'wittle 'wesistor (Mini Jeep)

[Functional Artist]

As with your wifey, I'm thinking WTF myself. Del Monte by the case? If that's a good deal, please point me to it. The Publix near my place is where I get everything for myself and for the church, usually focusing on BOGO's. Otherwise, the Publix brand of most things (about 98% of them as good as Del Monte, and 60-65% the cost) is the focus, just requires lots of my time cruising the aisles and comparing prices.
My position as manager of our big commercial kitchen means I am always trying to get as much quality for as little money as possible, every week, and in huge amounts several times annually for the big events. Soooo, thought being..................
If the grocery bills don't matter insofar as cost, how much can you throw into the kart? You have built show-engineering kart stuff already, maybe you could do an aesthetics show-winning style of podium kart now?

My wife is "picky" about the food she prepares
...& we only buy Jif peanut butter too (personal preferance)

In your situation, (cooking for a church &/or for big events) it's prudent to be more frugal, in that type of a setting.

Um...you don't think my mini-Jeep will be a "show winning style of (podium?) kart"?

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

Jif is good, but the world wants to know: Smooth or crunchy?

As far as I can tell, your wife must be a saint to tolerate all these vehicular projects. Mine would not have it. Not when there's siding needing replacement, etc.

 

[Functional Artist]

Jif is good, but the world wants to know: Smooth or crunchy?

As far as I can tell, your wife must be a saint to tolerate all these vehicular projects. Mine would not have it. Not when there's siding needing replacement, etc.

Well, it depends
...smooth on stuff like Apples & Celery
...& crunchy on Sammaches & Toast

She understands that designing & creating stuff is my 2nd passion, after her (of course)
...& I'm always "on call" for work (so, I gotta be available)
...& also, I have been boycotting "TV" since that "rigged election" (& gotta keep myself occupied)

* If ya watch thru my videos, way back when, my house used to look like "crap"
...& then, over the years (in between building my karts, of course) I've been fixin' 'er up

Windows-done
Doors-done
Siding-done
Roof-done
Eave Troughs-done
...& last summer (while adventuring & testing batteries) I (with my buddies help) covered my garage with steel siding.


Looks better & no more painting
...that I didn't get finished last summer (& was already starting to peel)


On the left fixed up house
...in the back ground fixed up garage
...& on the ground are some "left overs" that I'm gonna use, to cover (most of) that ugly electrical line (on the garage)

So yea, (so far) she's kinda "kool" with me building a mini-Jeep in our rec room

* She does "draw a line" though
...no drilling, cutting, grinding or welding are allowed "inside" (& the list keeps getting longer)

 

[madprofessor]

So you must have married Saint What's-her-name, the polar opposite of my first 3, but my fourth was at least a minor Saint.

BTW: Jif for me too, Peter Pan if it's a BOGO, but you couldn't give me crunchy any-butter of any kind even if free.

 

[Functional Artist]

I put my CAD "program" into overdrive
...& it "spit" out a (1) piece, full length floorboard

Notice, it includes the rear inner wheel wells
...& also, has ~1" "tabs", for attaching to adjacent panels

Then, it "puked" all over the floor

 

[Functional Artist]

Steering Column
The steering column will be comprised of a 5/8" rod (part # MJ-1684)
...a couple of pieces of steel tube (left over from making the front axle) (top tube part # MJ-5721) (bottom bushing holder (part # MJ-1275)
...a Pitman Arm (part # MJ-226975-2241)
...& (3) plastic bushings (harvested from wheelbarrow wheels) (part # MJ-0009000)

I added the outer tube/bushing holder so it would look more like an actual steering coulmn
...& not, just be a steering wheel on the end of a rod.

* Notice, the upper bushing holder has bushings (1) upper & (1) mid-way
...& the lower bushing holder holds just (1) (at the bottom)

* I also, welded the Pitman Arm on to the steering shaft from the bottom side, to keep the top side nice-n-clean

...for "riding up against" the bottom bushing

 

[Functional Artist]

Steering Linkage
The steering linkage will be composed of (1) short Tie Rod (& ends) that connects the Pitman Arm (arm on the bottom of the steering shaft) to the left Spindle Arm

...& also, (1) long Tie Rod (& ends) that will connect the left spindle, to the right spindle.

So, we'll have a tube axle on "leaf springs" with a full-length tie rod
...kinda close to, how the front suspension & steering linkage looks/is set up on these solid axle, old style Jeeps
...& other solid axle 4 x 4's too

 

[Denny]

Just be careful that one of the things she won’t let in the house ain’t you. Even Saints have limits.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

That's nuts. Gourmet nuts.

 

[Functional Artist]

Yesterday, I worked with my CAF (Can Aided Fabrication) "program"
...to install the bends on the rear of the CAD (Cardboard Aided Design) body side panels

I used (3) cans of Green Beans "stacked up" (seemed to work pretty well)

Squared them up with/on the rear edge of a body panel
...& then, hand "gripped" them to the panel, good-n-tight
...& started "rolling"

...then, after releasing

...& now, we have "curved" the end of the panel

...& Jualla

Another view

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

Looks great! Let's eat. Also it's french, "voilà", to suggest an appearance as if by magic.

 

[Functional Artist]

Looks great! Let's eat. Also it's french, "voilà", to suggest an appearance as if by magic.

Thank you, sir!

French Style Green Beans

Yea, I know
...I just do it, to "razz" ya

..."as if by magic" yup, that's it

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

The Man from Del Monte, he says Yes!

 

[Functional Artist]

I used my CAD "program"
...to produce a Rear Inner Fender Lid

Now, I can use this template, to make another (more many, many more He...He...He...um...moving on)

This (1) would be for the right side (part # MJ-78926-75-R)
...& just flip it over for the left side (part # MJ-78926-76-L)

After a little bit of folding, we have something like this

When I went to install them, I found a "sto-a-way" (Inspector sleeping on the job)
...but, (shhh, quietly) here is about where they will go

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

Cats and cardboard are like peas and french cut green beans.

 

[madprofessor]

Is there anything cuter than a sleepy fuzzball cat? Love that pic. Hope your kart doesn't come out "cute" too, anything mean would be better.

 

[Functional Artist]

After the inspector finished his nap, I installed the rear inner fender (wheelwell) lids

Both lids

Another view

Looks like we'll have lots of room for the seats plus, some cargo

 

[Functional Artist]

Here, I was goin' over some details, of the build, with my technical advisor
(twin bro to the nappy inspector)

...but, when, I showed him some of my grille ideas, here was his expression

So, Um...OK I'll keep workin' on it

 

[Functional Artist]

Was did'in' some research

...& I saw that they have Jeep grilles available on eBay

...& ya can even ZOOM in, to see fine details

...& even showed the back side (what more could ya ask for?)

* No, I ain't buyin' it (ain't even mini, duh)
...but, it did give me some "fresh" ideas

Here are roughly the dimensions, we have to work with

...so then, refined it down to something like this

...& then, did 'er "full size" (but, still mini)

 

[Functional Artist]

Once I had the shape & dimensions of the grille "locked in", I got 'er aligned on the front of the body

...& worked on the hood