Alex Sanders: 2008 Chevy Buggy

Buggy class: No-Buck Buggy
Well, it wasn’t exactly assembled for free, but the buildup cost for Alex Sanders’ entry in our Buggy Class was, in its owner’s words, “$2,000 in parts.” Cobbled together out of owner-fabricated components and junkyard finds, this “real-world” buggy sets a new standard in a class that’s usually associated with expensive, high-dollar buildups. Does it have the right stuff to compete with the rich kids? We’ll let you know next month.

The Details

Owner name/city: Alex Sanders/Salem, AR
Occupation: Mechanic
Vehicle model: 2008 Chevy buggy
Estimated value: “$2,000 in parts”
Engine/aspiration: 350ci Chevy V-8, bored 0.040 over; Mahle pistons, custom 305 heads, Engine Tech valve springs, Erson roller rockers; Edelbrock Torker II manifold, Flowmaster exhaust
Transmission: GM Muncie 465
Transfer case: NP205
Suspension (f/r): Custom grader ball, coil springs, custom shocks/custom grader ball, coil springs, custom shocks
Axles (f/r): 2½-ton Rockwell/2½-ton Rockwell
Axle ratio: 6.72:1
Wheels: 20-in steel military
Tires: 54x19.50-20 Mickey Thompson Baja Claw TTC

Alex Sanders, Team #40

Most looking forward to: “Tank Trap. It looks like it will be the type of thing I try to find every time I go wheel. Besides, what kind of trails are fun if they’re easy?”
Not looking forward to: “Frame Twister. Those logs just look like they wanna break your rig.”
Playing on his iPod/CD player: “Powerman 5000.”
Sanders says: “I’m that guy who, even if you have never met me, will stay as long as it takes to get you mobile again or get you out of the trails, even if I break my own rig in the process. I will help, no matter what, and will never ask for anything in return. I just enjoy getting to go play in my rig and have the most possible fun I can have while doing it.”

The rear suspension utilizes more conventional leaf springs along with those 25-inch-travel homemade hydraulic shocks. As with the frontend, the rear Rockwell 2½-ton runs welded spider gears and 6.72:1s in the diffs. Power to the axles emanates from “schoolbus” driveshafts that are spun by an NP205 transfer case; a pinion brake brings the buggy to a halt; and a section of tubing welded to the axlehousing serves as a beefy attachment point.
The rear suspension utilizes more conventional leaf springs along with those 25-inch-trave
We’d always assumed TTC competitors would always have a firewall in their rigs, so we’d never required it in our rulebook before. (Lesson learned.) Needless to say, visibility to all sides is exemplary in this rig, and while interior appointments are minimal, all serve a function. A pair of gauges monitors oil temp and pressure, and a 12Voltguy winch switch is safely nestled between the seats. We love the VW brake and clutch pedals, too.
We’d always assumed TTC competitors would always have a firewall in their rigs, so we’d ne
The 350ci small-block has been bored 0.040-inch over, with all machine work performed by its owner. Mahle pistons, Engine Tech springs, and Erson roller rockers have been swapped into the valvetrain, and a tuned-port-version camshaft drives a set of Mahle pistons. An Edelbrock Torker II manifold tops the block, and a Flowmaster exhaust handles the spent fuel. Backing the powerplant is an SM465 four-speed transmission running an 11-inch three-finger clutch.
The 350ci small-block has been bored 0.040-inch over, with all machine work performed by i