FAQ
You've got questions, we've got answers.
Look through our frequently asked questions and if you're still not sure Get in touch with us anytime.
Help and Support
Searched the site and still stuck? Don’t hesitate, contact us and ask!
The most reliable way to get a hold of us is via our contact page. Allow us a day or so to get back to you as we are on the eastern coast of Australia , which is 14-18 hours ahead of the USA .
If you’re having difficulty reading the plans or can’t find a detail you need, scan the plan and highlight what you’re after. It’ll make sure our response is on the money.
If you’re mid-build and have a query, take a photo or draw a picture and it to us.
As they say, a picture says a thousand words!
If you’re local to one of our workshop locations give them a call and drop in, they will be happy to help .
General
The plans and manuls come in PDF form for you to download directly from the site.
You can print them out yourself or send them to your local printer. We have formatted most of the manuals in US letter or US tabloid sizes, however, if you select ‘fit to page’ or similar when you are printing from your PDF viewer you should get plans that fit on what ever paper size you have. Don’t forget – don’t scale from the plans, use the dimensions provided!!
The files are compressed for download and you may require a file archive program such as winzip to uncompress them after downloading (they can only be uncompressed once downloded completely). Archiving or compression software is usually installed as part of your operating system or can be found for free download via a quick internet search.
Once you’ve finished the checkout process through PayPal you will receive an email with a link to download your files.
Make sure you check your default downloads folder once you’ve clicked the link. The files can be quite large and may take some time to download depending on the speed of your internet connection.
Alternatively, you can find and download your files by logging into your account, and visiting the ‘Downloads’ section. You can also click this link to go directly to your downloads section.
Once you’re there you can see what files you’ve got available to download:
If you get really stuck please contact us!!
Rorty.net gives you two opportunities to download and save your plans. They come in PDF or ZIP formats depending how big the files are.
When you download to your phone or tablet you are downloading the files and these are counted – make sure you save them somewhere you can access later!
We recommend downloading to your computer so you can save them, use them and print them for the workshop.
As always, contact us if you are having trouble accessing your plans and we’d be happy to help.
Every care and attention has been given to the compilation of our manuals, plans and drawings, but no liability can be accepted for inaccuracies or omissions.
On occasion we find typos or incorrect measurements on drawings and in manuals. These are fixed and the latest version of drawings or manuals is always offered for download. If you find what you think might be an error, please contact us for advice. If you have an older set of plans you are looking to use to commence your build please don’t hesitate to contact us to ascertain if any changes have been made. Once proof of original purchase has been established, we are happy to supply the changes in the latest copy of any manual or plans you have previously purchased at no charge.
No. You can pay with a credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard).
Payments are processed by PayPal however you do not need a PayPal account to use the checkout.
No. The 3D CAD models represent Rorty’s intellectual property and income source and we would not give that away! 2D DXF files for CNC cutting machines are supplied with selected kits (if stated in the kit description). Generally we only supply 2D CAD drawings in PDF format.
No; that would breach the terms of sale and use. Rorty buggies and tools are not for hire or reward. Of course, the original purchaser can sell outright, his/her Rorty buggy or tool at any time he/she chooses.
Tools may be used in a commercial shop for goods production purposes.
No; that would breach the terms of sale and use. After you’ve built your Rorty project from your Manual, another Rorty buggy cannot be built from those plans. Each additional buggy requires the purchase of another Rorty Manual, complete with its unique serial number. Build support will only be available to the original purchaser with their unique serial number.
No; that would breach the terms of sale and use. Purchasing a Rorty Manual allows you to build one Rorty project (either partial or complete). If you want to sell your Rorty project, that is entirely up to you. If, after you build one, and you want to build more, you are required to either purchase another Rorty Manual for each and every one you build (either partial or complete), or you can become a Rorty Workshop. Contact us to discuss your proposal!
We are constantly reviewing and updating components, which are frequently listed in the latest news. All current updates are included with each manual purchased.
There is plenty of information in the Rorty workshop pages and we’re only as far away as your keyboard, and are always glad to help get you going again.
The manuals include absolutely everything you need to build your project, from drawings to build a suitable chassis or tool stand, jigs for suspension and other parts, part lists, materials and fastener lists, a glossary of terms and hints, tips and tricks.
Buggies
There are some differences in the detail of the plans and manuals depending on which Rorty Buggy you want to build:
- The R6 and R82s manuals and plans include 2D pdf drawings of all the parts including details to modify car or bike donor parts for certain items or detailed drawings for you to make your own from scratch. This includes items like brake rotors, hubs, steering racks etc. If you have a full machine shop you can build it all yourself.
- The R16 and R11 are also all drawn in 2D pdf for you to make you own parts, however, these buggies are designed to use readily available off the shelf parts like steering racks, hubs, brake rotors etc from many off-road suppliers and some from Rorty. They don’t tend to use donor car or bike parts. These suit people who don’t want to make every item.
- The R21 is a little different as it was designed to use more pre-made kit parts and detailed plans of some machined and laser cut parts are not provided.
As always if you have some ideas and aren’t sure whether the detail is in the plans please drop me an email.
That is a definite maybe! Removing parts of a laser cut kit for example, will not significantly reduce the costs as each part of the 120-160 piece kits is only a few dollars and weigh fractions of a kg/lb.
We produce these kits in batches to reduce costs. The costs of a special order and the chances of a mistake rise a lot when changes are made. We are usually left with parts we can’t use too. For this reason we don’t make minor changes to kits.
Freight costs do not change significantly with only 1-2 kg weight variation.
If you want something special please contact us and we will be happy to discuss!
