Meyers Manx Dune Buggy With Airplane Engine 

Brings me back to when I was a kid. Even in Saskatoon Saskatchewan we had Manx buggy’s on the road. I had one 21 years ago. I’m still kicking myself for selling it for $300 because my wife thought it was low classed to have it sitting in our driveway. I no longer have the wife but wish I had my Manx 🍻

About 5 years ago I took my 89 year old Dad up to visit Bruce at his house in Valley Center area . Bruce was 90 and he & I & my Father talked for a couple hours that day while taking in all of his shop & projects that he had going on at that time . Winnie ( his wife) even brought out some homemade cookies and we had cold water bottles I had brought up to wash them down with. Bruce kinda knew then that he was on a limiting time period in his life , and commented to my Dad & I he hoped someone would continue on with his company if & when he passed away . I’m glad to see that it’s being cared after here in this video . When Bruce passed away my father called me over to his house to show me the newspaper article written about him & commented on how much he admired Bruce for his innovation & commitment to his passion . I have an autographed copy of Bruce’s autobiography and a bunch of pictures from that day we spent together and am happy to say my own father just turned 94 on the 18th of May this year & still talks fondly of that day as well. Thanks for posting this one & wishing you all the best wishes & success. 😎👍

Had a one-on-one for about 20 min. with Bruce while he was sitting in car number one in Carmel. Nicest gentleman in the world and was very relaxed, but also very enthusiastic, about sharing the entire history of the company. A priceless experience!

I knew blinker fluid was real

I had an orginal Manx. That fiberglass was up to half inch thick. Super high quality. I guy gave it to me in parts.

"i would test everything on the ground first." smartest thing ever said involving the airplane industry

Jay, I'm a certified aircraft mechanic through the United States Naval Air Force so I've worked on massive radial engines on T-28s; hence it's interesting to me to see a radial engine being used in this Manx. More intriguing to me is that it's water cooled--though of course it's not getting the intense cooling air blast that an open aero engine gets at the front of an aircraft. This is an enjoyable evolution in engine technology.

I love that they make it so easy to check your blinker fluid. More cars need this feature.

Being born in 1970 (in Texas)this car reminds me of being a kid. I grew up around shade tree mechanics in my family and one of my older cousins had a dune buggy, I thought I was way too cool when he took me to school in it one morning! Thank you gentlemen! Jay your videos touch my soul!🐦🐦✌️❤️

I remember back in the 60s, a local guy up here in New Brunswick, Canada, had a Meyer's Manx with a Corvair engine, it would do wheelies from a stop if you floored it, it was way really tail heavy, but he had fun with it.

The original VW air-cooled engine was also an "aircraft engine". It powered many homebuilt aircraft back in the 60's and 70's. It's nice to see that it is replaced by another "aircraft engine".

Jay is the best! He knows so much about cars I sometimes wish he'd come out with one for mass production himself. The Leno car would be amazing.

That radial makes a real good noise. I forgot how good those engines sound.

Wow.... So cool to see my mates from Radial Motion getting this awesome engine into an original Manx buggy. When they turned up at Volksfest here in Adelaide a few years ago with their chopped top bug there was literally a crowd of interested guys hanging all over it. So cool to have a great piece of South Australian engineering getting out there in the world again.

Really dig the sound of the radial engine in this, great choice for the Meyers Manx! I hope Mr. Sarofim finds great success with this endeavor and that the Manx remains a mainstay in the kit and completed car world!

I remember seeing these on TV, in Cartoons as a Kid in the 80's and the Hot Wheels toys, they just seemed so cool and something you swore you'd buy when you grew up!

Not only am I impressed with this young man, but I’m absolutely salivating over that engine! I’ve always loved the sound of a radial engined aircraft and this one does not disappoint!

