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Buggy Build Diary


jason_l
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Hi All,

I thought i might do a little post to show you all what im currently working on and if it gets done in time i will bring it along to JAE next year :) might sort out a few passenger rides up and down the beach if your lucky :)

Me and a mate have bought this so we both own 50% ownership as i didn't make sense spending the money on two when your only going to be using it for 2-3 months a year.

Firstly we started off with a little donor vehicle, Mini mayfair, this was cut up and all the bits we needed where kept, the front of the mini is now at the end of my mates garden waiting to be built into a BBQ :P

We then bought a part built ABS 'Freestyle' buggy for just over £1000 from fleecebay, had to drive to Essex to collect it but well worth it.

After a few weeks we have stripped down the engine and put in new clutch, head gasket, water pump, all new seals and generally cleaned it up. Spent a few ours polishing the rocker cover as well and painting all the supframe to look like new.

This is currently what it looks like and i will update this post with progress as and when it happens for those that may be interested ???

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It currently only has a 998cc engine but we have a 1275 cooper engine that is getting built up to race spec and will be going in after its road legal :)

Also recently just bought Speedo, all new bush's, got a free racing seat :), adjustable camber, toe arms.

What you guys think???

Jason :P

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Here is the Speedo unit we bought.........

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Its the size of a normal standard aftermarket Gauge but has Revs, Speed, Fuel gauge, trip meter, Indicator light, Rear fog light, handbrake light, dipped beam light, main beam light, and Battery warning light............all in the single unit!!!!

Also very easy to wire up as everthing is labeled up well. We have also ordered a S2 type Hall speed sensor, this takes the original speedo cable from the mini and converts it to a electronic pulse which goes straight into the back of the unit. Takes a little bit of time to calibrate it but should be good when its set up correctly :)

Jason :P

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Building this buggy has forced me to pull out of the Toyota Sprint Series in 2009 because if i don;t get this made before the stupid IVA law comes into force then it probably will never get to a road legal stage :(

The next few months are going to be real hard graft but me and my mate are trying to get this finished.

Ignore the wheels in the pictures as we will be getting a set of these sson.............. :whistling:

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a full set of these with wheel nuts and Yokohama A048Rs tyres is just over £400!!!! I love mini prices :D

Jason :P

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ave fun Jason i used to have a blitz buggy with a fiat 500 engine/running gear and it was excellent fun

Legend! we looked at the blitz buggy but the basic one looks a bit boxy and this one looks alot better unless its the really nice blitz buggy they do! :shifty:

@ Parthiban, not too sure on speed yet but it weighs a third less than a normal mini so should be pretty good, its only got a stage 1 tunning kit on a 998cc engine so will be ok i guess. We are building up a stage 4 1275 cooper engine, and have been told that the standard 998cc engine will make it quicker than most small hot hatch's :)

Apparently its not worth putting in a bigger engine than that because its the same wheel base as a mini but is rear wheel drive, any more power and the rear wants to overtake the front alot!!!! :unsure:

Jason :P

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Looks like that is a great project you have going there Jason.

Think you will have many magic days out in it when its all finished.

Can I put my name down for a spin in it at next years JAE.

Bring some of misses Moles cakes along and i will give you a spin in it :whistling: :D

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great stuff

put a toyota engine in it and use it in the sprint series :whistling:

what is the iva law ??

James @ Toyota GT wants me to put a starlet turbo engine in it that he has but my mate doesn't want to spend the cash. The problem is that as its a joint project we both have to agree to buy/change certain parts and he wants to keep it n/a mini engined..............at least they are nice and simple to work on! :winky:

In April next year they are scrapping the SVA and bringing in a IVA (Individual Vehicle Assesment), some stupid euro law. even though 95% of the kit car market is built in the uk they have decided to make it mett euro laws. Basically it will be more involved and will have to meet harsher euro laws and will be more expensive to have the test done, also i have heard some speak that all cars must have ABS as well.....................this IVA will also aply to imports from Japan!!!!!

Jason :P

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few more slightly recent pics............

with bonnet on, not much of bonnet i know :whistling:

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braided heater hoses and polished rocker cover

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bit of a mess, the seat i got for free and has been now cleaned up and looks almost like new the rest of the crap has now been cleaned away!!!!

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Adjustable Camber, Toe arms, hopefully going to WIM when its finished for a full set up!

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rear tire bracket and back of racing seat i got for free!

