Welcome to the construction page. As you know,( I thing), I'm haven a go at building a buggy. Reason: The surf looked liked it was going to be poor for a while. I'm going to try updating very regularly. I'm basing my buggy on the sidewinder byThe edge projects based down under (got the plug over and done with). You can buy plans from them ,but I didn't. I'm going use pictures and design from there. The format is day by day (sorry about the photos, a better solution will come soon).

Day 1

On day 1 I strip the bike to its bear bones, took want I wanted and put the rest back together. Day 1 pictures

Day 2

I started the frame today which for most people with plans building a buggy like this it would be straight out with the angle grinder or saw. For me it was straight out with pencil, paper and calulator. I had to calculate all the angles and mearsurement after that it was a breaze just to cut the metal. Want I have done is just started with the bottom section and am going to work up. At the end off day 2 I had nearly 30ft of box cut to a tolerence of "0" Prefection is the only way! Day 2 pictures

Day 3

Day 3 was the calm before the storm, the storm of white hot balls of molten metal flying in every direction.I spent most of the day lining up all the pieces of the bottom frame and stiching. A pain full task. You check again and again and again......... Then you spot, check again and its moved. Hard but worth it. Heres a picture of the mock line up. Day 3 pictures

Day 4

I got lose with the welder on the frame and mounted the seat at the front. heres a picture of the frame half way welded. Day 4 pictures

Day 5

Today I made some of the mountes for the engine. I have the 2 back mounts done but am waiting on more steel to finish the front. I finished the seat mounts at the back as well. I thought! But when I went to slide the seat I realeased I had bolted the mount on to the seat belt holder which I thought was the mount position because there is nothing else to mount to, I'll just have to make something to fit to the seat and then mount it to the frame. Does'nt look good day 5 and problems allready, it's not terminal. Here are pictures off the mounts and seat, also a photo of how I'm going to figure out where to put the wheels(when i get the real ones).

Day 6

Today I fixed the seat mounts by make seat brackets and frame mounts. I got my steel and finished the engine mounting fully. Here are pictures off the remounted seat and engine.

Day 7

Today I finaly got a pair of back swingarms with all on them from a mini which I can use for front hubs and stub axles. I have spent weeks finding these things, I hadn't thought it would be sssooo difficult, I am going to strip the cast iron for around the axle bar inside. Then cut to size and weld onto the pivot pipe. Maybe some day I will add front brakes using the drum's, maybe! Here are pictures off the swing arms ect and a draming of the type of supsension I'm using.

Day 8

Today I started on the, stub axle/pivot pipe, jig. This is basicaly to hold the pipe at the right height and angle to the axle. Even though my measurements are what look right ,in this case, the set have to be the same. I just made a timber upright on the wood lathe, I made last year, to fit into the pipe and hold it. Then I bored a hole in a piece of timber to fit the stub and cut it at 96 degres. Finaly screwed the pipe piece to a flat piece of timber and mounted the axle piece to the timber as well. I used M10 bolts for the axle piec and by boring the timber to small treaded them in. This is so I can remove the pipe and axle when there welded together. Here is a picture off the jig.P.S things will be slack for a while on the construction.

Day 9

Today I stitch welded the two stub axles using the jig which worked a treat. I also painted the frame so it wouldn't rust over winter.

Day 10

Today I cut out the pieces which will make the cradle to hold the stub axles in on the front suspension. I also order my Acetal to make the bushings. I have inclued 2 pictures of the suspension set up. In the exsploded veiw you can see were the cradles will go.

Day 11

The Acetal arrived today. I now had to figure out how to machine it to the priece sizes to fit the arms and stub axle pivots, but as they say "Neccecity is the mother of invention".So I came up with the plan to mount a chisel, which I sharpened to have a died sqaure edge, in the vice on the table of the pillar drill. Then I treaded a bit of a bar to fit two nuts. The untreaded bit of the bar went into the chuck and the acetal was bore rufly center and placed on the bar and held in place by the two nuts. Then I just turned in the table towards the acetal and to my surprize it actualy worked! I was able to use the depth gauge on the drill to get the wall on the end of the bushing exactly 2mm. I have put some pictures of the bushings and of the pillar drill setup in

Day 12

Today I welded together the pieces which will make the cradle to hold the stub axles in on the front suspension.

Day 13

Date:6/1/06 From now on the updates will be dated

Today I finished the cradles buy welding on the pieces of metal for holding on the arms to the cradles. I lined them up together so that they will both be the exact same. This is important so the suspension will gives its optimum performence. But the fact that have finished the cradles, stub axles, ect means I have to make the A-arms. The problem I don't have a chop saw to cut the pipes dead sqaure, so I thought lets make one, which is'nt as craze as it sounds. I just mounted my small grinder on a piece of 1" box and made up some acteal bushings mounted it on some frame that was lieing round and weld on to very priecely postioned bits of box. Its not fully complete i still have to get a disc and make the vice for holding the steel in place. the picture shows a mock cutting set up. Lots of photos.

Day 14

Date:7/1/06

I got the chop saw up and runnig but its just not good enough. The problem is I can't mount the grinder soild enough and it moves out from the cut 0.5mm. I wanted prefection to illimanate the use of the file, all in the name of precession (not to save me from that lovely file work...!) No photos!

Day 15

Date:10/1/06

The chopsaw works!!!