What a cool piece of technology! I really like that the internals are sourced from a common LS V8. It leaves the window open for high quality aftermarket speed parts (excluding the crank, of course). Being liquid cooled makes for uniform cooling and more reliability. I'd like to see a little more info on the cylinder scavenging setup to keep the oil out of the 2 lower cylinders.😉

I learned to drive in an old VW bug with no clutch . That helped me drive a semi. Knowing how to shift without a clutch and no starter motor really helped to motivate me to not stall the car. Drove it around the fields . Now those fields are all filled with huge houses. Oh well .

I had one 40 plus years ago. Watching this has got me excited again . Thank you for sharing.

This guy is such a sweetheart. Well behaved, honest & curious to learn. Jay seems happy in his company. Stay blessed, Brother. 🇮🇳

I've been a VW guy since the early '80's, so this episode had me literally grinning the entire time. What an incredible engine! It's a perfect equivalent to an air-cooled VW engine because it's a unique choice! Not necessarily a driver, but a mind-blower at a cars and coffee!😂 I love what Philip is doing with the Manx name; following the heritage of the brand, understanding how cool it is, and continuing to realize what Bruce Myers wanted out of the car in the future. I wish Manx all the best, because the world needs more fun cars! Thanks once again, Jay and crew, for another great episode! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

I really like the wheels/tires. The entire package looks badass.

Dude! I’m totally freaking stoked about this! Thanks for keeping an ICON alive!

As a kid, I remember driving down Laguna Canyon with my dad and seeing all the wonderful Manx's in a plethora of colors at Bruce's (I assume it was his) sales lot. I SO wanted one.......

These were everywhere in the late 60's thru mid 70's. Everywhere. Who would have thought.

One of my favorite DIY cars of all time!!!

I dragged my Manx behind my Winnebago everywhere. I had the kids go back and check if it was still back there because you couldn’t see it in the mirrors! What a fun buggy! In fact my 56 yr old son learned to shift its gears in San Felipe Baja!

That grin Philip had walking in is on all of us.

It sits so nicely and sounds so sweet.

I loved the 2 way conversation during the drive. What a fantastic engine for a bug build! And Manx is back! Hooray!! Maybe this isn’t the beginning of the apocalypse after all.

Yes this brings back memories of visiting my Uncle at his dune buggy shop and salvage yard in Mentone CA 😊where I watched his kid and his friend pull the body off a smashed VW bug then check the pan then place the Meyer's Manx body on bolt it down and done. A lot of good memories of playing with dune buggy in the Santa Ana river bottom

I like the idea of the Manx running a Subaru flat 4. It's a popular swap for VW's here in Australia (there's that place again) and they go like a rocket.

Found a beat up Manx in the mid 80s with no engine...cleaned it up..brakes ..seats and general stuff redone..a used VW engine with a 1835 kit from a buddies rolled bug installed..man what a blast it was around socal

This car and engine combo impressed Jay not an easy accomplishment.

I was the eighth master registered VW mechanic in Florida in 1979 and owned and built dune buggies, but not a Meyers Manx. Love to see this radial engine. I would like to see one with a 2010 Honda VFR 1200F motorcycle engine (170HP 87lbs torque) liquid cooled and fuel injected

Love the sound of that engine. Very cool that the Manx is back in production.

Never met Bruce but ran into Philip once as a fellow Ruf owner in the wild (I have an RT12 and I saw him stepping out of his CTR2 and had to give him props). He is a true gentleman and it's so cool to see what he's done with this brand, especially knowing what a passionate individual he is. I wish him much success!

That, was awesome!!! I'm so glad somebody decided to bring these forward. And electrification too!

I saw one of these Manx on the pier at Santa Cruz last weekend. It was in a VW Show.......!!

🚗🗣 What an incredible opportunity to have a personal conversation with Bruce, sitting in car number one in Carmel! Meeting the nicest gentleman in the world and hearing him passionately share the entire history of the company must have been priceless. It's moments like these that create unforgettable memories. Thank you for sharing this amazing experience with us! 😊👍

This had got to be one of the coolest builds I've seen.

