An Interesting Idea.....
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
An Interesting Idea.....
I always said that the next car I wanted to do I wanted to basically build from scratch. So I was thinking of getting a Cobra kit car, Murtaya, or something similar.
Then I got to thinking, why not just build the entire thing from scratch. That's how the Pro people do it. Putting something together like an Ariel Atom shouldn't be all that difficult. Perhaps this is something a mad scientist mechanic should do. But there's enough people around here like Rick that I thought I would put out the idea and see if I could get some feedback. I probably won't ever build it, but its a good mental exercise to think about it.
What I want to do is custom build a tube chassis similar to a dune buggy frame. I would like to take a FWD engine/tranny combo and build it into the rear axle of the car. Actually I would probably take a spindel to spindel setup, something like a supercharged grand prix setup.
I think most everything could fit fairly tight around the engine. This would give you alot of weight around the rear axle. You could put a 10-20 gal fuel tank/cell in the front of the car to help with that. And also move the seats towards the middle of the car.
I think I could bolt in a front suspension setup out of another car, a C4 would work well. But I would like to see if I can keep all 4 wheels steering. I know the early 300zx cars had a mechanical 4 wheel steering setup. This would make the car a killer handling car at a small auto-x course.
Once the car was complete you would have to, of course, turbo the engine and try to get about 500hp out of it or so. Given the weight of less than 2,000 lbs that should be enough for it.
The only other thing I could think about is to do an awd system, but the only bolt in setup would be out of a Porshe 911 which might break the bank.
Does anybody have any other odd ideas or comments to throw at a car built from scratch?
Then I got to thinking, why not just build the entire thing from scratch. That's how the Pro people do it. Putting something together like an Ariel Atom shouldn't be all that difficult. Perhaps this is something a mad scientist mechanic should do. But there's enough people around here like Rick that I thought I would put out the idea and see if I could get some feedback. I probably won't ever build it, but its a good mental exercise to think about it.
What I want to do is custom build a tube chassis similar to a dune buggy frame. I would like to take a FWD engine/tranny combo and build it into the rear axle of the car. Actually I would probably take a spindel to spindel setup, something like a supercharged grand prix setup.
I think most everything could fit fairly tight around the engine. This would give you alot of weight around the rear axle. You could put a 10-20 gal fuel tank/cell in the front of the car to help with that. And also move the seats towards the middle of the car.
I think I could bolt in a front suspension setup out of another car, a C4 would work well. But I would like to see if I can keep all 4 wheels steering. I know the early 300zx cars had a mechanical 4 wheel steering setup. This would make the car a killer handling car at a small auto-x course.
Once the car was complete you would have to, of course, turbo the engine and try to get about 500hp out of it or so. Given the weight of less than 2,000 lbs that should be enough for it.
The only other thing I could think about is to do an awd system, but the only bolt in setup would be out of a Porshe 911 which might break the bank.
Does anybody have any other odd ideas or comments to throw at a car built from scratch?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,149
Likes: 303
From: Timra, Sweden
This is from a swedish forum. Ajden is building a Bentley EXP Speed 8 replica from scratch. It is 17 pages but look at the pictures. He is doing a great job.
http://forum.savarturbo.se/viewtopic.php?t=21458
He started building it this year and this is the current status:
And the real deal:
http://forum.savarturbo.se/viewtopic.php?t=21458
He started building it this year and this is the current status:
And the real deal:
Last edited by JoBy; May 14, 2008 at 04:10 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
WOW!! 
That guy has some skills.....he even made his own wheel hub assemblies and rotors. I couldn't read the sweedish, but the pics looked really good. And he only started in Feb of this year. He's got some wicked turbo headers in that post too!
That's pretty much what I was thinking of doing, but using spindle to spindle front and rears to lessen the complication and fabrication required.
That guy has some skills.....he even made his own wheel hub assemblies and rotors. I couldn't read the sweedish, but the pics looked really good. And he only started in Feb of this year. He's got some wicked turbo headers in that post too!
That's pretty much what I was thinking of doing, but using spindle to spindle front and rears to lessen the complication and fabrication required.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 5,270
Likes: 3
From: Seattle Area WA
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,277
Likes: 32
From: Mission Viejo California
I think it would be neat but a ton of work. I was looking at the factory five gtm's which use an ls1/porsche g50 combo. I just don't have the garage or money to build one yet. That car is a good tradeoff between building something one off and having it go together easily.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
I love those GTM's, but I've priced out building one. You are looking at $40-50k easy. And that's without performance mods to the LS1
I was hoping to get everything for my next car/thing for the 5k range, 10k tops. But I wasn't going to put a body or anything else un-needed on it. Ok, maybe I'll splurge and get a leather wrapped steering wheel or something.
I was hoping to get everything for my next car/thing for the 5k range, 10k tops. But I wasn't going to put a body or anything else un-needed on it. Ok, maybe I'll splurge and get a leather wrapped steering wheel or something.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,637
Likes: 2
From: Honeoye Ny
I started with a free S-10 and my wife's (girlfriend @ the time) cavalier w/ the 3.1 & getrag 5sp transaxle and built a mid engine half-tube frame tunnel-truck, car thing I call the S-10 aleir. I rarely work on it, but since it will be in a more convienient spot soon I may have it done sooner than later.
Let' see it has:
about 200ft of rollcage tube
stainless steel heim jointed A-arms (remember way back when I bought all that stainless tube to make a cage for my vette,lol)
The rear knuckles are from the front of a junk 4wd s10.
the rear gas shocks are from my meathead brother's wrecked 700 ski-doo (fronts)
C5 corvette wheels
Cable shifter from cavy
Radaitor,headlights,filler panel-from cavvy.
Start with a pickup truck. It's way easier to get out cheap. Be creative like that really really talented kid from sweden and you have something really cool on the cheap.
Or buy a dune buggy frame kit and stick a Ej25T in it....
Let' see it has:
about 200ft of rollcage tube
stainless steel heim jointed A-arms (remember way back when I bought all that stainless tube to make a cage for my vette,lol)
The rear knuckles are from the front of a junk 4wd s10.
the rear gas shocks are from my meathead brother's wrecked 700 ski-doo (fronts)
C5 corvette wheels
Cable shifter from cavy
Radaitor,headlights,filler panel-from cavvy.
Start with a pickup truck. It's way easier to get out cheap. Be creative like that really really talented kid from sweden and you have something really cool on the cheap.
Or buy a dune buggy frame kit and stick a Ej25T in it....
