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production buggy chassis..save me time, anger and money!

supersize75k5

supersize75k5

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Even though I have my 75 blazer very close to where I want it "real close" I am still a long way from where I am destined to wind up "buggy"...


So I have been talking on the phone, surfin the net till all I can see are fuzzy circles and pricing out materials...

For me to build my own chassis it would require alot..

money, tube bender, more money, more time and alot of bear to get me though, not to mention I still lack a prodution quality welder, so there alone between those iteams I see well into 6000.00 more or less, I beleave alot more!

edit..changed my mind, need a local shop /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif

hendrixmotorsports

This is a big step but I cant bring my self to keep pouring money into the 75 the way it is and with the dissavantages I now see in it, a buggy is a smarter route..

After talking with Mike and looking at the cost, time and all I am very happy to do it! I hate that it wount be the design I wanted to build, but then again it will be a proffesinally built chassis from people who should know what they are doing! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif Only draw back is figuring a way to get it back here.. Driving there to tow it back would cost near 500.00 to a grand after food a fuel and trailer rental, or I can pay 500.00 to a thousand and have it shipped /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif Plus I dont loose 3-4 days and having to pay someone to take care of my accounts while I am gone..then what if I have problems while towing.. /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

If I were to build it ..it would take forever, alot of trial and error, the lack of time ect.. Seems you have to decide which you have more of ..time or money, then look at which one of those I have and can spend.. Time I dont have anymore, and I am back in college in fall so having the chassis ans suspension done will save me alot of daydreaming in my classes and I still should get decent grades.

now the cost..

quoated just around 3000.00 for a chassis, dom perimiter, subframe with provissions for links, and the links themselves.

seeing as I would have to spend at leat 2000.00 grant just for nessisary tools and eqipment, then on top of that materials..it sounds like a great plan for me. Also while they need a 4-6 week lead time before they can get to it, I still get to wheel the 75 blazer /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Xchassismarlin.JPG


I am stoked!


now the interesting part..


a big block buggy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

sounds fun, but I may get dissapointed with the weight, not to mention break more goodies /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I could use my current set up and finish the doubler and have a great drivetrain but it may be smarter to go with a zz4 crate motor with 10,000 miles on it I can get for a great price and throw that in the chassis, no to mention easeir.

Another option is building a inline six, the more I read about them the more I love em /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


so what do you guys think? I basicly want a proven design that I can stuff a 454/t-400/doubler set up and my locked one tons in and have coil overs up front and fox air shocks in back /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif




sounds like a blast..did I metion having it street legal "registered as a dune buggy" /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif


Just looking for some feed back I guess, I just see the time and frustration and lack of real world experiance to be a bad route if I made my own, plus I still always have the 86 Blazer "3/4 ton locked front rear and on 35's" to play with while I am building the buggy, I want to have it finished by late september and this will save alot of time /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/hack.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grind.gif /forums/images/graemlins/weld.gif

-shawn

/forums/images/graemlins/ears.gif

looks like while it is under constuction I will be doing the hard stuff wit the 86.. Those curbs can be a b!tch with out a spotter /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif

320728_259_full.jpg
 
Wheelbase ideas? Brandon's buggy came in around 115" with a similar length drivetrain to what you're talking about using.
I'm wanting to build the same thing using wally's guts but given all that's happening here, it's going to be a while before it happens.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I basicly want a proven design

[/ QUOTE ]
Not that I don't think the Hendrix X buggy will work, but to my knowledge, there has yet to be one of these finished and used. I know that statement was made on PBB not too long ago. Still, if I didn't have the desire to build my own, I might well go that way. Seems to be about the best value in that type of option.
 
and are you buying a rolling chassis? If you aren't there is a lot left to you that isn't proven cause you have to design and do it.
 
aggreed..

I have changed my mind about the hendrix "x chassis"


I found a local shop, "Hunter offroad" I went in and talked with the guy, a real eye opener and he is local. On the plus side I will get what I want, not just a chassis for a one size fits all. Not to metion that the money it will take to get the chassis here, I would rather spend twards my King's..


