VW powered bulldozer. Anyone here recognize the make/model?

My dad just picked this tractor up off craigslist- there are no markings or identification tags anywhere, although appears to be factory made. It's powered by a VW aircooled engine and transaxle. The transaxle is pre-1961 and the engine is a 1500cc with a 1600cc kit. Width at the tracks is 48".

I've attached some pictures- does anyone recognize the make?

thanks and merry christmas!

Could someone retrofitted it with that powertrain?

(quoted from post at 11:48:15 12/25/14) Could someone retrofitted it with that powertrain?

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All the mounts for the engine and transfer case look original, no signs of obsolete mount removal, grinder or torch scars. It all appears to be factory mounts.

looks like some one tried it,, that now one else has,,makes you start to think out side of the box... i wounder how it does?

I have built 3 sand buggy s and have had over 40 bugs,(mostly parts cars) as well as worked on the engines and trans axles.I have heard VW engines used in aircraft, farm sprayers,air compressors etc. This is the first crawler i have seen. I wonder if they used belt drive for the hydraulics, That engine configuration would be between 40-50 hp.

Could it have been a kit??? I remember back when you could buy VW engines for $25-50 in the mid to late 1960s. There where a bunch of "kit" projects you could build around the VW engine.

The under carriage is constructed out of 3/8 and 1/2" plate, pretty heavily constructed. The tract sprockets are made from 1.25 plate and are approximately 18" in diameter so shipping cost could be pretty expensive. Most weld appear to be stick welded with uniform beads deposited by a skilled welder. I was told the tractor did come with a blade but was stolen from the previous owner. The loader looks to be a later addition with less professional welds.

Wondered about the pipe-type loader- doesn't look professional, and not built to the same standard as the rest of the machine. Not to mention the rats-nest of hydraulic hoses. So it makes sense that it was added afterwards.

Can't give much insight on the machine itself- never saw one like it.

Bet that doesn't sound like any other bulldozer you ever heard!

The name of this bulldozer is the Brandley GT. Top speed is now 100 MPH, gas mileage is now 35 MPG. Oh, wait....

Don't know about the dozer,but I hauled a test plot combine out to the University of Idaho,from the USDA in Geenbelt,Md.Had a Volkswagen engine in it,was a German built unit if I remember right.Was about 30 years ago.

I used to work on a VW powered Zamboni ice resurfacer machine. The old VW air cooled engines were easy to use on lots of applications.

Bet the heater doesn't work right!

Brad

Seems to be a considerable amount of weight for a VW transaxle to handle. I have owned several VWs and know that they are tough, maybe they were tougher than I realized.

A bugdozer?

That's one hard working VW!

(quoted from post at 23:33:15 12/25/14) A bugdozer?

That's one hard working VW!

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Do they make a bugdozer swatter? :shock:

Does your foot push the clutch and break at the same time?

(quoted from post at 01:14:47 12/26/14)

(quoted from post at 23:33:15 12/25/14) A bugdozer?

That's one hard working VW!

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Do they make a bugdozer swatter? :shock:

Does your foot push the clutch and break at the same time?

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This tractor uses the VW clutch in the transaxle. It also uses the VW brake shoes as separate clutches, one for each track by pushing the steering levels forward. Pulling back on the steering levers disengages the drum clutches and applies the band brakes that contact the outside diameter of the brake drums. The transaxle is from a pre-1961 VW bus given it is a split case transaxle and rotates in the proper direction even though the engine and transaxle have been flipped around from the original VW bus arrangement. The VW bus reduction gear boxes have been removed so the axle rotation is correct to provide 4 forward gears and one reverse. In order to reduce the track speed the differential is approximately 4 to1. This is reduces again about 4 to 1 by selecting 1st gear. In addition to the transaxle and gear box reduction there is a chain box for each track that utilize an additional double reduction of approximately 8 to 1. This should provide a pretty good crawl speed. The engine has a bad cylinder so I ordered a set of barrels and pistons which I will be installing soon so I can give this dozer a try. It is a 1600 cc which I'm told should be about 50hp so power should be sufficient for this small dozer.