May have found my new hobby!

[Komelika]

Hi all! I am totally new to this but I am looking for a new hobby and this minibuggy idea has grabbed my attention. I have no fabrication experience, but I am mechanically inclined. I have put together a sandrail in the past. I say put together because I bought the chassis complete and built it from there. I have a Hobart Handler 140 that I bought a few months ago. So far all I have used it for is to build my welding cart (I'm impressed, but then I again I am easily impressed ).

Well I got bored of my jeep and sold it so I have about $2K to start playing with. I figure that will get me going and hopefully the money to complete it will come when it is needed. I have a ton to learn so I'm glad I found this site, but to start here are my questions:

If you were brand new to this and wanted to build your first buggy where would you spend your first $2K?

Do you need an engine to build around or do you buy plans that are specific to engines?

Thanks in advance for any information and for all that I am bound to learn from the boards!

[XRH348]

welcome,

I decent set of plans would be a good start, comtemplate the purchase of a tubing bender, then plan your spending from there

[yoshi]

Originally Posted by Komelika

Hi all! I am totally new to this but I am looking for a new hobby and this minibuggy idea has grabbed my attention. I have no fabrication experience, but I am mechanically inclined. I have put together a sandrail in the past. I say put together because I bought the chassis complete and built it from there. I have a Hobart Handler 140 that I bought a few months ago. So far all I have used it for is to build my welding cart (I'm impressed, but then I again I am easily impressed ).

Well I got bored of my jeep and sold it so I have about $2K to start playing with. I figure that will get me going and hopefully the money to complete it will come when it is needed. I have a ton to learn so I'm glad I found this site, but to start here are my questions:

If you were brand new to this and wanted to build your first buggy where would you spend your first $2K?

Do you need an engine to build around or do you buy plans that are specific to engines?

Thanks in advance for any information and for all that I am bound to learn from the boards!

I would send in that 2k to Sinister Sand Sports as a deposit for a frame kit, but that's just me.......

[Komelika]

Yeah, that would be nice!

I figured a bender would eat into the budget, but maybe I could have a chassis done and ready for suspension components and some other bells and whistles with the $2K. By the time I get done with that then maybe I will have some more cash saved for the engine. I'm probably looking at a year to a year and a half to complete the project (maybe).

Any help with the engine question? Not sure if I should have the engine first.

[nutz4sand]

A good bender will cost yah a few bucks but can be moeny well spent. Cheap ones usually are a pain. Don't get a harbor frieght pipe kinker for pipe and hope it will work with tube. There are afew who have gotton them to work BUT its more work and still a good risk of crushing a tube.

Many times a local race car chassis shop can and will bend tubes for you. Just be sure you know what you need and if the tubes even already marked so its quick for them the cost can/may be quite cheap (check around to see what they say). That may save you a few bucks to put towards the build.

While I got a chuckle out of Yoshis comment IF you happen to not go that way the first thing I would do is look at every buggy out there. Gotta find one you like the looks of.

As for a motor anything realistic. You need electric start and you want reverse if at all possible. A big Raptor660 or better yet a 700 motor has the reverse and electric start. for a small buggy in the woods its a good choice. But if your into all out dunging it may not be quite enough. Where you ride and how will dictate whats a better engine for you than others.

If you buy a motor try to get one you can still see run or buy from a place with a good reputation if at all possible. A good deal is no deal if the motor happens to be junk or you get a good deal but then gotta hunt down a bunch of parts (fuel pump, ECU, etc) that all add up costing you more than a running wrecked bike or sled etc. in the first place.

Most plans can be altered enough to fit this or that engine.

[Komelika]

Thanks for the information guys!