Car Tire On R1 Pics Inside

I picked up a lightly bruised 98 R1 with a clean title to build into a reverse trike like the campagna t-rex. Just got the tire put on it. Im waiting for steel tubing for the frame, the tube bender stand, rims/tires, and shielding gas for my welder to come in the mail soon I can start building the frame. http://a755.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/36/l_290246eded69d5cea36a6ef40d3f431a.jpg http://a895.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/64/l_d1375b37dc0c56691f5a1451ed11d2d6.jpg

You keeping the stock swingarm?

yea. stock swingarm and stock rim and everything. the rear wheel was a pain to find but it is a 195/40/r17 yokohama sdrive

yea. stock swingarm and stock rim and everything. the rear wheel was a pain to find but it is a 195/40/r17 yokohama sdrive Wow

wow make sure u post pics of it all together when u get it there......

Niiiice.

It looks a lot like the tri-magnum ( http://rqriley.com/tri-mag.html )

Do you plan on just running your bike at the dragstrip?

Do you plan on just running your bike at the dragstrip? I picked up a lightly bruised 98 R1 with a clean title to build into a reverse trike like the campagna t-rex. Just got the tire put on it. Im waiting for steel tubing for the frame, the tube bender stand, rims/tires, and shielding gas for my welder to come in the mail soon I can start building the frame. :dundun:

Keep us posted on the build!

Oops.....sorry bout that! Guess I've had too many beers already...good luck with the project!!

Why are you having to buy shielding gas for your welder through the mail?

haha no the shielding gas Im getting local. I have to get a 220 volt outlet put in my garage. all the other stuff has to be ordered. I decided to take the a-arms off and cut all the dead wieght but now I got more work to attach them to the frame and get the measurements right. but its worth losing about 60 pounds. Ill need some adjustable coilovers to. You can see where I ran a thick bolt thrugh the swingarm bolt to attach angle iron to be a mounting point. and I made simple brackets for the computer behind the gas tank. Ill relocatthe battery to somehere low and up front. http://a610.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/112/l_ccd3dd76efd462faccd5807b85914979.jpg http://a903.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/79/l_52b1b3b6b76d3b2d6e1a2b1a6fbdebc6.jpg http://a48.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/48/l_2bd65a0444285788ab6d9ecf31e30c57.jpg

the tri-magnum is hideous. here are the rims I ordered http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/1/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/5355800/extra/1

one of the best things about these reverse trikes is that they register and insure as a motorcycle. So you can demolish practicaly every car and out handle them and get good gas mileage and only pay $150 a year for insurance. good deal

the tri-magnum is hideous. here are the rims I ordered I agree, but the concept is the same. Also similar in layout to the Aptera. Where did you get the from suspension from? what vehicle? I have a set of tri-magnum plans somewhere. interesting concept but I wanted rack and pinion and IFS.

I pickep up a front clip from a 76 chevette. I decided to take the stock springs and shocks out and use something like these and use the mounting point where the gas shock used to be. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ajustable-universal-coilover-shocks-prostreet-truck-car_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33590QQihZ016QQitemZ260258208621QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

I need to find coil overs that are the more adjustable screw type and can adjust the gas as well

use air bags.. www.airbagit.com then use any shock you like

Im not familiar with bags but I think it would add to much wieght and I also dont ahve anywhere to put an air tank

Do you plan on just running your bike at the dragstrip? :iamwithst Looks cool, can't see it hitting the twisties though :crash

Air bags are lighter than springs and you can go low tech and just use a schrader valve and a piece of tubing. The tank can be any piece of the frame that will hold air. A lot of service vehicles use the bumbers because they're easy to access/add on. Complexity comes from the solenoids and other toys. The only thing you really need is a valve and a gauge for each bag. Much easier than choosing the right spring and getting it adjusted. FWIW, Mark

hmm interesting Ill have to look into airbags. by the way DIE YOUNG 69. Why cant you see it hitting twisties? Im copying many specifications from the campagna t-rex which holds 1.9 lateral G's.... again 1.9. yes 1.9. check out the review by fifth gear on the t-rex. these things are crazy

hmm interesting Ill have to look into airbags. by the way DIE YOUNG 69. Why cant you see it hitting twisties? Im copying many specifications from the campagna t-rex which holds 1.9 lateral G's.... again 1.9. yes 1.9. check out the review by fifth gear on the t-rex. these things are crazy :confused: Dude there is no way I'll take a corner on a lean angle of 45 degree's with a square brick car tire. No matter about how many lateral G's it can hold.

:confused: Dude there is no way I'll take a corner on a lean angle of 45 degree's with a square brick car tire. No matter about how many lateral G's it can hold. Did you ride the short bus? it's a trike, it doesn't lean. it uses a HUGE contact patch and sticky rubber to hold the road like a CAR, not a lean angle. :2bitchsla

Did you ride the short bus? it's a trike, it doesn't lean. it uses a HUGE contact patch and sticky rubber to hold the road like a CAR, not a lean angle. :2bitchsla :hammer: dope ! Oh it's a trike :crash :blush :iamwithst :lol

:lol:thumbup

got the jd2 model 3 bender set up and tested it quick. my extended bending handle is different than what the have but works fine and you can brace yourself against the stand as you pull instead of push. http://a462.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/49/l_7560a9267b343655ec34ed2bb4388afd.jpg The big truck dropped off the frame tubing. Im using 1.75" by .095. Each tube is about 22 feet long and not as heavy as I thought. http://a52.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/44/l_3824867dfeceb1b509b3eded0d37f52b.jpg

Who has every possible specification for the front suspension?

I picked up a lightly bruised 98 R1 with a clean title to build into a reverse trike like the campagna t-rex. Just got the tire put on it. Im waiting for steel tubing for the frame, the tube bender stand, rims/tires, and shielding gas for my welder to come in the mail soon I can start building the frame. http://a755.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/36/l_290246eded69d5cea36a6ef40d3f431a.jpg http://a895.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/64/l_d1375b37dc0c56691f5a1451ed11d2d6.jpg Well Ok, thats Fkn awesome... At first i had the Smartest Comments for you, but then I read your making an R1 T-rex.....:flex: PLEASE keep us Posted... im dying to see the Front Axel you have Planned! I want to See! :thumbup

got a vance and hines for $100 on ebay. just gotta build a custom bracket and get springs to hold it on. yes there is a paint can on the fender. it was holding up the battery so I could fire it up and hear how the new slip on sounded http://a159.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/81/l_a55fcd06a069176c1d4ce3b2a2cbea0e.jpg

wow....

just got the rims in today. Ill be getting the welder all hooked up within a week and thats all I really need to get the big stuff going. I opted for the "not so low" profile tires because here in boston I would bust the rims in a week on the deadly potholes. once I move to somewhere with better roads Ill get lower profile tires. http://a336.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/25/l_7ac44f09f7039027f32e67077d0d2557.jpg http://a62.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/101/l_dbc3cbdc21204525c7674c8c9283e045.jpg

they look better in person. I love the rims. the company didnt make alot of these before discontinuing them which is good to make the reverse trike stand out a bit more. I made the spring tension holder for the muffler. all I need to do is make a bracked which is easy. Ive got some 3/4 steel square tubing laying around to make it out of. exhaust has a nice tune http://a409.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/110/l_860934e53018eb3260fb8d2b92af1050.jpg

Still waiting!

J DOLLAZ! ------------ the front axel is going to be the biggest pain in the ass out of the whole project. I have to get all the measurement and mounting points perfect and symetrical. Im going to start on the frame by building a square upside down u-shaped piece that will connect to where the forks used to be. and the u shaped piece will rest on the ground and be level. from there I will design the floorpan frame so that I the upper and lower a arms can be easily moved around and attached. Those flat metal pieces you see will be trimmed to get the measurements right and tack it all into place before welding the a arms to the frame. after the a-arms are all welded into place Ill buy some coilovers like these that speedway motors has. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/eccStoreFront/product_images/2005/721395_L.jpg

quite a build idea :yesnod

subscribed!

THE FRAME IS STARTED!!! this is the back piece but it isnt welded yet. Im picking up the gas for the welder soon. the small vertical piece will go thrugh where the front forks used to behttp://a115.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/57/l_78a212feb64feaeb93d27be6c1ca3152.jpg

nice build. good luck with the project. you should look into tubular aftermarket control arms, as the are lighter and better looking.

J DOLLAZ! ------------ the front axel is going to be the biggest pain in the ass out of the whole project. I can Imagine, This is why Im so Interested. I Cant wait t osee how this turns out.. Keep us posted Pix of your progress. :thumbup THE FRAME IS STARTED!!! this is the back piece but it isnt welded yet. Im picking up the gas for the welder soon. the small vertical piece will go thrugh where the front forks used to behttp://a115.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/57/l_78a212feb64feaeb93d27be6c1ca3152.jpg Sweet, Starting to get mental Picture... Next question Sitting Arrangment? Side by Side (like in a T-Rex) or will you be sitting ON it Like a Bike ?

side by side like t-rex. I got 5 point camlock quick release harnesses to http://a755.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/36/l_290246eded69d5cea36a6ef40d3f431a.jpg

Can I Drive it when its done......LOL...

yea when its finished and if your in boston and as long as I can drive your bike

Air bags are lighter than springs and you can go low tech and just use a schrader valve and a piece of tubing. The tank can be any piece of the frame that will hold air. A lot of service vehicles use the bumbers because they're easy to access/add on. Complexity comes from the solenoids and other toys. The only thing you really need is a valve and a gauge for each bag. Much easier than choosing the right spring and getting it adjusted. FWIW, Mark X2 and X3

yea when its finished and if your in boston and as long as I can drive your bike Sweet, Actually Planned on Heading to Boston Next season too. To get up with a few members From Boston, Would be nice to Link up! Even if your Not done with it would be great to see it Under construction. And hell yeah we can swap rides for a while, Just NO Wheeliez...LOL..

waw man, i hope you have the best of luck.

subscribe, i'm kinda interested in how this will turn out.

