British Buggy Build

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:29 pm

Sixteen ounces in a pound, fourteen pounds in a stone, ever so many stones in a bushel.

Don't know the derivation of a stone or a pound, might be something to do with carthagian soldiers riding side saddle in Portugal or something....

Ol'fogasaurus · Post by **Ol'fogasaurus** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:13 pm

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:03 pm

Mini update.

Having got the welding dialed in enough to attack the frame properly I stripped off the bouncy bits and set too. I was quite pleased how easy it was to tip around. I haven't really thought too much about weight, I've been concentrating on robustness and longevity. So when I can easily pick up either end, or roll it over without too much grunting, I'm thinking it'll work out at about 200kg for this bit of the frame. Maybe 75-100kg extra for the front and rear cages. I could therefore be on target for 600-750kg. I'd hope for an easy 200hp from the engine so that'll be plenty scarey enough.

From experience it's definitely easier to move than a beetle body and chassis anyway!!

So I've rolled the chassis first onto it's side, welded the 110+ (!) joints a quarter of the way round then on to it's roof:

Hopefully it won't see this attitude too often again!!

Small people are very useful for manouvring the axle stands around whilst dad lifts BTW!

I've always been trying to get the bottom surface of the buggy as flat and smooth as possible so it won't get hung up on anything offroad. When driving my Hilux, it always gets stuck when either the transferbox or a diff housing grounding out. So it's great to see a nice flat bottom (oooer). Only flies in the ointment are those now redundant torsion tube end plates, sticking up like trans-atlantic yacht sails!! time for the grinder to come out! :grr:

Engine adapter leaves British Columbia Tuesday - woohoo

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:20 pm

Haven't been out to the barn for a couple of weekends - weather has been OK so we've been up the fells and catching up with long lost buddies. Went on the beach this sunday at Allonby and by jingo it was piggin freezing. I got surfers 'icecream head' walking the dog!!

I have managed to start on skinning the under side with chequer plate since it's upside down. It's taking quite a long time cos of the complicated shapes. I did get some weld on tabs from Kingfisher Kustoms about two years back so that will cut down on the time needed to do fiddly little bits somewhat.

Some Piccies.

petew · Post by **petew** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:46 pm

TimberwolfII wrote:Ha HA HA!! I think that was filmed in Yorkshire - my home county, thats like the lime stone pavement over near Malham.

This is our gaff. The doors are the original 1800 ones, pre postal service so no letter flaps, postie just slides the mail under the gap! Widows are also 1800, one or two with scratched in graffiti from 'anne and thomas 1804' !!

We don't get any 'trick or treaters'. Wonder why??

nice house, but WHERE IS THE SHED?!

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 2:54 pm

Round the back!! I'll have to take a piccie as several have asked about the barn!

Hoping to get some work done on the buggy this weekend so might even get a proper update done. Just sold a 1776 long block so I can go shopping next week and pick up the V8! woopee!

Just looked at the date on the above post, the adapter left BC ok but it's still in transit! coming surface mail obviously!!

zancat · Post by **zancat** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:39 am

You're putting a V8 in that buggy?? I can't wait to see that!

Zancat

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 2:09 pm

Yep! I've been working up through all the Vw's - 1300, then 1600, 1600 on dual twin chokes, then a home built wasserboxer. Had the chance this time of stretching myself so I chose the cheap route, Rover V8, out of the dicovery/range rover cars 3.9 litre, light, low revving and sloggy - how i like it. Mines sat in the scrapyard waiting for my arrival next week. It's the UK version of the old Buick alloy block v8 that rover bought way back in the 60's, been used here in the uk in everything from an ambulance to a landrover so there is plenty of expertise.

Just need to drive it like a granny to protect the 002!! Yeah right........

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 12:02 pm

A few peeps have asked about the 'shed'/barn/workshop, so take a bow me old barn........

The (genuine hand made, by me!) lime wash is missing cos thats where the scaffolding was last year when we had it re-roofed.

Only got a couple of hours in as it's easter and I should (and have) been spending time wiv da family. So I've been making and fitting the tabs to fit the chequer plate to the roof. They do take an age to cut out, drill, mark up, and weld in, but it will make a nice solid vibration free job that will take a roll if necessary.......

eagle eyed viewers will have noticed the weld missing in the above image........i did'nt till I down loaded the image - I'll have to go round the chassis again, if i've missed one there may be more!!

Finally, I need to do a bit of a tidy time.....>

What a fekkin mess! again.

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:22 am

Had a good spell in the barn this weekend so managed to progress a bit. It's all been making tabs and alloy panels to fill in the gaps where the fibre glass doesn't cover anymore. I've been using the heavy decking plate which is about 2-3mm thick and is probably excessive but it's skinning the area around the wheels, transmission driveshafts etc which if any break could be an issue. I've a buddy in the wigton motor club who races a lotus elan 2+2, he had a rubber cv thingy let go and the driveshaft demolished the entire rear seat area........luckily he was alone in the car at the time. So it'll be heavy as a Dreadnought but realitively safe.

I also finished the roof, shiney side up. I'm not happy with a couple of the tabs so they'll have to come off again they don't let the ally sit down correctly.

I've also started to mok in the rear fire wall panel:

I had a while deliberating whether to skin the inside or outside of the tubes, but decided that it'd look cr@p if all the tabs were veiwable from outside and would be a bitch to power wash, so it's a smoothy finish to the out side.

With the seats in it should just give the interior a bit of (hopefully tasteful engineeringy) bling.

It's the fabrication of all the tabs that take the time in this job, and the templates for the ally. I've now found a use for all the waste wall board we have lying around - quite rigid but easily cut with a stanley knife, perfect. i've also tried to use the tabs like Colin Chapman would - to do two jobs at once. They hold the ally but also form gussets for the tube frame, which after veiwing the tread on here about roll cages I think might be a good thing .

birddog1148 · Post by **birddog1148** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:47 am

Is that the british version of our Diamond Plate?

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 1:21 pm

Probably? 'Bout 2-3mm thick quite hard, quite stiff, Ideal low weight armour for the small people in the back!

Front skinning will be thinner lighter ally cos there's less potential for projectiles. Except for the floor which is 'chequerplate' ally too.

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Tue May 05, 2009 12:55 pm

Just a quicky update.......

Adapter plate arrived from British Columbia (Thanks to Hank Winning of the STF'S!! - take a bow):

I also picked up the engine on Saturday, pictures later. But I needed to turn the buggy round in the barn to allow access to the rear end. And you know how when you see your project from a different angle? you've just gotta play and mock some things up, just to see how it's looking.......

Baby's packing some real booty!

Needs the front suspension sorting tho to back it up. Bone stock now, 6" wider and LP coming up....

Plenty of wheelbase tho'!

petew · Post by **petew** » Tue May 05, 2009 4:03 pm

very cool. how wide are those arms!

TimberwolfII · Post by **TimberwolfII** » Wed May 06, 2009 2:30 pm

5x5

They look especially mad cos they're just mocked and the wheels aren't attached, just proped. And cos they're 'nude' ie no shocks limit straps or drive shafts in place. Even so they're big. Type 25 wearing big boots wide.