TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:01 pm

Hello,

seems around here.. Houghton Lake, Michigan everyone just buys a pan/title for a beetle and uses it to get plates to be street legal. most say it's legal enough and the police do not bother you. over the last 3 years I have talked with a lot of buggy owners seeing them in the trails and no one goes the assembled roadster route.

I just found an all busted up, missing tires, no engine having tub buggy and it has a title with it, guess it's the title that went with the VW beetle pan.

anyway can I buy this buggy and just use the title for mine? and when I get insurance do I just tell them it's a 68 beetle and the fiberglass body was dropped onto the beetle frame, or is everyone just telling the insurance company it's a 68 VW Beetle?

Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:21 pm

Here in Southern California, my MANX, built in 1965 is titled & insured as a "1961 (pan year) VW Roadster".....DMV was a lot more lenient / creative back then..... :D :D

My insurer is FARMERS...& with them I also had liability ins. on my sandrail which is not street legal...... :!: :!:

Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:24 pm

Never volunteer any information when ask specific questions.
There are different ways of telling the truth. (lawyers know how)
Never give details on open forum, you never know who is reading it.
Make sure number on pan matches title.
Every state has different regulations.
Have fun at DMV.

Don't do something stupid that make you get stopped.

As for insurance most everyone is different VW Roadster, VW(name of body) are just some examples.
It better not to say Dune Buggies as this brings up a Red Flag with some.

Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:28 pm

1968 VW Roadster, I like it. lol

Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:12 pm

My buggy is titled as a 1965 Volkswagen and I told my insurance agent it was a 1965 Meyers Manx Kit Car. Seven years on the road with no issues. The buggy also spends alot of time on the roads of Michigan.

Mon Nov 28, 2011 9:55 pm

I am old enough now, that I buy insurrance for the reason there is insurrance, to protect me, not because I have to.

I give all the info to my insurrance agent correctly so if I need them to cover my @$$ as I pay them to do, they will.

As the old saying goes, The Truth Will Set You Free.

It would suck to be in a accident and your insurrance company discover what you lied about and they refuse to cover you because they will not legally have to, then you get ripped to shreds by the other guy's lawyer.

Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:29 pm

I not saying not to show what the insurance company it will be insuring.
All I am saying don't tell them it is a dune buggy without them first seeing it.
First words out of insurance companies mouth is we don't insure dune buggies. And this was already have one buggy on the policy along with other cars and home insurance with them.
Showed them the car and no problems after that.
And I am not the only one this has happen to.

Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:10 am

If you get over to Silver Lake area, and orv trails, dnr is all over that issue, have talked with diffrent people that say they have gotten buggies impounded, do what you choose and i dont know how bad it is in MI but thats the main reason i went with assembled title, very simple in IN

Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:17 am

If you have any real monetary investment in your buggy you will want to protect yourself. Be completely truthful with your insurance company. Most of them do buggies nowadays, if yours will not; we can lead you to one who will. BTW, they will put whatever you want on the insurance card like "VW Convertible". This will help with DMV.

Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:24 am

In CT you have to register it as a composite vehicle and have to follow all sorts of rules. sucks.

Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:15 am

lostinbaja wrote: My buggy is titled as a 1965 Volkswagen and I told my insurance agent it was a 1965 Meyers Manx Kit Car. Seven years on the road with no issues. The buggy also spends alot of time on the roads of Michigan.

State Farm Insurance even have photos of my buggy on file with the policy.

Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:39 am

lostinbaja wrote: lostinbaja wrote: My buggy is titled as a 1965 Volkswagen and I told my insurance agent it was a 1965 Meyers Manx Kit Car. Seven years on the road with no issues. The buggy also spends alot of time on the roads of Michigan.

State Farm Insurance even have photos of my buggy on file with the policy.

State Farm has photos of my ratty Single Cab, my '73 Thing and they still have photos of my last silver buggy on file. When i go to legalize my current buggy I am building, I will load it on the trailer and take it to my agents office for them to photo it and set up the new policy, then register it as a '73 VW with the state.

Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:08 am

My insurance guy put my Manx through a 'Collectible' policy with a stated value. Total cost is $289 a year for full coverage.

Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:45 am

Here in Massachusetts the insurance companies like to have as much info as possible. We buy insurance as protection, not simply as part of the process of putting the car on the road.

With dune buggies and such, have the insurance fill in the form as Make: Volkswagen, Model: Beetle (or Type I), and body style as: Other.

This way the policy is legal (in case of an accident or theft) and the DMV is satisfied.

Luck,

TC

Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:04 am

thanks for the replies. mine is mosty off road trailing but it would be nice to have plates for when I get gas or go to the quarter car wash to spray it off.

Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:53 pm

lostinbaja wrote: My buggy is titled as a 1965 Volkswagen and I told my insurance agent it was a 1965 Meyers Manx Kit Car. Seven years on the road with no issues. The buggy also spends alot of time on the roads of Michigan.
Well, at least no issues with the car or DMV. Personal mental issues, now there is a can of worms! :lol:
Jeff

Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:31 am

HMMM - Stare farm has my Bike, car, house, Sterling ...but when they took photos of my Shalako they said they don't do buggies...arrrgh - went with Rally Insurance

Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:08 pm

Axitech wrote: My insurance guy put my Manx through a 'Collectible' policy with a stated value. Total cost is $289 a year for full coverage.

have my buggy insured the same way...

$250 for a full year of coverage and a state value of $5000.00... they have plently of pictures in the file along with over info such as engine size etc...

plently of liablity coverage as i recall as well (necessary of course if street driven...)...

i believe one company called rally insurance will cover buggies ( not who i have) but there were my second choice.. still $250 a year for a stated value policy...

also i have seen several buggy owners use the title from the pan when they register their buggies...

Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:39 pm

Read your policy carefully to make sure that there are no mileage or usage restrictions... some of the 'specialty policies' have riders that limit mileage per year -

bryan

Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:45 pm

didget69 wrote: Read your policy carefully to make sure that there are no mileage or usage restrictions... some of the 'specialty policies' have riders that limit mileage per year -

bryan

yes no doubt it does... 3000 miles per year.. i dont drive it enough to come close..

yes i know i should fix that!! :lol:

i can up the mileage/cost if i wanted ... just a note for those who are not familiar with that type of insurance...