Dude I can't wait to see this done. You must have some serious mechanical engineering skills to figure out some shit like this.

keep up the good work. :thumbup

sweet cant wait to watch the build up

Dude I can't wait to see this done. You must have some serious mechanical engineering skills to figure out some shit like this. haha I just have a two year degree in automotive collision repair and have been building stuff all my life. Im mechanically inclined i guess. I was going to buy a sports car but decided to just build the reverse trike instead. #1 it will be faster and funner #2 very unique and badass looking #3 costs about 150 a year to insure and gets good gas mileage

http://a338.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/105/l_1ec8c3d9ad831adc7f22235982855859.jpg

This used to be my Mint R1, that I turned into a casual track bike, that eventually got crashed twice at the track, and turned into a street fighter. What a good way for the Ol' Girl to end her life! New life as a Hummer-Tank-Trike. Best of luck Jon!

This used to be my Mint R1, that I turned into a casual track bike, that eventually got crashed twice at the track, and turned into a street fighter. What a good way for the Ol' Girl to end her life! New life as a Hummer-Tank-Trike. Best of luck Jon! yup it used to be his. thanks mike!

haha I just have a two year degree in automotive collision repair and have been building stuff all my life. Im mechanically inclined i guess. I was going to buy a sports car but decided to just build the reverse trike instead. #1 it will be faster and funner #2 very unique and badass looking #3 costs about 150 a year to insure and gets good gas mileage Sounds like 3 good reasons to me. How long do you thing this build will take start to finish?

hey diazar. SEMPER FI! I was an 0351 but I caught a rare incurable lung disease so I got an involuntary discharge after a year and Ive never smoked a thing in my life. I just had half the lung removed may 29. If I get medically cleared Im re-inlisting. Ive been ordering parts and tools since june 08 and I got the bike in june to. It should be drivable in 4 months from now or less. getting the measurements and angles of the front suspension is going to be the tuffy.

hey diazar. SEMPER FI! I was an 0351 but I caught a rare incurable lung disease so I got an involuntary discharge after a year and Ive never smoked a thing in my life. I just had half the lung removed may 29. If I get medically cleared Im re-inlisting. Ive been ordering parts and tools since june 08 and I got the bike in june to. It should be drivable in 4 months from now or less. getting the measurements and angles of the front suspension is going to be the tuffy. OohRah. Towgunner right. Or it that SMAW? I can't remember. I used to be an 0311. That sucks about your lung. Hopefully you get cleared by the docs. How long ago did you get out and where were you stationed?

9 months at school of infantry because the lung kept screwing up

the support bars each angle downward towards the front for better support. All of these frame parts so far and I only had a 10 inch section of waste from the ONE continuous 22 foot steel tube!! I got lucky this time http://a956.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/7/l_8917a52b672dc080aae0584cab07515b.jpg http://a137.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/1/l_627b121ac67d509666d25b957d56fed0.jpg http://a324.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/11/l_4db7d9a297fe92e7ac6f856d36e2da53.jpg

Lookin Good!

http://a596.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/45/l_b0ddddd3b98dd84178abb9549ac6998b.jpghttp://a109.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/57/l_a1d30d57502ec18ac9d1cde5e82ffea4.jpg

Ill put this style of round roll bar behind each seat http://www.outmotoring.com/images/P/MIN_chr_roll_barmd.jpg

no updates?

miraculously the floorpan came out perfect even after a moderate amount of beer. . ground clearance will be about 5.75" now. Never a good idea to drink and measure/saw/bend/ ect but it worked this time http://a25.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/95/l_c09a0f902755fc045b7facec8a2d87b8.jpg

wow, its really coming along, looks pretty pimp, your making me wonder how hard it would be to convert this 929 i got sitting around.

I dont know what equipment you got or friends with spare parts but heres JUST A FEW of my costs. the list is MUCH longer than this for many other major and minor parts $860 for 7 23 foot lengths of 1.75x.095 tubes $300 for pair of seats $650 lincoln 175HD welder plus gas setup $775 jd2 tube bender, dies and stand $450 brand new rims/tires $50 tube notcher (A MUST HAVE FOR FRAME BUILDING!) $290 front clip from chevette with new brakes $150 car tire that somehow fit the r1 rim (and I hope it stays on when driven) $100 pair of 5point quickrelease camlock seatbelts TOTAL for JUST these things $3625

Ok maybe im jumping too far ahead into your Project.. But for some reason a while back i was Think that The posts your Seats are resting on was going to be the Front end. Obviously Not Now seeing the FloorPan. But my question is. What is it you have Planned for the Front Axel, and Streering ??

Ok maybe im jumping too far ahead into your Project.. But for some reason a while back i was Think that The posts your Seats are resting on was going to be the Front end. Obviously Not Now seeing the FloorPan. But my question is. What is it you have Planned for the Front Axel, and Streering ?? In his list of parts and costs....he's got listed a front clip from a Chevette..... Wonder how much this is going to weigh?? sounds like at least 800+

Wow, this is Gunna be So Sick... Cant wait for More updates... http://www.flickr.com/photos/jalopnik/168632935/

i stripped the chevvette front clip so all Im using is the a-arms brakes and spindles. look thrugh the pics and youll see them attached to the front tires

Ok Pg.2 Looking good Bro!

Ok Pg.2 Looking good Bro! Who the hell is that in your avatar? :secret:

Floorpan is almost finished. All I have left for it is seat brackets and main support crossmember in the middle to make. all bars you see are welded in place. seats are not mounted yet...just sitting where they will go. http://a614.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/61/l_37be3096aca12fc5fe8c29a9fd85cd25.jpghttp://a717.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/19/l_158a36aedfdba5f3752cd91e17185f14.jpghttp://a352.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/25/l_d87c5fcd792ab14ce5a7c59d6e0fc857.jpghttp://a126.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/63/l_9c341985fc1ba133835eb6e270786c9d.jpghttp://a823.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/l_1b09f5e4cbaf26d37c9a8efe20dc076e.jpgTHE EVIL MASTER MIND!!! http://a943.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/38/l_c7961d88726132e3f480a4a749792f6e.jpg

Keep up the good work! :thumbup

dude this is crazy! i cant wait to see it finished

:rock Dude!! That is awesome. I cant wait to see the finished project. Keep it up man. :rock

great work cant wait for more pics and updates

You're gonna go with a right side drive? Very nice :thumbup

haha no ! left hand drive. I thought about a center drive 3 seater like the mclaren but the weight distribution with 3 people would be screwed up and dangerous

Who the hell is that in your avatar? :secret: Its Skipper... If you havent seen this thread yet its a Must for good laughs... :lol http://www.r1-forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240840&highlight=skipper haha no ! left hand drive. I thought about a center drive 3 seater like the mclaren but the weight distribution with 3 people would be screwed up and dangerous LOL..Would look sick on the right, But doubt the Popo would think so! Your in the US right ???

LOL..Would look sick on the right, But doubt the Popo would think so! Your in the US right ??? yeap...boston

passenger seat bracket is 100% done http://a733.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/113/l_913b4d9a4d721b615a072b5f2ae36144.jpg http://a632.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/76/l_7614bde09d4c76c515828b6c6bb02aa7.jpg Seats can slide forward and back and the backrest is adjustable to http://a167.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/36/l_b382c57220ee04da91b24d1d36498b9e.jpg

Sweet, lookin good Playa! Cant wait to see this done..

no doubt i cant wait to see the finished product

http://a683.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/97/l_496546986b2836dfa309ec20680e24ea.jpg

:thumbup

The front tires will stick out much wider than the frame (wider than a lambo) and will be centered around your shins/knees. http://a704.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/62/l_517378bb1655db05e852502e27957677.jpg http://a231.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/109/l_6dc33405ffb284635ea665a9f261dde6.jpg

Nice job so far

cant wait to see it complete, good job!!

thats crazy

SHHHHMmmmmmoooowwww... Lookin good Man.. its Looks Bigger/heavier than I Imagined? any engine Performance mods Planned? is that thing gunna be able to Pull at a decent Speed ?

its realy not heavy at all. how it is right now I can pick the front up and move it around like a rick-shaw chinese cart. the front wheels tires and a-arms for each side about 50 pounds. It will be under 1000 pounds when completely done framing and putting skin on the beast. Performance mods are in the back of my mind right now. from other reverse trikes Ive seen with weight/horsepower ratio this will be one sick machine that will be able to fly and still hold some serious lateral g's. Ill prob get a gear reduction kit for more low end torque after its finished but that is not my main concern. I put the exhaust bracket on today and took the foot pegs off. YES the exhaust is removable. . . there are two bolts below where I welded it http://a315.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/74/l_b323c9446c0b24a686ee3b2f15e80f2a.jpg http://a193.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/98/l_bf4a1106bd514ff5d92418b1c9d86768.jpg http://a223.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/76/l_50357a9c024c22d6cfddb1083493f84e.jpg

http://a125.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/21/l_d077c53ed817c725db03b37d5dc93cdc.jpg 1 http://a363.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/70/l_67641ead619a7f3b1e200c867b8289ea.jpg 2 http://a249.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/80/l_3d9a16f409be6492adbc0a56771ef0d8.jpg

looking good

Nice, BTW i was taking nothing away from the project by the heavy remark. It was just a question. It looks sick and cant wait to see it complete. Fairings/Plastix???? Custom body or what? whats in store for the exterior??

for the body I will make it out of a combo of hard pink insulation foam and stretching cloth across parts. the pink foam is easily sandable and readily available and cheap at hardware stores. all I have to do is cover it with aluminum foil so the resin doesnt eat it. I would use the cloth stretching method the same way it is used in making custom sub box enclusures. simply stretch cloth over complicated feutures and brush on resin...then reinforce with fiberglass mat and cloth. I have mold/mother mold making experience and would most likely use the body of this one as the plug for a mother mold to use on other vehicles. for the paint I would like to incorporate some heat reactive paint like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmxD6a5TSIk&NR=1

I've found the first thread to subscribe to. I'm so interested to see how it turns out as I'm sure everyone else is too. Great work.

:corn:

:corn

Steering wheel mock up position is set. It has a quick release hub to make getting in and out of the vehicle easy. http://a448.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/37/l_01d2da2d31a077a8b60743910353d427.jpg special ordered low tolerance lug nuts finaly came in so the front tire and a-arms are mock positioned but attaching permanent supports arent made yet. http://a700.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/15/l_6c271b287b941c300c2eb3a34c70d723.jpg

Im 6'3" and it is extremely comfortable for even someone my size.