We have researched many freight options and have chosen Australia Post as the primary freight option as it is by far the most economical. They offer road freight domestically and sea freight internationally for parcels up to 20kg (44lbs). We quote shipping with insurance.
We can also ship via DHL Air Express that deliver much faster (USA 4-6 days), however, the cost is significantly higher.
We have looked into US based laser cutting and machining options, but they are considerably more expensive given the foreign exchange rate (Feb 2015 $1.00 AUD = $0.75 USD). It is cheaper to produce the kits locally with Australian steel and freight them than to manufacture in the USA. We will continue to monitor and research these options.
We are selling kits to the USA with freight, at a discount of approximately 20-25% over the 2008 prices of previous USA manufactured kits (Mini Buggy Supply – no longer in business).
For larger parcels we will either split the shipment into less than 20kg parcels or quote an alternative freight option. For large items such as chassis, containerised sea freight is the best option and would be by quotation. With this option import duties, charges and taxes need to be taken into account and are the buyers responsibility. Given the many import destinations, local rules and regulations, we cannot provide you with this information.
You are welcome to arrange your own shipping and we will assist with packing and pick up at no charge. We generally ship in boxes 405 x 300 x 255mm.
We’re not suffisticated folk, the R is for Rorty (you probably guessed). The buggy designs are numbered sequentially based on when they were designed. The gaps in the numbering are due to designs that were done for private buyers or designs which have been superseded and are no longer sold.
With the exception of the R6, the odd numbers are for single seaters and the even numbers are for 2 seaters. The R82s is actually the R8 with the 2s for 2 seats. We got it together after that! Nothing really to do with performance, they are all top performers.
The main difference between the 2 buggies is the R82s was designed to be 100% build it yourself from the plans.
The R16 is a later design and uses laser cut plate work extensively which improves accuracy and saves weight and fabrication time. These plate kits are available from Rorty although currently the plans for the R16 also include drawings for you to cut the components out yourself (not that practical though). There is also a machined parts kit for the R16 that includes all the custom machined components whereas the R82s is DIY.
The R82s has some SHS (square tube) in the chassis base which may not be acceptable depending on your competition regulations.
Overall the build costs of the chassis will be about the same depending on the amount of time you put in vs using your wallet to do the work. The bulk of the cost of these (or any) buggies is the parts you put on them – motor, shocks, wheels, tyres etc. Either one will give you a fantastic machine for off-road desert use.
Look up your local club, or, with Rorty’s help, find a spot to race and start a club with your mates! Some buggies also compete in motorkhanas and hill climbs. In the US, there are a number of racing bodies, which cover everything from desert races to hill climbs and stadium races. In the UK, SCORE promote buggy racing, and recently, buggies have been entered in rallycross, and supermoto events.
Another tricky question. The cost of bike engines vary widely around the globe, so if we leave that item out of the equation, it makes matters simpler. The budget minded person could build the R6 for US$6000-$8000, using second hand car wheels, steering rack, seat etc, but if all top-shelf items are used, such as lightweight rims, aftermarket steering rack, race shocks, stainless rod ends etc, then the cost could easily rise to around US$12000.
That’s a difficult one to answer. A lot depends on how fast you want to go, and how much you want to spend. The R6 is designed to accommodate engines up to 1100cc, but a twin cylinder 350cc will still provide huge amounts of fun, but just don’t expect it to lift the front wheels off the ground when you stand on the pedal! The bigger buggies can accept the largest bike engines available.
It’s really very simple. The steering is very direct, and there are normal brake and accelerator pedals (and a clutch pedal if you want one). The gears are sequential, e.g. they are all in a straight line, one after another, just like in F1. The R6 has also been designed with safety in mind, with high sides, and five point harness mounts.
It’s not a problem. Check out the Workshop pages.
Yes. Available Rorty parts are detailed on the part pages, other parts are available, please contact us.
Yes, please contact us to discuss your dream machine.
Trike
You will need to learn about your local road registration and emission requirements if you intend to register your Hammerhead and use it on the road. If you use as much original bike control and lighting equipment as possible it will be easier. Ensuring the engine meets local emissions requirements is an early enquiry you should make.
Sure, but the chassis was designed specifically for this engine. If it is changed you will need to carefully consider mounting points and orientation, chain alignment, ancillary fitment and weight distribution. The TL1000 was chosen for its superb torque delivery and power band. It was used in the Suzuki TL1000S and TL1000R motorcycles and the same engine was employed by other manufacturers such as Cagiva in their Raptor 1000.
VW Buggy
Although the chassis is many times stronger than the original, it is still designed to work in unison with the incredible strength of the Beetle body as a whole. If this chassis were to be used as a replacement for the VW floorpan with just a fibreglass beach buggy or kit car, it would almost certainly require additional bracing (especially along the sides) as the inherent strength and support of the egg-shaped steel body would be lost. In any case, consider the single roll hoop as a minimum requirement. The rigidity and performance of the car would be further enhanced if a full roll cage were constructed over the chassis.
The choice is yours. The chassis will accept most readily available V8 engines and ancillaries. Keep in mind the weight of the engine as it will make up a significant percentage of the overall weight of the vehicle.
The early (flat screen, torsion beam front suspension) and the later 1303S (curved screen, McPherson strut front suspension) pans are not interchangeable; however the Rorty V8 chassis will fit either model!
Tools
The sheet folder is designed for up to 1.2mm Stainless. Stiffening the top clamp would assist, but you might want to think about upgrading the fasteners etc. as 2mm stainless will take some bending!
The bender is designed to bend up to 2” tube. Beefing it up should not be required for easily available tube wall thicknesses in tube up to 2″ dia. You may need a long handle for heavy walled 2” tube. If you did want to make it out of thicker plate everything related would need to be lengthened/correspondingly enlarged.