1971 Volkswagen Sand Rover T Pickup Dune Buggy

Load up the surf boards, blow up the rubber ducky float, climb the nearest dune for some chill time at the beach, and you can do it in style with this VW based dune buggy.   All fiberglass construction on a VW beetle frame and heavily worked engine, some snazzy wheels and high travel suspension, this convertible buggy pickup is just da bomb for retro travel back in time.  This buggy, a Joe Poty Enterprises Sand Rover T Pickup, has been in our consignor's possession since 2004 and always kept it safely in the garage keeping things in tip top shape.  If you are going to do a commute, you might as well do it in style with this creation which is residing in one of our South showrooms where it is looking for a dune to climb!

Exterior
Heavy and thick molded fiberglass in the form of a shell and tub for some interior seats and makes up this simplified body with floating fenders.  Headlights, like bug eyes, protrude upwards from the inner fenders right next to the hood and a Mercedes-esque grille floats up front sandwiched between a faux radiator cap in chrome above and small chrome bumper below.  An aluminum windshield frame is ever so slightly raked rearward and supports the front mounting for the yellow bikini top that covers the passengers.  The upper body is a screaming yellow zonker and the bottom of the tub is black.  The rear of this body is nice and high for the suspension travel and has small oval tail lights within aluminum bezels.  Not oft seen is a polished diamond plate bed that when opened reveals the engine, fuel tank and battery.  Dual zoom tubes for the exhaust emanating from either side add to the allue and custom look.  Overall the yellow paint is in nice shape, however we do note a crack in the fiberglass around the passenger side headlamp and some rough cuts are noted in the edges of the yellow fiberglass body.  14 and 15-inch chrome Cragar SST wheels are on all 4 corners and are wrapped in deep treaded staggered width blackwalls.

Interior
Black and yellow vinyl make up the seats with high back racing style buckets upfront courtesy of Summit Racing and are sporting new covers.  A large chrome roll bar is extra security just in case a dune decides to give way, you are protected, (somewhat!).  The fiberglass molded dash utilizes the gauges and knobs from the original donor bug along with the addition of a Sun tachometer and a Jensen AM/FM/CD stereo.  Just below this dash is a sea of black carpeting with a Scat Drag Fast short throw shifter.  Definitely an open-air driving experience.

Drivetrain
Now things are going to get interesting....With a lift of the bed cover we are met with a polished, chromed, and rebuilt VW 1904cc rear engine firmly planted in the back and that has been treated to a who's who list of speed parts.  Let me catch my breath.....huff, puff, huff.  This flat 4 cylinder has been fitted with a DPR 74mm stroker crankshaft, new Mahle 90.5mm pistons, and a new Engle 120 camshaft, (.435 lift & 294 duration).  It was then topped off with 041 hi-performance cylinder heads with hi-rev springs.  These heads have been treated to a 3 angle valve job, a mild port and polish job, solid rocker shafts with genuine VW rockers and swivel foot adjusters.  An aluminum deep sump oil pan was added along with a HD high volume oil pump and aluminum valve covers top things off.  For the spark, air and fuel we note a full Pertronix Ignitor ignition with a Flamethrower coil and Flamethrower plug wires.  Feeding the fuel end are a pair of Weber 40DCNF rebuilt 1-barrel carbs feeding through port matched intakes.   The VW 4-speed manual transmission has been fitted with a lightened 12lb flywheel and a Kennedy Stage 1 clutch kit.  This engine is very clean and has dual exhaust with BugPack ceramic coated headers and pipes with glasspack mufflers and chrome tips.  

Undercarriage
Clean VW metal is making up the molded floor pans and toe kicks, which look as though they had been replaced at one point in time.  Transverse torsion bars for the front with an adjustable pin arrangement, and independent semi trailing arms for the back make up the suspension.  Disc brakes are on all 4 corners.

Drive-Ability
Pure fun, open air, and you can almost become 1 with this interesting build.  Nice acceleration, great braking, and the engine runs tip top with more than enough power to rock you back in your seats.  

So many of us go through like just using our cars to commute back and forth to work and go on the occasional vacation.  We treat our cars like our toasters, expecting them to work for us every day.  With this custom you can just have flat out fun, climb whatever landscape, and enjoy the open air and big country out there.  Scooby Doo!

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.