the Dune Buggy Archives

Safari Registry

Safari Enterprises of Hermosa Beach, CA made both the Safari Trail and the Super Safari

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Safari Trail Registry

The Safari Trail has a classic body with a ridge up the hood.

 

Safari

buggy
Body Best guess I have is that this is Safari Trail. No documentation. The hood skirt is vy distinctive. And the square windshield? Haven't seen another one in any pics.
Engine Stock single port 1600. Nothin' fancy. Built the motor before towing it to WA in '88. Was a 6v-12v conglomeration for yrs til my son got old enough to take an interest and we 12 volted everything. Also didn't run under it's own power from about '91 til 2004. Was on the waaaay back burner. For my taste, that ol' stocker has plenty of go. 45mph in it is just about scary.
Status Kept CA plates on it and he used to send me the tags til CA wouldn't issue them w/out a smog test. Guess that's why it sat so long. Is now licensed and street legal in WA which was no small accomplishment. Insured even.
Front Tires/Wheels Chrome U.S. wheels with adapter to the 56 5 hole. Had a set of some kind of redstripe bias plys on it but they have a memory and for a car that's been parked so long, would take hundreds of miles to make em round again. I replaced em tho the tread depth was fine.
Rear Tires/Wheels These are stagger block bias plys on big ol chrome wheels that bolt to the 56 bug 5 hole. Hot stuff in 1973. At a few hundred miles per yr, they may well last as long as I do. Have thought about putting something with less diameter back there for more zip. Have also thought about a vacation in Tahiti.
Link Photo Gallery
Transaxle Not sure what it is. Seems to have 1st gear synchros so I don't think its a split case..(guess I could crawl under and look).
Location Various places in WA and ID, depends on the season....
Contact rgj_45@hotmail.com
Story My (late) bro Gary got this in trade for svcs rendered. He was one of those back yard VW entrepeneurs in Oakland CA. We used to cruise the hills in it and oft took a 12 pack to Grizzly Peak lookout to conduct the sunset. That was in about '73 or '74. May not be correct today but at the time it seemed like a smart thing to do. Left out in the rain, the body actually held water...once upon a time. As the pics show, the floor was but a memory in 2004.
Previous Owner unknown. Legend has it that it was built by someone in NV. Gary at one time had two of them, the other one was white and had the hydraulic ebrake gadget that would brake one side or the other. Pretty Useless in Oakland and Berkeley., it went away I know not where.

Super Safari Registry

The Super Safari was a standard shortened buggy with a unique nose and tail. The nose takes cues from the Corvair.