It's Back, It's back, after almost 50 years the Tow'd is ...

[Iguana]

Well I was over at Meyers Manx the other day talking to the main man of the Buggy World and his lovely wife and I am very pleased to say It's back ..

My wife was not so pleased as of course being as nutty as I am I managed to find some cash and quickly fit Kit "TOW'D - 001 - 14" into the back of the Subaru and speed home before Bruce changed his mind.

After over 45 years of lying dormant Meyers Manx have decided it is time to once again bring to market the Meyers Tow’d.

The original marketing line of the Meyers Tow’d was simply “It’s the toughest, simplest and lowest-cost off-road buggy yet created “ and even with so many years gone by this still rings true.

Unlike the other Kits in the Meyers Manx line up the Tow’d is aimed firmly at the DIY Builder with the skills and desire to build an effective On and Off-Road Buggy with the factory support of Meyers Manx as well as the unmistakable lines and history of the Meyers Tow’d.

The initial offering will be the iconic Meyers Tow’d Tub complete with Meyers Manx Build Plate, Decals and Build Instructions. Over the following months additional kit items will be released with the culmination of a complete line up of all Meyers Tow’d Parts available for purchase by Jan 1 2015.

In order to keep costs and supply times down the Meyers Tow’d will be available in Primer Gel Coat Only and will require sanding and painting prior to assembly if you are that way inclined.

With the starting kit being just $1200 for the Tub, Hood, Decals, Build Plate and Instructions I thought it was a great way to get another piece of history.

[/url]

[bajaherbie]

[Lotrat]

Build it... and we will watch.

[JUSSUMGUY]

Fabulous! I've always wanted a Tow'd.
What about the frame? Is it included or is the dimensions given in the instruction manual and you fab it yourself?
Looking forward to your build.

[Iguana]

Fabulous! I've always wanted a Tow'd.
What about the frame? Is it included or is the dimensions given in the instruction manual and you fab it yourself?
Looking forward to your build.

At this stage the plan is to have the entire kit available by 1 Jan 2015 and you will be able to pick the pieces that you want or don't want. This will allow people to put their own touches on it or buy the off the shelf offering.

There will also be build plans available if people want to do it all them selves.

The market for the kit is DIY so they will be doing everything they can to make it appeal to people who really want to do as much as they can but know that if they get stuck then help is an email away and if it gets real hard the UPS guy can just deliver the part.

[TimS]

So is that the serial number... "001"... That's pretty cool. Glad to hear he's offering them up again. I got to drive a fiberglass buggy once. It was fun.

[DesertGuy]

You should build 001 and enter it at NORRA....in 60's styling

[Piledriver]

I am now having visions of a road racing version that would make an Ariel Atom look porky...
Must have been the jalapeno burger I ate for lunch.

[Big Dave]

I am now having visions of a road racing version that would make an Ariel Atom look porky...

I was thinking the same thing. A friend has been trying to get me to go to track days. A mid mounted Subaru in a Towd would piss off a lot of people with very expensive cars.

[Iguana]

I am now having visions of a road racing version that would make an Ariel Atom look porky...

I was thinking the same thing. A friend has been trying to get me to go to track days. A mid mounted Subaru in a Towd would piss off a lot of people with very expensive cars.

Would certainly be interesting to see a mid mount, never heard of it being done before, maybe you could be the 1st

[takotruckin]

I was thinking the same thing. A friend has been trying to get me to go to track days. A mid mounted Subaru in a Towd would piss off a lot of people with very expensive cars.

Yes, yes it would .

[Piledriver]

I have been playing with the idea of using a (probably narrowed) 928 rear suspension setup for the nice rear steer geometry and elegant simplicity. Looks like it would probably clear a mid mounted engine, and aesthetically suit a TOW'D, at least an asphalt eater.
(Was eyeballing one for my 914)

The rear suspensions on virtually all modern sports cars as well as most new grocery getters emulate the rear steer this provides... ~eliminates trailing throttle oversteer by toeing in under decel. Keeps doctors from killing themselves in their new Porsches still, in a way.
(The rubber bush flexes, the aluminum bit in it pivots in the tube)

(Google Weissach axle)

[dustymojave]

And which front suspension would ya choose pile?

[dustymojave]

Here is the Tow'd I built in 1969



Corvair power. Weber 46IDA-3s. In 1/25th scale

I was fond of them then and I still am. I have a collection of photos of them. But my car collection is San Fernando Buggy (HiJumper/Glitterbug).

There is a shop advertising new frames for Towd's in TOS.

I've always had ideas for a frame which is not so simple, sort of a cross between a Tow'd and a tubular space frame more like a Funco Bandido with the Meyers' bodywork. There is a company which made such tube frames like back around 1980 similar to a Berrien with a fiberglass interior tub, an upper rear body with roof, sides and rear fastback louvers and a one piece nose, sides and fenders that was removable.

[Piledriver]

And which front suspension would ya choose pile?

A Cheapeola....

911 or 914 lower arms (possibly with original or turned down bars) with cut off struts (add ball joint mount) and an upper a-arm to match. A shock mount (or coil over) should be trivial to add.
(still using the 911 strut--- there are plenty of rust compromised struts in PA but the spindles are still fine, EBay supplied me a pair )
Have been considering putting the lower arms on backwards on a T3, adding a ~solid bit of gusseting inside the lower arms.

Of course anyone could bolt a $3K Mendeola front end, but that would not match the vibe (or the era) of the TOW'D.
A devious ...individual could have done the same with wrecked 911/914 bits in the early 70s, so it's era-correct at least.
(The 928 rear axle is late-70s vintage (design wise) but it still looks retro as well as WTF? enough to work...mid or rear engine)