Dune Buggy Repairs

Most of the last half of July was spent in one way or another making necessary repairs to our beloved little Dune Buggy. One evening I helped Dad remove the engine and the next day Gene, Dave and Lance came out to help remove and tear down the transaxle. Lance was returning home from work and was still in uniform. We then called a shop in Orem, Utah called Parts for Imports where Gene had done business earlier to see if they could rebuild the transaxle. They said it would take a week so we took the unit there and dropped it off. They have a very good mechanic named Duane who was the original owner of the business and has worked on old air-cooled Volkswagens for over fifty years. We stayed overnight and visited with the Ockeys, the O’Donnals and Leon and Chrissy. Chrissy had just had surgery to have her tonsils removed and cosmetic surgery on her lip. She was still in a lot of pain at the time but is doing much better now. While waiting for the rebuild Dad tore the front end off the buggy to fix a broken gas gauge that had failed several years ago. During that week we also got to tend Taylor for two days. While she was here she got to feed and ride one of the horses kept in our pasture by our friend, Linda Burrup. She even got to ride in a “little girl” saddle that was just her size.

Taylor also helped me pick and snap beans from our garden. It was fun having her overnight. After a week we made a flying trip on a Friday to Orem and back to pick up the rebuilt transaxle. Back home the next morning Gene, Lance and Gene's son-in-law, Jason Atkinson, came out to help extract the unit from the trunk of "Little Blue" then install it followed by the engine. Although the transaxle went to Orem in pieces and fit easily it amazed everyone that the completely assembled unit with axles and reduction gear units attached fit in the trunk with the lid closed. Once the transaxle and engine were back in that left Dad with a few details to put the car completely back together the following Monday. It sure felt good to have our little buggy back in running order with plans to join Laurie, Evan and family in the next day or two where they are vacationing at the Ockey family cabin near Palisades Reservoir on the South Fork of the Snake River near the Wyoming border.