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looks good fun :) is there any sort of weather kit or is it just hat,coat and goggles

Weather kit of sorts, if it rains then it stays under the car port, if its sunny then take it out for a blitz.........and if your out in it and it starts to rain then hide in a multistorey till it stops raining. :whistling::lol:

the Thule roof box's fit straight onto the top so the plan is to buy on of those as there is no glovebox or nothing and then use it when we go camping/long journeys over summer! :)

Jason :P

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Buggy looks great! I have a whole 1275cc A series Metro/ Mini engine fully stripped down, 45 Webber carb, Kent Billet race cam (not a re-grind), Ultra light flywheel, racing clutch, pressure plate and re-con'd gearbox all sittin in my kitchen! Ive spent well over £700 on it all but am selling my mini soon so dont see any point in building the spare engine! If your interested in it or any parts let me know??

Tom

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i had car wheels on it when i first got mine and it slid well but since i wanted it for sand dunes i bought quad wheels and tyred and drilled them out to fit hubs and it was good on dunes........ maybe suspension was a little hard or too short if anything

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looks good fun :) is there any sort of weather kit or is it just hat,coat and goggles

Weather kit of sorts, if it rains then it stays under the car port, if its sunny then take it out for a blitz.........and if your out in it and it starts to rain then hide in a multistorey till it stops raining. :whistling::lol:

the Thule roof box's fit straight onto the top so the plan is to buy on of those as there is no glovebox or nothing and then use it when we go camping/long journeys over summer! :)

Jason :P

mmm got me thinking now :lol:

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Buggy looks great! I have a whole 1275cc A series Metro/ Mini engine fully stripped down, 45 Webber carb, Kent Billet race cam (not a re-grind), Ultra light flywheel, racing clutch, pressure plate and re-con'd gearbox all sittin in my kitchen! Ive spent well over £700 on it all but am selling my mini soon so dont see any point in building the spare engine! If your interested in it or any parts let me know??

Tom

You have PM :whistling::shifty:

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Buggy looks great! I have a whole 1275cc A series Metro/ Mini engine fully stripped down, 45 Webber carb, Kent Billet race cam (not a re-grind), Ultra light flywheel, racing clutch, pressure plate and re-con'd gearbox all sittin in my kitchen! Ive spent well over £700 on it all but am selling my mini soon so dont see any point in building the spare engine! If your interested in it or any parts let me know??

Tom

You have PM :whistling::shifty:

Ok mate will get a list of everything i have! i would love to sell it all as one as its fully stripped down! just needs a con rod to be re-profiled and be re-built! will do a list over the weekend :)

Tom.

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Started ordering more products today as we are planning to blitz the car on the 6-11 December as both me and my mate are off work :)

Today Ordered........

10mm wheel spacers, these are going on the rear of the car to bring the wheels out a little more. We already have fitted the longer wheel studs required for the wheels.

Roll cage padding, not really needed but if the SVA people see we have taken every consideration to make the car safe then it will only help.

Fan belt, old one was snapped and we have replaced every other belt, auxilary item. We have decided to make a custom air intake to help cool the engine as these buggy's suffer from overheating quite badly! mainly because the engine is in the back and no direct flow of air over it.

Plan of attack for time off is to get wiring, brake lines, speedo unit, front brakes done. Front and rear calipers/drums painted, floor bolted down, handbrake unit installed, Light units tested, fit seat in final location and maybe even test start the engine if we are lucky.

I will update this thread again with more text and plenty more detailed pictures during the december attack! :P

Jason :P

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Ay up Jason, what carbs are you using mate? are you running a single or twins?? The one i have is only a 1" 1/2 not the 1" 3/4 SU like i thought, But going to be sending you a brand new Lucas power coil this week coming as i've got 4 of them sitting in my shed :D i did have a full turbo kit and wiring a bit back but sold it just before you started the build which would of made it really good fun :D Looking good so far mate :D

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Ay up Jason, what carbs are you using mate? are you running a single or twins?? The one i have is only a 1" 1/2 not the 1" 3/4 SU like i thought, But going to be sending you a brand new Lucas power coil this week coming as i've got 4 of them sitting in my shed :D i did have a full turbo kit and wiring a bit back but sold it just before you started the build which would of made it really good fun :D Looking good so far mate :D

Thanks mate :) Think we are going to just use a single carb to get throug SVA then when we will drop the 1275 cooper engine in and get some double webber carbs i think. Is the standard mini carb the 1' 1/2?

Would have loved the turbo kit but think the plan is to keep it N/A as its nice and easy to repair and work on :P

Jason :P

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