New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Bring your Burros, Sportsters, and other steel bodied buggies out of the corral.
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Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Yeah, I know, it's not a Manx, but it has a place in Dune Buggy History.  Now that my son has hit 15, I've been searching for a Burro or Manx that he can pilot on next year's runs.  Yesterday, I drove by this and am currently in negotiations.  If all goes well, I'll pick this up before the Manx Club Lone Pine rally next week and my quest will have ended.  A couple cool things. .  Second owner, mostly all original (just needs wheels, seats, and replacing the side bars covered in ghastly orange floaties with the correct shaped ones) and most likely a factory build as it has the "Empi Convertible " designation listed as the manufacturer and model on the title. Also note the '56 oval window era gas tank in the rear bed area.

 Here's some advanced photos of my latest addition to the fleet,  The Sportster:

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Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
http://www.ManxClub.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.SeaToSeaSafari.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.BurroBuggies.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
BuggyBob
Posts: 460
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 6:00 am

New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Post by BuggyBob »

Its a b-a-uety!
FulsGld
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:00 am
Location: Pacific NorthWest

New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Post by FulsGld »

I like it!!!
Gary Berry
Prosser, WA
1971 Turista
1969 ManxVair
Member #1112
Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Thanks, you guys, for the nice comments. 

It's home now and I've had a chance to crawl all over it.  Pretty well put together.  I can't tell if it's an actual factory built model, except it does have "Empi" on the title as the make. What's a little odd is it wasn't first titled until 1971. If it's not factory, someone did a pretty good job shortening the pan!  I'm also not sure the paint is original because there is a red or orange color under the various chips.  So, it was probably red at one point it it's life. All the lights and signals work, including the horn. Wipers don't work, but frankly, if they did, it would be the first buggy I owned that had them! It has a 1600 with some small dual solex carberators.  Puffs out some smoke at start-up, but purrs after that.  Solid shifting and brakes, and very forgiving clutch.  It'll be a perfect learning buggy for Jake.  It's exactly 11 feet long from exhaust tip to nose, so I should be able to fit both the Burro and this one on a 24 ft. long trailer.  Let the search begin:-)
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
http://www.ManxClub.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.SeaToSeaSafari.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.BurroBuggies.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
louisb
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed May 05, 2010 5:00 am

New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Post by louisb »

Looks like a great buy. Not crazy about the color but otherwise it looks great.

--louis
MyBlueBuggy
Posts: 99
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:00 am

New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Post by MyBlueBuggy »

Nice find Scott!! I say strip it down to bare metal and powder coat it red.



I've got an old issue of Road & Track that has an article on the Sportster. I'll have to drag it out and send you a copy.
Scott-Drolet
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 6:00 am

New Addition . . . Needed like a hole in the head!

Post by Scott-Drolet »

Thanks  a lot Tom, I could really use any info I can get my hands on . . .Not much out there about Sportsters. 

I'm trying to resist the urge to completely go through it, although I agree with both you and Louis that the car would look a lot better if the paint was taken back to original.  The thing I like about the way it is now is I won't be afraid to use it.  Everytime I completely restore a car I tend to shy away from what it was designed to do: drive off road.  The way it sits now, I don't worry about a little scratch here and there.
Scott Drolet
MC Vice President

MC 47, DSB, RBC, Long Haul League, '64 Monocoque, '67 Manx, '73 Manxter, '64 Stainless Burro, '64 Corvair Burro, '65 Corvair Burro
http://www.ManxClub.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.SeaToSeaSafari.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.BurroBuggies.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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