I got the main windshield frame and roof done. its all tack welded into place so I need to finish the welds. check out the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA1IQBgH-qk

Is that a manual or power rack and pinion??...hard to tell from pic.....if power r+p how you going to retrofit??

manual rack/pinion. Im going to have to do some extensive work on widening it because I have widened the track so much from what it was.

Looks badass so far brother :thumbup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmxD6a5TSIk&NR=1 Paint is Crack...:rock I got the main windshield frame and roof done. its all tack welded into place so I need to finish the welds. check out the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA1IQBgH-qk nice Vid lookin good.. Cant wait until the Donut burnout vids w/ it.... :flex: manual rack/pinion. . OK we went Wrench talk... :dundun:

I haven't ran it in a couple months so its rough and definately needs a tune up. performance mods are on the TODO list after everything else is done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8EjD3IlnQ4

I seriously can't wait to see how this thing turns out!

i know me to! haha I just actualy put in my notice that Im quitting my job today as a manager for olive garden so I can work a part time job and be building and selling these as well.

lol. Man- you must be sure ofyourself! hahaha.

well I got really drunk and worked on the priject. came out perfect again after heavy drinking. I put in the vertical banded up abrs and the lower part of the windshield freame and a mointing point for a suppert from the head roll bar thing. http://a463.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/80/l_679fe11f9ed3944364ffc9f995a361b6.jpg both vertical bars in and with equal angles for maximum supporthttp://a970.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/54/l_098ee5956709599bb60af5c192511bd1.jpg a mounting bracket on the passenger side that attaches to the top of the head roll bar http://a987.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/87/l_b20c227354f6f3b5d9345256ece690fa.jpg another viewhttp://a123.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/22/l_1d954caab9417da7f7c68a0ba1d16902.jpg

http://a353.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/13/l_967781af77795adc7567d4a979a6e440.jpg http://a932.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/102/l_83cda86a7891aed713ed050f08f6862b.jpg http://a826.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/31/l_6673738ef490faec06bce1a4ddcd3351.jpg

Im just curious how much would be a fair price people would pay for one of these. Here are the specs on what it will most likely be able to do. Dont forget that it registers as a motorcycle so insurance is still dirt cheap. I just bought a lexan windshield. I was going to use a glass windshield but I will do that on the next one. I will also make this so it somehow has a complete canvas enclosure that can be easily attached so you can drive in the rain without getting wet and store it behind the seats. There is also something called plexus to put on the lexan windshield so rain beads off just like rain-x. It will also have skin/fairings and air intakes and exhausts so the engine is covered but well ventilated. 0-60 in 4.7 sec 33mpg being heavy on the throttle 1.6 lateral g's road holding index so HOW MUCH WOULD A FAIR PRICE BE FOR YOU??

Im just curious how much would be a fair price people would pay for one of these. Here are the specs on what it will most likely be able to do. Dont forget that it registers as a motorcycle so insurance is still dirt cheap. I just bought a lexan windshield. I was going to use a glass windshield but I will do that on the next one. I will also make this so it somehow has a complete canvas enclosure that can be easily attached so you can drive in the rain without getting wet and store it behind the seats. There is also something called plexus to put on the lexan windshield so rain beads off just like rain-x. It will also have skin/fairings and air intakes and exhausts so the engine is covered but well ventilated. 0-60 in 4.7 sec 33mpg being heavy on the throttle 1.6 lateral g's road holding index so HOW MUCH WOULD A FAIR PRICE BE FOR YOU?? I would have to see it when your done to make a decision on price. At this point it's still kinda hard to imagine the finished product.

I think you are doing a great job so far-:-D BUT. My personal opinion is that its going to end up looking a little too 'homebuilt' to be viable as competition to the other trikes- unless its silly cheap. It was 100% great until you put the front tubes on- the flat lexan front windscreen is an instant turn off for me. I'd way prefer things if it was closer to how the Arial Atom is styled. Would be way more awesome if you cut those front tubes off and instead used 2x motorcycle windshields..... But thats just my opinion, remember :-)

yea I know what you mean. I agree and I am not 100% thriilled on the frame design but I am being EXTRA safety conscience on this one. here is one that I have no information on but it is a homebuilt reverse trike that is done great and is how I would like to do my next one. the drawback with the open top design is driving it in the rain. I need some sort of a roof that stores in the unit. not being able to drive it in even the slightest rain is a big turnoff for a lot of consumers. and with having long supports running between the passanger seats its going to be extra hard for your lady friend to be bending her head over to your side to bob for apples :makeout but I still want to make an open top one next

http://a451.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/52/l_acd367dc73fa2937a8758d126184b592.jpg

what about setting it up to have a removable roof, or a set of t-tops?

ll patiently waitning... tnk its gunna look great regardless... *if your princing was 1/2 a trex, i think it can sell... $

I was able to use a level and see how the steering geometry was set up on a trex so Ill use some of those ideas and ones that Ive read. all the random scraps you see welded on the a-arms actualy hold it in place so that I can move the entire wheel around wile maintaining the geometry. this way I can make mounts easier. its going have an 80 inch wide track!!!! I moved the wheelbase close to the center of gravity as well. the wheels were originaly centered around your foot but now they are centered around your thighs. this thing is going to be really spacious inside and the seats are fully adjustable. http://a332.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/122/l_53eedda0b5b739ba9b859ff3353ce6d3.jpg http://a220.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/110/l_4f6822e73c64571abb05c8ca24262703.jpg I will get a sheet of aluminum and bolt it from underneath as the floorpan. The coilover shock will mount were you see the blue handle channel lock pliars. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/1207,299_QA1-Adjustable-Coil-Over-Shock-Kits-b11andquot;andb.htmlhttp://www.speedwaymotors.com/eccStoreFront/product_images/2005/721395_L.jpghttp://a840.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/52/l_b15291aa799845a5f4d301a2ed5b280f.jpg

you will be able to rail some corners in that thing man its gonna be bad ass i cant wait to see it all come togather

Don't forget about the front end alighnment capabilities...lower ball joint should be at least a degree or two in front of upper ball joint for positive caster .....so it tracks good going down the road....your probably going to have to set the toe using a tape measure from 9:00 and 3:00 positions on tires....should be able to get it pretty close...You going to retro the sway bar in there too??

Nice idea, Moving the Front axel back! Should Def. handle better like that for sure!

yes I have sway bar that is chopped in half to widen it.

it has pussy magnet. niiiiiiiceee

I figured that was without question...

tag

I ONLY got the passengers side set up today. I talked to a guy that builds race cars and I believe the geometry is just about perfect for how I will be driving it. She's got wide 80" hips and a skinny ass.....http://a702.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/32/l_0eb0d4f286500d3fde475852ddfa807d.jpg when the wheels are straight it has a little negative camber (the bottom of the wheel is further out than the top) . Its set up with a few degrees posative caster. when its the outside wheel durring a turn it has negative camber. when its the inside wheel durring a turn it has postive camber. for each mounting point there is supposed to be two brackets. (one on each side) but I just put one bracket on each for now to verify geometry http://a192.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/72/l_5d57c43b6250643a125378fd3952c477.jpg

:cornSounds Like a Canyon Carver...

Im almost done with the shifter knob assembly. while I was working on it today one of my neighbors introduced himself and checked it out and he asked how much I would sell it for because he was looking at buying a trex but at $50K its to much. I told him around $15K for mine and his eyes lit up and he said he would buy it as soon as Im done! haha. check back tomorrow for pics of the shifter knob assembly installed

dont sell the first one... IMO.. Ride it, test it keep it... Then Improve on it, and sell for $20K+... just my $.02 you know anything can always get better! Plus with that extra $5k you can add a nice amount of Mods to make it worth the 20k +.....

Once its done Im going to see what shops will do engine work on it to let them advertise on the body. it shouldnt be hard to get a shop to do a grand worth of work in exchange for their name and phone number down the side

http://a180.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/120/l_afac4e8e240ac9a2033a4e1ca66d8e6b.jpg here is a link to the video of the shifter moving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgWbZUh4nI

Lookin better every day!

thats awesome nice craftsmanship

Is the steering rack gonna clear the back of your legs?

how is it coming along so far? any new updates. everything going with plan?

Man, looks fantastic!

the steering rack runs right along the floor pan under your knees so its not in your legs way at all. I finished hooking the shifter up and Im just waiting for the video to finish processing on youtube. Ill post it as soon as its done Is the steering rack gonna clear the back of your legs?

here is the link the the shifter video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hC_d1PLwag

very cool dude. I have begun buying parts to do basically the same thing... copy the T-rex. Right now im working with a 2007 R1 motor, swing arm, and frame. I just got the tire taken off one of my track spare wheels. Im putting it on a lathe and cutting the right lip off. Then im putting a 4-4.5in section of aluminum into the cut space to create a 10-10.5in rear wheel to run a 315/35/17 rear tire... the same process they use to widen car wheels. With this i will cut the swing arm down the center and make it wider also. This way i can retain the cush drive and use the stock sprockets. I will have to make a new axle as well as a mount to make the brake inboard the wheel off the swing arm (design is a bit more complex). I also have an extra rear caliper hanger laying around. I plan to cut it down and fit it so its an underslung brake... so essentially the rear wheel has two brakes... one for braking and one will be a hydrolic parking brake... As for the front suspension I just got two spindles off a 4wd S-10/blazer (2 piston vs. the 2wd is a 1 piston). With those i will run s-10 calipers, and rotors. I will make my own upper and lower control arms from aluminum (lighter weight) and probably use the Pinto/Mustang II style manual rack and pinion (very popular on kit cars). I will be using a rocker arm style coilover setup on the front to get the most amount of adjustabiliy as possible. For the rear suspension i will be using the stock shock, but probably double it up and run two of them on a rocker style inboard setup (depending on final weight and distribution). Basically one of my main goals is to go as light as possible. I have all the experience needed and i have the supplies/can order them. I have like 200 yards total of light and heavy carbon fiber so it will be used a lot. I will be making my own seats, body, and floorboards out of carbon and fiberglass and some sandwich foam/honeycomb style construction. So basically the frame will be 1.5 1/16 wall steel (same as t-rex), the body and floor pan will be CF/fiberglass, the seat will be CF buckets with sewn pads (like the aluminum racing ones), and the suspension will be for the most part all aluminum. I would love to hit the 700-800lbs mark, but im thinking realisticly it will be 800-900lbs For the future and more power, im probably going to look into a light forced induction setup like a small turbo and intercooler... hence the 315 rear steam roller tire. Ive thought this out a ton, as you have, but it looks like im taking a similar yet different route. Best of luck to you! Ill keep this thread marked and start my own when my project officially starts. Maybe we can meet up at the Tail of the Dragon when were both done!

here is the link the the shifter video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hC_d1PLwag How creative! :thumbup very cool dude. Maybe we can meet up at the Tail of the Dragon when were both done! Nice, waiting on a new thread! Also would love to see them both at the GAP next year! :thumbup

I was really looking into gettin a nice wide tire on the back but when it all added up I decided to just use a car tire on the stock rim. the guy said it was the hardest tire hes ever put on anything so it shouldnt be going anywhere. I pretty much dove into the whole project with moderate research. You got a mandrel tube bender as well I am guessing? are you having a roof or convertible like the electric trex?

