Manx Club

I saw a post on a Steve Mcqueen site describing how he had the Manx built for "The Thomas Crown Affair". http://stvmcqueen.tripod.com/dunebuggy.html

I saw the post below on a French movie car webpage http://www.imcdb.org/yourcomments.php?id=mozinor&PHPSESSID=e79101ea41a843601fe7a7aedbeced63 I have written a couple of articles on the history of the TCA dune buggy driven by McQueen in the film. I suggest you find a copy of the APRIL 2005 issue of the new KIT CAR BUILDER MAGAZINE. Briefly, here are the facts: 1) The body was a modified Meyers Manx. 2) It was built at Conn-Ferr by Pete Condos and Eckley Turr. 3) It used a 140 hp Corvair engine. 4) It used Firestone racing tires from Granitelli's turbine car. 5) American Racing cast special extra-wide rear wheels. 6) The floorpan was a stock early VW. 7) The transaxle was a swing-axle with a flipped ring & pinion. The engine adaptor was made by Ted Trevor. 9) The late Tony Nancy did the interior. Seats were from a Datsun Fairlady. 10) Two tonneau covers were made. The flat one with a luggage rack was used. 11) McQueen bought the buggy after filming, and sold it to a Manx dealer. 12) The dealer sold it to its current owner in Hawaii. 13) There was one matching replica built, with a 4 barrel carb. It went to Texas. 14) There was one extra body produced before the fiberglass shop burned to the ground. No others were made. 15) The body owned by Mr. Adkins is a nicely-done look-alike, but there are numerous differences from the original film buggy. 16) The side panels on the Adkins buggy are different. 17) The fiberglass nose and dashboard on the Adkins buggy are different. 18) The original film car used a flat aluminum plate for the dashboard. If anyone has further questions, my email is: bartonlink@sbcglobal.net. He's talking about a buggy on this webpage: http://danadkins.net/dunebuggy.aspx

James Hale has a replica of the TCA buggy,, I first saw the project back in 97,, he has all the right stuff to build it up too,,, but as far as I know it just sits in his shop,,,, maybe its built up now. I know for sure he would NEVER sell it.

If interested, I have a lot of screen captures (of the buggy) posted on my album page here: http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/album108 Click on the Thomas Crown Buggy folder. Bud