1956 Empi Sportster For Sale
In the early days of the VW powered dune buggies, there were
some successful small builders such as McKenzie with the "Chimp" and Thompson with the "Burro"
that got the craze going. EMPI however was the first to really mass market a metal body kit.
The EMPI "Sportster" was sold through Empi dealers in a short and long wheelbase kit
that used the VW chassis and drivetrain.
Of course when Bruce Meyer came out with the fiberglass buggy bodies, the game would change
and Empi also jumped on that band wagon with their Empi "Imp" kits, but for the Riverside based
company the Sportster kits sold well.
This San Diego based Sportster is based on a 1956 Beetle chassis and has
undergone a very nice and complete restoration in recent years.
It features its original black California license plates and is loaded with period correct details.
The engine out back has been upgraded to something a bit peppier
with 1915cc and dual carburetors, all rebuilt around 1200 miles ago.
The stock 1956 Beetle taillights were retained as well as the fuel tank that sits sideways in the back area.
Great color combo in orange with white seats.
(pardon the color variance in the photos...two different cameras were used and the difference is crazy)
Extremely rare Sportster nose badge!
The 1956 Beetle steering wheel was used as well as the seats and speedometer.
Nice accessory tachometer mounted to the steering column.
Wiring is all fresh, the speedometer is the 56 era clear needle version.
Very cleanly done even in the deep corners