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. 😎👍
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 🍻
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!
He was the best. He came to the Twin Cities Bug-In in like 2012, it was awesome to have a quick chat with him and have him sign my August 1966 copy of Hot Rod with him jumping a Manx on the cover.
I live in Pompano bch. Florida 🌴 I was getting gas one day at a Hess gas station when a guy pulled in with a Myers Manx. I went over to talk to him to show how much I knew about them. Come to find go it was Bruce Mayer super cool guy didn't bug him for an autograph but did get a handshake. Glad that I did.😊
As I recall, the VE chassis was cut & shortened for the genuine Meyers kit. A lot of the knock offs used the longer, in-shortened chassis and looks odd. Correct?
@@gregmcablemy dad has one that is most likely a knockoff. The chassis on it is shortened and the rear of the body is longer to overhang the Corvair engine that was adapted to it.
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.
It seems like it must be an odd fire engine... one cylinder firing on one spin of the crankshaft, then two cylinders firing on the other spin of the crankshaft... doubt it would be 3 fire, then 0 fire, then 3 fire, then 0 fire...
@@BuzzLOLOL Radial engine pistons are all on the same throw (for single row radials, anyway) 4 stroke cycle radial engines (a gain, the single row engines) have an odd number of cylinders. The way it works is that every other cylinder fires as the crank throw goes around, cylinder fires, skip a cylinder, cylinder fires, skip a cylinder, cylinder fires. On the surface that may seem uneven, like you get a different number of cylinders firing on each rotation, but in reality it is the most even firing arrangement. For a 3 cylinder engine, you get a cylinder firing every 240 degrees of crank rotation for a 5 cylinder radial, you get a cylinder firing every 144 degrees of crank rotation, for a 7 cylinder engine a cylinder fires very 102 degrees of crank rotation, and for a 9 cylinder radial, a cylinder fires every 80 degrees of rotation. However many cylinders there are, the power strokes are all evenly spaced around 2 complete rotations of the crankshaft. A 4 stroke cycle radial with an even number of cylinders would actually have an uneven firing pattern.
Only this morning I was reading an article about Martin-Baker ejection seats and how they were first tested from the back of a truck. I think that's one situation where I'd actually prefer a little more altitude in case of problems!
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!🐦🐦✌️❤️
We moved to Texas while I was in high school. My new best friend was literally a cowboy who's first car was an old '68 beetle I believe, maybe a '65. It was a German beetle, which in Texas as you know, we got lots of Mexican made bugs. They weren't terrible but assembly issues would crop up. Anyway, I can remember going swimming in rice wells that my buddy knew where they all were (cattle ranches everywhere then, and the ground water wells were pure and clean, like the cleanest water and so clear. Anyway, his Beetle interior was unfortunately abused by us, we'd get in soaking wet from the rice wells and the rare trip to the beach, which in that bug, was a marathon. It could hit 65mph down the overpass. Going up the overpass WITH MOMENTUM? 45-50mph. It was the perfect high school car.
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".
There's a reason some people put them in motorcycles. And by "them" i mean, the big ones that would be in 4 on the wings of a bomber plane. Which is nutty.
Yeah it's too cool. And he's young so he actually cares about the environment. I could see an electric one being a total blast! Or the radial w/a turbocharger would be sick as hell too.
@@UberLummox So older people don’t care about the environment, my dear myopic padawan? And besides, he can’t care that much about the environment if he’s ok with electric vehicles. Wise, smart engineers know the truth doesn’t come from the news or politics.
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!
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.
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!
Yeppers, seems like it must be an odd fire engine... one cylinder firing on one spin of the crankshaft, then two cylinders firing on the other spin of the crankshaft... doubt it would be 3 fire, then 0 fire, then 3 fire, then 0 fire...