So every thing has changed now

My goals are a street leagal chassis, to do this with a new one, the state would acess it a value, then I would pay 15 percent of that value to recieve my issued title, so if they said it was worth 10.000 grand I end up tossing them 1500.00.. /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif.. /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

so now I decided to purchase a 78 2wd chevy with a 350/350 set up for 400.00 bucks, I will have the title slavaged, then get a reconstucted vehicle title issued. I will wind up using part of the front most frame and boxing it for beef. The reast will be all tube baby! This will also allow me to innsure it under progreesive auto insurance under a sand rail /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

Reasons I am nit using the 75 frame/title ect..

frame is differnt and I dont have the title to it
vin has been removed..I dunno by who though /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

these two issues would cost me a lot of grief, maby loose my truck and a felony..

well worth the 400.00 for the pickup /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif By using the frame it also saves me a serious amout of fab time for the drive train, I will get it as high and centered as possable though.

If I decide to work with John, the build time is est at two weeks and starts in August when I get back from the cruise /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

totals I am estimating so far..

chassis, links and more.....3000.00 plus
kings and fox's...2000.00
d-shafts..1480 flanges..$$$
rear seat..200.00
inspections an titiling..200.00
truck..400.00
winch..400.00-1200
bead locks....600-1200
the little things that get ya..at least a grand..
winshield, custome cut..60 to 200.00

the plan is to have the chassis done in the second week in august, then have it completly done by early october


/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

still have 2 more shops to talk to but I feel real good abouy John and I like that I will play a big role in the design and overall look /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif


goal is to do this for around 8000-9000 /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Wheelbase ideas? Brandon's buggy came in around 115" with a similar length drivetrain to what you're talking about using.
I'm wanting to build the same thing using wally's guts but given all that's happening here, it's going to be a while before it happens.

[/ QUOTE ]

that is what I am aiming for, 112-116 inch wheel base /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I basicly want a proven design

[/ QUOTE ]
Not that I don't think the Hendrix X buggy will work, but to my knowledge, there has yet to be one of these finished and used. I know that statement was made on PBB not too long ago. Still, if I didn't have the desire to build my own, I might well go that way. Seems to be about the best value in that type of option.

[/ QUOTE ]


camo from pirate4x4 runs a hendrix chassis, he also just got anther one and put his other up for sale /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif
 
/forums/images/graemlins/bow.gifhey Shawn: I don't know if you remember me or not but about six months ago you answered a thread of mine for a 75 K5 body. I'm down in Tucson we talked a couple of time. I was in the process of building my short bed GMC into a sand slinging dune hopper. That was just to rattle your brain, anyway I don't know if you have ever seen or thought about what is needed after starting with just a frame as you have pictured in your post but what is pictured is the easy part. Yea it would require a bender ect. but from the basic frame you are in for a whole lot of design and fabrication work. There's a guy who lives down the steet from me who sells proven rock buggies, for that matter the baddest rock buggy I have ever seen. They are called the Scorpion. You may have seen the guy who builds them on Monster Garage he's the only fabricator I've ever seen Jessee talk so highly of. I've only talked to him once as he came down the street in one of the Scorpions and it was impressive enough that myself and a master fabricator partner of mine jumped in my monster truck and followed him so we could get a better look as we are always looking for new ideas and such. He has proven frames and buggies which are street legal. He was up in Utah for the memorial day run for a picture shoot for the Scopion buggy. You may be able to buy frames in different stages of completeness from him I'm not sure. But here is the info you may want to look into this. Preferred Chassis Fabrication Inc. [email protected] Phone 520-584-9331. Or drop me a line next time you're going to be in town and you can come over to the house and will go down and see him as the one time I met him he told me to stop by anytime. As for buying motors that are alredy built. The motor I built for my truck is a sbc with a blower and I don't have to do neutral drops to smoke the 15.5x39x15's that I run, I just hit the peddal and my truck is 6400#, from reading the post you've put up in the last six months I think you've gone through 3 big blocks. I built this motor with so much low end that a big block can't touch it from the hole or on top end and I can idle over anything. /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif /forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif
 
very interesting, yep I have heard of him but I had no idea he was in arizona, hmmm

