TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:07 am

This is a father and son "build your own" team we have at our fabrication school in Riverside. They are from Ohio and came to Wizard schools to learn fabrication and how to build a tube chassis baja bug. This is an accelerated course at only 4 1/2 weeks long (mon-fri 8-5) At the end of the class they keep the car (rolling chassis) and take it home. My name is Chris Begley and I am the instructor/manager. In my past I have built tube chassis baja bugs that have been featured in Hot VW's and Sand Sports Magazines, so this build will be an easy one. This baja will have a center pivot A-arm front end, rear trailing arms, 091 bus tranny with 930 cv's, and a super charged Pontiac V-6. We first started out with a 1965 body and cut it up with the plasma cuter. We then designed our lower floor section out of 1 3/4 .120 square tubing. This gives the body a nice flat surface to sit on. Here are some pictures I have included. I will update this build on a regular basis. I am not trying to spam our school, just giving you guys some cool information on the steps to build a cool car. Any questions you have feel free to ask[img][/img]

Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:11 am

pics[/img]

Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:11 am

Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:12 am

Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:09 pm

Please make sure that it has a floor. My buddy fell out the bottom of one of these. :(

Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:32 pm

looks like a cool project. i plan on doing mine like that (someday). fyi, you can post more than one picture at a time

Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:37 pm

Mike is building a 15 degree torsion tube out of 2" .250 wall 4130

Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:42 pm

Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:45 pm

Yes it will have a floor, the floor will be .120 aluminum skid plate under the chassis... did I spell this right? jk :lol:

Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:11 pm

what is the point of the 15* torsion?

Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:17 pm

Tony and his son mike just started the roll-cage this week. This picture was taken yesterday. The floor is made from 1 3/4 .120 square and 1 3/4 DOM round tubing. This will make for a strong spine in the middle of the car. The rest of the chassis will be made from 1 1/2 .120 DOM tubing to save weight. This is going to be a light vehicle, I have built other baja bugs with V-8 LS-1's and we build them out of 1 3/4 DOM and 4130. This baja will be plenty strong with this combination of 1 1/2 and 1 3/4.

Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:21 pm

I thought this was a father son project. I only see the kid working. Car is looking good. My GF wants me to go to this school, just cant take that much time off work just yet.

Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:52 pm

The dad is actually doing a lot of work, I guess I missed him in the pics. The degree in the torsion is needed to achieve the proper amount of camber change at full compression. This car wont be using torsions, it will be using coil-overs front and rear.

Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:40 pm

This cage will be well supported when its done, and this will be done the "right way". I have seen a lot of cages in vw's that are pretty scary looking. Here are some updated pics of the cage.

Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:43 pm

front part of cage

Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:47 pm

I was looking at some of the cages in the ford rangers you guys have built and was wondering if you could inform me as to why their is a lot more X bracing . just a lot stouter of a cage than I see in alot of bugs. Do we need to be putting in more tube or is the standard class 11 cage kit sufficent. I'm curious because I plan on having my kids in the car.

Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:48 pm

Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:50 pm

front cage

Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:51 pm

mike welding the spindles

Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:52 pm