My Sandrail

Since the day Matt told me about the sand dunes near Yuma I knew I had to see them someday. Then I got the opportunity to move to the area and came out to visit. During that visit Matt took me out to the dunes and I coulden't wait to come back.

Well now I live in Yuma and we visit the dunes at Buttercup and Glamis pretty much every chance we get. And although I knew I wanted a sandrail before I even moved to arizona I didn't realize how soon I would own one. I loved the dunes but a truck is not the best vehicle for exploring them. I woulden't trust myself on a motorcycle out there and quads just seem to exposed for the dunes. So I kept an ear out for deals on a rail.

Then one day just before we left for El Golfo this past memorial day I heard that a friend of ours was still trying to sell a Pinto rail he had. The price was a bit more than I wanted to pay but it was mechanically sound and the motor had some neat tricks in it. So we worked out a deal and I dragged it home.

It's now October and I've owned the rail for 4 months of break-in (with an emphassis on break) and dune season is about to start. I'll try to keep up with what I learn about the rail and what I think of it but I tend to get lazy about this site so no promises. If you really want to see more photos or something then e-mail me and I'll usually find something new to add.

Stories

Found
First weekend
Breakage
Yeah I know these links don't work yet. Wait till I get a few more photos scanned, retouched and ready to go. Then I'll move some stuff off this page and make these links real.

Warning: Although all of these images can be clicked on for a larger view any with a border around them are full size images from my digital camera.

CREATED 10/9/2000 - Ok so I still have to get photos from this years El Golfo trip up, and I've got to get some HTML wrapped around my Dodge City photos, and I've been dumping random photos in this directory for 4 months.
So here's the start of this page. I've got and will have lots more info about my rail and the dunes. I hope to setup an area for other Pinto Rail owners here eventually so we can share some knowledge as I learn about my new toy.

Sandrail Specs:

How I found it

2L Pinto inline 4

Esslinger worked over head

CraneCams racing cam

Custom frame

'63 VW Link Pin front end

'63 VW Swing-Axle rear

STU 1300+ Paddles

Custom front shock mounts

New seats and harnesses

New guages and wiring

Refreshed transaxle with custom gears

Super-Diff

New 914 Disc Brakes

New Master Cylinders

What I've done

Installed the new Master Cylinders

Installed front shocks (Then broke...gone again)

Installed new harnesses

Rebuilt Clutch Slave Cylinder

Replaced turning brakes (With borrowed set)

Replaced switches with sealed ones

Broke and replaced drivers side axle

Flushed radiator - New Cap - Overflow can - Restrictor Plate - Overheating gone?

Had bottom of oil pan welded to fix leak

Added Supertrapp Spark Aresstor / Muffler

Painting things as they get fixed

Add the rest as I remember it

What I'm going to to

Find better rear shock mounts ASAP

Fix front bottom shock mounts

Get Miller FI when he finishes his Pinto kit

Make a GPS mount and mount my tach

Engine may need rings soon, lots of blow-by. But plenty of power and bottom end looked pristine when I dropped the pan to weld a hole in it.

Need better front tires

For more dunes photos see my original photos from my first vist to Yuma or the Glamis for Y2K photos.