patooyee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
- Messages
- 5,692
I realize that this is largely a regional question but there's no one to ask down here so I'll see what I get here.
I'm a buggy guy, always have been always will be. I've never had any sort of brand loyalty, body loyalty, or anything. Jeeps with removable tops are cool to me but so are Samurai. But nothing has ever turned me on like buggies and I don't have the patience to constantly repair body damage. The only thing that turns me on to even build is a buggy.
That being said, my days of extreme power / hills / make it or break it are gone. I'd rather spend my time with my daughter if she can't come wheeling with me and that means I probably just won't be wheeling as much in the future as I have in the past. A buggy probably isn't very practical as a result. I plan to sell my current rig soon and build something different.
My brother in law has a Jeep that I've been riding in a bit and I can definitely see the attraction of being able to ride down the street when you want, go on local rides that require a license plate and registration, etc. In addition, if I had a vehicle that was streetable I would use it more, have more fun more often, and be able to take my daughter on short day trips.
The recent Samurai thread got me to thinking of basically building something with minimal amount of body required to keep from being pulled over every time I drive down the street but otherwise a buggy. In FL there are no vehicle inspections unless you are cited for something that needs to be remedied. You go to the DMV, get your title and registration, and then never go there again for that vehicle unless there are issues. Used vehicles they will verify mileage on the initial title, so the vehicle has to be there for that. But it doesn't have to be running or even driveable. I recently titled a totaled Chevy Cobalt on a trailer that would obviously never drive again, they made me just sign a statement that I wouldn't drive it unless it was registered first. I've searched online high and low, asked police officers, and even consulted a lawyer about FL state vehicle requirements and no one has ever been able to produce a list that was beyond the basic stuff, like turn signals, etc. Nothing about tire size, fender clearance, bumper height, etc. In addition, I see sand rails driving around our highways out in the open pretty regularly without being harassed. They were probably initially registered as VW's before being torn down, built, and then never brought to the DMV again. The town I live in has been rated the nation's #1 speed trap for like 10 years running by AAA so its not like there is ever a lack of cops around that are just missing the rails by chance. They have to be seeing them and leaving them alone or they wouldn't be out like they are.
I was wondering if people with "street- legal" rigs might be able to post some pics and detail how extreme they have gone without getting in trouble with the law. Or if you have got in trouble what was it that triggered it? Is a buggy with a tub, hood, and turn signals good enough? I'm not wanting to do 80mph down I-10 with anything. I have a tow rig and trailer for that. I just want to be able to to 55 or so down state highways on a Sat. without too much worry.
I'm a buggy guy, always have been always will be. I've never had any sort of brand loyalty, body loyalty, or anything. Jeeps with removable tops are cool to me but so are Samurai. But nothing has ever turned me on like buggies and I don't have the patience to constantly repair body damage. The only thing that turns me on to even build is a buggy.
That being said, my days of extreme power / hills / make it or break it are gone. I'd rather spend my time with my daughter if she can't come wheeling with me and that means I probably just won't be wheeling as much in the future as I have in the past. A buggy probably isn't very practical as a result. I plan to sell my current rig soon and build something different.
My brother in law has a Jeep that I've been riding in a bit and I can definitely see the attraction of being able to ride down the street when you want, go on local rides that require a license plate and registration, etc. In addition, if I had a vehicle that was streetable I would use it more, have more fun more often, and be able to take my daughter on short day trips.
The recent Samurai thread got me to thinking of basically building something with minimal amount of body required to keep from being pulled over every time I drive down the street but otherwise a buggy. In FL there are no vehicle inspections unless you are cited for something that needs to be remedied. You go to the DMV, get your title and registration, and then never go there again for that vehicle unless there are issues. Used vehicles they will verify mileage on the initial title, so the vehicle has to be there for that. But it doesn't have to be running or even driveable. I recently titled a totaled Chevy Cobalt on a trailer that would obviously never drive again, they made me just sign a statement that I wouldn't drive it unless it was registered first. I've searched online high and low, asked police officers, and even consulted a lawyer about FL state vehicle requirements and no one has ever been able to produce a list that was beyond the basic stuff, like turn signals, etc. Nothing about tire size, fender clearance, bumper height, etc. In addition, I see sand rails driving around our highways out in the open pretty regularly without being harassed. They were probably initially registered as VW's before being torn down, built, and then never brought to the DMV again. The town I live in has been rated the nation's #1 speed trap for like 10 years running by AAA so its not like there is ever a lack of cops around that are just missing the rails by chance. They have to be seeing them and leaving them alone or they wouldn't be out like they are.
I was wondering if people with "street- legal" rigs might be able to post some pics and detail how extreme they have gone without getting in trouble with the law. Or if you have got in trouble what was it that triggered it? Is a buggy with a tub, hood, and turn signals good enough? I'm not wanting to do 80mph down I-10 with anything. I have a tow rig and trailer for that. I just want to be able to to 55 or so down state highways on a Sat. without too much worry.
