You've come across some cracking buggies on the beach recently, and you've resolved that owning and driving a beach buggy is the thing to do. Therefore you would like to build a beach buggy because you are skilful with your hands and wish to economise.

Before you do anything, you need to think about the location you would like to be driving your buggy, and what you want it to do. Fundamentally there are 3 locations that buggies can be driven, and each one demands a different construction.

First of all think about the road. Yes you are able to drive a buggy on the road. But naturally it has to be road legal, and doesn't require a lot of the things that other buggies can have, like four wheel drive.
There are some really good fiberglass road legal buggies that look neat, and these are normally based on a vw chassis and body and developed from there.

Then there's the classic location for beach buggies, the beach. Sand driving is in all likelihood about the most amusement that you are able to have in a buggy, but it requires a buggy with particular features. For instance very light, with a good power to weight ratio. Really large sand tyres on the back end, and small smooth tyres on the front end. Front brakes are not required, but you do need good rear brakes.
Then there is the off road buggy suited for the dirt. Hills maybe, mud and tracks. They require a more substantial frame and roll cage since a rollover can be more serious, (ie bumping into a tree for example), The tyres are a different kind, front brakes are much more crucial, and the frame has to be stronger. The driving surface you will be on will be harsher and will call for better suspension, further distance and mud and dirt tyres.

So if you are planning to construct your own beach buggy, then you have to figure out your precise requirements beforehand. Frame, motor, tyres, suspension, brakes, roll cage, body, if you need one.
Is it difficult to make your own buggy? Well naturally that all hinges upon your level of ability. If you have spent a long time mending vehicles, restoring motorcars and reconstructing cars, for instance, then you could be well positioned to make your very own buggy. All the same if you have not done a great deal of work with vehicles before then sure, building a beach buggy isn't simple. It requires skills, it calls for money and it needs time, and be ready for numerous hours of frustration.

What is my first bit of advice if you are thinking about building your own beach buggy for the very first time? Buy a buggy kit or at the very least a few high calibre beach buggy designs to work from. Now a kit does not always give you everything you require. You will have to provide your own engine, for example, but it does give you some of the basic principles that are difficult to establish yourself. For instance if you want a fibreglass buggy the fibreglass body is not easy to construct at home, so you should get a kit with a good body already provided.

But the number one bit of advice if you're considering making your own beach buggy for the first time? Don't. Not unless you are supremely convinced in your own skills. It isn't simple, and normally takes much longer than you envisaged it could, and costs more than you expected, and while you're knuckling down in the garage attempting to build your buggy everybody else is out there on the beach having fun in the sun.
There are some very fine places where you'll be able to find yourself a cracking beach buggy for sale (or even a great beach buggy kit) at a very good price. Generally much less expensive than you might for yourself.

So get yourself a used buggy, discover all you are able to about it first, find out all you can about building a buggy for yourself and, if you really would like to, build your second buggy when you recognise what you're in for. At any rate you've got your first one there to drive if you get fed up building.