Cant decide on a power train

[ML-TOYS]

With your budget i suggest you cruise craigslist for wrecked cars with good drivetrain. Another spot to check is nearby body shops, we used to keep some of the totaled cars.

Where are you located other than a planet covered in water ?

 

[bread]

Thanks ML

I've been scouring craigslist for a while

some potential contestants, not ready to spend money for another couple weeks however

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/5464151334.html

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/5464040851.html

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/5463951210.html


Guess its no secret I'm near Baltimore


Thoughts on these choices?

 

[Kartorbust]

Another option is similar but also check for wrecked vehicles that insurance companies send in. You can usually buy a complete vehicle that was totaled out for a few hundred to about $2500. May need a new radiator but we engine and trans should be fine.

 

[bread]

Anyone have any thoughts of the difficulty of converting the donor's parts to fit my frame, specifically the suspension/ axles ?

This was a cool electric project that involved a custom fabricated frame and a donor parts car

http://www.instructables.com/id/Electric-Vehicle-A-simple-lightweight-EV-platform-/

Now I'm starting to lean towards purchasing a donor car

 

[ML-TOYS]

The other thing i forgot about if they have them near you are the police auctions. My friends have had luck at them.

 

[Kartorbust]

Anyone have any thoughts of the difficulty of converting the donor's parts to fit my frame, specifically the suspension/ axles ?

This was a cool electric project that involved a custom fabricated frame and a donor parts car

http://www.instructables.com/id/Electric-Vehicle-A-simple-lightweight-EV-platform-/

Now I'm starting to lean towards purchasing a donor car

You could just fabricate brackets for the struts, springs, etc.

 

[Toycrusher]

https://youtu.be/GD3y7ylpqO8 and your done...

 

[bread]

You could just fabricate brackets for the struts, springs, etc.

That seems to be what most of the project would revolve around, but I suppose a donor car would come with everything I need

 

[mindymogul]

https://youtu.be/GD3y7ylpqO8 and your done...

Only thing is is where the **** are you gonna come across one for less that $2500? IF he wanted to do something like that he could find a old VW Rabbit truck frame and build up from there.

---------- Post added at 10:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 AM ----------

As for donor cars, I'd try to find a wrecked 80s or early-mid 90s f150 and rob the suspension off that. The strut mounts are easy to work with and plenty of clearance, the leaf shackles are cheap as ****, and parts for them are cheaper than any Chevy I've fixed.

 

[bread]

Check out the third link from post #22, maybe an oldish Honda would work well because their just so dog gone small and super cheap, truck parts I'm worried are too big

understand that the frame is something like 33" wide by 9'

 

[bread]

Ok I have found a 91' vw corrado from a local racing shop, looks like there gonna let me strip parts I need for nothing so long as I sponsor them

Anyone know anything about the Corrado? I know it fwd and has mcpherson sus. but thats about it



Pics coming soon

 

[bread]

the lucky candidate, a 199? corrado

in this photo, the mcpherson suspension can be seen, soon to be adapted to my frame

more to come

 

[bread]

Ok, got the car's front suspension off, now time to wire wheel the rust off, repaint, and weld brackets onto the frame

 

[bread]

so i have started the tabs to hold the lower control arms on, probably will build custom ones for adjustability

this is gonna turn into a build thread

 

[ChromeRhino]

You could go with an 80'a Subaru GL fwd/awd drivetrain. Its compact, fwd normally and then turns to awd/4wd, they are pretty bulletproof, cheap and they are pretty awesome at getting around. They came with a compact H (horizontal opposing) 4cyl and could get them with a 5sp transmission. I had a GL wagon and that thing got around 10x better than any other 4wd I have had. Just a suggestion.

---------- Post added at 05:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:42 PM ----------

Whoops, my browser didn't load the entire page. I didn't see you already soueced a vehicle.

 

[bread]

You could go with an 80'a Subaru GL fwd/awd drivetrain. Its compact, fwd normally and then turns to awd/4wd, they are pretty bulletproof, cheap and they are pretty awesome at getting around. They came with a compact H (horizontal opposing) 4cyl and could get them with a 5sp transmission. I had a GL wagon and that thing got around 10x better than any other 4wd I have had. Just a suggestion.

---------- Post added at 05:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:42 PM ----------

Whoops, my browser didn't load the entire page. I didn't see you already soueced a vehicle.

ok so when I say donor car I really mean steering parts, spindles, and wheels

the suspension from the corrado is going to be heavily modded to be converted to double bone, but still fwd meaning the shock mounting positions have to be changed

also prob should mention this thing will not have an engine in it, its gonna be electric-oh boy

 

[bread]

So I got my rod ends, ready to start making all the control arms...

I think I'll go with this power setup, the warp 9 motor seems to be pretty efficient for a DC

 

[ChromeRhino]

Yeah, can you grab me one while your at it?

 

[bread]

Ok started on the lower arms

http://i.imgur.com/Qpa6GYq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tWgz6uP.jpg

 

[bread]

Mounted

gonna ditch the adapter plates to the corrado ball joints and replace with new rod ends

also will have to use a IRS diff in the front of this thing-- anyone know where I can locate one?

http://i.imgur.com/Yb6BNTV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NZcoU1i.jpg