Make a new monocoque for a modern vehicle

[Grant-53]

The 36lb/hp came from an article by SAAB engineers in the 60's as the optimum weight for a passenger car. In a sports car that would be lower, as in the old SAAB Sonnet 4 cyl. fwd. Richard Ridley sells plans for trikes that could be adapted to a moncoque design.

The 4 cyl. dune buggies have 24" suspension travel. Seat angle will depend on the suspension and muscle tone of the back. See Mark Martin's exercise book.

[niky]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

I have been thinking about something similar, but on a small 4WD chassis, something like a Suzuki Samurai or Honda CR-V. I drive on a lot of really rough dirt roads, and would like something that gets better than the 27 mpg I've been getting from my Toyota pickup, and which has comfortable seating - by which I mean semi-reclined, not bolt-upright like most 4WDs seem to have. So I might wind up with something like a sports car with about a foot of ground clearance...

Anyone done anything like this?

Get something like this:

Welcome to the Trail Tough Products

CRAWL/Trail Tough Zuk Build « CRAWL Magazine

and change the windshield angle.

But knowing a bunch of Samurai owners... I can tell you that fuel economy is not a strong point. Not with that heavy 4x4 system mated to a tiny, carbureted engine and short gears.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by niky

Get something like this:

That's almost exactly opposite to what I want. I don't want the suspension & wheels jacked up beyond stock, and I want the distance between roof and frame/floor pan to be much less. Think of a late-model CRX on a 4WD chassis...

The difference between me and those Samurai guys is that they're driving their 4WD as recreation, while I want a vehicle that's a tool to get me to the trailheads. That generally involves some highway driving - anywhere from a couple of miles to a couple of hundred - plus a last 2-5 or so that are usually very rough dirt, and often climb 1000 ft or so per mile.

[niky]

The idea is similar... scrap most of the body and pare the vehicle down to the bare minimum. And a Sammie is about as minimal as you can get. Keep the stock height, pull the body off and make your own. Unfortunately, most aftermarket bodies I've seen for the Sammie/Jimny chassis are completely non-aerodynamic tube-frames like that one. You'd have to find a way to make it more aerodynamic.

You could always just slap a CR-X or VX shell over a Sammie. Since those things are ladder-frames, the body itself doesn't serve much purpose (which is why so many people convert them into buggies).

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Anyhow, I'm never impressed with 2-seater cars. I can get 60mpg on my CBR600 and transport just as many people and cargo.

My 1978 Honda Hawk and 1986 VW Golf Diesel both could get 50 mpg hwy, but I would not confuse the two. A motorcycle is a motorcycle, and a car is a car.

[drmiller100]

Originally Posted by kach22i

y, but i would not confuse the two. A motorcycle is a motorcycle, and a car is a car.

lol

[kach22i]

I did not mean to take a swat at anyone.

You just could not get me back on a bike, too many text messages leaving people driving blind these days.

If you have ever had freezing rain coat your helmet visor with ice while driving at night, you would agree that a motorcycle has a limited usability envelope.

The things I have lived though to tell about....................