@@BuzzLOLOL Its an even-fire engine, all odd-cylinder radials are even-fire. As the crank goes around, cylinder 1 fires, cylinder 2 intakes, cylinder 3 fires, cylinder 1 intakes, cylinder 2 fires and then cylinder 3 intakes, and back to cylinder 1 firing as the cycle begins again. The almost-Harley Davidson rumble of this engine seems to be from uneven header lengths, like how the even-firing Subaru EJ engine has that "Subie Rumble" from unequal-length headers. I'd imagine the rightmost cylinder is the shortest and the leftmost is about twice the header length compared to the rightmost, and the top is somewhere between the two, though likely closer to the leftmost cylinder's header in length due to being higher up and thus longer. Also, the crankshaft is only one throw, but it has a master connecting rod with two slave journals through its lower sides around the crank journal to connect the other slave rods, its how those giant 9 cylinder radial aero engines have a single crank pin per bank of cylinders, one ultra beefy conrod has eight slave journals evenly spaced around the crank pin where the eight slave rods connect. So this engine likely has the master rod for the top cylinder and it has both slave journals for the side 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 .
As a young lad in the 70s, I also learned to drive a car in fields... a VW bug on our farm, though I had already been driving tractors for a few years so it wasn't as difficult as it might have been.
No clutch or starter? How on earth did you get it moving at all? No starter, no problem hill start it but you need a clutch. No clutch but starter, no problem, starter in1st and it will jerk moving to a point... But hope you never have to come to a stop.
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.😉
Mr.Sarofim runs a company started by a legend and is actually seeing his product being driven by a living legend. You could see the look of awe and honor he felt at being blessed enough to be talking to Mr. Leno about cars and especially the one his company makes. I love to see respectful people.
Totally. Plus he's young so he actually cares about the environment and is in a position to actually do something about it within the scope of his cars.
What a lovely comment. In the age of trolls and basically just plain rude and nasty people on RUclips it's always refreshing to come on jays channel with genuine good people. ✌️ Love from the uk
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! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
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.......
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.
They never went anywhere. Bruce licenced the right to make copies and use the name to various companies in different countries in the 1990s. They have been available ever since. I am a bit baffled what this guy bought. US rights maybe?
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 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!
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.
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
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!
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".
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’m with you, feels like a race car, sounds like a race car, looks like a race car, but doesn’t get tickets like a race car. The joys of driving a slow car fast. Love my Miata.. you understand 😊
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.
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 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
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. ;-)
🚗🗣 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! 😊👍
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.
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.
I think the differential has to be modified but I can see lots of motorcycle engines being a very interesting Manx conversion. Honda Silverwing or Goldwing, depending on if mpg or road and track is the goal.
@@Greg-io1ip You can buy a Hayabusa specific package to install it into a Mini, classic or modern. I forget the name of the peeps who make the package, but if it can fit inside a Mini, you'll fit that in a Manx with ease, and the Haya engine has quite a bit of oomph.
I heard somewhere that the old Porsche flat six that the original 911s had was basically a drop-in fit to the VW beetle. If that's true, the that's another engine option, assuming one can find an old Porsche flat six.
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.
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. 👍👍
In 1966 the Thomas Crown Affair was being filmed in part Ipswich Massachusetts at the Crane Beach Reservation. One of the vehicles Steve McQueen drove was a Manx dune buggy with a 6 cyl Chevy Corvair engine. Never saw that car again anywhere.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!!!!!!
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.
I think all the rear engine beetles had that shimmy. Remember the old air cooled engine hood in rear? My dad's beetle shook with the original 40HP flat 4, especially the rear chrome bumperettes; they really vibrated terribly. I think any engine crankshaft spinning at the end of a chassis is going to transfer a lot of vibration back behind the differential. VW beetle with an electric motor or Mazda rotary probably only real effective way to make that vibration go away on that rear engine setup. Electric VW Bug conversion on that Manx would also be very interesting. Space behind the seats for battery as well as behind steering in front.
@Greg I am 76 and had 3 VWs and 1 van. What I remember about them was to turn on heat you had to turn on the knob in the floor. Next when you change gears they would go zeeeeeeeee.
The glass fiber molded bodies tend to be somewhat flexible. I had a buggy with a Jeep style steel body and I now have a glass one. The difference is noticeable.
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.
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!
What? Its not a fad. Yes its not going to save the enviroment or replace working class ppls cars but its not going anywgere. Especially in vintage cars. Electricfying okd VWs etc has been happening since 90s ITS NOT A FAD
@@captaintoyota3171 Notice Toyota doesn't have much to do with electric? They have low confidence that electric (in it's current form) will be able to take over.