Right now thats my biggest decision... i dont know if i want a VW GX3 style or t-rex. As for the tire, yea it will be more work but the traction will be worth it. A car tire mounts the same way as a bike tire so yours will be fine. The bead will hold it tight from spinning... worst case throw some bead locks on haha (not recommending this) but i doubt you will get the traction to spin the tire on the rim and not the ground. I have no doubt it will be hard as hell for the tire guys. I dont have any tire connections here like i used to or i would just go in and use the machine to mount it on my own. Having worked at a cycle shop nothing is worse then a harley guy coming in with a 300 series to be mounted to a nice chrome rim. Its goin to suck but its their job haha. Just lube it up haha. If i go gx3 style i would make a removable soft top like a jeep wrangler and a bolt on windshield. This way its all weather worthy. As for tools i have a 220 Miller MIG, torches, air tools, hand tools, and im lookin into that same bender you have... want to rent it to me when your done :dunno seriously though? I only plan to make one so i don't want to drop $700. I plan to tack everything up and then take it to work and use the 220v TIG welder to finish all the welds. This way they look good and they're strong as hell. This will be my Midwest winter fun project. I probably wont start it for another month or so. Just collecting parts and getting the small stuff done like the rear wheel and swing arm.

There are some nice shots and ideas on this site concerning a wider rear wheel. http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/41601/1171474567058169970S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1171474567058169970WaULss) T Rex look a like (http://rides.webshots.com/album/171469295iZRuYS) http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/35933/2596753020058169970S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2596753020058169970KWXpSU) Another very nice build: Rebirth (http://www.vptechno.com/rebirth.html) http://www.vptechno.com/2.jpg

well the dual wheel gave me a great idea... i have an extra R6 wheel... so the R6 wheel with the R1 wheel would be 11.5in. Perfect for a 315 rear. Just have to shave down the inner two lips enough to allow for the tire to deflect enough that it wont hurt the wheel or tire. Probably cut both lips off and add in a section on the middle. Also solves the issue of the rear brake caliper. Plus it looks pretty cool having two sets of spokes! Now i just need to keep getting all my parts. The way i learned it is the chassis is just a giant bracket that connects everything. You have to have everything to design it around, not the other way around. Focusing on the front uprights and brakes right now. Looking at doing a Mustang II uprights with a 11in rotor... a complete rebuilt front with spindles, hubs, rotors, and calipers can be bought for $350ish shipped.

Lots of good Mustang II parts out there, especially in the Streetrod community. I really like the chassis setups that eliminate the majority of the bike frame and mount the motor in the new chassis. I realize it's not as easy, but it sure makes a cleaner package. Look forward to seeing more!

anyupdates on this?

This project kinda seems like a glorified go-kart, but its cool.

This project kinda seems like a glorified go-kart, but its cool. :dundun:

Lots of good Mustang II parts out there, especially in the Streetrod community. I really like the chassis setups that eliminate the majority of the bike frame and mount the motor in the new chassis. I realize it's not as easy, but it sure makes a cleaner package. Look forward to seeing more! Thats the plan for me right now. Just bought the spindles and 11in brake kit for the mustang II. Now im going to order the manual steering rack so i can get all my dimensions to work out the front suspension setup for caster/camber/bumpsteer/ect. As for the motor and bike frame, I plan to remove the motor from the bike frame, weld up a jig inside the bike frame that will have the mounting points of the motor, and use that to build the rough frame around. Yesterday i cleaned off the gargage floor and all and layed down tape to get ideas of sizes needed for seating space, motor and drive train space, and to get an idea on wheel base and front width. I havent jumped into this too hard yet as i just moved into my new house and im waiting on finances to settle a bit as well as the shitty weather to roll in. Also i have decided to go with an open cockpit style like the VW GX3 and have a removable soft top... i have renderings of the body style but ill put those up when the project comes to a close. Cant give away all the details and info yet :thumbup

So freaking cool! :rock... I had to subscribe :thumbup

5 point harnesses are fully mounted and are so frikkin tight! it feels tighter than a drum. and I started putting the windshield mounting bolts in http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/8/l_6b581144a854472ebfee15d276e4b3ef.jpghttp://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/57/l_2c95c1eeb3f445028bd91c7967ca5c8e.jpg

Nice, I was searching for this the other day! Glad to see your making progress!

I just ordered 2001 r1 mono shocks to use on each side for the front suspension. I couldnt find any coilovers shocks that had a very short travel and that were made for a 900 lb vehicle. these shocks were cheap on ebay too!! I also just bought a bike again. its a 1994 kawasaki zx9r but it has only 9800 miles and needed nothign for inspection and is in decent shape with a clean title for $1300. i really didnt plan on buying a bike but figured I would buy it if i got the price WAYYY down. check out the new helmet i just ordered http://www.motocrossmotorbikes.com/smsimg/15/582-6562-main-rx6-blackbmp-15.jpg

Ha ha ha, you're gonna look like a crazy person. Very Befitting considering your sketches for the Tank-Trike. Rock n Roll, I can't wait to see this thing finished. Any updated Work Photos? I think we are all watching this Thread as if it were a TV series.

windshield is installed and holes are drilled in the un-breakable lexan. Ill be putting the lexan aside till everything is done so weld splatter doesnt ruin it. at first I thought the windshield might ruin its aggresive look but I think it will look fine now that I can see it on the vehicle. the battery relocation mount is done as well. I picked up the extension cables for it today but dont have time to wire it today. http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/27/l_7941da9d839e41a8b6e9136168c108fa.jpg http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/17/l_74a447cad8b845adb70ff5733bcf3a0d.jpg http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/7/l_d137ea11af314bf4896c8e16a800c60e.jpg http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/34/l_9ac732a8898841ff95ac4b166ba58b3a.jpg

Nice progress! What are you going to do for the body and undercarriage?

Nice progress! What are you going to do for the body and undercarriage? Ill be designing the skin from hard pink insulation foam (its cheap, easy to work with, and readily available at home depot) and cloth, then fiberglassing over it. the undercarriage/floorpan will be aluminum.

What is the overall length going to be?

What is the overall length going to be? wheelbase is 87 inches. total length from front bumper to back of exhaust is 144 inches

Ill be designing the skin from hard pink insulation foam (its cheap, easy to work with, and readily available at home depot) and cloth, then fiberglassing over it. the undercarriage/floorpan will be aluminum. be carefull when doing this. You need a layer to seperate the foam from the resin or the resin will eat right through the foam. I have been workin for the past few weeks making my own plug for a Ricaro style carbon fiber seat. I used Acrylic paint as a seperator, but the resin leaked through a few areas and destroyed the foam. Its been a pain the the a$$ to fix, but im getting there. The plug should be all wetsanded and ready for a glass mold to be layed over it this week. Ill lay the glass up on the plug, then pull the gass and brace it when cured. From there i just lay in the Carbon cloth, put support foam/balsa in different areas, pull the carbon, trim, and i have my own custom thin light weight carbon fiber race seat. Then ill repeat this for the second. I have the carbon cloth laying around so i figured i would put it to use. It will cut a ton of weight from the car and it will be cheaper then a pair of seats for me. Just takes time (about 20+ hours into it already), but the end results are worth it. Once the seats are done ill be ordering my spindles, rotors, hubs, and calipers. From there ill get the exact measurements i want to run uneven a-arms that will acheive -.5* camber at rest, around -3* camber at 4in compression, and 1*at 1.5in droop. I know im going to go a bit overkill on my suspension, but in the end the handling will be worth it. Ill also probably make the a-arms from aerotube instead of the traditional round tube. I like your thinking on the front springs for the suspension. I actually bought two 2006 rear springs about two weeks back for $30/ea. Cant beat that because you can swap out the coils for different spring rates if desired. Because ill be running inboard suspension ill be able to control my spring rate with different ratio rocker arms instead of new springs. Another bonus to this is you can easily change the ride height without changing the proload of the springs (for road / track use). Body and frame design wise i have decided to steer clear of the T-rex style as there are so many replicas like it. Ill be doing my own design that most closely reflects that of the VW concept GX3. With this it will still be a full tube frame Chassis, but i will make my own subframe structure for the motor so i can pull it out/ put it in easily and ill scrap the frame. Should be pretty cool in the end. Hopefully ill be buying the steel for the frame in the next month time permitting. Between School (16 credits) and work (40 hrs) im pretty limited on my time. Its good to see this thread as its like an inspiration for me lol. Your work looks great man. Keep it up! Ill post some pics of my progress on the seat later as i have been taking pictures to document the work required. The seat will be pretty close to this.: http://www.cali-snt.com/nrg_RSC-300_Carbon_Fiber_Bucket_Seats.jpg

here is the trike design mine will be closest too... http://imagesme.net/tuvie/volkswagen-gx3-reverse-trike1.jpg

speedo and ignition brackets are done. I will be making a fiberglass dash so the ugly brackets will be hidden. Im holding the turn signal switch in place where it will mount to the fiberglasds dash. all I have to do is unscrew the backing and screw it onto the flat dashboard right there. the speedo, turn signal switch, and ignition are angled towards the driver for that "cockpit" feel http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/37/l_6f6a940c918442eda7a714aef0096aec.jpghttp://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/4/l_8bcc84309e594b15a10d89cdd7d2f1ca.jpg BOTH SHOCKS JUST CAME IN!!! I just rested it into where I will mount it. take a look see fellas http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/44/l_5c8aabbebca6468ca0768e0a2fc37580.jpg

