Newbie here, my projects...

Cooper · Post by **Cooper** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:38 am

Hi Guys....Newbie here, and pretty new to the world of VW buggys. I bought my firsy DB about 4 months ago, the red Manx 2, s/n 1444. I was in the process of accumulating parts for it when I found the gold Manx here in the classifieds. It was in Jacksonville, Fl, a long way from where I live in upstste NY, but my MIL winters in Florida, and my wife and I had been planning a trip to Universal Studios with the kids over winter break, so the opportunity was there to get it and bring it back. I rented a U-Haul trailer,(round trip, cheaper than one way, go fiqure?), picked it up on the way down. I stayed the week in Ocala, then went to Tampa to Fisher Buggies and picked up the Berrien chassis for it, and headed home. It is a neat car, I suspect it has a lot of history attached to it, I'm still trying to find out some of that history,(see the post in General Discussion). Anyway, I have started tearing the car down, body is in great shape other than being faded, but frame was toast, and engine will need a complete rebuild. The engine is a 1963 Porsche 356 1600S. I have a 1720 big bore kit for that, and should have that done in a couple weeks. Then it will be on to the frame and suspension so I can have a rolling chassis again. The Manx2 has taken a spot in the back of the garage, I want to do the Manx first. There are more pics in my gallery.

Coop

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:42 pm

I see you're planning on replacing the original chassis with an aftermarket Berrien chassis. Have you looked into the registration process in NY. Here in California, it wouldn't be to difficult to register the Manx using the original VW chassis number. However, the Berrien chassis would require obtaining a special construction number, which in turn would necessitate smog checks. Replacing rusty floorpans is fairly easy and would keep the original car intact.

Cooper · Post by **Cooper** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:28 pm

The car is titled as a 1964 VW convertable, I will keep it as that. I will either cut the vin# off the old chassis and attach it to the Berrien, or have a new tag made up. I've done this before with a Shelby Cobra I built, it was titled as a 1964 Ford 2 dr. convertable. I'm sure it would not work in California, or downstate NY,( NYC, Long Island), for that matter, but here in upstate NY, it is not a hassle. Coop

MojaveMel · Post by **MojaveMel** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:16 pm

Wow, I've been hoping to trip on a barn-find Manx for years. And you found two in four months. Way to go! Did you get side curtains with the gold?

Cooper · Post by **Cooper** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:25 pm

Yea, I was lucky to find both of them, I happened on the Manx2 by chance, I was doing a delivery for work and saw it in a yard for sale, $500.00. The Manx I saw here on the Manx classifieds, must have been just as it was listed, the seller told me I was the first person that replied and she had just posted it. That one was $250.00, but then I had to get it home, but still a good deal. I did get the side curtains and back curtain, they are hard and brittle, hoping they will be good enough to be used as patterns to get new ones made from. It is surprising where you find them sometimes, I found this one last week a couple miles from my house, been driving by it for years, never paid much attention till now. It is a Super Shark, so ugly it is cool.

Coop

fubar · Post by **fubar** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:20 pm

It does look like a fish...

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:31 am

[QUOTE="Cooper"] I found this one last week a couple miles from my house, been driving by it for years, never paid much attention till now. It is a Super Shark, so ugly it is cool.

Coop[/QUOTE] Hey Coop,, you did the right thing I feel,,,, for Gods sake just keep on driving by it

Looks like another candidate for ''Busted Buggy Of The Month'' on here

Cooper · Post by **Cooper** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:44 am

"Hey Coop,, you did the right thing I feel,,,, for Gods sake just keep on driving by it

" Opps...too late...I felt sorry for it, it's now parked in my garage.... but on the plus side, it makes my Manx's look so much better... Coop

Siggymanx33 · Post by **Siggymanx33** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:52 pm

"So ugly it's ugly..." Sorry just making myself laugh. You're amassing yourself quite a collection. How many more spots do you have in the garage?

Cooper · Post by **Cooper** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:48 pm

The garage is full to the point that in order to work on anything, I have to move stuff out side to to have room . One of my other vices is collecting old Cub Cadet garden tractors, last count there are 30 something of them in the garage too. Coop

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:15 pm

[QUOTE="mel hubbard"]Hey Coop,, you did the right thing I feel,,,, for Gods sake just keep on driving by it

Looks like another candidate for ''Busted Buggy Of The Month'' on here

[/QUOTE] Coop, Congratulations, that is definitely top contender for "Busted Buggy of the Month". Nice find!!!

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:17 pm

[QUOTE="Cooper"]The garage is full to the point that in order to work on anything, I have to move stuff out side to to have room . One of my other vices is collecting old Cub Cadet garden tractors, last count there are 30 something of them in the garage too. Coop[/QUOTE] Your garage sounds just like my one!! I have a soft spot for old tractors & horticultural garden machinary,,, not a collector, just like that ''Built To Last'' thing,,,,, used to have an Allen self-popelled motor scythe & a 1949 Ferguson T20 TVO,, both now relplaced with a 62 M/F 35 3 cylinder diesel. Do you restore these Cub Cadets?

Cooper · Post by **Cooper** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:33 am

Mel...Not to take this to far off topic, but yes, I have restored a few. I fiquire between the Cubs, Dunebuggies, and some other projects I have sitting around, I will have plenty to keep me busy when I retire. Here's CubZilla, I built it couple winters ago, it started out as (2) Cub Cadets, it is now 4 wheel drive, hydraulic atriculated steering, air cooled US Government flat four gas engine,(kinda VWish). Thats me and some friends at a tractor pull, only thing missing is the kid in a tree playing the banjo

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:23 pm

Nice work Coop,, that looks a powerful little beast :rock: Looking forward to seeing the Tommy Bowden Manx re-build/resto pics,,, thats a cool project :driving:

fubar · Post by **fubar** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:11 pm

I like the cub, it looks like something you could park an airliner with.