F-Toy build 2008 !

[Fix_It]

so here is how this all started .. My wife and i are expecting twins by july and my poor little 85 pick_up cant hold us all and April loves being out there as much as i do so its time for a cheap reliable trail rig without scewing up our daily driver so ...

here it is ..down in the lower 48 a company call hendrix motor sports has started a craze for cheap reliable entry level rigs for competition on the rocks .. so they sell turnkey or weld together kits or even a pre assembled tube chasis that you would mount on your toy chassis .

they also make them for sammi's as well .. but even you j**p guys could dp this on a jeep frame ..

the idea is to keep the costs fairly low by using a donor chassis and drive train and build around it ..and because you are the designer you can either keep it leaf springs or go full 4 link !

a tube weld together kit usually runs about 1600 or so to start prebent and notched ..but you know me... i want to build this myself and since i have the tools ...i am ...this will be my winter project this year once the cold hits again but i will be collecting the parts as i go and keep you up dated ..

a normal tube chassis is about 120-160 feet of tube if i use sch 40 1.125 thats roughly 120-160 bucks in tube

i already have a donor rolling chassis 82 hilux ..FREE

plus since i collect all things yotas i have a bunch of parts for spares and such ..


so i am into this for 160.00 so far

this will be my ultimate back yard low buck build off ..

here is some pics of what i mean .

http://hendrixmotorsports.com/db4/00389/hendrixmotorsports.com/_uimages/1DSC01415.jpg

[Fix_It]

http://hendrixmotorsports.com/db4/00389/hendrixmotorsports.com/_uimages/buildup16.JPG

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here is more of the family rig that i will be building ..once again this is using what i have and keeping the price down from rebuilding and buying another rig . its all here i just need to start it !

http://hendrixmotorsports.com/db4/00389/hendrixmotorsports.com/_uimages/backseat.JPG

[Advent]

How are you going to fit 5 seats? Extend the 'cage back a bit farther? One rear-facing seat?

[Fix_It]

actually the idea was tomake 2 rigs eventually one for the girls and the other for us .. i have 2 rigs to build with now ..lol so in the mean time april can drive the buggy while i drive the 85 .. but later on i was hoping to find a rear seat wide enough for the 3 kids

[Advent]

I think PRP will custom build you a bench to your specs for a reasonable price.

Probably still more than you have into the entire project so far though :lol:

[sevenslats]

You're gonna be cold and muddy. But I'm still jealous.

[Fix_It]

i was thinking removeable lexan or similar panels and use a mojave heater like nate had ...there are options ... but thats once this is moving under its own power ..

working with kevin on skitzo got me wanting to do something fun ..this is what i came up with .

i at least want it to be safe #1 and to be fun for the whole family ..last few trips April missed out on because of no room ..

[ChevyKev]

The rear seat out of a blazer might work, it seats 3 children fairly comfortable but only 2 adults. And I have a few extras - I can measure how wide it is and let you know.

[Fix_It]

for the 67 scout build up i scored the entire interior of the 2002 ford windstar including the 2 high back bench seats with built in seatbelts for 3 !

thank you for the offer kevin . whe ni get the scout painted i will start stripping the 82 hilux and saving what i can for the rebuild .

im really looking foward to the build up . If i can keep it straight foward without all the bling it might happen ! :whistle:

[AK20]

Great idea, I've seen a few of these that have turned out really nice...I'm sure yours will as well.

Question though, for clarifications sake...I know your not building yours to actually compete in Formula Toy, but if it was a competition spec rig wouldn't you have to use factory-type leafs? I know you mentioned link suspension in your first post regarding your own build.

[Fix_It]

For what i understand you would be correct . they did that to keep the build up price for the competitor down in that class or you can step it up a notch in another class and run 4 link or any other variant .

but i would be d-q'd anyway because im using sch40. i firmly believe schedule 40 properly notched welded and braced looking in the material spec sheet is almost as strong ..just alot heavier ..but seeing as there are no vw sized rocks to climb i think im safe .

remember tube is measured O.D where pipe is measured I.D ..

i will be using 1.250 sch 40 for the cage but its actual O.D is roughly 1.750
and almost .250 thick it should be awsome .. i am very excited to start the build up . i dont think i will be able to wait till winter to start ! i have some pics of the donor rig here ..

the body on this rig is totally rusted through and broken up the inner fenders are falling off and no floor boards just a rubber mat where floor used to be ... but it has a good tight motor that was rebuilt and a strong gear driven case that was rebuilt as well .. so its the perfect low buck donor for this project ...did i mention it was also free !!!

http://www.arcticoffroad.com/forum/gallery/files/3/7/0/101_0043.JPG

[SHoppe715]

22R? Virtually indestructible. I always said those old Toys would disintegrate leaving a pile of rust and a clean running 22R laying on the road. That'll be a sweet little buggy.

[Fix_It]

i have been doing more reading and research for this project than any of my previous attempts for a build up i usually just wing it lol.. but i want to do this right the 1st time .

Justin and I went to a customers house who bought a pre built frame from someone here in wasilla made for him .. it was a single seater with a ford fiesta motor to power it through a very small and short type t-case .. very cool .. but the cool thing was after taking some measurments .... i know where he got the dimensions from ....


same as the f-toys from hendrix motors .. frame height and all ..(base of the frame )

so after seeing it in person i am even more motivated and confident i can make this work . he was set up to use full hydralic steer front and rear .
and to use a 4 link .

mine will be a bit more simple but i plan to use a hydraulic ram assist steering so i dont have to worry about a steering box to pull from the frame and running a multi linked steering rod down the frame to a modified box .

and i dont need 4 wheel steering like what he wants .

The snow here is finally starting to go away i cant wait to start prepping the truck for the build off !

[Fix_It]

Great idea, I've seen a few of these that have turned out really nice...I'm sure yours will as well.

Question though, for clarifications sake...I know your not building yours to actually compete in Formula Toy, but if it was a competition spec rig wouldn't you have to use factory-type leafs? I know you mentioned link suspension in your first post regarding your own build.

acoording to f-toy rules i could never compete any way cause i didnt buy a ftoy chassis from 1 of the 2 chassis builders approved by their sanctions ..

but i will be sharing alot of the same idieas and dimensions ..

what i really want is a buggy to fit my whole family and be able to handle all the toughest of trails Alaska can throw at me ..

with the toy long bed chassis i can lengthen my wheel base to about 113 in
and not having my bed have more than enough room for kids and supplies ..

the rear i figure will stay leaf sprung for now ..and the front i will make coils .. i have been saving parts and going to use xj coils for the front and make a 3 link ..

[Fix_It]

yesterday i unbolted the cab and rolled it off the chassis ..today i hope to remove the bed and start cleaning up the chassis so i can weld to it ..

http://www.arcticoffroad.com/forum/gallery/files/3/7/0/ftoybuild005.JPG

[Fix_It]

http://www.arcticoffroad.com/forum/gallery/files/3/7/0/ftoybuild001.JPG