Thank you Jay for doing all these amazing automotive videos! I give all these guys n gals credit for every innovation they come up with!

So great to see the Meyer's Manx legacy continue to evolve. I still own a clone buggy built by my father in 1968, lots adventures and memories, definately "the fun car".

what an excellent guest. i love that he was also interviewing Jay

Best kit car ever, imo. So glad it has a future for other generations to enjoy!

Very cool this engine in the dune buggy.He’s raised the level of the car. The Meyer’s Manx is a great car.Thank you for sharing 🥰💯👍

Great way to start the week off with a new JLG episode.

Great to see this! Looks great sitting behind that work of art! We are currently fitting one of these into a ‘63 Split window, the guys over at Bespoke Engineering are top notch.

That sound!

I remember back in the early 1970's we could strip the body off a VW chassis in about 4 hours using hand tools and two people saving all the electric, steering column, radio and lights. you could build a dune buggy in a weekend if you had a good donor car. Extras like wider wheels and tuned exhaust could be done later.

I hope to see a version of this racing in baja. THAT would boost interest /exposure and help with R&D. Thanks to all involved.

Nothing beats a Mayer Manx on a sunny day❤️.And this new airplane engine sounds chunky and gnarly and looks futuristic too.

Love the sound of radial engines.

Always wanted one Jay, they just exude fun & freedom to me...awesome to see them still going too!

Jay showing his depth of knowledge again when he asked about the oil pooling of the engine

They’ve got their great shop nearby in Costa Mesa. Was wondering why I’d see a few recently until I asked my stereo shop where they got that Manx project! 😂 Seriously good stuff, and obviously a flexible platform!

I got a 68 Myers manx on a 57 pan got a aluminum 2110 with dual Webber's and a rancho transmission. Always love driving it.

Sweet Buggy!

When Jay said in the teaser that the dune buggy had an aircraft engine, I thought it might have been a retired 4 or 6 cylinder Lycoming Or Continental Flat air cooled engine. The small ones made 140 HP and some of the bigger six cylinder ones made 280 HP and up. I can't imagine having a 280 HP six in a dune buggy, but the 140 HP 4 banger would be a thrill. I have heard of folks using those retired engines in VW's and Corvair's, but have never seen one. Then we see this neat 3 cylinder radial. Very nice, very nice indeed. ;-)

Always loved these. I always like the feeling of going fast without getting in trouble, a stock mx-5 as well as others, give you that feeling too, haha. I can't imagine it with 200+ horsepower, turbos and superchargers. Sounds wicked fun to be in development for toys like this, especially where the end product will also power aircraft, wow. And with EV, sustainable fuels, and other innovations being cooking at the same time, it's neverending joy. Speed Buggy's cousin, Roger-Dodger!, Vroom-a-zoom-zoom!

I just fell inlove with the sound, takes me back to my last bike a Triumph 900 Triple. Needless to say I love the old triple.

I love the Manx... A friend has a real one with a hot VW engine. This rotary sounds amazing. So glad they're back...

Very nice to see them back and with new engine options. Thanks for bringing this to us!

Really cool ! It’s interesting that here is a car with an aircraft designed engine, and in airplanes like the Kitfox, people are trying snow machine Rotax engines. Then there’s the cars with motorbike engines, and motorbikes with V8’s. Creativity is key these days. The electric version will well received I bet. 👍👍

Oh God!!!!! I was nine in 1964 and lived in Perth Amboy, NJ. I never saw a beach. I lived next to an "ESSO" oil refinery near exit 11 on the NJ Turnpike. The first time I saw a Manx I went into a dream!!!!!!

Interestingly, the Katech motorcycle engine , which was based on some LS parts , was dyno tested on a restored Manx dune buggy. There’s a picture in the original article in Hot Rod.

