circles too IMO.

The Pete version looks like a better set up to me. Definately if you are going off road. The other one looks like it would only yeild a thinner wallet. IMO

I'm building a rail, single seat, street, 3-wheeler. I originally was using a VW front end, but I found a Mazda Miata in a junkyard. The whole front subframe with A-arms, rack and pinion steering, vented rotor disc brakes and a thick anti-sway bar all came out in a unit after I pulled 8 bolts. It cost about $150. Its definitely unsuitable for off-road but it fit right into my street rail frame.

[QUOTE="CairoManx;12799"]I'm building a rail, single seat, street, 3-wheeler. I originally was using a VW front end, but I found a Mazda Miata in a junkyard. The whole front subframe with A-arms, rack and pinion steering, vented rotor disc brakes and a thick anti-sway bar all came out in a unit after I pulled 8 bolts. It cost about $150. Its definitely unsuitable for off-road but it fit right into my street rail frame.[/QUOTE] Nelson, when I first saw that site your 3 wheeler project instantly came to mind, I had wondered what vehicle that front end was from. Not that Im aware of the model 'Miata'. $150 sounds a great deal, did you save much weight over the stock VW front?

I don't think it saves much weight, if any, if you use the whole stock subframe. However, if you only used the subframe as a pattern and then dumped it and mounted the A-arm pivots and steering in the same relative locations, directly on the rail frame, then you'd save a lot. I am using the subframe because I have my engine mounted on it. Something you can't use from the Miata are the springs and shocks. They're too big for a buggy and the upper end mounts to the Miata body. I plan on using a pair or Monroe airshocks. They're cheap and easily height adjustable. In the UK you could use any of the dozens of good coil over shocks they sell there.

A Miata's a Mazda MX5 Mel...

[QUOTE="Manxdavid;12803"]A Miata's a Mazda MX5 Mel...[/QUOTE] Ah, thanks Dave, your wife had one of those I seem to remember. I read someplace that they are the worlds most popular sports car. Reminiscent of the old Lotus Elans of the 60's I always say, or as we would call them > a hairdressers car! Worse way, at least you know its worth 150 bucks when she's done with it.