I found this Woodsbuggy site while investigating dune buggys. I would like to buy a dune buggy for my teen boys. We recently purchased 20 acres of wooded land in Ky that has numerous large 4 wheeler trails on it. I don't want a 4 wheeler for my boys, as they are dangerous. (Especially if they hit a tree - as I said our land is wooded.) It seems like these off road dune buggys - with roll bars and seat belt harnesses would be a safer choice.

Do you agree?

Where should I start? What should I buy? How much should I pay?

Thank you! Thank you!

Robin

I think the first thing you should do is adopt me. Sure I'm a middle aged guy with a considerable amount of grey hair but I would make a great big brother for your boys and I could give you great advice on the buggies you should finance for us.
Actually I am impressed with your question. Three weeks ago I went for a ride and met three guys with broken backs from 4 wheelers. One of them paralized from the chest down. And a good buggy may be cheaper than a quad. I am sure you will get some help. I will do some thinking myself.
Dean

Theres alot of members from Ky. Iam sure someone will be able to help you find something,kybuggy1 got his son a buggy if Iam not mistaken and his boy is a young teenager too,he can give you some advice

much safer!! you are definitely on the right track!!!!!

The first question to consider is how much you want or are will ing to spend. As with alot of things, you can typically say you get what you pay for. The more you spend the more buggy you will get. For teens I would stay toward a fairly stock buggy. I would say you could get a decent starter buggy for around $2000. In that range you should be able to get a factory frame fairly stock parts (engine, trans, suspension) that should fairly reliable, and safe. Thats not to say you cant find something good for less.

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A broken clock is right two times a day.

Since you live in Ky. check with Tim Deaton at southern buggys he may know wheres theres a good deal and you can trust Tim to steer you right phone #606-864-2217

There is a guy on this site from Ky that has one for sale CHEAP! Here's the link. http://forum.woodsbuggy.com/viewtopic.php?t=1550

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When in doubt, hit it in second gear!

Sent you a PM

Robin, Your decision to go with a caged buggy over a 4 wheeler is a very wise one. Your kids will live longer and thank you later in life . If you dont find one local I have just put mine up for sale. It may be more than you want to spend however it is a dependable turn key buggy and set up for the woods. Im located in northern Ohio. If your interested give me a call.
Steve
216-695-0733

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Water cooled Dry Sumped Subaru Powered Turbo Charged Fuel Injected 2500CC Tank. Oh Rah! He who dies with the most Toys not only wins, He also wears them out!

Thanks for the reference to my ad, DVS1!

I think she's already contacted me through craigslist, actually. One step ahead of ya!

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

I bought my 11 year old a 250cc rail buggy he loves it and is alot sfer than a 4 wheeler

Oh, and, you've definitely picked the right place to ask these questions. Not a better place out there.

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Robin,
Welcome to the site! You have found THE BEST source for info on the type of buggies you are interested in! I see that we are neighbors! Where'd you buy the 20 acres? If you need a few trails cut in, me, my boy, my wife, and a couple buddies would be glad to come out and stomp them down for ya!
Looks like you have already been lead in right the direction by being sent to Tim. You could also go over to Happy's (945 8921) in New Albany and look at his bulletin board. There is usually a couple rails for sale over there.
A. Cole was right in that you usually get what you pay for. A stocker is a good starting point for beginners, but that doesn't mean you should settle for a P.O.S. I've seen alot of people get into buggies, have nothing but trouble with them, get discouraged and get out, thinking they are all junk. It is possible if you have patience, and like to turn wrenches and dont mind spending some money every time you ride, to start with junk and end up with a good buggy in a couple years. That route will definately teach you how to work on your buggy better than any other way, too. If you buy a quality buggy with a solid drivetrain on it already, it will be worth spending a little extra money in the beginning. It is AT LEAST three times as expensive to build a woodsbuggy than what you can buy a decent one for. Suspension and drive train problems are a lot more common than engine problems in my experience. Find one with a solid little motor, keep the carb(s) clean, oil in it, and ignition system in good shape, and a VW will give very good service.
Make sure the frame doesnt look cobbled together and the welds at least look like they were done by a professional. This is a MUST, especially since your kids' safety is at stake. If it looks shitty, it probably is.
BE SURE to let your yung un's know that buggies, especially a beginner level buggy, ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR JUMPING!!. Stock suspended buggies will NOSE DIVE like crazy. It hurts the riders and tears the hell out of the equipment. Evertime I'm around a kid who seeing a buggy up close for the first time, like my son's friends, they like to say how fun it would be to jump something in a buggy. With the right set up, they WILL sail, but most likely what you buy starting out , especially set up for the woods, will not be set up for that.
Send me a PM, and we can exchange phone numbers if you want , and I'll do my best to help you choose a decent buggy to buy, as would most any one on this site. I'd plan on spending at least $2500 this time of year for a decent starter. It'll be more like $3500 if you wait til spring, usually.