I am happy with the direction I am going though /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Anywho, I too love not having to neutral drop a big block, just mash the skinny and she light them up, something about the howl of a swamper that gets me going

I will give him a ring, but my mind is kind of set /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I may come to tuescon to have a look but I would need to do it asap as I am already making finacial decisions very soon, I was in tuecon not that long ago with the 75, ahh yes I do remember that one officer /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif
 
on another note, while looking at the scorpion, nothing "other than the drivetrain" it looks to big in the rear and front, and looks like alot of $$$$$$

cool, but out of the buget

scorpion homepage
 
[ QUOTE ]
camo from pirate4x4 runs a hendrix chassis, he also just got anther one and put his other up for sale /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
If he has not gotten on it with the help of hundreds of little elves summoned with magic glitter, Camo's is barely started, much less done. Apparently he stopped working on it to work on one for his wife.
 
Depending on what you call "finished", I think $10K is a bit short of what it will take. The enormous variable is labor and I know you're paying for some of that. We figured the miniwally was $20K plus and that was with some significant discounts on the parts (of course) and not counting any labor. Since you have a lot of the parts, it won't be that much but you're still talking about some big ticket items and not throwing in nearly enough for the "misc." catagory. Things like heims and tubing add up huge along with tons of other things you never plan on no matter how hard you think about it.
I don't want to try to guess a number but you should always plan on some more expense than you think at first.

You might give us a call about the suspension, we might have something you could work in for the rear as a pre-fab setup.
 
Stephen


I here ya on the cost thing, I am also leaving alot left over for the "misc" stuff /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

I already have a deal worked with Hunter for my budget, he is willing to work with me.

the aggrement is the cost for the product, not labor so working with a fixed cost will keep me in the picture to make it worth his while and to meet time dead lines.

My main goal is to get the chassis and links with suspensin for under 5500.00, from there I have a rolling chassis that I can drop my drivetrain into. And spend time working bugs out. I want to drop what I have into it get it alive and do upgrades from there. I also dont want to make this a huge project..aka another wheeling season as a web wheeler /forums/images/graemlins/shame.gif Dealing with things such and the 1480 flange drive shafts and fuel injection may also wait as a result. My goal is to take my blazer harness and incorperate all that into a tube chassis. This will save me alot of time with wiring. Currently I have a perfect harness..finally /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif I am using nothing on it though, headlights, running lights, ignition ect are all on a swich pannel. However to have a high and low beam and turn signals ect I will use the harness to save time on wiring. Te fuel injection I have is also factory big block tbi, the only thing I require is a intake, but I want to get a aftermarket to save weight so I will do that later. I understand the suspension design takes time so I added that into the chassis build from hunter to save me the headaches /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif The king coill over will get added a month after chassis completion so I can save for them, mean while I will be busy making the truck come alive.
Comming back to the time factor, I start schooling September so I am leaving my daytime job in the beginning of august to give me a solid month on the buggy. Then the first two weeks in september I will work on the details and make shure I have the drive train in order. If I run into finacial issues or time I will just wait longer on the kings and spend time on making everything as good as it can be /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif


Workig with the front frame of a chevy helps me accomplish that but also will take some time to box the frame and build the new crossmeber to raise the drive train some. I am also trying to make a deal on some mogs in california but that will change the goals and timeline for the project bigtime. That is in the air though as the price is.. /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif


I also have the thought of..

