Take random car parts, American ingenuity, and a case of Old Milwaukee, and you might end up with something like this… a Doodlebug! This custom creation features the front suspension from a 1940s Ford truck, a V8 from a fairly recent Dodge truck, a 1940s Pontiac rear end, and the upside down body from a 1951 Ford. More on that in a minute. Put it all together and the seller calls it a dune buggy or an off-road hot-rod, but historically these creative, generally not roadworthy devices are called Doodlebugs. Some had a practical purpose, serving tractor-like duties on farms, and sometimes they were simply built for fun because… why not? This one comes with ample disclaimers from the seller who makes no promises about its safety or the wisdom of operating it. Do so at your own risk, as the saying goes. If you’re interested, take a digital walk to eBay Motors, where at least five bidders have the contraption’s market value over $1500 so far.
The bulk of your investment goes right here, and the Dodge Magnum 318 cid (5.2L) V8 even sports headers and an aluminum intake manifold. The manual transmission prepares this rig for teaching crash-happy young drivers how to operate a five-speed “anti-theft device.” I taught both of my daughters to drive standard transmission, a skill we revisit every year as part of my Father’s Day request. Someday they’ll thank me… won’t they?
The upside down 1951 Ford body makes this DIY vehicle one highly interesting and creative Doodlebug. Step into the seats through what used to be the Ford rear wheel openings! A small rear fuel cell supplies more than enough gas for several sequential near-death experiences. Matching wheels and tires on each axle? Almost unheard of in a Doodlebug. So fancy! Shoulder harnesses promise to withstand the shock of hitting an unlucky grouse or prairie dog, but don’t count on more. Is that tempered glass? Some questions are better left unanswered.
Where else are you going to find a cheaper or more creative way to have fun and endanger yourself and people you love? You could drop $1500 on a few days at an amusement park. Instead, simply buy this Doodlebug and turn your farm or land into an amusement park of your own where entrance is always free! Keep a stack of waivers on hand and you’re all set. Tip your hat to the seller for reviving this wickedly odd conveyance, and good luck to the buyer. Do you have a soft spot for this updated Doodlebug?
I dig it..
Rural innovation knows no bounds! Still wrapping my mind around that flipped ’51 Ford body. Beyond cool.
I know!!! I dont think ive ever seen that before. That was seriously creative. I nver would have thought to flip a body over and use the wheelwells as doorways into the car.
Nice one, Todd! My dad made quite a few “bugs” as a young man, mostly experimenting with new welders or cutting torches. I wish I had these creations now.
Thanks for sharing that, Scotty. That is the coolest thing I could have imagined as a youth. Nobody in my family fiddled with mechanical stuff, so I was left to my own devices, and never did anything 2% that ambitious.
They say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and from what I hear, Scottys dad was quite the tinkerer. His “creations” were typical of rural living, where the “junkpile” was anything but. Sadly, Scotty lost his dad in an accident, but he can rest assured, his son was paying attention all those years.
Cool find, HOWEVER,,, I must object to a “case of beer” always seemingly associated with these “creations”, insinuating, one must be drunk( or on drugs) to come up with this stuff. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is more a rat-rod than doodlebug. Somebody did a lot of work here. Okay, it’s not the combination of spare parts, like Scottys dads, but liking rat-rods, I think it’s really neat. Made for fun, remember fun? Apparently by the lack of interest, it appears fun has exited the building.
This seller has an entertaining YouTube channel “Low Buck Garage” and this item was featured in several episodes. worth a watch to see it’s evolution.
Well, it certainly is an “overpowered death trap”… that’s for sure. Like the slogan on that comedy TV series…”More Power”! Ha Ha!
Put big paddle tires on it, thinner front tires/wheels, add a turning brake, and you’ve got a monster dune buggy/sandrail.
Love the wrap around taillights.
Those taillights are stock on that ’51 body…just upside down and left to right as with the rest of that body part.
In my pre-teens I spent many days working for a local farmer pulling weeds out of soybean fields. He would pick me up about daylight so we.could get 6-7 hours in before it got too hot. His wife would have lunch (more like a thanksgiving dinner) ready for us at noon and the go out for another hour or so. His 2 teenage sons had cut down a 49-50 Ford shoebox, shortening it to hook the trans directly to the rear axle. No body, just a roll bar to hang on to. Their farm was right on the river about 4 miles out of town. In the winter we would tie an upside down 58 Chevy hood behind for a toboggan and race the river to town where a section of river would be cleared for a skating rink. They’d do a donut and deposit us on to the rink. As far as I remember, we all lived!
When I was a teenager the local boys would take old Volkswagens, strip off the bodies, and add roll bars. They were two passenger. I spent a few afternoons sitting on the gas tank mounted behind the roll bars, where the back seat used to be and holding onto the roll bar. My sister got the passenger seat because the driver was her boyfriend. We had a lot of fun in those days and somehow we all survived. lol.
SOLD for $2,510.
Sounds like a lot of fun for that type of money.