On mass scale it could get affordable, but probably won't happen unless biofuel development expands, and a smaller rotary engine model with sophisticated transmission is developed. I wouldn't give up on it yet. There's going to be a void when V8 and ICE engine displacement is limited to under 3 liters. So never say never.
Fun Fact: The Manson Family used to steal every Manx they could get their hands on to strip down for parts. There was a bunch of them out on the Spahn Ranch when the cops came and rounded them all up.
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. 😎👍
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 🍻
I've gotten rid of cherished motorcycles and other toys for women. Not anymore. It's me and my machines, take it or leave it.
‘Ate me ex, love me manx
Shame on you, go get a other one
@@Paulman50 there are not many left in Canada
@@jmsask you could nip down to Florida to get one, then road trip it home. 🤣😊😅👍
My uncle (Denver) is one of the mechanics developing that radial engine! Just wanna show him some love in this comment lol
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!
He was the best. He came to the Twin Cities Bug-In in like 2012, it was awesome to have a quick chat with him and have him sign my August 1966 copy of Hot Rod with him jumping a Manx on the cover.
I married his daughter... total @$$hole
Pretty cool!
He was a great guy.
I live in Pompano bch. Florida 🌴 I was getting gas one day at a Hess gas station when a guy pulled in with a Myers Manx. I went over to talk to him to show how much I knew about them. Come to find go it was Bruce Mayer super cool guy didn't bug him for an autograph but did get a handshake. Glad that I did.😊
I knew blinker fluid was real
😂😂😂 made my day! 🍻
Best comment!
Yeah. You use synthetic blinker fluid on the newer LED lit blinkers. It helps prevent corrosion and extend the life of your parts!
You win the internet 🤣
@@apachehelicopterah64 Now we know why certain cars couldn't keep their l.e.d. tail lights working, 😆
I had an orginal Manx. That fiberglass was up to half inch thick. Super high quality. I guy gave it to me in parts.
As I recall, the VE chassis was cut & shortened for the genuine Meyers kit. A lot of the knock offs used the longer, in-shortened chassis and looks odd. Correct?
@@gregmcablemy dad has one that is most likely a knockoff. The chassis on it is shortened and the rear of the body is longer to overhang the Corvair engine that was adapted to it.
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.
It seems like it must be an odd fire engine... one cylinder firing on one spin of the crankshaft, then two cylinders firing on the other spin of the crankshaft... doubt it would be 3 fire, then 0 fire, then 3 fire, then 0 fire...
@@BuzzLOLOL The 3 cylinders are not inline. They are 120 degrees apart.
@@Journeyman53 - Not on the same crank throw?
@@BuzzLOLOL Radial engine pistons are all on the same throw (for single row radials, anyway) 4 stroke cycle radial engines (a gain, the single row engines) have an odd number of cylinders. The way it works is that every other cylinder fires as the crank throw goes around, cylinder fires, skip a cylinder, cylinder fires, skip a cylinder, cylinder fires. On the surface that may seem uneven, like you get a different number of cylinders firing on each rotation, but in reality it is the most even firing arrangement. For a 3 cylinder engine, you get a cylinder firing every 240 degrees of crank rotation for a 5 cylinder radial, you get a cylinder firing every 144 degrees of crank rotation, for a 7 cylinder engine a cylinder fires very 102 degrees of crank rotation, and for a 9 cylinder radial, a cylinder fires every 80 degrees of rotation. However many cylinders there are, the power strokes are all evenly spaced around 2 complete rotations of the crankshaft. A 4 stroke cycle radial with an even number of cylinders would actually have an uneven firing pattern.
@@Journeyman53
But does it matter??
"i would test everything on the ground first."
smartest thing ever said involving the airplane industry
Only this morning I was reading an article about Martin-Baker ejection seats and how they were first tested from the back of a truck. I think that's one situation where I'd actually prefer a little more altitude in case of problems!
------------------------- Wright bros. didn't abide by such nonsense......
@@rsgabrys----bicycle mechanics🙄
@@campervanbug7658 ------------ turned world's FIRST pilot ... bike mechanic in the air....
So Jay, after a fire almost melted your face, what are your future plans?
- I'll drive a dune buggy with an airplane engine on Tuedsay.
