New Member. DIY Chassis Build - Help

[nickharding]

Hi Guys.

I have just joined the forum and still getting used to the layout.

I'm about to start a Haynes Roadster build, and it will accommodate a Limited slip diff (as the book) but will be driven from a Hayabusa turbo lump.

I have been recommended here from another forum to try and find some information.

I will never have a car engine in it, so was told maybe I should consider making the tunnel narrower so that you have more foot-well space?

Thoughts?

I downloaded a copy of "Build your own sports car on a budget" and it was released in Feb 2007. A member on the other forum recommended I under took the amendments on this forum, link..

http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=2430

Would just like peoples thoughts and opinions on this build and the advice i have received.

Does anyone happen to have plans for a narrower tunnel chassis build? This would be perfect and right up my street.

At the moment I have it in my head i need to build the book chassis but with the amendments?

Cheers.

Nick.

[trick-kit]

Hey Nick,

What engine and gearbox are you using?

The best way forward is to get the main chassis built but leave the transmition tunnel out. Lower your donor parts in on the centre line then consruct the tunnel around these items. Simples!

20,000 LOCOST builders can't be wrong!

TK

[K4KEV]

hi and welcome Nick......since the transmission tunnel is not dependent on any of the shaped body parts, it will be a relatively easy job to build up around whichever drive train you decide to use, but in any case that is the beauty of building your own car, you can take advice and modify at any point you like so just go for it bud.

[nickharding]

Hi trick-kit,

I will be using a hayabusa turbo engine and taking drive straight from the bike box. So the prop will run from where the chain/cog used to be. Straight to a sierra diff at the back end.

Thanks for your input guys. I was thinking of leaving it "as the book" as then in the future if I want to change to a car engine for some reason its always an option? I think I will always stay with the bike engine though, love them.

So your saying I should build the chassis as the book (with the amendments) and then drop the engine in, with prop and diff fitted, and then design the transmission tunnel?

Of course because to cover the transmission tunnel I'de just need to ali sheet it?

[nickharding]

Originally Posted by K4KEV

hi and welcome Nick......since the transmission tunnel is not dependent on any of the shaped body parts, it will be a relatively easy job to build up around whichever drive train you decide to use, but in any case that is the beauty of building your own car, you can take advice and modify at any point you like so just go for it bud.

As i said in my previous reply to trick-kit. Does that mean i should build the "book chassis" with the amendments, and then put the engine, diff and prop in, and then design the tunnel? How is it covered? Just ali sheeting isn't it?

Cheers!

[AshG]

Hi and welcome good luck with your build. if you like the book and fancy building a car from it maybe you should think about buying the book like the rest of us. I don't want to come across as mean to a new member/builder but the sales of the book are essentially what pay for this nice forum that brings us all together to share loads of information. Also Chris that wrote the book isn't very well and has no income other than the small royalty check he gets every six months. we all love getting things for free off the internet, its great but if the book dies so does the forum.

[nickharding]

Hi Ash,

Thank you very much for your input.

I didnt realise this was the case. Will pick it up on lunch tomorrow.

Cheers for the heads up.

Hope your better soon Chris.

[baz-r]

Originally Posted by trick-kit

Hey Nick,

What engine and gearbox are you using?

The best way forward is to get the main chassis built but leave the transmition tunnel out. Lower your donor parts in on the centre line then consruct the tunnel around these items. Simples!

20,000 LOCOST builders can't be wrong!

TK

im with tricky on this one

first buy the book

then make the chassis up as if there is no transmition tubes going in, then trial fit the engine and drive train that way you can then go about redesigning what is to replace the orignal tunnel tubes.
you may end up with some offset in your prop so building it dead central and narrow may not be a good idea.
dont forget if its going for road (iva) it needs reverse of some form and also some form of shock releaf in the drive line to replace the effect of the crush drive in the rear wheel or the gear box will not last long at all or jump out of gear all the time.

[AshG]

Originally Posted by nickharding

Hi Ash,

Thank you very much for your input.

I didnt realise this was the case. Will pick it up on lunch tomorrow.

Cheers for the heads up.

Hope your better soon Chris.

no worries you can pick it up for £12 if you shop about. its actually handy to have the book out in the garage rather than print scraps of paper off and its cool to have the grubby book at the end to gloat "look i built this from this"

as for your transmission tunnel dilemma. you can actually build pretty much the whole chassis without the transmission tunnel and do it at the end once the engine is in. to be honest even on a standard car the tunnel could be made narrower towards the rear as the prop is the widest part.

[nickharding]

That's brilliant.

Are all the Sierra diff's the same shape? as in I am currently not sure what ratio diff I would like to use? (any recommendations for the set-up I aim to run?) .. Be cool if I could build it to the spec of the drawings and then choose it later on.

So i suppose the only gain you have from building your tunnel narrower is you have more "person space" in both sides of the car?

Really looking forward to the build. I have the ammendments all printed out ready to intergrate them.

Where would you recommend ordering the 1" x 1" x 16G from? and being as the entire chassis will be made from this, how much would you recommend ordering in length?

Cheers Ash.