Great memories. Dad owned 2 of them back in 76-77. I used to ride shotgun with my Dad around town, or my big brother to and from Palm Springs to LA when I was 8. Such a fun car.

This guy is my type of people! A little reserved but knows his stuff. Would hang out!

My dad used to have one with the volkswagen engine, flake teal. Duning at Sandlake Oregon. It was fun. I miss those days.

Great Sounding Motor!

"This one is a prototype. Kind of a ..." Jay nails it! 😆❤️👍

This is most excellent... maybe I'd ask for shoulder harnesses though. Very nice to see these coming back even better re-invented, and the radial engine is beautiful. All the best and thanks as always.

Wow, just wow! I love the old style dimmer switch. I wonder if I can put one of these in a trike like a Morgan. Jay, you getting into the buggy reminds me of why I need convertibles. I don't seem to fold very well at 70 years.

Thought I recognized that engine, made in Australia! In my hometown even.

Hello 👋 My Dad was a award winning FAA Certified A&P inspector who built our buggy back in 1968! He really enjoyed this and wants to change ours now 😂 He is 87 years old! But I won’t cut the back deck it’s a Kyotoe kit bought from a Manx dealer in 1968😊

need that radial in my 77 sun bug !

Coming up on it's 60th Anniversary, almost as old as me, but looking a whole lot better. And seemingly in very good hands of someone who really appreciates the Meyers Manx for what it is, and what it can be. Always looking forward, but with an eye on the traditional past, a great combination. And now three or four or even five different engines, something for everyone.

130hp is a ton for 1600lbs. The fat tires for dunes and tall gears not helping in the street speed and mpg, but very interesting conversion. I'm definitely not experienced in radial engine technology. Beautiful looking engine.

We have a certified authentic meyers manx. Lime green. Have the paperwork with mr Bruce's signature. They're fun lil buggies. So many memories on the trails. It just stays in showroom now.

I forget the name of the project, but there was a 3 wheel aftermarket kit car - I believe British made called the TriStar - it was a 3 wheel car with Moto Guzzi twin in front. A true 'Tristar' would be 3 cylinder rotary engine in front on 3 wheels. 3/3. It would be like a FreeMason Car ('33' is a popular number in masonic society for engineering translation math). The Rotary TriStar, Model 33.

True innovation is always the ticket to get Jay smiling.

To Bruce we give thanks For his dune buggy Manx. No man has done more With a Volkswagen’s floor!

I love the classic look of this Manx. Even the snow tread looking tires that look rugged and off road.The color is great too. It would be fun to fit a really light, standard engine of some type in it. The electric Manx should stay sold out. I really appreciate how sturdy this Manx is made.Thanks to Mr. Sarofim and Jay for showing us such a fun driving car.