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!🐦🐦✌️❤️
We moved to Texas while I was in high school. My new best friend was literally a cowboy who's first car was an old '68 beetle I believe, maybe a '65. It was a German beetle, which in Texas as you know, we got lots of Mexican made bugs. They weren't terrible but assembly issues would crop up. Anyway, I can remember going swimming in rice wells that my buddy knew where they all were (cattle ranches everywhere then, and the ground water wells were pure and clean, like the cleanest water and so clear. Anyway, his Beetle interior was unfortunately abused by us, we'd get in soaking wet from the rice wells and the rare trip to the beach, which in that bug, was a marathon. It could hit 65mph down the overpass. Going up the overpass WITH MOMENTUM? 45-50mph. It was the perfect high school car.
I bought my first car at 13 and drove it to school! One of the manx knock offs with big metal flake paint. Had 60s on the back.
@@shotforshot5983 🤣like the "Wonderbug" Kroft show!!!
@@burdburd2787speed buggy!
I love that they make it so easy to check your blinker fluid. More cars need this feature.
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".
They also cut those vw motors in half, making flat twins for ultralights and whatnot
Still powering the Sonex today.
More than a few have failed however.
Initially yes, but many were home brew conversions. Today the VW aircraft engine has been refined to be very reliable.
@@ldnwholesale8552 - Nazi technology ! 😉
That radial makes a real good noise. I forgot how good those engines sound.
There's a reason some people put them in motorcycles. And by "them" i mean, the big ones that would be in 4 on the wings of a bomber plane. Which is nutty.
Yeah it's too cool. And he's young so he actually cares about the environment. I could see an electric one being a total blast!
Or the radial w/a turbocharger would be sick as hell too.
@@UberLummox
So older people don’t care about the environment, my dear myopic padawan?
And besides, he can’t care that much about the environment if he’s ok with electric vehicles. Wise, smart engineers know the truth doesn’t come from the news or politics.
@@fishhuntadventure ok trumper
@@fishhuntadventureEXCATLY THE REAL TURTH COME’S FROM MEMES AND NEWSMAX AND RUEDI JULIANY
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!
"Speed Buggy"
Wonderbug.
Still have my Tonka Toy buggy from the 70’s that was obviously designed after this Manx.
Always admired the full size version.
@@dmwi1549 I have a Wonderbug pedal car from the seventies. Had a few dune buggies but not any now. Got a Vw tho.
I came here to say something about ole speedbuggy. Maybe he's updated to fuel injection these days?
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.
When I saw the "Ryco" oil filter, I had to go back and find out where the engine was made. That fact wasn't given much prominence.
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!
Yeppers, seems like it must be an odd fire engine... one cylinder firing on one spin of the crankshaft, then two cylinders firing on the other spin of the crankshaft... doubt it would be 3 fire, then 0 fire, then 3 fire, then 0 fire...
@@BuzzLOLOL Its an even-fire engine, all odd-cylinder radials are even-fire. As the crank goes around, cylinder 1 fires, cylinder 2 intakes, cylinder 3 fires, cylinder 1 intakes, cylinder 2 fires and then cylinder 3 intakes, and back to cylinder 1 firing as the cycle begins again. The almost-Harley Davidson rumble of this engine seems to be from uneven header lengths, like how the even-firing Subaru EJ engine has that "Subie Rumble" from unequal-length headers. I'd imagine the rightmost cylinder is the shortest and the leftmost is about twice the header length compared to the rightmost, and the top is somewhere between the two, though likely closer to the leftmost cylinder's header in length due to being higher up and thus longer. Also, the crankshaft is only one throw, but it has a master connecting rod with two slave journals through its lower sides around the crank journal to connect the other slave rods, its how those giant 9 cylinder radial aero engines have a single crank pin per bank of cylinders, one ultra beefy conrod has eight slave journals evenly spaced around the crank pin where the eight slave rods connect. So this engine likely has the master rod for the top cylinder and it has both slave journals for the side cylinders.
It even sounds like the one in GTA Vice City 🥰
Well it's LS swapped internals too!!!
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 .
As a young lad in the 70s, I also learned to drive a car in fields... a VW bug on our farm, though I had already been driving tractors for a few years so it wasn't as difficult as it might have been.
