LWB VW GP BEACHBUGGY BODY & CHASSIS Beachbuggies are popular because their owners can create a very personal customization of a basic fun car. Each to their own of course, the pictures below show some of the detailing that I think is important to the look of a good beacbuggy.   Its hard trying to find the right components, so sometimes you just have to experiment and try out ideas for real, even if they turn out crap! The pic to the right shows my first attempt at the rear light fitment, a square generic kitcar affair, not pretty and a bit lost in the expanse of bodywork that is a GP beachbuggy butt. I eventually fitted VW "elephant foot" rear light clusters with some slight botching to fill the gaps between the curved bodywork and the base of the light fitting. I think the elephants foot design fits the curvy buggy body quit pretty well.   To the left is the buggy in one of its first on the road trips, looking good in the sun with chrome wheels and simple lines, helped by the absence of the rear hood and its framework. You can't tell to well from this pic, but it doesn't look so good when looking from behind, as the 8" wheels (plus 1" spacers) look a bit lost under that wide LWB rear. To the right is the buggy wearing its new alloys and hood, I think the hood arrangement adds to its looks, and makes it look more substantial and sorted, car like, maybe. The hood arrangement works very well, it is quick to put up and down. It is held down by two modified leather belts with simple clasp fitting's, as can be seen at the rear of the bodywork. The driving experience with the roof up is truly horrible, its boomy and the hood is blown all over the place plus the windows mist up . If it does start raining, I just get it back to the garage as fast as poss,....you know, like Batman... The all important dash area, a buggy minefield, be carefull cutting out fibreglass holes, its so tricky and messy, thats why I've used pieces of aluminium to cover gaps and ragged edges by framing instrument guages, the VW speedo and the gap around the steering column. Must haves in the cockpit have got to be a cool gear stick and steering wheel, this one is a leather rimmed, polished alloy chrome centred wheel from Machine 7. A rare "frontal" shot, I can't see how people pick small buggy headlights when big ones are available , I say go big chrome for full effect, plus chrome mirrors. I don't really get the small black alien headlight podlets.... Ride quality becomes important when you remove the heavy beetle body as the suspension has less work to do, and becomes over stiff. I used drop spindles to lower the front as they lower the car without compromising comfort, as opposed to the usual beetle lowering trick of removing leaves .   Cool passenger view over the roll bar and Porsche "tombstone" seats, these seats are excellent and really add to the experience, I tried to match the color of the carpets to the seats, yes I've got carpets! I welded a single bar to the middle of the roll hoop and brought it back to the rear of the body. A single bar looks good and is better than none at all, plus rear seat passengers (kids) can actually climb into the back without being "barred" entry. A side rear view exposing some of the best bits of VW beachbuggy motoring, low slung chrome zoom tube exhaust, rear engine cage over exposed engine, cool finned alloy rocker covers, wide wheels, wide tyres and swoopy fiberglass big winged bodywork.... A nice shot of the business end, personal tastes really, but I quite like the look of see through distributor caps, colour coded accessories, chrome shrouds, braided hosing, alloy covered fanhousings, alloy rocker covers. Why black?, I mean its not as if a buggy engine is going to overheat, Um, except when mine did when my fanbelt flew off .....