“I don’t have the time” or “I’m too lazy to get off my butt and drag myself away from the TV”; which usually means I’m too busy surfing the net looking at other peoples buggies and dreaming. If your time schedule is so jam packed with other things to do then you probably should forget owning a buggy because I doubt if you would find the time to drive and enjoy it anyway.
“I don’t have the room”; many people have built buggies outside on their driveway or in the back garden, council garages are cheap to rent and offer enough space for a buggy build-up. A single garage is sufficient.
“I’m not really mechanically minded”; well, its about time you bit the bullet and learnt! In the SDBC we have many members who are more than willing to build their first buggy. All you need is a basic tool kit, electric drill (cordless tools will do), a little self-confidence and just a few spare hours each week.
Most buggy builders have their chassis professionally refurbished and shortened, however a mig-welder, hacksaw, angle grinder, wire brush, tape measure & spirit level is about all thats required if you’re willing to do it yourself.
Building your buggy should be treated as part of the hobby, you will learn lots as you go along. Some guys actually believe the build-up to be the best part.
For those who are still adament about purchasing a turn-key buggy then be prepared to pay around double the cost of building one, thats unless you’re planning buying one of the many cheaper buggies that were sometimes thrown together back in the seventies, there’s still a lot of ‘em around and they can cost more to restore than to build a new one.
Good quality, well put together buggies, whether restored 70′s models or brand new gel coated models currently changing hands for £4000+ which was unheard of two years ago.
Maybe if you really are too busy to build one yourself then you’re probably working very long hours and earning lots of money, so £4000+ shouldn’t be out of your price bracket!
