My GT Buggy
Before i start on about my gt I have a small confession to make i was not going to make a beach buggy as i wanted a Westfield with a Suzuki engine so I could have sequential gearbox then the kids started on at me about the lack of space for them both to sit that month the kit car magazine had a beach buggy on the front cover and they decided that was what dad should make having done the land rover thing needed another project to keep me sane and away from the telly
So it began I looked around for a beetle and discovered that nice bugs were having a sale in a couple of weekends as they had taken over the business so off I go to have a look they had a number of beetles this horrible mauve was the only one in my price range(£250)it even had some mot so after the exchange of money and documents I drove the thing home what a heap of sh*t what did people see in beetles as it was all over the road still never mind it cant get any worse parked on the front lawn I started to disassemble undone all the bolts between floorpan and shell and tried to lift off no somebody had welded the two halves together introduce the neighbours to the angle grinder on a Sunday morning after a couple of hours it was starting to come apart  now I had a shell and pan  what do I do with the rotten shell phoned the local breakers they wanted £100 to take it away not of my hard earnt cash speak to local bin men cut it into manageable bits and we will take it away over the next month for a drink £50 pound lighter and the shell vanished went to see James Hale about a long wheelbase gt if for no other reason he was a hour down the road so I could borrow a van to collect it after meeting James at the club picnic handing over more cash picking a colour the shell was in progress back to the floorpan measuring from front hub nut to rear there was 2.5 inch difference in length something not right about that thinks i further investigation showed the pan was square but the beam was really bent second hand beam acquired front ball joints purchased only take half hour to fit with the fly press at work haha several hours later all four ball joint replaced time to put the beam back together progress was very slow as lack of funds was a constant problems only working part time around the kids school time slowly got the pan up together looking back now should have put complete new pans in but hay ho once the shell arrived home mad rush to get it on the pan bonnet held on with couple of bungies then came the wind snapped the bungy and the bonnet was damaged chip in front where it hit fence post more slow progress change of girlfriend but this one had some interest in buggy result wired up using old beetle loom but never happy about it so out came the old wiring and a Darren loom purchased with diagram no confidence in doing this but plodded on circuit by circuit and then every thing worked the engine had got me home so quick service and give it a run seemed to go ok but with the big wheels and tyres on the back it had messed up the gearing so top was unusable apart from downhill time to invest in a bigger engine me thinks so kept my eye on vzi but kept missing out then one lunch time up pops a 1600sp engine so rang the chap straight away turns out he was local about 3 miles away made arrangements and he brought the engine up to me more cash exchanged hands the engine was swapped over and went well but could be better carb swop for a webber and was going really well and top was a useable gear now down the road for mot then made the mistake of trying to register it as buggy lots of phone calls an inspection carried out on my front lawn coffee later and he was happy with what he had seen we then ended up on first name terms with the girl in the dvla all most given up then out of the blue phone call asking me what i wanted on my v5 soon after it arrived taxed and on the road how ever the seats were functional but a little tight across the arse checked out lots of after market seats and managed to get some mx5 seats with speakers in the headrest so now i can hear the radio while going along over 30 mph don't think it will ever be finished but i love my creation and the friend ship that comes with them the banter the laughs are the best parts one of the last things that i have done was fit a cb radio what a blessing in cruises as can keep in touch to help keep the convoy together always looking to improve the bug as and when the funds allow as for the wife as many of you know she now has one of her own so don't have to stack mine so high when camping when she gets it on the road thanks to all that have helped over the years physical verbal  and pee taking without your help this would not have happend
The next chapter is about to begin as it is now about to have a chassis change now in progress. 
 
 

Cracking tale mate..

Good job 

H

Is it me or does that exhaust look familiar

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Nice one!  Good read there. 

Dont forget the new massive beast of a engine thats gonna be sat in there buddy....

Cool read, Especially the "angle grinder meeting the neighbours"!!

westfield with suzuki engine lucky you saw the light, buggers are a friendly and not so opinionated that theirs is the best one ever.
an interesting story