Last Update: 05/29/2002
I know very little about heavy equipment, so if anyone can give me advice, hints, tips, tricks, etc, please email Todd at tkirkwood@dune-buggy.com
In the past year, I've had my eye on this thing. It's been sitting in the underbrush for 8 years or so. Everyone thinks it's a POS. I think it will run again. The initial plan is to get the engine running, possibly shorten the rear deck, and attach a backhoe arm to it somewhere/somehow. I plan to use it for a personal road builder and tree hauler. The arm may get a beater, cutting blade, grapple, and/or bucket. Then it will get a nice coating of POR15 so it doesn't rust again.
After that, the plan is to redesign the controls into something a 2 handed person can use because the design of these old ones leaves little to be desired and there must be a better way.
May 29, 2002
Here it is after being trimmed out of it's woody home. The local recycler considered the beer cans next to it to be more valuable than this old monster so he didn't even want to cut it up and haul it off...I guess I'll just have to drive it home ;-)
It has been scrounged for parts. It needs: fuel pump, gauges, grapple, fuel filter, hydraulic fluid, hydraulic pump. Also some tubing needs to be fixed and the boom pivot is severely worn out.
Here's a picture of the fuel pump that came off of it. Does anyone have one? Or does anyone know what the fuel pressure needs to be?
Something is missing in the picture below. I'm assuming it is a second hydraulic pump for the boom and grapple. Anyone know?
All the comforts of home. The steering shaft is off for some reason, the gauges have been stripped, and as you can see the cockpit has been eaten by a few trees. I believe the aluminum plate on the dash panel is the old serial number plate. The plate isn't stamped and the numbers are no longer showing so that will make it harder to get the parts manuals.
This will be a part time weekend project. The first steps will be to clean it up and cut out the vines and weeds while I look for a fuel pump. I also need to see if the engine will spin over.
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