First buggy build

FM5332FF · Mar 9, 2013

Looks great man.

AllGoNoShow · Mar 10, 2013

I really like the looks of this buggy, looks like it is going fast just sitting there.

drivermod · Mar 12, 2013

Thanks guys.

Rob, you should stop by some time. It has come a long way since you were here last.

Ian

yellowjacket · Mar 13, 2013

Re: Re: First buggy build

id like to. i been in a pretty bad depression since a year ago but id say it would put a big smile on my face8)

yellowjacket · Mar 13, 2013

Re: Re: First buggy build

you got your shocks tuned pretty close you think?

drivermod · Mar 13, 2013

No idea. We haven't done any tuning yet and I haven't had them apart so not sure how they are set up. I know I'm going to have to play around with the springs. Rear uppers are only 12" long. Could use a set of 16's or 18's. For now we just raised it up a couple more inches so the rear doesn't bottom out. I think I have 9"s of up travel in the rear right now.

noracin · Mar 13, 2013

Looks good man .

What does it weight ?

drivermod · Mar 13, 2013

Don't have final weight just yet but I weighed it a few months ago before fluids and a few other things. Based on that I'm gonna guess between 3700-3800 lbs. I'll probably scale it this weekend. We have 4 corner scales at the shop.

krackem · Mar 13, 2013

Re: First ever buggy build

LaMedic said:
Great looking rig, love the lines!
[/quote

X2 thing is

FullMetalFabworks · Mar 14, 2013

Re: First ever buggy build

Really like what you did with the "deck lid" tubing, changes the look of the whole rear of the buggy.

KyTrash · Mar 16, 2013

Great looking Buggy.

drivermod · Mar 18, 2013

Thanks for the compliments.

Didn't get to weigh it this weekend but did get out a couple of times with it briefly. Friday night I took it over to a friends farm and played around a bit until the front seal on the steering pump died. Saturday I replaced the pump and played around on the hills behind the shop for about a 1/2 hr. The engine still isn't tuned so I didn't beat on it too hard. So far I'm very happy with it. Coming from wheeling a mildly build TJ this buggy will open up a whole new world to me.

drivermod · Mar 30, 2013

Spent some time on the dyno and then a few hours in the woods doing some tuning and addressing any issues. What a great day. It felt good to sling some mud. Ready for the riding season.

drivermod · Nov 26, 2013

Wow, been awhile since and update. Last I rode was in Harlan on Memorial Day weekend. Things were going great tackling some of the hardest trails with ease until I lost another steering pump. This time it was a brand new KRC pump. Blew the shaft seal out of it. Took the entire system apart and found that the ram had some issues and was sending metal both aluminum and steel through the system which appears to have blocked the pressure relief valve in the pump causing it to blow the seal out. I replaced everything in the system except the steering valve and added a 5 micron filter and heat sink cooler as well.
While I had the buggy down for the steering problems I figured I would address an issue I was having with the engine. I was getting quite a bit of moisture coming out of the crank case vents when the engine was warmed up. Yanked the engine and when I pulled the intake off I found a 4" long crack in the lifter valley. I probably could have welded it up but just decided to sell off the good parts and put another engine in. I acquired a nicely built 383 off my neighbor. Bischoff ported Canfield heads and a small solid roller on top of a 9.8:1 compression 383 bottom end. The engine pushed his Camaro to 10.80's @ 128 mph in the 1/4 naturally aspirated which should be plenty healthy for some hill killin'. Somewhere in the neigborhood of 530-550 hp on pump gas. I'm sticking with my Holley Stealthram injection, building new headers and changing the exhaust system. Should have it up and running by the end of the year. I have almost 2 weeks off around Christmas to finish it up. I look forward to seeing how it compares to the old engine on the chassis dyno. The old Brodix headed 406 made 241 hp to the tires (roughly 400 hp to the crank). Hoping for closer to 300 rwhp with the new combo.

KyTrash · Nov 26, 2013

You have done a good job on the buggy. :dblthumb:

drivermod · Nov 26, 2013

Thanks.

I almost forgot. Final weight full of fluids is 3910 lbs. Little heavier than I hoped. I need to get rid of the dually hubs and stock one ton brakes up front.