Designed by Bruce F. Meyers for off-roading in California, the Meyers Manx received its name and cat logo from the tailless Manx cat. B.F. Meyers & Co. produced the dune buggy from 1964 to 1971 as a kit car to be fitted to a shortened Volkswagen Beetle chassis. By all accounts, the Manx handled beautifully, and the original was the first street-legal buggy ever produced. AMT originally introduced the Manx in 1968 and has re-popped it a few times. This is the latest rerelease of the 1/25 scale kit, and it can be built as an off-road racer, street machine, or dune buggy.
After completing the MPC 1976 Caprice, this car was downright tiny. Technically a 3-in-1 kit, you can produce different variations on the theme by combining the extra parts.
The little buggy’s 29-piece VW engine is a nice representation of the iconic powerplant with the addition of an off-road exhaust, two types of mufflers, and a skid plate for oil pan protection. The only issue I ran into was some trouble aligning the six-piece exhaust system; challenging, but it looks good.
The kit provides two types of wheels: Cragar SS or chrome reverse with baby moons. Tire options include no-name streets, a set of off-road tires for the rear, and, last but not least, a set of two-part plastic paddle wheels best suited for the off-road rail-style build.
The chassis pan went together without trouble. You’ll have to use common sense to position the steering linkage; the instructions don’t show this clearly.
In five short steps, I attached the body to the chassis and installed all of the interior components. The kit offers plenty of options here, like a rear seat, tonneau cover, roll bar, or surrey top. There are lots of options for customizing a Meyers Manx that’s perfect for you.
For the paint, my wife suggested a heavy metallic pink color for Breast Cancer Awareness month. I used pink nail polish with metallic chips over Dupli-Color White primer (No. DAP1689). I clear coated with Dupli-Color Matte Clear (No. HWP106). The instructions called for the exhaust to be red, which I thought was strange because most of these buggies were chromed to the hilt. I chose AK Interactive Super Chrome (No. AK9198) instead.
Being under a lot of demand from other projects, home, and work life, this little buggy was just what I needed as a distraction model: not too complex, relatively simple construction, and cute as a button when completed. A real breath of fresh air! With just a little encouragement and minimal help from a parent or an older builder, this kit would be great for new builders moving on from snap kits. It’s a perfect side project for seasoned builders. I highly recommend this kit.