Day 16

Date:14/4/06

Today I finally got back to doing some work on the buggy. I made up most of the jig which will be used to make the A-Arms for the front suspension, I just have to put in the guides for the pipe going from end to end. You can see 2 of them are in already. I also got all the end pipes cut accurately and square with the help of my trusty homemade chop saw. Here is a picture off the jig, the end pipes and one A-Arm ready for welding.

Day 17

Date:13/6/06

Today I finally got a little rest bite from the leaving cert exams and said I'd do some work on the buggy. I had been previously working on the front suspension and decided to keep with that theme. I had the end pipes and jig made so the next thing was to cut the pipes going between them. I cut out a template from timber for making them leaving 4mm each end for rounding. I got them all cut out and the ends rounded to fit into one another nicely. With the help of the jig I got them all stitch together. I then wanted to fit the suspension together to see how it would come together and look against the frame, but to do this I needed to make up 8 new bushings, back to the good old pillar drill. There is a picture of the suspension mock up with the frame, not too bad looking at all. I all so got an axle with differential that I was thinking of using but when I got it I realized it was too heavy. Maybe when I get a bigger engine and decide to revap the buggy I will incorporate it.

Day 18-23

Date:6/7/06-Date:11/7/06

Now, finally get this page updated. Unfortunately this is not what it should be a report of the days work but more like a report of the last 5 ish bits of days and nights. A lot has been in the last few days, I was slowed down by the fact I had to find 12mm plain bar which was difficult but then when I got it I discovered to my horror that it was more like 12.3mm than 12mm and this lead to the next problem find a bit to suit the bar to the o.o...mm and of cross I had to turn to the good old internet, but as good as it is I then had the waiting for the bit to arrive, but when it did I leaped into action. The first thing was to bore out all the suspension components with the new bit, next the bottom arms of the suspension were mounted and then the upper level of the front frame and then the mounting of the upper arm and strengthening the upper frame. Now the steering is the main focus. I got the steering rack cut back to size and also placed a sleeve over the small end of the rack for the boot to be mounted to, it was held in using grub screws which acted also as a great way to ensure the bushing would stay in place. Then I set up a jig and mounted on the steering arms at an angle of 15 degrees, mounted the rack and shortened the steering arms. As soon as I had all working and mounted I striped it all down and started welding every thing up including all suspension/steering components. I will now put it all back together and head to the back, more than likely I will spend more time o the phone trying to find the parts than I will working over the next few days.

Update

Date:22/8/07

Hi its been a while sence i've updated the site but i have been trying to figure my back alxe and its taken a while. I have done a few things though. I treaded both ends of the suspension pins on the front so as to hold them in with lock nuts, one on each end. I also installed the drum brakes on the front. And mounted the front shocks aswell. I've made up a gear shift for testing only as i have not put on the side roll bars yet. I hoped to be getting the alxe back from the machincist by the end of the week so i started to make up the trail arm for the back suspension. I will hopefully updated again when i get the axle back. So till then.

Day 25-26

Date:27/8/07-Date:28/8/07

Finally got back to doing some real work on the go-kart.Tacked the rear trail arm together which took about 3 or 4 hours to line up right. I then got it mounted to the chassic which also took too many hours. In truth it has to be the hardest thing to date on this project and i think it will be as it is the most important thing to have prefect. Have also started on the accelerater pedal and linkage. Started to make pedal but don't know think i will go with car ones.

Day 27-28

Date:30/8/07-Date:31/8/07

Got the accelerater cable hooked up to the pedal box. I had to put another spring on the cable as the bike spring wasn't strong enough to pull back the extra bit of cable. I mounted a chipboard floor pan for the timebeing but didn't bore holes in the chassic i used tabs. Also have started to finish the rest of the roll cage. The pedal box is out of a fiesta.

Day 29

Date:3/9/07

Got the axle and all its bits back today from the machincest. I now have to bore out the hub plates to fit the wheel studs. The tube with the key in them are of the pully piece from the bottom of the engine of the lawn mower that he wheels came of.

Day 30

Date:7/9/07

Got the hubs for the axles studed and bored the spocket charrier today. Also put the grubs screws on them. I use M8's on the wheel hubs and M6's on the carrier. I am going to be putting real wheels on the buggy but am just using the car wheels for the moment. I shorten the chain aswell. I have included a picture of another project i am working on, just to show why things seemed to be going slow.

Day 31

Date:15/9/07

Got the roll bars tide together at the back and put in temperory uprights at the back as well as a brace to hold the back suspension. The back axle is linning up really good, wish i could say the say for the wirring on the bike engine. Had to by pass the ingintion switch but still need a new spark plug. The engine is kicking but not firring up.Progress will be slowing down on this project as college is reopened. But hopefully i made be working on a single seater f1 sytle race car at college.

Day 32

Date:13/3/08

Hi just thought i should update on progress. Working on the braking system. Using a master cylinder-servo from a ford fiesta and the drums on the front that came with the mini hubs and stub axle setup. Didn't know if the drums would actualy work but they do. So just have to bleed them and should be able to test. No pictures yet. P.s does anyone know what size of steel is used on the roll hoops i am not sure, if so send an email please, thank you

Day 33

Date:29/9/08

Hi just thought i should update on progress. Have got brakes working with new copper piping on the front and am trying to use a brake regulater for the back with a bike calipier. Have roll cage done, 1 inch pipe ( inner diameter). Also modified the front cradles to have a castor angle. Modified the bike exaust pipes with the pipe bender to suit the buggy using the bike silencer as well. Buggy is nearly done just needs new front wheels, wire up lights and horn and stuff and piant it up properly. Pictures will come soon, no card reader so.