SELL, SWAP & SHOW

SELL, SWAP & SHOW
Another great event at the 32nd annual Michigan Buggy Builders
VW and off-road swap meet and trade show
I
f you live in the midwestern states and
you’re a VW or off-road enthusiast, then
chances are you’ve heard of the Michigan Buggy Builders VW and off-road trade
show and swap meet. It’s been going strong
for 32 years and it has developed a positive
reputation as being a fun event that’s definitely worth attending, especially if you’re
building a car or looking for good deals on
new and used parts.
The event is traditionally held during
the month of March, and this past year it
happened on March 10th (the 2014 event
is scheduled for March 23), and it’s held at
the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing,
Michigan. Last year, there were about
4,000 enthusiasts in attendance with 165
different vendors that occupied nearly 300
booth spaces.
The “Buggy Builders” event is
more than just a swap meet.
There are show cars on display,
new parts vendors representing
all types of vehicles, and even
free attractions for everyone to
enjoy like this R/C track, above.
Buggy in Larry’s Off Road booth, left, was very well
done. This fiberglass dune buggy, above, was for sale
in the ACME Auto booth, and that’s Mark Byer’s 2012
Arctic Cat, right, custom built by STM Performance.
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www.SAND SPORTS.net
We shot a few photos to give you an idea
of what happens at this fast-paced one-day
event. Highlights included a car show, radio
controlled truck races sponsored by B&L
Sand Toys that spectators could operate for
free, and a complimentary opportunity drawing where you could win great prizes just by
entering your name.
The car show winners included Matt
Weasel’s Best of Show white Tatum prerunner, Best Paint going to Tom Young’s
Suspension Unlimited car, Best Engine for
the twin turbo V-8 in Albert Bancroft’s Tatum Aero, and Mark Byer’s fully modified
2012 Arctic Cat drag machine with that won
Best Engineered. In all, there were 13 vehicles entered in the car show, some of which
were also on display in the different exhibitor’s booths such as Appletree Automotive,
Whitehill’s Buggy Shop and Larry’s OffRoad.
The Buggy Builders event draws a diverse crowd of people looking for all sorts
of products for a variety of different vehicles. For this reason, you’ll see everything
from new and used parts for VWs including
bolt-on accessories, refurbished front ends
and engines, as well used parts of all types.
We also spotted kits cars for sale, fiberglass
buggies that were old and ready for a restoration, as well as new Berrien Buggy kits
from ACME Car Company. There were also
wheels, tires, transmissions, fabrication tools
and several swappers who brought truck and
car parts from their garage at home. Depend909-262-9344
ing on what you need, chances are that you’ll
find it at the show.
As mentioned, the 33rd annual event is
scheduled for March 23, 2014 and you can
learn more about attending as a spectator or
www.bencoracing.com
signing up for a booth by visiting the website at <www.buggybuilders.com>. In closing, the promoters of the event would like
to thank several businesses who supported
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the show with products and services that
were given away during the free opportunity drawing. This includes Yamaha Motor
Corporation, Pit Bull R/C tires, Schley Products SP Tools, Barnum’s Bug Barn, Khaotix
Ironworks, B&L Sand Toys, Don’s Sport Vehicles, Whitehill’s Buggy Shop, The Good
Volks, Jim’s Custom VW’s, Larry’s Off
Road Center, Michigan Sport Buggy, LeDuc
Racing Components, Performance Prototypes, Midwest Coatings, Bugs & Buggies,
Mears Metal Products, MOFOCO, Drew’s
Off Road, Appletree Automotive, US 131
Motorsports Park, Jim’s Buggy Parts and
Hot VWs magazine.
If you’re looking for a fun time and some
great deals, you’re sure to find both at the
Buggy Builders show in Lansing — it’s the
Midwest’s largest VW and off-road swap
meet.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
8:46 AM
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