Project 'mini' Car?

Question

I want to make a small vehicle, as I'm a novice myself, nothing to fancy at all. This is my plan plz tell me where to improve and what to do:

1- Build a basic chassic like this but alot simpler: http://www.socalspeedshopla.com/images/uploads/av8chassis.jpg

2- I don't really care about the shape my goal is to make it move, so it could even be as basic as a metal box, which will be made from metal sheets. To make my life even easier I might leave out the suspension.

3- I have a old used car that works, from which the engine and transmission (what else?)will be taken from.

4 -Fit the engine, drivetrain, pedals, fuel tank (what else) with a mechanic.

5- What else do I have to do?

Answer 1

You've pretty much got it figured out.  It's nothing at all to make a working vehicle, one that goes, stops and turns when it's supposed to.  What's much harder is to build a car from scratch that looks really great and performs really well on the first try.

You can get into the project on a shoestring by building a Sand Rail, a totally stripped-down chassis with an engine, suspension, steering and brakes.  Some folks go the extra mile to add appropriate lighting and make theirs street-legal.

The VW enthusiast magazines are chock-full of adverts from places that sell premade rail chassis, all you have to do is bolt in your drivetrain and running gear and you're all set!  There's lots of suppliers that will provide you with anything from component parts to full turnkey engine-tranny sets so you can be as hands-on or hands-off with your engine building as you want to be.

The biggest downside of a sand rail is that it really is a fair-weather ride.  There's nothing between you and the wind, so don't smile or you'll get bugs in your teeth!  You can add body panels, a windscreen and even ersatz windows like on a softtop Jeep so your buggy would be three seasons comfortable, but still...winter would get pretty darned cold.

If you've already got an old car that works, why not unleash your ambition on it?  Wrassle that ol' hoopy back to life.  Heck, most of the parts are already there, and maybe - just maybe - you could even drive it in the winter.

Answer 2

well it really depends on your drivetraine layout see the car pictured is a rwd with a old drop axel(i like these because they are light and very hard to kill) and a ford 9" out back

now this setup would require a front engine rwd setup the easiest setup  really

because with a frame like that you simply just have to fabricate mounts a and cross members for the engine and trans build a basis floor frame and a basic dash incorporated with a roll cage and a lexan windshild and then mouunt some flanges to secure some aluminum body panels to the outside and there ya go

really the best bet for a transplant is to remove the guts and electronics and slowly and carefully(making sure not to cut any wires)move the system from one car to the other

if it is a complicated system you may want to look into a transplant kit from painless wiring these kits will have all the wires marked with text that show where everything goes(i still think auto manuf should do this--cheap bsdrds)and sudgest what you need to get everything moving

as far as the suspension im going to suggest going with a coil setup up front and a  spring in the rear just simple and will keep you from bouncing all over the road

really overall take a look at dune buggies they will accommodate a fwd or rwd setup and are light weight and it is not that hard to make them road legal and you can always throw on some aluminum body panels and a heater for the bad weather

there are also kits you can get

goodluck