Thanks for the updated pics .... I like seeing the project come together :bow :yesnod

ha thanks. Im trying to get people to pick up my serving shifts at work so I can get full days off. I hate serving but its good money. its hard to just throw in a few hours at a time on a project like this. it takes an hour or two to get the ideas coming out ya know

dude... make the pics as attachments... i cant see anything with everything being blocked at work. i wanna see i wanna see lol

be carefull when doing this. You need a layer to seperate the foam from the resin or the resin will eat right through the foam. I have been workin for the past few weeks making my own plug for a Ricaro style carbon fiber seat. I used Acrylic paint as a seperator, but the resin leaked through a few areas and destroyed the foam. Its been a pain the the a$$ to fix, but im getting there. The plug should be all wetsanded and ready for a glass mold to be layed over it this week. Ill lay the glass up on the plug, then pull the gass and brace it when cured. From there i just lay in the Carbon cloth, put support foam/balsa in different areas, pull the carbon, trim, and i have my own custom thin light weight carbon fiber race seat. Then ill repeat this for the second. I have the carbon cloth laying around so i figured i would put it to use. It will cut a ton of weight from the car and it will be cheaper then a pair of seats for me. Just takes time (about 20+ hours into it already), but the end results are worth it. http://www.cali-snt.com/nrg_RSC-300_Carbon_Fiber_Bucket_Seats.jpg use epoxy instead of poly resin, it wont eat through the foam at all. I have done carbon fibre projects with pink "home depot" insulation foam many times with good success. i usually sand the final shape of the foam, with 220, then paint with a few coats of latex. you can fill any imperfections in your foam with light weight wall spackle, and sand before painting. wet sanding your dry latex will improve the final finish. put a few coats of wax on your mold before you start with the epoxy. in case you dont already know acetone will melt that foam very quickly, great for intricate areas, but messy. the layer of latex paint is verrry helpful here, as it peels away from your finished piece cleanly and the "skin" will contain the acetone/foam mess. Please keep in mind, the very expensive carbon fibre seats you see from the likes of sparco, momo, recaro, etc. are made using pre-preg carbon fibre assuring the proper mix of resin and cloth, and cured in an auto-clave. both resulting in superior strength over a diy wet lay up in your garage. in an impact if carbon fibre reaches its breaking point it breaks in wicked sharp shards, which could be deadly. good luck whatever you decide, this project is awesome, thanks for keeping us updated.:)

im subscribed... and highly interested

use epoxy instead of poly resin, it wont eat through the foam at all. I have done carbon fibre projects with pink "home depot" insulation foam many times with good success. i usually sand the final shape of the foam, with 220, then paint with a few coats of latex. you can fill any imperfections in your foam with light weight wall spackle, and sand before painting. wet sanding your dry latex will improve the final finish. put a few coats of wax on your mold before you start with the epoxy. in case you dont already know acetone will melt that foam very quickly, great for intricate areas, but messy. the layer of latex paint is verrry helpful here, as it peels away from your finished piece cleanly and the "skin" will contain the acetone/foam mess. Please keep in mind, the very expensive carbon fibre seats you see from the likes of sparco, momo, recaro, etc. are made using pre-preg carbon fibre assuring the proper mix of resin and cloth, and cured in an auto-clave. both resulting in superior strength over a diy wet lay up in your garage. in an impact if carbon fibre reaches its breaking point it breaks in wicked sharp shards, which could be deadly. good luck whatever you decide, this project is awesome, thanks for keeping us updated.:) Yea i know about the polyester vs. the Epoxy. Im using epoxy on the final part but i have a gallon of polyester sitting in my garage that i wanted to use up before it went bad. Also i know about the autoclave and the prepreg stuff. Wish i had the cash and resources for that one. Mine will just have to be a bit thicker. Although im not planning to do a just wet layup on it. I fully plan to vaccuum bag the seat to get the best resin consistancy and to suck out all the unneeded resin. As for the carbon breaking part, yea i know that too lol... learned that hard way when i wanted to strength test a part and ended up cutting myself pretty good. As for my plug i made it out of the home depot foam, and painted it up with latex. Because i wanted the glass like finish on the top surface and not the bottom i opted to go the Seat from the mold - mold from the plug route. I like knowing i can make multiple parts and that they will have a useable nice surface right from the mold. After all the sanding to make the plug smooth, its the last thing i want to do on the final parts. Right now the plug is almost finised. I just have to cut out a few thin areas and fill them. Other then that ive sanded it up to 220. I just need to go through and sand it all the way through the wetsanding stages for a gloss like finish... then wax up, spray the PVA on, and lay several layers of chopped mat. Then pull the glass off the plug, trim, and i have a near perfect mold. Cant wait to start laying in the carbon and see a finished part. Ill be starting the chassis next month. Just talked to my buddy and my 2007 R1 donor motor and swing arm is strapped down to its pallet and just needs to get shipped (looking for shipping options on this now). Anyone want to be so kind and make the recent pics that are links into attachments so the people like me whose work blocks them can see?

Well i'll be damned. Subscribed!!!

Definitely Subscribed.

Keep in mind that the more you shocks diverge from perpendicular (to travel) the less spring rate/dampening you will have.

Keep in mind that the more you shocks diverge from perpendicular (to travel) the less spring rate/dampening you will have. Double post... see below

ah yes the power of geometry... actually in theory if the spring is at any angle different then the suspension travel then the spring rate changes as the suspension moves. Example being at rest the coil/shock is closer to verticle then when the suspension is at maximum compression. So in theory the spring rate is higher at rest then it is at full compression, but by very little... pretty easy to figure out with any basic statics/dynamics knowledge. Finally those engineering classes are paying off for me :lol

subscribe, sick...

now the unveiling of one of my greatest ideas for the project. the headlights will be concealed by these irises. they smoothly open and close in a circle like the iris of an eyeball. when the lights are off... the iris is closed. when the lights turn on... the irises will open!! http://www.newport.com/images/webclickthru-EN/images/1116209.jpg

Sweet Lookin real good! great Progress!

shock mount for passenger side is tack welded into place. the other pic shows the two supports I just welded and the battery is set up and the wires are done. I just ordered all the u-joints, steering rods, and rod ball bearing mounts to set up the rack/pinion. http://a619.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/66/l_7ba7a43b7439a75434df76e71ed0db2a.jpg http://a693.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/88/l_93b36bb071d9dc791ea09d7225eed704.jpg

here is what the steering will look like. because the rack/pinion is directly under yoru knees I have to go around the front of the pedals and come underneath. the green dots are double u-joints, the red lines are steering rods http://a45.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/55/l_76353247de74666a809f45764263542c.jpg

think you can post the pics as attachments instead of links? That way people can see them at work? Most work places block websites like photobucket and other picture sharing websites. That and it prevents links from dying. I might be able to help you with some steering ideas if i can see the pics.

Awesome progress .. :bow keep us posted :yesnod

quick release steering wheel is starting to get mounted. http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/40/l_492c1fcbb12e41c1b98b9fac1bf703b2.jpg steering double u-joints http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/17/l_105ac8bbca5a4f81aa48667f04153e53.jpg

here is what the steering will look like. because the rack/pinion is directly under yoru knees I have to go around the front of the pedals and come underneath. the green dots are double u-joints, the red lines are steering rods http://a45.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/55/l_76353247de74666a809f45764263542c.jpgthree joints just to steer ...alot of play there...maybe...like anything else that you retofit. alot of controversy...on prototype! and suspension....don't want to be negative ..would most certainly like to see project with only postive results ....I see parts in pics of proposed front end steering ...but where did ideas come from?? already existing design? most designs I know of use only one rag joint in the steering engineering and design....by simplicity......is this a known retofit practice?? any testing done??

three joints just to steer ...alot of play there...maybe...like anything else that you retofit. alot of controversy...on prototype! and suspension....don't want to be negative ..would most certainly like to see project with only postive results ....I see parts in pics of proposed front end steering ...but where did ideas come from?? already existing design? most designs I know of use only one rag joint in the steering engineering and design....by simplicity......is this a known retofit practice?? any testing done?? Interested to see the steering completed and the amount of play or slop in it. Just a thought, but you might want to check into some different rack and pinion setups that might be more suitable. They have ones where the pinion gear comes out the middle. If you ran one like this you could run the steering rod right down between the passeneger and drivers leg area. This would make it so you would only need one u-joint instead of 3 doubles (6 u-joints total). Also are you using a colapsable steering rod for crash safety reasons (you know so the steering wheel doesnt come out of the dash into you in the event of a front end crash). Also with the suspension what degree of camber are you seeing at full compression and full droop? Are your steering drag link ends in line with the upper and lower a-arm mounts and mainly the reaction points to eliminate any and all bump steer? With your suspension setup the way it is, where are your reaction points and where is your roll center at a static stance with driver weight included? Guess the last thing is what type of Caster angle are you going to run? Have you considered tilting the upper a-arm back to create an anti dive situation for braking? Not trying to be Captain Safety here, but i have read it several times and still no one has called it out. I guess my biggest thing is, if you plan on selling this, or trying to build and sell these, you might want to cut back on all the public advertising that you were "drunk" or "hammered" and working on this. It is just irresponsible. When it comes to welding as most know, the surface may look great, but a welds strength is in its penetration. My personal experience with working in the automotive industry is your reputation would be destroyed for this type of work. Working on a vehicle that has the potential to harm or take the life of you or more importantly a PASSENGER while under the influence is just irresponsible. Would you jump on your bike drunk and ride... and have a passenger jump on too? Just keep it smart and keep it safe. ***By all means im not saying dont drink, shit I love getting hammered, just drink outside of working on this*** miraculously the floorpan came out perfect even after a moderate amount of beer. . well I got really drunk and worked on the priject. came out perfect again after heavy drinking. ... I am being EXTRA safety conscience on this one.

you got me! i drink and work. but point taken. just pulled it out of the garage to do some cleaning so here is a new pic http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/47/l_2cd73eb366024bdcb4528887fcbc318b.jpg

More power to ya, good luck!

you got me! i drink and work. but point taken. just pulled it out of the garage to do some cleaning so here is a new pic http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/47/l_2cd73eb366024bdcb4528887fcbc318b.jpgno worries dude .... Ive gotten up many mornings and looked at what I had built the night before... point made though ...make it safe...and make it right!! think ahead for problems...do it nice or do it twice!!

