1/2 ton axled buggy

[marv_springer]

Just curious of anybody out there has made a buggy out of a blazer, using the stock frame and possibly the windshield and firewall, half ton axles and 35's?

The specs would be:
-stock K5 frame
-10b/14bsf
-35's
-enough cage for K5 skins and 4 seats
-350/700/208
-leave the firewall & windshield
However isn't marv's a different frame?

Maybe those guys will chime in here?

My "Beetle" has a full "custom frame" that I designed. As mentioned, my focus was to use all the parts that everyone thinks are "trash" - and merge them together in a way that I get a capable 4-wheeler as an end result.

I have to say that the performance of this rig has exceeded even my expectations! This rig will climb stuff in the rocks that my 454 powered FunBuggy cannnot. It is also much easier to drive and is the most "stable" rig I've driven as far as extreme angles.

There will always be limitations if you use 1/2 ton axles. But unlike the masses, you don't always have to just "go-bigger" if you come up w/ ways to deal w/ the lighter parts.

A couple of points to make tho:

1) stock K5 frames are relatively heavy. If you're really going on a diet, consider starting w/ a full tube frame
2) K5 body tubs are pretty dang heavy too! What do you really need to be street legal? Can you start w/ a "sand rail" type (or other custom) frame and add on stuff from there?
3) slip yoke 208's are the shiznit!...

Marv

 

[bajaviking]

My beater Blazer is not a buggy but it is very light now. 6 month ago I removed the doors, bumpers, tailgate, the hardtop, carpet(man it was nasty, wet and heavy) and I run welded halfton axles with 35" tires and 4" lift, the drivetrain is a 305/350/208 combo and since I went lightweight I have outwheeled Heeps and other fullsize 4X4s all over the place. It is great fun and since I don't care about body damage anymore I go anywhere I want to. I wheel with guys that have $10,000 into their Heeps and they can't keep up with my $2500 junk, I must have heard about hundred times "you won't make it"

 

[88K5Jimmy]

Thanks for the info Marv

In regards to the K5 frame....I was going to use it because I already have one in great shape that I know works, thus the low cost and the need not to have to swap axles, drivetrain, etc.

I figured the K5 tubs can be heavy due to the amount of metal involved. I was only planning on keeping the windshield and firewall as well as the roof. I know I could "start" here and if I wanted to change always cut the roof, pop out the glass, etc. Then put in a family cage and then cut as much extra sheetmetal off I didn't need, floor behind the back seat, skin the bedsides, skin the front fenders hood, narrow and taper. Leaving the windshield would allow me to catch less flack from the law and I still would want to be able to drive it the 45 minutes to Disney, OK because the drivetrain is such great shape for the mileage 135,000. Plus I want to see the looks of people as I pass them on the highway

I figure I've can have a really capable 1/2 ton buggy with the specs I've got:

10b/14bsf
350/700/208
35's


And I won't have to put very much money into it to get it where I would want it, i.e. tubing costs and cutoff wheels.

 

[Emmettology 101]

The beetle is cool, but didn't he have a K5 that went from a full body to mostly just a k5 frame and tube? Thats what I was thinking of. I think the tube was green..

 

[BadDog]

Nah, the K5 was still mostly K5 till he parted it out. The first tube thing was the "Fun Buggy" with a 454, D44/D60 combo. Then he built the "Treasure Beatle" with "junk" parts.

 

[rodney chambers]

1/2 ton buggy

i have buggy w/10bolt/12bolt on 35"sx. seems to go pretty well. i have been in some mean S#!T with it and it did well. i am running 350 w/ truck avenger, 350 tranny and slipyoke 208. 4.88's and detroit locker in rear w/ lockright in front. i tapered the front and bobbed the back. i am also running rci 16 gal fuel cell.

 

[OffRoad]

i think light-weight 1/2 ton buggys are a great idea. i know a guy with a stock sammy and it's crazy the places that thing will go. it's cause it's so light. 2600 lbs would be 3 guys in a sammy. and your on 40s. no wonder you can outwheel the heeps.

i really want to build a blazer buggy on 40s now. i'll just get a k5 with a stick-shift and a sawzall and i'll be all set.

 

[SkulzNBonz]

I have been thinking of getting a tube chassis and using spare 1/2 ton parts I have layin' around. Keep it light and it should work fine.

John