Ken's new buggy project

[tgodber]

My friend Ken has started on his new buggy project. First step was picking up the body from his son's place along with a donated chassis. Chassis had a 3 inch lift and no pans. Pans were made from sheet metal and brought home to be installed.

Ken had tried to sell his rail buggy but not too many people are into that sort of thing theses days. Everyone wants a $17000 ATV made in China??
Rail had lots of good stuff so he stripped it and we took frame to metal salvage. 400+ lbs brought him $3.45. That was pretty sad but on with the project.

Racing in Mulege Mexico

The next step was a trip to his son's place on Vancouver Island to visit and build the cage.

_________________
My wife said I never listen to her.
Or something like that!

[Skulptorchaz]

Seems like a waste of a frame but....I like where your going with it.

[tgodber]

First step was to get the buggy on jack stands and level.

_________________
My wife said I never listen to her.
Or something like that!

[tgodber]

Ken headed south to Mexico for the winter so there will be a 6 month break in the action.

2016 The story continues.
Ken was back from Mexico in the middle of April and it was time to get on with the project.
Parts have been collected from his rail buggy and the yellow baja that have been retired. The buggy will have a 1600 and a bus trans. Possibly a 1776 that they are building for later.

The body has gone to son #2 for body work and paint. ( journeyman bodyman)
Chassis is in the shop for various fabrications- welding and grinding!


Work on upper shock brackets.

Trans in to check the maximum cv joint angle and weld tabs for limit straps.

Have chassis upside down to add some cross-bracing to floor pans and applied sealer to the edges.

Front ball-joint beam cleaned and welded seams.

Setting the torsion bars

Cleaned and painted the rear trailing arms. They came out of the yellow baja. They are lengthened 2 inches and not wider. Gusseted and strengthened by son #1 (machinist / millwright).

Raised spindles 2 1/2 inches also fabricated by son #1. Robbed from yellow baja. Torture tested in Mulege, Mexico.

Front beam installed.

Trailing arms on and working on brake lines. Also added sleeve and cotter pin over the pivot bolt to keep it from backing out.
Ken lost one on the yellow baja this winter. Credit to Jeff Hibbard page 82.

E-brake handle welded in and cables run. Steering brake mounted and plumbed.

Body prepped and primed, ready for paint.

Rear shocks and limit straps in place. The torsion was adjusted as first setting had too much tension. If a job is worth doing once, it is worth doing twice (or thrice)!

We made a trip to the local pick and pull yard and scored seats from a Pontiac Montana van. They are 18 inches wide and the nice thing was they removed with a lever - no tools required. Hardly been sat in. $40 each which fits in with this budget build.

To be continued.. Luckily Ken has a backup buggy.

_________________
My wife said I never listen to her.
Or something like that!

[oldcrow]

Love the frame and chassy build. Cant wait to see this one finished. Looks like it going to be tuff off roader.
Ken.
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73 super/ Baja'd

[ve7kilohertz]

Looking good Ken/Tim! How long has he been actually working on it? I know you said he started last year. It's a ton of work and it looks very good. Cu dos to the sons...nice fab work.

Those seats, are they from the back of the Montana? They don't look like a drivers/passenger pair.

Cheers

[tgodber]

The seats were from the middle row. Three seats in the row so they are narrow.

I think Ken said he had the body for almost 30 years. It was at his son's place waiting for Ken to get a round tuit.

He started by getting the chassis sand blasted last year in August then it was off to Vancouver Island to build the cage and make floor pans.
_________________
My wife said I never listen to her.
Or something like that!

[tgodber]

The body is back from paint. Looks amazing in the sun.

1776 motor after fresh rebuild.

_________________
My wife said I never listen to her.
Or something like that!

[tgodber]

Applied box liner to the underside of fenders with a roller.

Body mounted and bolted down and roll cage in.

_________________
My wife said I never listen to her.
Or something like that!