Input Wanted for my next build.

[TutTech]

I am going to start another build.
I will be building pretty much the same car as my Race car.
But I will make it a play car.
So It will be lighter and not have all the race features.
No Fuel cell, aluminum tank instead, probably no double shocks
etc.
But how much smaller or lighter or less should I go?
Or keep it the same and just loose the mandatory race items etc?


Anyways looking at my race car what changes, ideas or input
would you offer me on my next build?
Or if its not broke dont fix it?



Here is my Race car.


back shot


side



And you can see more at my race car post here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWz4xMbjKac

It shows the complete build of it.


Here is a video of how the car looks driving and working

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWz4xMbjKac

(kinda long video I am at about 3 minutes into it and again at 6:50 seconds in.)


And here are the Current updated specs on the race car.
Which I will use most of these for the play car.

Tut Tech Small Race Buggy Specs

The buggy is 12 feet long from rear bumper to front bumper
It has a 95 inch wheel base and is a 2 seat buggy
The width of the buggies cage is 45 inches at the bottom section in the seating area and 55 inches wide at top of seating area.
Sides are 25 inches high from floor to your shoulder
The roof is 50 inches tall from bottom of car to top of car.
The buggy can seat people as tall as 6 foot 4inches.
The front end width is 60 inches wide to the brakes
The rear is just over 60 inches wide to the brakes.
The front and back our an addition 10 inches wider with the 5 lug hubs on.
Making the buggy just around 75 inches wide front and 80 inches wide in the rear.
Tires are Dunlop 30inch by 9inch mud terrains.
The rims are Centerline rims 15x5
The buggy is heavily supported with tons of cross bracing and a lot of reinforced corner sections.
Some points of intersections actually have 8 bars tying into one section to make this little buggy very strong! Which means Very Safe!
The buggy is simple and made from 1.5 inch steel tubing and 1 inch steel tubing, both in .120 wall for maximum strength.
Engine & Suspension:

16 gallon safety fuel cell with an approx. 125 mile range
VW Engine single 40mm Weber carb with approx. 180 horsepower.
A 091 Bus Tranny, Both Motor and tranny was built by Sandrails Unlimited.
930 CV's with 300m axels.
Axels are 28 inches wide
934 Micro stubs with 930 stub axles and 4 piston disc brakes
20 inches of Rear wheel travel (buggy is strapped at 18inches so I don’t brake a CV)
And 15 inches of front wheel travel.
2 inch Coil Overs front and rear with a triple 3.0 fox bypass's in the rear to control this little buggies ride.


Some Input on how and why I think this buggy will work:

The buggy is very stable.
The 95 inch wheel base makes this car turn easily and very easy to control.
With the buggy being nearly as wide as it is long is why its so stable.
Short and small to get into and out of hard to drive places. Very easy to traverse rough sections of the desert or rocky, washed out, rough, hills well a lot of terrain that’s bad for longer buggies to get hung up and not be able to turn tight and run through this little buggy can is my hopes and plan.
It will just run better in the technical courses and in and out of the stuff the larger buggies have trouble with.
In my local deserts there’s a lot of that so I am hoping this little buggy does
well.

The buggy may look like it has very simple construction with a nice look to it but it is also very well thought out as I have built several buggies and worked out several ideas to lead me up to the building of this little buggy.
The buggy is small without looking small or without you feeling small when inside, in fact you have plenty of room inside this buggy.
The buggy has a nice look to it with out it being long actually the overall length of the buggy is only 12 feet. Very cool.
The buggy could be smaller in other none race versions but do to fuel cell and other race gear this buggies overall size is a little longer.
Racing:
So far my wife and I have raced the little buggy at the MORE 400 mile race.
With 8 buggies in our class and over 130 total cars racing we placed
4th in our class.
We had no fabrication problems, welding problems, design problems and the buggy worked exactly as we had hoped.
I can actually say it exceeded my expectations.
It is nimble, quick, very stable, runs through whoops very quickly even for its
small size, easy to drive and did I mention a lot of fun.
The race was awesome and we cannot have hoped for more with our first showing
And minimal testing on the buggy.
We had a couple flats to fix, a fuel pump left us stuck out on the track for 2 hours and a bad alternator left us stuck for nearly 1 hour.
We had other small problems as well so with all this and we where still able to bring in a 4th Place at our first race is great and I cannot be more happy for the first showing of the car.
I hope to be in the top 3 soon.



So I am just looking for ideas, input or general help.
I may or may not be able to use it but it would be nice to hear
what you all have to say that might help me out on my next build
before I get started.

I value each of your inputs and would be glad to hear them if you have any to offer.

Thank you,
Tut.

[Bugpac]

Reduce the weight and put a bike motor in it....You really want to fly just make 1 seat in it as well...

[Bullnerd]

Copy this, but smaller.

Put one of the big yamaha 4 stroke sled motors in it with a CVT and an RPM tranny.

Done .

[TutTech]

Bullnerd,
Whats this?

I could copy alot of things... but I want it to be mine.
Kinda starting my own Retro look again.
with the old school meets new and yet can kick butt.




Bugpac,
I already have several vw, motors, trannies for it.
So maybe when those run out.



Single seater?
Ya?
I can do a single easy enough.

I like the two seater so a couple people can play together though.


Thanks guys so far good input keep it coming.

[Bullnerd]

"This" is the picture ,Ivans trophy truck.

[TutTech]

Oh cool.
So a nice single seater, a-arm car
We are building a 2 seat, front and rear a-arm car at work currently.
I will post pics when work allows.

I was not looking to redo that mutch at this time.
But in the future I could look into a duel a-arm car.
In a small size etc.

I was looking at just building the car I just designed but with
any changes I might need to make it more of a play car.
But as for my next build I could look into something more like that.

Thank you.

[Rorty]

I was hoping you'd build a real mini buggy with a bike or sled engine, but if you've got a pile of Hitler's best compressor pumps laying around... *

If it's just going to be a play car and you want to utilize another of your boxers, how about a full tube version of a VW Thing with the same suspension as you outlined above? Sort of like a big SXS.

It would be nice and easy to get in and out of, would draw crowds where ever it went and would be a rare sight around the desert and dunes.

[elvergonmexicano]

what else do you have to put out 180 horsepower on a VW engine and making it reliable on the desert?

[TutTech]

Hmm a Thing but a buggy Thing would be funny.
And yes you are right that would draw alot of attention.

I will think on this further.
Thanks.



What do I have on my engine?
My current race motor is actually an after market block.
Complete copy of a VW motor but alot larger.
Its very big but very strong because it is not bored over or
stressed to get the power out of it because I bought it at the
current size its at.
Like building a big 2300 motor this comes stock at that size.
Then a cam, big crank, big heads, porting, good pistons, rods, bearings, electric points, big carb and some race fuel and I can actually stroke it some more and go well over 200 horse. But I kept it at 9.5 to 1 compression and I am getting just around 180 horse.
And its very reliable.
I have ran this motor since last year and not even taken it in for a rebuild
yet.. Oil change, valve job and off and racing.

Thanks again everyone.
Hmm I am thinking of copying this car at this time as it is prooven and
works well.
I have used some of the larger car specs and brought them to a smaller
car and its working.
So now to do the same but with a play car I think is in order.

[sicksand]

How about a stadium lite,lets bring them back and get some good racing going?The fans love it...