No clutch or starter? How on earth did you get it moving at all? No starter, no problem hill start it but you need a clutch. No clutch but starter, no problem, starter in1st and it will jerk moving to a point... But hope you never have to come to a stop.
@@audikris I'm guessing push start. Get it rolling and jam it into 2nd.
@@audikris you can shift out of fear and then rev Match into the next gear
@@audikris Or an "Automatic Stick Shift".
I had one 40 plus years ago. Watching this has got me excited again . Thank you for sharing.
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.😉
This guy is such a sweetheart. Well behaved, honest & curious to learn. Jay seems happy in his company. Stay blessed, Brother. 🇮🇳
Mr.Sarofim runs a company started by a legend and is actually seeing his product being driven by a living legend. You could see the look of awe and honor he felt at being blessed enough to be talking to Mr. Leno about cars and especially the one his company makes. I love to see respectful people.
Totally. Plus he's young so he actually cares about the environment and is in a position to actually do something about it within the scope of his cars.
What a lovely comment. In the age of trolls and basically just plain rude and nasty people on RUclips it's always refreshing to come on jays channel with genuine good people. ✌️ Love from the uk
Jay always makes his guest feel comfortable they come out nervous and leave cracking jokes and laughing with him!!!😅😂🤣
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! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
Dude! I’m totally freaking stoked about this! Thanks for keeping an ICON alive!
It sits so nicely and sounds so sweet.
I saw one of these Manx on the pier at Santa Cruz last weekend. It was in a VW Show.......!!
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.
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.
They never went anywhere. Bruce licenced the right to make copies and use the name to various companies in different countries in the 1990s. They have been available ever since.
I am a bit baffled what this guy bought. US rights maybe?
This car and engine combo impressed Jay not an easy accomplishment.
One of my favorite DIY cars of all time!!!
Mine too
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
That, was awesome!!! I'm so glad somebody decided to bring these forward. And electrification too!
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!
Love the sound of that engine. Very cool that the Manx is back in production.
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 grin Philip had walking in is on all of us.
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
That sound!
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!
Great way to start the week off with a new JLG episode.
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!
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 🥰💯👍
Always wanted one Jay, they just exude fun & freedom to me...awesome to see them still going too!
Sweet Buggy!
Best kit car ever, imo. So glad it has a future for other generations to enjoy!
This had got to be one of the coolest builds I've seen.
what an excellent guest. i love that he was also interviewing Jay
My dad used to have one with the volkswagen engine, flake teal. Duning at Sandlake Oregon. It was fun. I miss those days.
Love the sound of radial engines.
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".
I love the Manx... A friend has a real one with a hot VW engine. This rotary sounds amazing. So glad they're back...
Radial. Not rotary.
@@scootypuffjr. But it would be so cool to see a piston rotary spinning around back there!
@@bugeyedfrog 🤔 agreed
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.
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’m with you, feels like a race car, sounds like a race car, looks like a race car, but doesn’t get tickets like a race car. The joys of driving a slow car fast. Love my Miata.. you understand 😊
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.
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 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
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. ;-)
Those HP ratings are likely at low RPMs, rev them higher in a car and HP prolly soars...
Nothing beats a Mayer Manx on a sunny day❤️.And this new airplane engine sounds chunky and gnarly and looks futuristic too.
🚗🗣 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! 😊👍
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.
Great Sounding Motor!
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.
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.
I think the differential has to be modified but I can see lots of motorcycle engines being a very interesting Manx conversion. Honda Silverwing or Goldwing, depending on if mpg or road and track is the goal.
@@Greg-io1ip You can buy a Hayabusa specific package to install it into a Mini, classic or modern. I forget the name of the peeps who make the package, but if it can fit inside a Mini, you'll fit that in a Manx with ease, and the Haya engine has quite a bit of oomph.
I heard somewhere that the old Porsche flat six that the original 911s had was basically a drop-in fit to the VW beetle. If that's true, the that's another engine option, assuming one can find an old Porsche flat six.
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.
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. 👍👍
In 1966 the Thomas Crown Affair was being filmed in part Ipswich Massachusetts at the Crane Beach Reservation. One of the vehicles Steve McQueen drove was a Manx dune buggy with a 6 cyl Chevy Corvair engine. Never saw that car again anywhere.
