Archive for category Dune Buggy
How to Build a Dune Buggy
Posted by in Dune Buggy on June 21, 2011
Has roaming around on a beach or in a desert in your own vehicle been your fantasy? Is that what you have ever dreamed of? Well, then you perhaps also know what kind of a vehicle is needed for trundling along the paths full of sand and sand dunes. Yes, it is a dune buggy alright. For those who have no clue what is a dune buggy, and how to build a dune buggy let me tell you about it in detail.
What is a Dune Buggy?
Now, dune buggy comes from the fraternity of recreational vehicles. It is specifically designed to be used on beaches or areas having sand dunes. It is fundamentally a modified vehicle having a customized and altered engine which is mounted on an open chassis. These alterations are normally meant to enhance the power to weight ratio by either increasing the engine power or lightening the vehicle. In some cases, it could be both. Dune buggy tires are wide and its wheels are large.
Designing
Basically there are three methods of creation of a dune buggy.
Method 1: The first method entails changing and altering an modified vehicle. And the most preferred variety for this is Volkswagen Type One, Beetle or Bug. The crucial factor in this is the position of the rear mounted Volkswagen engine. With this, the removal of body work imparts a high proportion of weight to the rear driven wheels for more traction. The comparatively lesser price, robust front suspension and availability of sizable number of spare parts gives Volkswagen an edge over the others.
Method 2: This method is constructed by using a vehicle frame of steel tubing formed and welded together. Now in this, the advantage is that the fabricator is able to change the primary parts of the vehicle. That is generally the suspension and the adding of a built-in row cage. This type of a buggy is called a sand rail, on account of its rail frame. Sand rails can either have panels or custom shaped coverings over the rails and tubing to go with it.
Method 3: The last but not the least, the third method is nothing but a temporary set up. These type of dune buggies portray the mixture of the former two designs, mostly after converted vehicle suffer damage, hard use, accidents and so on. Read the rest of this entry »
Fiberglass Dune Buggy
Posted by in Dune Buggy on June 21, 2011
Many people are unaware of the concept of buggies. The concept of buggy evolved from the small and compact carriages, that could be pulled with the help of a single horse or sometimes even a pony. The modern buggies are designed on a similar shape and size. The only difference is that, the modern buggies are powered by internal combustion engines rather than horses.
What is a Dune Buggy?
Dune buggies are recreational vehicles with a peculiar chassis and engine structuring. The dune buggies usually have a very good ground clearance. The chassis of the dune buggy is fitted with the minimum requirements, that include the engine, gear box, essential auto parts, the steering wheels and two seats. The physical appearance of the buggy is rather different, as compared to the normal vehicles. The buggy has the appearance of a chassis with a frame work and some minimum number of automotive components. Thus, the buggy is an all terrain vehicle, that is many a times used for pleasure tripping in the desert sands, beaches and sometimes even on snow-filled terrains. In recent times, the dune buggies have gained recognition as a recreational vehicles, that can be used for all terrain sports. Some of the armed forces have also taken up dune buggies, as a medium of quick transport in extreme conditions. The design of this vehicle is so simple, that some of the fiberglass dune buggy manufacturers have also started providing their customers with dune buggy fiberglass kits, so that they can build a dune buggy on their own.
Some of the very striking and outstanding features of the dune buggies are as follows:
* Dune buggies have the bare minimum facilities attached on to them, due to which the vehicle becomes very light.
* The less number of accessories mean that the dune buggy does not get damaged very badly, in the case of a very rough trip.
* The dune buggy has very powerful suspension, which can be used for almost all types of terrain.
* The wheels and tires have an oblong appearance and it has a very tough yet firm exterior tire design.
* The buggy also has an exceptionally powerful engine.
Fiberglass Dune Buggy
Fiberglass dune buggies are the more innovative and re-engineered variants of the dune buggies. The basic difference between the normal dune buggy and the fiberglass dune buggy is, that all the peripherals and support systems of the fiberglass dune buggy are made up of fiberglass. The other fiberglass dune buggy parts, like the engine or gear box, are all made up of normal metals and alloys. The use of fiberglass proves to be very advantageous, as a result of the characteristics of fiberglass. The first and the most noticed advantage of the fiberglass dune buggy is that the weight of the buggy is drastically reduced. The reduced weight enables the fiberglass dune buggy manufacturers to have an ideal mass to power ratio. The light weight also increases the maneuverability of the vehicle, along with the increased ability to access even the more difficult terrain. One of the very good characteristics of fiberglass dune buggies, is that the high grade manufacturing process and the use of the best fiberglass makes the parts of the buggy, resistant to harsh shocks and vibrations. Some of the variants of fiberglass are also resistant to pressure and hence do not crack very easily. Read the rest of this entry »