I have what I like to call analysation paralyzation. I analys things so much that nothing gets done but I have knowledge on a subject and know how it should be done but I just sit there and think thru something beyond the point of sanity. so after I figure somethign out and I pause.......and THEN have a couple beers I just so "make like a dick and **** it" and I DO IT and things go good hahaha

If you haven't already, make sure your tires turn the same direction as your steering wheel. With that reverse of direction it might get crazy. You're kidding about the irises...right??

If you haven't already, make sure your tires turn the same direction as your steering wheel. With that reverse of direction it might get crazy. As long as the steering rack is mounted upside down with the pinion pointing to the front the steering will be correct. I personally would go with a custom rack with a center mounted pinion to avoid all the u-joints

lookin good... LOL u drunk...

the wheels will turn correctly. I made sure. IM SERIOUS ABOUT THE IRISES!!! haha that would be sweeeet. its one of the little things but I have NEVER seen a car with irises. I will have running lights/turn signals that will be thin "angry" eyebrows too. heres a little sketch to give you an idea. there will be an air intake in the middle with a small tube about 4 inches in diameter to help feed more air to the engine http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/25/l_f0464983e8f44fd9a523999b10388117.jpg

just imagine as the engine is turned on and roars to life its pissed off and angry eyes open up!

twin cooling fans are mounted http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/26/l_dc141ea4f87440f1b99650d8b6691de0.jpg http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/50/l_fed09affac014008bbe50b6dcccc17d4.jpg

I just put my order in for the iris headlights. the bare steel you see is stainless steal and the rest is constructed of cold rolled steal so it will be easy to fabricate with. their maximum opening is 4" so now I need to pick up a pair of 4" headlights with high/low beams and a linear actuator to open the irises. http://www.ndrproducts.com/images/product%20fullsize/access/65d4.jpg

I just ordered the linear actuator to open and close the irises http://i19.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/f8/55/abdd_1.JPG

Interested to see the steering completed and the amount of play or slop in it. Just a thought, but you might want to check into some different rack and pinion setups that might be more suitable. They have ones where the pinion gear comes out the middle. If you ran one like this you could run the steering rod right down between the passeneger and drivers leg area. This would make it so you would only need one u-joint instead of 3 doubles (6 u-joints total). Also are you using a colapsable steering rod for crash safety reasons (you know so the steering wheel doesnt come out of the dash into you in the event of a front end crash). Also with the suspension what degree of camber are you seeing at full compression and full droop? Are your steering drag link ends in line with the upper and lower a-arm mounts and mainly the reaction points to eliminate any and all bump steer? With your suspension setup the way it is, where are your reaction points and where is your roll center at a static stance with driver weight included? Guess the last thing is what type of Caster angle are you going to run? Have you considered tilting the upper a-arm back to create an anti dive situation for braking? Not trying to be Captain Safety here, but i have read it several times and still no one has called it out. I guess my biggest thing is, if you plan on selling this, or trying to build and sell these, you might want to cut back on all the public advertising that you were "drunk" or "hammered" and working on this. It is just irresponsible. When it comes to welding as most know, the surface may look great, but a welds strength is in its penetration. My personal experience with working in the automotive industry is your reputation would be destroyed for this type of work. Working on a vehicle that has the potential to harm or take the life of you or more importantly a PASSENGER while under the influence is just irresponsible. Would you jump on your bike drunk and ride... and have a passenger jump on too? Just keep it smart and keep it safe. ***By all means im not saying dont drink, shit I love getting hammered, just drink outside of working on this***he went this far with no problems ..Ive allready told him bout caster and camber adjustments.....read his whole thread ....hes is doing OK.....

yea i see hes doing okay, but you cant test the caster, camber, and how the car will react to bumps, turns, ect while in a garage... but you can design to get the response your looking for. Im sure you can agree its alot easier to design with room for adjustment rather then take a shot in the dark and *hope* to be able to adjust it to what you need. I guess ive been fortunate to work with SAE Formula teams and i have had a ton of brains to pick at to learn. I guess what im trying to say, is dont be afraid to ask people. If you want to throw some ideas, measurements, or questions up... I would have no problem helping in design a bit. Suspension design is so complex its insane. With something like this it wont be perfect, but you can get pretty damn close.

yea i see hes doing okay, but you cant test the caster, camber, and how the car will react to bumps, turns, ect while in a garage... but you can design to get the response your looking for. Im sure you can agree its alot easier to design with room for adjustment rather then take a shot in the dark and *hope* to be able to adjust it to what you need. I guess ive been fortunate to work with SAE Formula teams and i have had a ton of brains to pick at to learn. I guess what im trying to say, is dont be afraid to ask people. If you want to throw some ideas, measurements, or questions up... I would have no problem helping in design a bit. Suspension design is so complex its insane. With something like this it wont be perfect, but you can get pretty damn close.I think the biggest thing on new retofit of front end is a loaded suspension... welding in suspension components with no one sitting in the seat will change the settings on camber and caster....this is a two passenger vehicle ...so it makes it twice as hard to get front end correct...for tire wear and tracking......with no alignment numbers to go by ...you got to guess or tape measure the tires to get an idea....on alignment....plus thier is no specs to go by even if you had it on a alignment rack....its best guess at the best!!

....its best guess at the best!! Sorry, but I disagree. There is way more room to measure and preplan then using a tape measure for alignment. Alignment isnt a big deal at all, its simply setting the Toe in/out which can be done with any car at anytime, and your right it usually isnt done till the end. My arguement is more on first and foremost the Camber, followed by the caster and bumpsteer. You dont need a weighted car infront of you, all you need is a calculator, paper, and a pencil. I guess ill start with the topic of buying a preloaded suspension. Its a great idea as it makes a process a lot easier and eliminates a lot of time spent on planning with rod ends and ball joints, however a production suspension is far less capable of being adjusted. The problem isnt in the parts themselves, but in the angles, heights, and methods in which they are attached. First off, camber... probably the largest component in determining how a car is going to handle on a straight, entering a turn, the apex of the turn, and exiting a turn. At each point, each tire (working with fronts here, not rear) will see a different camber based on the suspension and its amount of compression. Because the suspension already has a set value for the upper A-arm length, lower A-arm length, and the spindle length it makes the numbers a bit easier. In a simple non complex way, all you really get to change is the distance between the mounting points of the lower and upper A-arms, the angle at which they are mounted, and the camber of the vehicle at loaded at rest. With this simple number you can calculate what the camber will be at 1", 2", 3", 4" of compression as well as 1" and 2" of suspension droop. Heres an example, lets start with these values that will not change: Upper A-arm Length: 7in Lower A-arm Length: 10in Spindle Height: 8in Caster angle at reast: -0.5* Distance between A-arm Mounts: ?? So heres some numbers: Distance between a-arm mounts with above values: 7.6in Angle of lower A-arm at rest: -2* Camber at rest: -0.5* Results... which actually turned out pretty good! Camber at 1in compression: -0.9* Camber at 2in compression: -1.4* Camber at 3in compression: -2.3* Camber at 4in compression: -3.4* Camber at 0.5in droop: 0* Camber at 1.5in droop: +0.3* Camber at 2.5in droop: +0.6* Heres a example of how wrong it can go! Distance between a-arm mounts with above values: 5in Angle of lower A-arm at rest: +10* Camber at rest: -0.5* Results... this would be a death trap!!! Camber at 1in compression: -2.3* Camber at 2in compression: -5.0* Camber at 3in compression: -8.4* Camber at 4in compression: -11.6* Camber at 0.5in droop: +1.1* Camber at 1.5in droop: +3.6* Camber at 2.5in droop: +6.5* With a simple change in mounting point distances (change of 2.6in) and lower a-arm angles (change of 12*)... the results can be catastrophic to the handling! ***Whether the car is weighted or not has no effect on these numbers. The ride height can easily be changed with the shock mounting point Second, Caster... The is pretty simple, but it has a huge effect on how the car tracks. A lot of tracking depends on the toe in/out, but most of it depends on the angle of the spindle (looking at it from the side of the car). For tracking and steering reasons you want the spindle angled towards the back of the car. To achieve this, you need to offset the mounts from each other. Heres a picture to explain... http://www.rqriley.com/images/fig-7.gif Third... the angle and spring rate of the shocks used. You can achieve the numbers you want with a few small calculations, instead of guessing, its quite simple. A small amount of knowledge of geometry (angles, lengths, sin, cos, tan of triangles) will get you everything. Heres an example, you buy a R1 rear spring/shock combo. Lets pretend it has a 500 lb/in spring rate (which is correct i beleive). If you want a spring rate of 500lb/in for the car you will need to mount this perfectly perpendicular, because at any other angle the rate will be less then 500lb/in. So lets say you want the car to have a 250lb/in spring rate.... well then mount the shock at 45* (500sin45*=250)... if you want a spring rate of 350lb/in then setup a right angle triangle. The verticle value is the value you want to achieve. The hypotenuse will be the 500lb/in spring rate. From this the horizontal value can be calculated but is useless. Simply solve for the angles of the triangle and you can find how to mount it! While the initial value is this easy, it gets more complex but these are really not needed unless you are using progressive springs or hardcore racing.... as the spring compresses, the angle at which the spring is mounted actually changes. So basically as the suspension compresses and rebounds the spring rate will change, but very minimally. So lets put this all together and learn how to apply it. Solve for all your variables and the values you want. Your going to want to map this all out so you have measurements of the car at rest and loaded. When making the chassis you use these measurements and mounting points to mount the a-arms, spindles, and steering rack. To get the ride height of the car to match the ride height and angles of the car on paper, you simply adjust the mounting point of the shock (not the angle, but the height)... (another great part of inboard springs... ride height adjustment)... Simple as that lol... you dont need a person in the car, or the weight of the driver or passenger to come up with these numbers. You just need to take your time and solve for them. If you spend 15 hours to find them, it will greatly benefit the hundreds of hours of fabrication as well as hundreds of hours of driving. Why spend time making it look good if it handles like crap? If you have a hard time measuring and building a frame to these specs the smart thing would be to build a jig for all the mounting points... then build a frame into the jig.... Here, to make it even simpler, if people want to hold on to their pride and not ask questions lol Suspension Calculator: http://www.racingaspirations.com/suspensiongeometry.php (http://www.racingaspirations.com/suspensiongeometry.php) General suspension info: http://www.rqriley.com/suspensn.htm (http://www.rqriley.com/suspensn.htm) three wheel suspension: http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm (http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm) Bumpsteer: http://www.longacreracing.com/articles/art.asp?ARTID=13#Q2 (http://www.longacreracing.com/articles/art.asp?ARTID=13#Q2) A bit more then you need but... wheel frequency: http://www.racingaspirations.com/wheelfrequency.php (http://www.racingaspirations.com/wheelfrequency.php) Hope I helped. Disclaimer: ***im not posting to call people out, start and arguement, or anything in a negative manner. Im simply trying to share knowledge in a positive way, and help people make their projects as calculated as possible (or just to confuse people further lol)***