A) Build is on a budjet minded line of thinking and in a timly manner. My current drivetrain and doubler and spend the money on a good chassis and coilovers. This is the best route when involving the time factor and personal exsperiance with major fab. /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

B) Spend the money for a chassis and buy my own bender and quality shop tools, then a take 6 months and build my own. After talking With Shannon from cambell int. he says that is the best route to learn on.. this does not fit with my timeline or exsperiance though /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif cool factor would be way up there though, I could be a Marve junior..but in a "redneck I cant legaly drink way" /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

c) build it like it was a building to keep the last female on earth to myself...Project timeline and money dumped into would not be a concern..a long project very costly buggy /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

so what route is best.. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

they all have good and bads to them, the only thing I can do to help is explore all my options, /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

any advice or thoughts? I am looking for as much feedback as possable so I dont learn alot the hard way /forums/images/graemlins/ears.gif

-Shawn
 
Bang for the buck, you're going about it the right way I think. I still don't know how the truck frame is going to be incorporated but it could make things a lot easier.
Buying your own tools to do this could get to be a really long term job, starting with a chassis and building mounting brackets and all that kind of stuff is one thing but building the chassis is a while different story. You'll still spend a lot of time working on the details but the tools and learning curve are going to be way harder to deal with when you build a complete chassis. If you want to do this more in the future, buying some of the tools now will get you a head start. We built a pretty nice stock car chassis without a bender by using a pre-bent car kit but we had lots of other good fab tools to get the rest of the work done.

It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this so you have a good chance of achieving your goals with it.

If you're going to keep the front part of the frame rails, why not keep the rails to behind the T-cases and just tube on top of it? That way you could use your original drivetrain mounts and have a place to start adding tubing. If you push the front axle forward 6-8" or so you'll end up with a decent weight bias (guessing a bit on this one) and have a good approach angle while still being able to keep the radiator in front.

One wiring tip we found: the GM headlight switch is a nice piece to re-use even if you have another harness to tie into. It combines lots of functions in a way that's tough to do with other switch types and mounts really easy too.
 
You should check out S&N FAB , they are on Pirate but are local to me, regular S.N.O.R.T. guys, and man theyre stuff is awesome and PROVEN. They can do a TUBE CHASSIS to your liking for $2000-2500 and also a frame to tube conversion /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif because I just priced one from them.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you push the front axle forward 6-8" or so you'll end up with a decent weight bias (guessing a bit on this one)

[/ QUOTE ]

that is the plan, or I want to totally rework the engin cross member and shove it down and back, everything kind of depends on the frmae donor at this point. Then I will go frome there. I also want to keep the radiator in front on this one for simplicity..not to mention the one time a roack would enter the cab it would likly nail my line to a radiator in back..then spew bioling hot fluids over my girl..then I would be wheeling alone and could have started with a s ingle seater..


so lets just avoid that all together..




as for s&n fab,,shipping might kill the deal.. plus I want to be a big part of the design..
 
try RPM fabrication in Tempe.
Ian Lilejeblad is very cool and his prices are relatively cheap.
www.rpmfab.com
very reasonable and very great fabrication. He and his partner used to work with Randy Ellis when he was the head fab guy at 4wheeler
s Supply. They both know their shite. I havent heard the same about Hunter. From what I have heard from other hardcore guys he builds
great bumpers and such but is pretty unknown in the chassis and rockcrawling biz. That is just what I've heard though, those people may be wrong. It's just that I've heard it from at least 3 people. (very dependable people though). Price out local guys.
RPM fabrication (on Mary St. just east of Scottsdale Rd and Curry Rd.
FST fabrication in phx
Geiser bros in phx
randy ellis fabrication ( i think he's selling a chassis for 500 bucks!)
http://www.randyellisdesign.com/RIGSFORSALE/wpe1.jpg
 
thanks! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

as for hunter I know he is not a major player in the chassis world but he does have a couple of projects in his shop and I like what I see. Also he is a great person, the problem I am having is i dont feel comfy and did not "click" with other shops I talked too /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I will call the others though /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif
 
I talked with rpm!

cool shop, I actually met the guys out wheelinga while back, I am not hearing good stuff about hunter the more and more I mention his name, he is refered to mostly by the work he does with bumpers and roll cages.

I have not made up my mind but I also really liked talking with rpm and like what I see too,

damn this is hard, I also have desided not to use the chevy frame, it limmits the mounting of my motor and boxing would be a big aggrivation. Ahh, this is so fun..
 
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