Good Luck,
Larry

Dude, we get the point Larry!

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

[quote='RailHomie']Dude, we get the point Larry! [/quote]

Go back and look again, Pat. Its only posted once. Y'all posted while I was writing, just moved mine to last place where it should've been.

Larry

Sounds like we're a little down on ourselves, eh?
It'll all get better....well...probably not.

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

It looks like I am on the right track with a dune buggy rather than a scary 4 wheeler. Thanks for all the great replies! Looks like I need about $2,000 - $2500 to get started. Yikes. That's a lot - but I would rather invest in quality and safety and not waste our time on junk.

I got a couple of leads on buying used buggies (which is probably the direction I will go), but are there places that sell these things new - in Louisville? Someone mentioned "Southern Buggies", I'll try and look them up.

Another question... Can I have a buggy modified to limit the speed while my boys learn? I read that you can do this on the small child-sized buggies, but what about on these full size - really fast ones?

Thanks again!

Robin

The kind of buggies you see on here cant really be bought "new", like a 4 wheeler or go-kart. Unless you wanna call one of the few guys that do turn key buggies and pay 'em $8,000- $15,000!

You can get the little ones based on chinese ATV motors brand new at Pep Boys, but they will not not take rigorous abuse like woods riding for very long. There are better quality that ones you can find (Chain Saw World on Fern Valley carries some), but they are about $3500 and up, and EXPENSIVE to repair. And no matter how well built something is, it WILL break if you off-road it, especially driven by a couple of newbie teens!

Southern-Buggies (Tim Deaton) is in London, KY. He is an engine builder and parts retailer. Extremely honest and fair. He has used buggies sometimes that he sells as a favor to his customers, and can give you some good leads on buggies people have at home for sale. They are usually not owned by him. His number is:606-864-2217. Tell him you heard of him from this forum.

I've thought about a way to limit speed w/o limiting power for my son when he was younger, when I first started to think about getting him in a full sized rail .(13 now,riding yard carts and small dirtbikes since he was 3, been driving for 2 years in a mini-rail, now just moved up to fullsize woodsbuggy) I thought about modifying his shifter so he could only get reverse, and first and second gear. Wouldn't be too hard to do. I'm sure someone on here would know an even better way.

Larry

if you get a buggy with neal style throttle pedal that is separate from the clutch and throttle, you can run the bolt in the back up so that way the throttle only opens as far as the bolt will let it. If that makes sense to you.

Thanks Larry!

My boys are 13 and 18. They have ZERO experience. Could a mini-rail support a young adult? Should we start with a mini rail or can these newbies handle and full size buggy?

Robin

Thanks Jeff,
That does make sense.

Robin

I know the 18 year old could handle it as I assume he drives and that's when I learned to drive our first buggy. I don't know about the 13 year old though.
Limiting the throttle pedal could make it hard to shift! I like the shifter mod idea, though you'd have to watch the rpms when trying to get more speed out of 2nd gear.

I think a mini rail would be more scary for me and I've heard a lot of times they'll go almost as fast as a full size one. They'll go more places though!
Just my opinion.

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

[quote='JeffClay']if you get a buggy with neal style throttle pedal that is separate from the clutch and throttle, you can run the bolt in the back up so that way the throttle only opens as far as the bolt will let it. If that makes sense to you.[/quote]

That crossed my mind, but then you will kill the power. A small motored buggy with a throttle stop, will be a turd. You'd need all of first gear to get around on anything worse than flat ground. It'd have trouble pulling itself t

My son, now 25, was driving a full sized buggy at 10 years old. I say cut them loose with helmets and harness. Make them wear them. They will learn quickly. Send them out with straps and a come-a-long. They will figure it out very fast.

R

larry you really have a store called chainsaw world
is that where all chain drive buggys come from

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