PS if you dont know what values you want like caster and camber... read the internet for the optimum amounts... If you want to build a car the first thing you should do is go buy Carrol Smiths book on building and designing a race car... it will be the best investment you ever made.

the iris eye will come out sick, cant wait to see this thing done... Im sure u cant either...LOL.. G/l...

Sorry, but I disagree. There is way more room to measure and preplan then using a tape measure for alignment. Alignment isnt a big deal at all, its simply setting the Toe in/out which can be done with any car at anytime, and your right it usually isnt done till the end. My arguement is more on first and foremost the Camber, followed by the caster and bumpsteer. You dont need a weighted car infront of you, all you need is a calculator, paper, and a pencil. I guess ill start with the topic of buying a preloaded suspension. Its a great idea as it makes a process a lot easier and eliminates a lot of time spent on planning with rod ends and ball joints, however a production suspension is far less capable of being adjusted. The problem isnt in the parts themselves, but in the angles, heights, and methods in which they are attached. First off, camber... probably the largest component in determining how a car is going to handle on a straight, entering a turn, the apex of the turn, and exiting a turn. At each point, each tire (working with fronts here, not rear) will see a different camber based on the suspension and its amount of compression. Because the suspension already has a set value for the upper A-arm length, lower A-arm length, and the spindle length it makes the numbers a bit easier. In a simple non complex way, all you really get to change is the distance between the mounting points of the lower and upper A-arms, the angle at which they are mounted, and the camber of the vehicle at loaded at rest. With this simple number you can calculate what the camber will be at 1", 2", 3", 4" of compression as well as 1" and 2" of suspension droop. Heres an example, lets start with these values that will not change: Upper A-arm Length: 7in Lower A-arm Length: 10in Spindle Height: 8in Caster angle at reast: -0.5* Distance between A-arm Mounts: ?? So heres some numbers: Distance between a-arm mounts with above values: 7.6in Angle of lower A-arm at rest: -2* Camber at rest: -0.5* Results... which actually turned out pretty good! Camber at 1in compression: -0.9* Camber at 2in compression: -1.4* Camber at 3in compression: -2.3* Camber at 4in compression: -3.4* Camber at 0.5in droop: 0* Camber at 1.5in droop: +0.3* Camber at 2.5in droop: +0.6* Heres a example of how wrong it can go! Distance between a-arm mounts with above values: 5in Angle of lower A-arm at rest: +10* Camber at rest: -0.5* Results... this would be a death trap!!! Camber at 1in compression: -2.3* Camber at 2in compression: -5.0* Camber at 3in compression: -8.4* Camber at 4in compression: -11.6* Camber at 0.5in droop: +1.1* Camber at 1.5in droop: +3.6* Camber at 2.5in droop: +6.5* With a simple change in mounting point distances (change of 2.6in) and lower a-arm angles (change of 12*)... the results can be catastrophic to the handling! ***Whether the car is weighted or not has no effect on these numbers. The ride height can easily be changed with the shock mounting point Second, Caster... The is pretty simple, but it has a huge effect on how the car tracks. A lot of tracking depends on the toe in/out, but most of it depends on the angle of the spindle (looking at it from the side of the car). For tracking and steering reasons you want the spindle angled towards the back of the car. To achieve this, you need to offset the mounts from each other. Heres a picture to explain... http://www.rqriley.com/images/fig-7.gif Third... the angle and spring rate of the shocks used. You can achieve the numbers you want with a few small calculations, instead of guessing, its quite simple. A small amount of knowledge of geometry (angles, lengths, sin, cos, tan of triangles) will get you everything. Heres an example, you buy a R1 rear spring/shock combo. Lets pretend it has a 500 lb/in spring rate (which is correct i beleive). If you want a spring rate of 500lb/in for the car you will need to mount this perfectly perpendicular, because at any other angle the rate will be less then 500lb/in. So lets say you want the car to have a 250lb/in spring rate.... well then mount the shock at 45* (500sin45*=250)... if you want a spring rate of 350lb/in then setup a right angle triangle. The verticle value is the value you want to achieve. The hypotenuse will be the 500lb/in spring rate. From this the horizontal value can be calculated but is useless. Simply solve for the angles of the triangle and you can find how to mount it! While the initial value is this easy, it gets more complex but these are really not needed unless you are using progressive springs or hardcore racing.... as the spring compresses, the angle at which the spring is mounted actually changes. So basically as the suspension compresses and rebounds the spring rate will change, but very minimally. So lets put this all together and learn how to apply it. Solve for all your variables and the values you want. Your going to want to map this all out so you have measurements of the car at rest and loaded. When making the chassis you use these measurements and mounting points to mount the a-arms, spindles, and steering rack. To get the ride height of the car to match the ride height and angles of the car on paper, you simply adjust the mounting point of the shock (not the angle, but the height)... (another great part of inboard springs... ride height adjustment)... Simple as that lol... you dont need a person in the car, or the weight of the driver or passenger to come up with these numbers. You just need to take your time and solve for them. If you spend 15 hours to find them, it will greatly benefit the hundreds of hours of fabrication as well as hundreds of hours of driving. Why spend time making it look good if it handles like crap? If you have a hard time measuring and building a frame to these specs the smart thing would be to build a jig for all the mounting points... then build a frame into the jig.... Here, to make it even simpler, if people want to hold on to their pride and not ask questions lol Suspension Calculator: http://www.racingaspirations.com/suspensiongeometry.php (http://www.racingaspirations.com/suspensiongeometry.php) General suspension info: http://www.rqriley.com/suspensn.htm (http://www.rqriley.com/suspensn.htm) three wheel suspension: http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm (http://www.rqriley.com/3-wheel.htm) Bumpsteer: http://www.longacreracing.com/articles/art.asp?ARTID=13#Q2 (http://www.longacreracing.com/articles/art.asp?ARTID=13#Q2) A bit more then you need but... wheel frequency: http://www.racingaspirations.com/wheelfrequency.php (http://www.racingaspirations.com/wheelfrequency.php) Hope I helped. Disclaimer: ***im not posting to call people out, start and arguement, or anything in a negative manner. Im simply trying to share knowledge in a positive way, and help people make their projects as calculated as possible (or just to confuse people further lol)***First osf all .. he's allready welded his suspension...as provided pics suggest....really no point in trying to build something thats allready built!! nice post on info and links on subject ...maybe OP may have printed a copy of your post and used it in a useful manner....you so definitely disagree with progress on project.....like previous post stated ...he'll be OK.....I wish I had the capability of retrofitting a project like this....although not posted ....alot of thought probably has gone into this project...I got through half of your lengthy post about front end preformance....sorry I could not make it through the whole post...but ....have you ever done an alighnment on a vehicle?? seems alot of numbers, stats and links make up the majority of the post....PM me if info is needed!! but it is a basic element of front end work .... that if a vehicle is loaded in different manner it changes the front and rear specs of the way it is engineered....really no argument because it is so basic.....please PM me so it is not a thread jack or taking away from the OP!!

Damn ... the guy is putting together a cool garage project, while he drinks a few beers and buckcles down for the winter and he get's ridiculed for drinking and building and then he is given a mathmatic lesson as if he's building a "car of" tomorrow" for Nascar. Take the lessons to another thread ... and leave this one for it's intended purpose; showing the rest of the us the process of building something that the majority of us can only dream about :rant

Damn ... the guy is putting together a cool garage project, while he drinks a few beers and buckcles down for the winter and he get's ridiculed for drinking and building and then he is given a mathmatic lesson as if he's building a "car of" tomorrow" for Nascar. Take the lessons to another thread ... and leave this one for it's intended purpose; showing the rest of the us the process of building something that the majority of us can only dream about :rant :iamwithst I cant wait to see this thing done.. And for all I care If the thing starts up and can drive down the block, or even Get trucked to the Gap for a few pics it was a Job well done.. I remember trying to build Go Karts from scratch and a Lawn mower. This is like the Grown up version w/ an R1.. :rock *Hog, it all started because he did state that he wanted to reproduce and Sell the vehicle and the 1st guy was just showing his concern, then it got out of hand.. :thumbup

:iamwithst I cant wait to see this thing done.. And for all I care If the thing starts up and can drive down the block, or even Get trucked to the Gap for a few pics it was a Job well done.. I remember trying to build Go Karts from scratch and a Lawn mower. This is like the Grown up version w/ an R1.. :rock :thumbup I did that same thing :lol

I did that same thing :lol Gotta do somethin when the Parents wont buy you any motorized toys! :rock This Trike is gunna be nuts I've been subscribed since he 1st posted and have really been following his Progress. The LED headlight thing is gunna be something to look forward too as well!

read all my posts and you will find where I talk about the suspension camber, caster, toes, loaded and unloaded suspension, feet, fingers ahhh all that fun stuff. its there.

just got the taillights. they are DOT approved. which is hard to find inexpensive decent looking dot approved lights. they will be recessed/ a.k.a. "flush mounted" to the body. REAL flush mount where it doesnt stick out past the body. they are brake/running/turn signalling so these will be the only lights on the rear of the vehicle. Ill be wiring them soon boys and girls. I ordered dual filament DOT approved sealed headlights through a local shop FTF Cycles in Randolph MA that should arrive tuesday. I will have to make my own adjustable housing for the lamps but it will be saving me about $80 to make my own housing. Does anyone know where I can get a DOT APPROVED very thin strip of AMBER "Yellow" turn signals that are about 3 to 7 inches long? I repeat DOT APPROVED HAS TO BE RIGHT ON THE TURN SIGNALS. http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/57/l_43b5c38980144e44bde2639d5b8a2035.jpg

I guess my presence and willing to share knowledge on something being built is not appreciated. No offense taken. Just keep your "if it can drive down the road" idea alive. Safety should be an utmost concern for a machine that is capable of reaching 120mph and higher with a passenger. I guess I just lack the ability to connect how important DOT lights are, yet how insignificant suspension design and safety are. This isn't some gocart that will go down the road 5mph... This is a car capable of taking your life in an instant. PS... Asking me if I have ever done an alignmant is like asking me if I have ever tied my shoes.

