V.I.S.I.T.: VW Street Buggy

Peter Tanshanomi

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I have a special affection for minimalist vehicles, and as a former VW buggy owner, street buggies hover somewhere near the top of my list. I snapped this rail-framed, amusement-park-on-wheels outside a local pizzeria. I thought this particular “shortback” design was just about perfectly proportioned.

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I can’t share any details beyond what you see here, because I didn’t spend too much time checking it out, or wait until the owner finished downing his Italian pie and return to his ride. Firstly, I was on my evening commute after a long day, and secondly, this sort of thing isn’t really all that uncommon a sight where I live.

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I count myself lucky to live in Missouri — one of the dwindling number of states where this sort of fenderless, windshield-less, emission-control-less vehicle is still legal to drive on the street.  Since there are states where these mobile hoonage factories have been relegated to trails and sand dunes, I thought it worth sharing this to encourage our hoon brothers who live behind the lines of Occupied America, where East and West Coast DMV Nazis have eliminated this sort of fun.

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It made me miss mine. Perhaps I’ll go get another one and build it up as a small blow against the Empire.

About

Peter Tanshanomi

Peter Tanshanomi

Tanshanomi is Japanese [単車のみ] for “motorcycle(s) only.” Though primarily tasked with creating two-wheel oriented content for Hooniverse, Pete is a lover of all sorts of motorized vehicles.

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  1. CptSevere Avatar
    CptSevere

    Not an unusual sight here in Tombstone, either. There are usually two or three parked at Crazy Annie's Bordello, the funky little bar around the corner from my place. The welding shop across the street from there builds them, has a few rollers sitting around their yard waiting for engines. The sound of a blatting, unmuffled VW engine is a common sound here. The old farts from the bar are a bunch of hoons, they're always screaming up and down the street, the pavement ends less than a half mile away.

    Reply
    1. DeadinSideInc Avatar
      DeadinSideInc

      That sounds, and this is sincere, absolutely lovely.

      Reply
      1. CptSevere Avatar
        CptSevere

        It's the truth. However, this weekend, the old bastards hauled their rails to Bowie and are thrashing about there on the dunes, so the neighborhood will be quieter, except for the other hoons who hang out at the welding shop and tune their rails there. Everybody here who has one thrashes the hell out of it, and many of them are clueless, so the guys at the welding shop pick up extra bucks on Saturday making adjustments on these rails owned by the lame.

        Reply
  2. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    You forgot airbag-less. I am glad I grew up in New Mexico, where emissions and regulations are for dem city slickers. Living in the more civilized world has made me realize how cool stuff like this was.

    Reply
  3. Gnauty Avatar
    Gnauty

    I love dune buggies. The one sitting in my garage is one of my favorite possessions.

    Reply
  4. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    Of course its unsafe that's part of why they're fun. Do we have to immediately think of the life-ending crashes that are possible every time we witness one of these open-air what have you's?

    Reply
  5. citroen67 Avatar
    citroen67

    Shit! You would be in hog-heaven where I live. There are literally hundreds of them running around. There are even a litter of Baja Bugs that roam the local trails.

    Reply
    1. citroen67 Avatar
      citroen67

      There is even a place in St. Helen that is dedicated to all things VW sand rails. You can literally go to this dude's shop, and leave with enough crap to build one at home. I have considered doing just that, but my checkbook jumps up and slaps me back into reality every time. 🙂

      Reply
  6. discontinuuity Avatar
    discontinuuity

    I foresee a steering column through the chest if this thing ever crashes. At least add a universal joint or two.

    Reply
  7. smoke_banshee Avatar
    smoke_banshee

    I want one. The boss has a nice buggy rusting away peacefully in his barn, and it regularly induces visions of a rally Se7en in my imagination. (Or, rally Sieben as the case may be with a VW mill out back.) I've got miles and miles of little twisty turnies and dirt roads that would be great fun to hoon with a minimalist vehicle. Someday.

    Reply