QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q.    What motor and how much power do I need in a four seat sand car?

 

A.    Our 4-5 seat dune buggyies weigh in at 2000-2300 pounds approx., depending on options, engine and

transmission.  We recommend a V-6 or V-8 for good low end torque in our dune buggies, especially if you’re going to have bypass shocks, front brakes and power steering, which will weigh the sand rail in at 2300 pounds, plus.  If you’re starting out with a bus trans in your sand car with a standard rack and rear brakes, your dune buggy will be adequate with a Subaru or Ecotec.  You’ll have room to grow upwards to 300 HP on a built bus trans.  You’ll be in the high rpms while climbing hills with a stock motor.

Q.    How much travel do your sand cars have?

 

A.    Our sand cars have over 23” wheel travel in the front and over 20” in the rear.  This amount of travel in your

sand car is plenty to soak up the big bumps and the whoops, whether you’re in the sand dunes or in the hard pack desert.

Q.    Will a bus transmission (002 or O91) be OK?  When should I step up to a Mendeola?

 

A.    With a VW, Subaru or Ecotec, you should be OK up to about 300 HP.  If you’re planning on more HP

in the future or if you’re running a V-6, we highly recommend stepping up to a Mendeola.  Spend the money now, in you’re dune buggy or spend it repairing your bus trans.  The mounts for a Mendeola and a bus trans are different and will be expensive to change at a later date. 

Q.    How do your dune buggy prices and customer service compare to others?

 

A.    For the dual purpose dune buggies that we offer our prices are very competitive and we use quality

components on all our sand rails.  Our customer service is unbeatable, and we strive to answer and help with any situation that may occur during and after the sale of all our sand cars.  Our dune buggies have extensive cross bracing throughout the chassis and we have invested hours of R & D to assure extensive chassis life.  Accidents can happen off road and “Safety First” should be on everyone’s mind.

Q.    How long does it take to have a dune buggy built?

 

A.    Generally, after receiving a deposit for a sand rail, it will take 10-16 weeks, depending on what we have

        in stock and current orders.

Q.    Do I need front brakes, power steering and bead locks on my dune buggy?

 

A.    Our simple answer to that is to ask, how much safety and control do you want in your dunebuggy.  Do

you want to stop on a dime?  Do you want to use your turning brakes and shift with ease:  Do you want control of your car through bumps and whoops?  The answer as we see it is “yes”, everyone should be concerned with safety and control and this should be put ahead of chrome and horsepower.

Q.    I noticed your sand rails are on the heavy side.  Why is that?

 

A.    Our dune buggies are a little heavier than average because we believe in building a safe, durable dune

buggy that will hold up in the desert.  It would cheaper and easier to fit fewer tubes in the chassis.  Everything is a compromise, and we don’t believe in compromising safety and durability for a little less weight.  The reason our sand cars weigh more is because we have more linear feet of tubing than the average car.  A dune buggy frame is less likely to have stress cracks if it has extensive bracing throughout the chassis due to chassis flex resulting in a longer frame life.

Q.    I’m a little confused on what motor and trans to go with in my sand car.

 

A.    This will depend on your budget for your sand car, as previously noted.  Four cylinders will be fine up

to aprox. 300 HP with a bus transmission.  A V-6 has plenty of power in a 4-5 seat dune buggy and a Mendeola is strongly recommended.  The V-8 is a no brainer; it comes standard with a chrome-moly chassis and a Mendeola in all our dune buggies.