Portals N ****

I haven't had my own personal buggy in close to 11 years now. Every time I start a new ride for myself, I end up acquiring new parts that will not work with what I was currently building, or I end up having a customer come by with cash in hand for my partially completed project (everything is for sale for the right price). This year, my new years resolution was to finally build and finish a buggy for myself. I'm pretty sure there is a running pool on how long till this one gets sold among my friends but we will see. This build will also likely be painfully slow as I balance my time between working as a hospice RN fulltime, family time, and doing builds for others in my free time. I am making myself allot atleast a day a week to this build so there will be atleast a once a week update.

Week 1: Over the last 5 years I have worked to improve my work, and efficiency. I built a fixture table to make it easier to build chassis and axles on. Over the last few years I've also added fixtures that bolt to the table to hold tubes and what not . One constant struggle is keeping things square, and constant battle of keeping parts where they should be as I build a chassis. With this chassis I decided to build it like a clam shell, in 2 halves. Assuming the 2 halves go together and square up easily, I will be building every chassis this way from this point forward. With everything being right on the table, keeping the parts where they belong has been super easy. I'll share the other details of the build as I get to those individual parts. If you notice, all the chassis pillars connect to the beltline, rather than do to the floor as a solid tube. I tend to try stupid lines and end up on my lid so this makes it easier to replace tubes as they get waffled. The chassis will be a combination of 1.75" by .120, .095, or .065 wall tube depending on its location and job. Bare chassis should be sub 400lbs when finished. (working on adding pics stand by)

pics

looks good. Following.

single pic update. I only got about 5hrs to work on the chassis this week. Managed to get the left side of the chassis assembled and the 2 halves connected. I have to work at my day job the next 5 days, but the plan is to get the chassis finished and drivetrain mounted the next day I get to work on the chassis. Does anybody else get an internal error when trying to upload pics. If I try to upload any pics with more than a word or 2 typed it gives me an internal error, but if I upload the pics in a separate post, it uploads them no problem

pic

I would like to get in on the bet with your buddies. I'll take 15 months.
I've all but given up on loading pics on HL except through tapatalk.

fl-krawler said:

pic

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In 15 years or so I've yet to see you have a project make it past this stage :****:

redneckengineered said:

In 15 years or so I've yet to see you have a project make it past this stage :****:

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I've finished a few rigs and done quite a bit of fab work for other people in that time, I just haven't shared much if any of that on social media . My own projects (which I do share) you are absolutely right. I could name off a million reasons, but at the end day it doesn't really matter. This one should stay on track to get finished. I'm tired of watching my friends get to go wheeling all the time, and with my wife wanting to go fulltime in a 5thwheel toyhauler next year and travel, I'm under quite a bit of pressure to stick with this build and not sell it partially finished

fl-krawler said:

I've finished a few rigs and done quite a bit of fab work for other people in that time, I just haven't shared much if any of that on social media . My own projects (which I do share) you are absolutely right. I could name off a million reasons, but at the end day it doesn't really matter. This one should stay on track to get finished. I'm tired of watching my friends get to go wheeling all the time, and with my wife wanting to go fulltime in a 5thwheel toyhauler next year and travel, I'm under quite a bit of pressure to stick with this build and not sell it partially finished

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That's cool man. You should post some pictures of the projects you've finished so we have something to get fired up about

A few pics

I have some more but the site is being a PITA to upload pics. I also went through a phase where I didn't really take a lot of pics, and the ones I did were either only uploaded to my computer or just left on my phone. Lost all the computer pics to a hard drive crash, and ruined the sd card on my phone dropping it in a lake after having a little too much to drink.

a few more

My only note is that in my experience, if it's something you're personally finishing out, leave the door bars out until the interior and plumbing are done.

blacksheep10 said:

My only note is that in my experience, if it's something you're personally finishing out, leave the door bars out until the interior and plumbing are done.

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I usually do if possible. This chassis it wont be possible because the seat mount tubes will be mounted to them, and since I'm going to run a dual radiator setup, in the belly of the buggy the seat tubes will double at the upper radiator mounts. I'll have some updated pics by next weekend. Working on getting the removable belly tubes done today, and hopefully will get all the drivetrain mounted this next weekend

info on this dual radiator setup?

slravenel said:

info on this dual radiator setup?

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I don't have a lot of real estate to for a radiator. The portal setup, combined with a lot of uptravel leaves little room for a front radiator. I really didn't want an elevated radiator above the belt line of the chassis , due to it limiting visibility, plus it raises the COG. Being a 4 seat buggy, I'm trying to keep the overall length of the chassis as short as possible with keeping enough space behind the backseat for a cooler and tool bag (20lbs of **** in a 5lb bag). I also have to fit a 15+ gallon fuel cell somewhere in the mix (my LSA is thirsty). I went back and forth with running a radiator behind the back seat, and fuel cell in the dead space behind the front seats and belly. Even at the rear of the buggy, a 26 x 18 radiator was going to be about as large as I could fit, and then I would lose my ability to carry a cooler in the back unless I mounted them high. I was also worried about being able to keep my engine cool. I've since settled on putting the fuel cell at the back of the buggy, and running two 22 x 19 x 3 radiators mounted horizontally under the front seats as low as possible in the belly of the buggy. They will draw air from the cabin area, and I plan to duct the hot air out the back of the belly and downward. A surge tank will be the high point of the cooling system under the hood. Currently the plan is to mount my steering and engine oil coolers, as well as a air to water heat exchanger (for the supercharger) at the front of the buggy, then the radiators and trans cooler under the front seats.

I'll be interested to see it all unfold. I am in a similar position in my EB.

Are you putting the radiators in series? Think the stock pump can handle pushing through both?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

paradisepwoffrd said:

I'll be interested to see it all unfold. I am in a similar position in my EB.

Are you putting the radiators in series? Think the stock pump can handle pushing through both?

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Yes in series. I'm confident the stock pump will be enough, but if not, an inline pump is easy to add

I haven't really got a lot done the last 3 weeks. Lots of overtime has been available at my nursing job so its hard to pass up easy money. I managed to get the engine/trans/tcase up in place when its going to and a few fixtures for the front frame rails cut out. I'm hoping I'll be able to get my table cleaned up this weekend and back on it
(edit, I am gonna have t find a better option than uploading pics or using photobucket)

Testing (working on pics)








Ok finally success on a hosting site. Excuse the clutter on the table. It tends to be a catch all for everything in the shop. First 2 pics are from a few weeks ago. Tossed the drivetrain up on the table to start getting everything sat in its final place. Nothing really remarkable going on here. The chassis will have a jeep front clip, primarily because the buggy will be registered as a 76 CJ7. Last pic is with the front chassis lower rails in place. Engine and trans are offset 1.5" to help clear the front axle at full stuff. Buggy will have 7" of up travel at ride height.