Jay showing his depth of knowledge again when he asked about the oil pooling of the engine
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.
need that radial in my 77 sun bug !
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!
This guy is my type of people! A little reserved but knows his stuff. Would hang out!
I really like the wheels/tires. The entire package looks badass.
That engine sounds truly epic...!
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.
Very nice to see them back and with new engine options. Thanks for bringing this to us!
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.
They should have driven this on the beach near Rockford's trailer...
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.
Thought I recognized that engine, made in Australia! In my hometown even.
So, you're in Adelaide.👍
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!!!!!!
Nice car - nice episode 👍🏼
Jay Leno thank you.
Jay I hope this gentleman makes a go of it. He seems like a very humble young man. He isn't cocky I'm impressed.
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.
I smiled through this whole video! That is a wicked sound!
I am old and i like this one. I noticed that it has some rear body shimmy though...
I think all the rear engine beetles had that shimmy. Remember the old air cooled engine hood in rear? My dad's beetle shook with the original 40HP flat 4, especially the rear chrome bumperettes; they really vibrated terribly. I think any engine crankshaft spinning at the end of a chassis is going to transfer a lot of vibration back behind the differential. VW beetle with an electric motor or Mazda rotary probably only real effective way to make that vibration go away on that rear engine setup. Electric VW Bug conversion on that Manx would also be very interesting. Space behind the seats for battery as well as behind steering in front.
@Greg I am 76 and had 3 VWs and 1 van. What I remember about them was to turn on heat you had to turn on the knob in the floor. Next when you change gears they would go zeeeeeeeee.
Isn't that the engine shimmying?
@BuzzLOLOL yes I agree, it is the body near the engine..
The glass fiber molded bodies tend to be somewhat flexible. I had a buggy with a Jeep style steel body and I now have a glass one. The difference is noticeable.
Impressed with the presentation and attention to detail , hope it does well .
To Bruce we give thanks
For his dune buggy Manx.
No man has done more
With a Volkswagen’s floor!
Absolutely Love this Radial Radial Engine. Awesome Dependably
Vice city vibes
BF Injection :-)
That one has a mean V8 in those 😎
- Fuel injected! - Inject me! 😆
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.
Bud Spencer @ Terence Hill Vibes ! 😂 (Germans and Italians know)
Czech's and Slovak's too, they were, and are very popular in the former Czechoslovakia
In America, My Name is Nobody with Terrence Hill is my favorite western movie...
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.
An electric Manx isn't going to sound or feel right...
These are not the final years of the internal combustion engine. Swing back to the middle Jay.
Oh yes they are.
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!
What? Its not a fad. Yes its not going to save the enviroment or replace working class ppls cars but its not going anywgere. Especially in vintage cars. Electricfying okd VWs etc has been happening since 90s ITS NOT A FAD
I just saw your comment before I posted mine. Well said sir!
@@captaintoyota3171 Notice Toyota doesn't have much to do with electric?
They have low confidence that electric (in it's current form) will be able to take over.
I realy do like his new engine, but my choice will always be the vw engine. They are Rotech form Australia.
An electric Manx will be nothing...
I remember the kits in the back of the magazines back in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Right next to the X-RAY glasses and key cutting equipment.
Cool engine.. but at 5X the cost of the iconic VW motor .. kinda a no-go
On mass scale it could get affordable, but probably won't happen unless biofuel development expands, and a smaller rotary engine model with sophisticated transmission is developed. I wouldn't give up on it yet. There's going to be a void when V8 and ICE engine displacement is limited to under 3 liters. So never say never.
What a beautiful motor!
Fun Fact: The Manson Family used to steal every Manx they could get their hands on to strip down for parts. There was a bunch of them out on the Spahn Ranch when the cops came and rounded them all up.
Obsession with killers… idiotic.
I wonder why manxes in particular versus normal bugs etc
@@trekintoshManx were better in the sand. Building a Baja VW Buggy was more difficult for some. This body was stamped out.
@@dennispatrick4999 well yes, but the person I was replying to said that they were doing it to strip them down for parts.
My favorite beach buggy of all time!!! Still dreaming of owning one.