Nice car - nice episode 👍🏼

Before I was born my dad had a Corvair with the 180hp Turbocharged engine, and he had an accident where the front end was totaled. He was able to keep the drivetrain. He and my older brothers put together some kind of kit dune buggy that was so powerful that they had to put crushed cinder blocks in the “frunk”, and they even put some water in the front tires to keep the front wheels on the ground. I don’t remember the details but essentially the back end was the Corvair, and it was the most ridiculously simple fiberglass dune buggy body you could imagine. A flat boat cushion life preserver was the back seat for me, the the roll bar was all I had to hold onto. They usually started in 2nd gear and the front wheels just bounced around and if you were accelerating while turning, we’ll forget it, it wouldn’t turn. I remember the goofy steel spoked steering wheel and under the front looked just like the steering setup on our Murray riding lawn mower. I don’t remember why it ended up sitting, but at some point the engine was frozen I guess from rust, and the thing sat and rotted. Sad stuff. But 180hp in a vehicle that barely weighed I think my dad estimated 1200lbs, tops. He said the engine and transaxle weighed barely less than the whole rest of the kit, which was ridiculous. He said that while assembling it he had it on jackstands, and it was a pain because there was nowhere far back enough to place them to keep the front end from lifting. It really looked like a Meyers Manx if one were bought out of a JC Whitney Catalog. Barely a curve anywhere, the frunk was flat, the fenders didn’t last long, I guess the bouncing front end just broke them off? I was too young to really account for what happened, I just remember the broken bits if cinder block in the front, the sloshing front wheels which always stopped rotating while in the air, and very often seeing the front end aimed at the sky while holding on for dear life in the back. I dot. Think we ever got over about 25-30mph and never on the road, always on back fields on some old family property. It would have been fun on sand dunes, and had some wide back tires, but they were like snow tires with big white sidewalls, and the front were really big too to get them as heavy as possible. Imagine having a problem adding weight to a car. The thing was absurd. The whole basis was to put a VW rear setup under it, but nooooo, since he had the Corvair 180hp drivetrain laying around, in went that. Instead of however much a VW engine weighed hanging off the back, and making 40-60hp, here was a flat 6 hanging off the back-ish, not quite as rear hanging as a VW but still, not enough forward weight, and it had 180hp. I think part of the problem was that it ran hot cause they could never really get any speed into it, and they said being turbo charged, the exhaust back pressure which drive the turbo made for a hot running engine if you were going cruising speeds a lot. I don’t know, I was like 8 or 9 by the time it died, but I do know that it was so ridiculous that it’s lack of usability was it’s u”it ate demise. Seems kinda odd. You build a car with 180hp and weighs barely 1000lbs and it’s no fun? Crazy. I just looked up some HP to weight ratios. A Viper with 450hp weighing 3320lbs had a 0.135hp per 10lbs ratio. This dune buggy had a 0.18hp per 10lbs. Think about that. Half again more hp per ten lbs. Than a Viper. That would be like the same Viper with 600hp. With the engine in the back, and no wheelbase, maybe 90”. Just dumb.

I am old and i like this one. I noticed that it has some rear body shimmy though...

That engine sounds truly epic...!

These are not the final years of the internal combustion engine. Swing back to the middle Jay.

Great video and a wonderful spotlight on a company that is taking an icon of the past and really looking forward. Phillip and his crew are doing some very neat things well beyond the Manx. Renewable energy and materials , healthy beverages and so much more. The focus is all on positive stuff that makes life better and more fun. Can’t get much more fun in cars than with a Manx… the perfect union. It’s been fun watching the ride so far! This seems to be just the start!

Vice city vibes

Mr Meyers would be proud of these guys. Ive been following the Manxter 2+2 kit for quite awhile now, looks like a beautiful model.

Clever radiator cap. Looks slightly too small to fit the gas nozzle. I can see a newby blunder otherwise.

I must have sketched this car on the margin of textbooks, notebooks and desks a few thousand times during grade school in the 70’s. Its was a boys dream car. The weirder the sparkly multicolored paint job the better.

Bud Spencer @ Terence Hill Vibes ! 😂 (Germans and Italians know)

Best of success in building the Manx again

Cool engine.. but at 5X the cost of the iconic VW motor .. kinda a no-go

As a kid in Philly, there was a young 20 something that had one of these around the corner from my house. He was very much "The Bad Kid, Sid" from Toy Story. (but in 1966) Anyway he hated the flat 4 Bug engine, so somehow he squeezed in a Chevy 327, and brother, did that light her up! He called her, Eva, or Eva's Revenge, after he put in the 327. He had 2, 20 gallon L shaped truck fuel tanks, filled with antifreeze out over the fenders, to keep the front wheels on the ground. Boy could she FLY! After 1 ride with him, my Dad forbid us from ever getting in the buggy. His family moved full time down the shore, and we only saw him/car once in an TV add for Wildwood, NJ. Ahh, those Golden days!

Awesome to see them back! Just don't let the electric fad destroy your company or the reputation of the Manx!

My favorite beach buggy of all time!!! Still dreaming of owning one.