Like all there is a story behind this buggy .

The story starts with me driving past the buggy parked in this guys front yard on the way to my girlfriends place. I'm not exactly sure how long it had been there before I noticed it, but every time I went past, there it was, just sitting there, I said to my Girlfriend (Melissa), I have all ways wanted a Buggy, just like that one. I think after about the 20th time, she got the idea, I had been talking about stopping and speaking to the owner, but had never done so. I had been through a couple of cars during this time, a GQ Nissan Patrol Wgn, a Mitsubishi Pajero Wgn, both sporting lift kits, winches, and big wheels so I was used to having a vehicle that was at least capable of getting most places. I had sold all vehicles of the 4WD persuasion and had purchased a VW Golf for financial reasons. Over the Easter long weekend, I had borrowed my brothers Hilux to venture over to Stradbroke island for a little camping and fishing. All went well over the weekend, with us helping a couple of folks out of a bog on the beach, (they were driving a Hiace 4WD Van) while there a couple of Manx buggies passed us

>by, On tune I turned to Melissa and started to say," I've always wanted a Buggy", but she said "I know, You have always wanted a Buggy". Anyway, upon return to the mainland, we were driving up the street to Melissa's place when we passed the Buggy, But the difference today was the guy mowing his lawn. I stopped asked him if it was his, he said yes, I then asked what he was doing with it? He said he was thinking of selling it but was not sure what to ask for it. After a bit of negotiation and confirmation that it had the original Machinery papers (several trips to the Transport Dept), With all of my camping gear still packed in the back of the Hilux, I returned with a

>Trailer and a pocket full of Cash. I had little trouble getting the buggy registered, with the exception of anything that was rubber and under the vehicle, requiring replacement(Wheel cylinders, Master Cylinder, tie rod ends, etc)the original windscreen was cracked, apparently due to one of the sellers mates swinging off it to get out of the front seat and had to be replaced. The long term outlook for the windscreen is to make it higher and mount it within a Roll bar, this should help if someone else uses it to extract themselves from the seat. I must point out at this point as stated before," I have always wanted a Buggy just like that one", after meeting Brad and discussing Buggies, My Buggy needs a Bigger Everything to make me happy.

Thanks Brad. Just kidding, without Brad's help my buggy would probably still be in the garage waiting for bits and funds to have people work on it. He has given me advice on just about everything and the things he has not advised on I just have not broke yet. The Buggy has had the wheels off several times since owning it, at first every time I drove it something broke!

The first day out in the Buggy (After Registration Day), while driving

through Stafford the clutch starting making a strange noise. After stopping at a VW workshop and having the mechanic adjust the clutch cable and send me on my way, the clutch ceased working altogether. As you can imagine on a Friday afternoon on Stafford Rd, the traffic was hideous, so I parked it on the footpath and waited for RACQ (2.5 Hours later, but that's another (story). The final problem was not discovered until the next day at Brad's place. The throw out bearing had been noisy since the first day but had on this day let go, throwing itself through the clutch and pressure plates.

Well a new clutch and pressure plate in and away we go again, the buggy was left at Melissa's place for the week awaiting the first outing to

Landcruiser Park the following weekend. It was Friday night and we were

heading home with the Buggy when the Accelerator cable broke(What else can go wrong?). Thankfully it had broke at the pedal end, a simple fix,

Landcruiser Park is still on!Landcruser Park, The trip to Landcruiser Park went well, we were travelling in a group with two Landrover Discovery's the Buggy sat on 110klm/hr the whole way there.

Saturday Night was spent by the fire talking about the Buggy and how I

Would not do anything to adventurous in it this weekend. Sunday was a whole new day with some other friends arriving and the tag along team numbering 7 vehicles, the first few hill climbs were OK with the Buggy climbing everything with ease, as a matter of fact it was sideways through most corners and around most trees going up the hills. I had decided the track was getting a little adventurous with the Buggy dragging its belly down most of the hills, then a reasonable hill that stopped several of the more Standard 4wheel drives. The decision was made and 3 of the vehicles decided to turn back, I know I said I would take it easy, BUT!! All was going well until I reached the point where the 4wd's were getting stuck, there was a large rock that looked like pulling the front out of the Buggy, so I backed off to go around it, this lost the forward momentum and stopped us. A few more attempts at getting past the rock and suddenly, No forward drive, but wait No rearward drive, Broken Again. After extracting the Buggy from the

>hill behind the new Landrover Discovery with traction control(Great thing that) we towed it back to camp and removed the wheels, nothing could be seen, a broken axle/diff was suspected. I obtained a lift home with one of the friends who was heading back that afternoon. A phone call to Brad and the trailer was acquired to retrieve the Buggy from Jimna, arrived back at Landcruiser Park(Jimna), at around midnight, everyone said they could hear me coming for about 2 klms with the trailer rattling away behind me. Monday morning and I loaded up the Buggy on the trailer and set off for home. I  had not even got out of the gate when the tail lights were torn off the trailer on a washout(all is not going well). Upon return the buggy sat for a week

>untouched. The weekend upon me again some time was devoted to finding out what had happened this time. Wheels off, Engine out, I'm getting good at this. The clutch is OK, well I guess it's gearbox out. With the Box out, we decided to try to find out what had happened, even though the decision had already been made to put a spare box in that Brad had supplied earlier, during the RWC phase with the broken axle tube bolt saga. Well with the axle tubes off the discovery was made, the circlip holding the axle in place had broken allowing the axle to come out far enough to spin around and destroy all parts around it. The Buggy goes again! Over the next several weeks the Buggy did not get much use as I was away, Melissa's Dad did however drive it and filled the gearbox with fresh fluid for me. Upon return I picked up the Buggy and drove it around town several times over the following week. It was then I noticed a large amount of fluid coming from the rear axle seals. Off with the wheels and drums again. Two new axle seals purchased from Mick Motors and the Buggy drives again.

	A Broken Bolt on the rear axle tube, one of the many under body items required to be fixed for the RWC.
	Ready to go to the Mechanics for its RWC for the second time. (YES!!!!It passed)
	Little has been done to the Buggy from a visual point of view since purchasing it. However the long term prospects are a revised Floor Pan with IRS rear suspension with long travel shocks, adjustable long travel front end, 3" Body lift kit, Repositioned gear stick, 4 Wheel disc brakes, Kombi Gearbox, 4 stud 15" Alloy Wheels & Tyres. A fresh coat of paint and some revised bar work front and rear, new sports style seats. Where do you stop??? Thanks again Brad!!!!