Bargain Buggy? 1967 Volkswagen Dune Buggy

Oftentimes, when VW-based dune buggies show up for sale, they are in rough shape or a mishmash of parts that need assembling. Cheap to buy and prone to being left outdoors with no protection, the second- and third-owners of such vehicles usually didn’t buy them to preserve; they were meant to be used on the beach and left outside to dry out when done cruising the dunes. Pristine examples are still relatively affordable today, unless it’s a documented Meyers Manx, and examples like this one listed here on eBay sit in an ideal middle ground of having the heavy lifting done with a reasonable price tag attached. It’s offered up for $7,500 and located in Polk City, Florida.

The seller notes that he’s been told the body looks like a genuine Meyers Manx, but so did almost all of the recreations that emerged when backyard  buggy building was in its heyday. Given the asking price here, it seems unlikely that this is a genuine Manx, but instead another recreation – albeit one that looks to be incredibly well buttoned up. The body shows no obvious flaws and it’s been upgraded with modern lighting front and rear. The seller claims the body and paint is in 8/10 condition, if not slightly better. Curiously, the listing mentions it is “…not a homemade buggy,” so perhaps it was built by a professional shop back in the day.

The interior benefits from later production sport seats, and an aftermarket steering wheel. The listing describes the buggy as being gone through from front to back, including a rebuilt VW engine completed in 2019 and a new clutch. Still, the seller notes that it has had some running issues in the past, likely due to sitting for months at a time. He references a sputtering problem that he links to a potentially dirty carburetor and old gas, so a general fuel system clean-out is recommended. Now, the big question is whether it’s a real Meyers Manx: I say no, but perhaps our more astute readers who collect these VW-based dune buggies will know for sure based on the photos.

As an added bonus, the seller has made sure the dune buggy is legally registered and titled for road use. As I learned in trying to sell one of these, finding one without paperwork can make for some challenging paperwork, depending on how the buggy was originally registered. The seller also notes that paperwork and receipts documenting the mechanical rebuild and other repairs are included, so it sounds like this is one dune buggy where the seller has taken care to protect his investment. The asking price seems more than fair to me; do you agree?