I guess my presence and willing to share knowledge on something being built is not appreciated. No offense taken. Just keep your "if it can drive down the road" idea alive. Safety should be an utmost concern for a machine that is capable of reaching 120mph and higher with a passenger. I guess I just lack the ability to connect how important DOT lights are, yet how insignificant suspension design and safety are. This isn't some gocart that will go down the road 5mph... This is a car capable of taking your life in an instant. PS... Asking me if I have ever done an alignmant is like asking me if I have ever tied my shoes. I am glad to hear that you are done :yesnod :fireI think you went wrong when you lost the spirit of good ole' American backyeard engineering. :vanish

I guess my presence and willing to share knowledge on something being built is not appreciated. No offense taken. Just keep your "if it can drive down the road" idea alive. Safety should be an utmost concern for a machine that is capable of reaching 120mph and higher with a passenger. I guess I just lack the ability to connect how important DOT lights are, yet how insignificant suspension design and safety are. This isn't some gocart that will go down the road 5mph... This is a car capable of taking your life in an instant. PS... Asking me if I have ever done an alignmant is like asking me if I have ever tied my shoes.I really don't want to say it but ...you are a wanna be ....you have never done an alignment on any vehichle and basically have no expierience with front ends....just like previouys posts that I saw ...you are good at links...posts..and I would question history on anything related to your experience....please proof me wrong!! ....I welcome the post and look forward for proof!! my proof?? I just started .....working on front ends .....thirty years ago....no learners permit my friend....I ve allready suggested PM format but narcissistic attitude prevails...not a big mystery...

if you want to argue with someone do it on your own personal messages. do not waste space in my thread. arguing on a thread is like the special olympics...even if you win you are still retarded. I dont even want a response of agreement to me saying the arguing ends here. everyone just drop it and re-focus on the project. Thanks, Jon

PM sent to ya Molt...

Forget the group hug .... grab a six pack ... head to the garage and show us an update :yesnod :bow

mother of god man this is insane...i luv it i got it subscribed 2

just got both of the iris's in today. they have a maximum opening of 4" the headlights will be concealed behind them and they will be molded flush into the body http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCbooVcSZo

Sweet, can you control the actuator as to the speed of the opening, or stopping it at any point. It would sort of be like dimming the lights :lol

Yea I can control how far it opens and closes so I can make it "squint"

Yea I can control how far it opens and closes so I can make it "squint"Nice, how are you going to control the iris? ( I hear you listening to the "tribe":thumbup)

i posted a picture of the linear actuator a few posts ago and that will be controlled to open and close by using a momentary actuator switch (aka a power window switch)

Nice feature :yesnod :bow

i posted a picture of the linear actuator a few posts ago and that will be controlled to open and close by using a momentary actuator switch (aka a power window switch)Good stuff!!

Can you make it "blink"?

just got both of the iris's in today. they have a maximum opening of 4" the headlights will be concealed behind them and they will be molded flush into the body http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCbooVcSZo Sha....WeeeeeeeeeT

Can you make it "blink"? yea but it wouldnt be a lightning fast blink. now all I need to do is have an air intake in the front grill with serrated teeth that open as the throttle is pressed...hmmm

yea but it wouldnt be a lightning fast blink. now all I need to do is have an air intake in the front grill with serrated teeth that open as the throttle is pressed...hmmm Sounds Like ur really gunna bring this thing to Life..Cant wait... :rock Oh and I saw your other thread.. ???? Have you checked Rally Lights.Com ?? http://www.rallylights.com/ should find something! :thumbup

just ordered some headlights off ebay that are dot approved.

I just read through the whole thread and I am very impressed. Good for you trying to build something really unique! I really want to see how the exterior body work turns out!

I just read through the whole thread and I am very impressed. Good for you trying to build something really unique! I really want to see how the exterior body work turns out! thanks! I was originaly planning to have a sporty body but I have decided to go with a more "military" "tough stealth tank" look here is a bunch of sketches. keep in mind that the dimension on some of these are not close to how it is shaped now. http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/16/l_a8110f84b5794b69b2ac88d37638f590.jpghttp://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/44/l_ba26e820facc455a9d6cd137976db2af.jpg http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/2/l_678b4891ca6c4051941ffd17288895f3.jpg http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/39/l_cfc1fd571c824d3d8fa39982aab1ebc6.jpg http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/19/l_025c463f48ab4dd8ac7ef94508ee5977.jpg http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/14/l_7e20010b4dfa4dffb60bd17af59ca670.jpg http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/53/l_a05239e1bad84a29be1d2d27405f3357.jpg http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/3/l_1dd784da69af4ebe88d6bbea77c50a68.jpg

i think da 3rd from top 2 bottom looks phenomenal

I like the sporty idea .... but it is your deal and I am sure it will look cool no matter what direction you decide :yesnod

Sweet, Even More Unique.. :thumbup I was Expecting Some sort of Fiberglass Sporty Exterior. This is Gunna get good.. G/L I like this one.. And ur Military Tank idea too.. WHat about a TUMBLER .. :lol But Maybe a Wing would be Nice! http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/19/l_025c463f48ab4dd8ac7ef94508ee5977.jpg http://www.gadgetmadness.com/archives/batman_begins_tumbler_rc.jpg Like this But backwards!

I like the sporty idea .... but it is your deal and I am sure it will look cool no matter what direction you decide :yesnod agreed

Hey just read this entire post. Dude you are doing a great job. Don't let go until you got something tangible. Great idea. Not a lot people have the balls to start a project like this. It takes time, patience and lots of thinking. Keep us posted of your progress. Can't wait to see the beast.

Hey just read this entire post. Dude you are doing a great job. Don't let go until you got something tangible. Great idea. Not a lot people have the balls to start a project like this. It takes time, patience and lots of thinking. Keep us posted of your progress. Can't wait to see the beast. Bump .. for good thread....thanks for positive posts....I would only have a hope of doing a project such as this.....

Wow man - I just saw this thread what an absolutely bitchin project! I can't wait to see the final product, and I'm sure you can't wait to be finished!

:rock :corn

hey guys just ran into some financial trouble and my truck broke down so IM wayyyy behind on schedule. Ill post pics when I get more done soon Jon

:corn

Just read throught the whole thread....... Awesome project mang. Cant wait to see the rest......:thumbup

Sweet A$$ project, keep it up dude.

This thread may be dead, but I just thought of a question......how are you going to back that thing up? Are you putting reverse on it somehow?

after spending $150 on those double u-joints and bearings I finaly found what I needed. Ill get 2 right angle gear boxes like this. http://cgi.ebay.com/Superior-Right-Angle-Gearbox-USED-CW-CCW_W0QQitemZ380094975573QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item380094975573&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50 I can get them for under $30 a piece if Im lucky or buy it now for $100 a piece. this way there will be NOOO play in steering and it will leave plenty of space for my legs without having to put a steering shaft between my knees

heres a couple pics to show YESS I am still working on it but not as often as I would like to these days. The more I read about steering geometry I believe I will have to completely re-do the geometry for the passenger wheel I already put on so I ordered a book on custom building kit-car geometry suspension. http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/50/l_a75ac8fc2ab94450b4bb18a5ae57c4cb.jpg it wasnt to hard to make the first side...but copying the dimensions to be the ecact same from the center of the vehicle is where its hard. http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/30/l_d041e83913c443aa90fe934784a18b42.jpg i put a bolt thru the lower control arm and attached a level and right angle. There will be the same setup on both wheels to align them together. I will remove the clear plastic angle finder and put a square tube to connect them and perfectly align both wheels. then I'll tac-weld the lower control arm into place. then I will be able to remove my homemade alignment tool and weld in control arm mounting brackets

I was thinking about how I would do a project like this .... carpenters level for 6 and 12 oclock position (on level ground) would work ok for camber....and a tape measure at 3 and 9 oclock position for the toe settings......caster is a different story....positive caster means the lower ball joint is slightly forward of upper ball joint .... I Don't have specs for how much..... but I remember years ago maybe about a degree and a half for that OEM front end.....problem being you got to have some kind of alighnment machine to measure this......and this alignment spec is important to good tracking......on all alignment racks you can't drive a three wheel vehicle onto the rack....you would have to make a center track of somesorts to support the rear wheel.....while checking the alighnment........if you brought it to my shop I would make this happen with maybe wooden support bridge in the middle...but thats just me thinking of a possible ways....like my past posts suggest.....its not a OEM front end so its all up in the air on what the best specs might be for the application......different front end retroffitted on to something different would most certainly mean different specs ....you would have to play around with the alignment to get it right....hope this helps ...PM if you want specs for the year and make of the front end being retrofited....may be a good starting point...

Sorry to hear about the stearing issues, I believe someone spotted that a while ago and tried to help. Still wanting to see the outcome! This thread may be dead, but I just thought of a question......how are you going to back that thing up? Are you putting reverse on it somehow? Word, LOL... do it Flintstone style..:drunk::drunk: