Ians Buggy Build

[Drivermod]

After some thoughtfull consideration I decided to part out the CJ and use as much of it as I can to put together a full tube buggy. Todd at Shotgun Fab will be helping immensly on this build and is the one who finally convinced me to go for it. I sold the frame, tub, and steering to a local guy. Here is a picture of what is left, minus the engine, wheels and tires.
(the chassis you see in this pic is another one Todd put together with a friend of his on Monday and Tuesday. He's been busy.

I took some time to sketch out my ideas in AutoCAD before getting started just to keep the scale of it in check. I picked up a stack of tubing from Carwash last week and started bending on Wednsday. Got the main tubing of the chassis together yesterday. We got to try out his new Baleigh tubing notcher on my chassis and it worked really well. Much quicker and more precise than his old setup.




In the pics the chassis is sitting at ride height but the axles are not in the correct locations. We put in two 15 hr days but got alot done. So far I'm really liking it. Roughly 114" wheelbase, with a 21" belly, 51" wide at the belt line and 68" to the top of the cage. I'm using the SBC 400/700R4/Atlas drivetrain out of the Jeep along with the axles (Dana 60/70) tires (39.5 TSLs) and wheels. Using 17" Bilstein 9100 series coil overs to suspend it. Next big purchases will be heims, steering components and seats. Have a double ended ram but need to locate an orbital. Not sure what to go with yet. Seats will be Kirky Pro Drag 16" wide (I'm a scrawny guy). I'll continue to update as things progress. Realistically, I hope to be riding by Memorial Day weekend. With 6 kids at home finding time to work on it will be the biggest hurdle. Big thanks to Todd for motivating me and helping out as well as the garage space and use of tools. He has a great setup for fabrication and is working on a new chassis for himself to move out of the single seater. It's gonna be pretty radical.

[jwend]

thats sweet man, i like it alot simple but cool.. I dig it for sure..I drive by his shop once a week and always think about stoping i may have to next time

[yellowjacket]

very nice start sir!. i been waiting to see your vision...make sure you leave room for suspension seats down the road... is it all 1.75 ?

[Drivermod]

I wrestled with the suspension seat vs Kirky thing for awhile and just decided with a flat belly it would be too tall with suspension seats. As it is now I should have around 5-6"s of head clearance. A suspension seat would easily fit the drivers side but wouldn't work well on the passenger side because of the transfercase. The Bilsteins should absorb most of the hits unless I land hard on the belly skid. Thanks for the replys. I can't wait to see as a roller. Shouldn't be too long.

All 1.75" except the windshield braces. I will be adding some more 1.75 and 1.25" gussets here and there. The belly is framed in 1/4 wall and the rest is .120 wall.

[timido]

Way cool that thing is coming along nice!

[Yotajunk]

I really like the lines on that chassis! Glad it's coming along man!

[Drivermod]

Time for some updates. I took a few days over the last couple of weeks to make all the little parts that would allow us to finish off the suspension. This weekend I took Friday off so we could spend two days on it in hopes of knocking it out and finishing all the work we would need to do up on the fabrication table. It went smoothly and we not only got the suspension knocked out but mounted the drivers seat, steering ram and my new to me Creepy Crawlers. Check out the pics. Todd and I have about 7 days total in this build so far. Alot of the big hurdles are past but I know the real work begins now.







58"s under the front tire


60"s under the rear tire


Ian and Todd's buggies


We started on his in early December and mine just after Christmas. I hope the rest of the project goes as smoothly.

Ian

[Drivermod]

As it sits I ended up at 114" wheelbase, 21" belly height and 66.5" roof height. The shocks are 17" Bilsteins set at roughly 8"s of uptravel.

[kentuckytwostep]

looking sweet!

[underpowered]

i am really liking the look of those buggies.

[Drivermod]

Originally Posted by underpowered

i am really liking the look of those buggies.

Thanks. Stop by and check em out.

[underpowered]

i may be out to check out Todds shop one day, see what kinda stuff he can get for the blazer i am picking up this week.

[boomhauer]

i have to agree with whomever it was about the suspension seats. trust me, as someone with a bad back it will be the best upgrade you could ever do. i just got around to doing it myself a few months ago but i wish i had done it years ago. no matter how smooth it rides or you think it might ride it will be much better with a good set of susp. seats and your whole body (not just your back) will appreciate it immensely. surely there is something you can do to make the pass. side work out.

[carwash]

Not everyone has a pansy back like yours boomhauer. Timmie Cameron runs kirkeys, they must be cool. I'll have them in my new rig, and all I've ever owned is PRP suspension seats. If you want a tight rig, you can't fit a suspension seat in it.

[Nuts]

I'd rather have soft seats and the roof line a couple inches taller than have a smashed vertebrae. Whats the rule for distance from the top of your head to the cage? 2",3",5"?

[Drivermod]

3"s is reasonable. I'll have 4-5" easily once the pads are in the seat. I plan to wear a light helmet at all times anyway.





Jury is still out on the seats for me. Suspension seats are nice for puttin' around but when it's time to get serious and you are pulling your belts down tight, how much give are your seats gonna have anyway. That and as the seats gives and your belts loosen, what problem does that create. This is one aspect of suspension seats that I never liked. I always felt like I was having to tighten my belts and then when you go to get in next time they are too tight to fasten. There is also a HUGE difference in ride quality, and therefore comfort, between air shocks and properly set up coilovers.

[carwash]

With my new rig, it won't be an issue of head room as much as it is width. The narrowness of the kirkeys allow you to build a nice tight chassis all around. Like I said, I have always ran suspension seats, something new for a change will be nice. Maybe I'll hate them. But I won't knock them till i try them. One thing i do LOVE is the containment they offer you. I have used high side PRP comp seats forever, and while they have a nice high side on them, they are nothing compared to how a kirkey holds your ass in place.

[kirbyiv]

Originally Posted by carwash

With my new rig, it won't be an issue of head room as much as it is width. The narrowness of the kirkeys allow you to build a nice tight chassis all around. Like I said, I have always ran suspension seats, something new for a change will be nice. Maybe I'll hate them. But I won't knock them till i try them. One thing i do LOVE is the containment they offer you. I have used high side PRP comp seats forever, and while they have a nice high side on them, they are nothing compared to how a kirkey holds your ass in place.

Whats the point of a tight chassis if you're running full width axles under it?

[carwash]

Originally Posted by kirbyiv

Whats the point of a tight chassis if you're running full width axles under it?

dammit...

[Nuts]

Originally Posted by kirbyiv

Whats the point of a tight chassis if you're running full width axles under it?

Tires will push pull and drag their way past most obstacles,and a body or fat cage is like dropping anchor. Full width axles will earn their place by keeping you stable,while a wide cage doesn't do anything that a skinny cage can't.

[Drivermod]

Originally Posted by Nuts

Tires will push pull and drag their way past most obstacles,and a body or fat cage is like dropping anchor. Full width axles will earn their place by keeping you stable,while a wide cage doesn't do anything that a skinny cage can't.

I agree. After driving Todds single seater, I have seen first hand that having a narrow body can be an advantage sneaking through the woods or around rocks. I have yet to see anything glide through the Lions Den like it would. Thats not to say I wouldnt' mind slightly narrower axles but I'm gonna stick with what I have for now. Budget is an issue with this build so I'm willing to sacrafice on width for now to get on the trail sooner. On the plus side at 89"s wide in the front and only 66"s tall I'm gonna be about as stable as one can be in off camber situations. If you're following me be secure in knowing that if I fit through most anything will.
Width was not the deciding factor for me. I could sneak suspension seats in width wise. The bigger issue is putting one over the transfercase. It wouldn't safely fit without raising the roof or stretching the passenger compartment. Neither of which I was willing to do.

[Drivermod]

I don't have any picture updates cause we lost our camera. I think my 17 month old threw it in the trash. The seats, battery, steering, winch mount and dash are in. Should be getting the radiator this week and then I can finish out the back of the buggy. It's coming along slowly. We took Todd's new buggy out today and did some testing at a friends farm in Glenco. It worked great. Might have to make a few changes with the spring rates but otherwise it's pretty much good to go. The seating position is very comfotable and the visibility really wasn't an issue. It's a climber for sure.

[carwash]

The Silencer isn't so silent from what I heard...

[Drivermod]

Originally Posted by carwash

The Silencer isn't so silent from what I heard...

Uhh yeah, it doesn't live up to it's name.

[Nuts]

This thing done yet? Any updates?