Rebuilding Baja SAE car into Stadium Lite

[nutnbolt2002]

minibajaman, do you have any updates on your project?

[minibajaman]

Not really, I have the new tires/wheel on the car and the axle fixed so it's ready to drive the way it sits right now. *I actually had to move it to the backyard under a tarp * *so I could work on my street car in the garage to get it to pass inspection.

I'm still looking / trying to decide on an engine to use. *I think sled engine is really the only way to go, but now isn't the best time to buy a sled. *I may wait till late winter / early spring and pick something up them. *I still really want the Phazer engine, and I've been keeping my eye out for a reasonably priced sled. *I have the frame mostly figured out for the changes I want to make, but the rear end will depend on engine choice. *Also I am undecided about what to do for a gearbox. *If I got a sled with reverse I would probably try to use that somehow. *Otherwise the RPM is really the only choice for me if I were to buy one. *I'm also thinking about making one, as at work I have access to CNC mill w/ 4th axis, CNC lathe, CNC waterjet, and manual machines so all I would need to outsource is splines and heat treating.

I'll post a pic of the buggy as it sits now and the frame changes in SolidWorks later tonight.

[minibajaman]

I was going to put the pics here but then I decided to edit my last post instead. *I also deleted a couple off topic posts as I want to keep this log somewhat on track. *

I did bring the buggy back in the garage finally, couldn't stand to see it getting wet any longer.

[nutnbolt2002]

Are you going to stay with the 5 link?

[minibajaman]

Originally Posted by nutnbolt2002\";p=\&quot

Are you going to stay with the 5 link?

Yep. *I'm just going to remake or modify the trailing links when I lengthen it.

[minibajaman]

Well I haven't done anything with the buggy in a while. *I'm still looking for an engine. *I also don't have any way to transport it so that I can drive it. *I decided to take care of that problem so I'm building a trailer for it. *I'm trying to keep the trailer somewhat lightweight since I am towing it with a car (currently a '99 Lumina LTZ w/ 3.8 V6, but that might not last much longer). *I'm making it 70" wide by 8' long. *That should be large enough for any future buggies that I may need to transport. *As I have it designed right now the trailer weighs a little over 400 lbs. *I'm still not sure how I want to do the decking, so that could change. *It is a tilt trailer. *

I already bought the axle, springs, and hardware that goes with that, and I ordered tires/wheels, lights, and coupler that are on their way. *I'm need that stuff before I can start building it because I plan on building it on a weekend day at work and need to tow it home since I can't leave it there unfinished. *It's a lot easier to build there because the shop has 2 chopsaws, 2 mig welders and 2 tig welders, so me and my roommate should be able to build it in no time.

[plkracer]

looks like it should work. My uncle said i could use the rear end out of a cadillac deville that he got a rear clip from. Should be a smooth ride.

[minibajaman]

Originally Posted by plkracer\";p=\&quot

looks like it should work. My uncle said i could use the rear end out of a cadillac deville that he got a rear clip from. Should be a smooth ride.

Haha, yeah that caddy rear should ride real smooth.

This trailer isn't really going to be much cheaper than say a 5x8 one that I could buy, but it will be built better and in the exact size and with the exact features I want. *At least thats the idea. *And I needed something else to do for the time being.

[plkracer]

Have you thought about sides for it? I definitly want a little cage around mine, say 12-15 inches tall just for safety. Also, I might be putting wheel wells in mine since they are 15 inch rims, or just let the tires poke through and make sure the buggy doesn't touch them. I hope a blowout doesn't destroy my buggy though. i might just be better off covering them. It may make it harder to load, but I don't want it sitting too high in the air either. Are you using wood for the decking?

[plkracer]

Another suggestion, before you build it, you may want to think about how your weighting is going to be. You are at a disadvantage using a car, but you don't want the tongue to lift up. Do you plan on loading it with the back end forward?