Popular Post mo999 Posted April 17, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted April 17, 2016 Here's a build from way back in the day - I finally found an old photo album I had lost - It may be of interest to some... It starts when I was 14 and lived on a farm in Mid Canterbury by the beach. I decided I wanted to build a beach buggy - visited the local wrecker and told him so, looking for suitable chassis to base it on. He said "How about this Trekka I have here" I said OK (not knowing anything about them) I also said I don't have the $60 you want for it, he said "Would you like a job?" The deal was done, so 1 Trekka chassis + a Humber 80 for the motor and box turned into this with my fathers help. 1 20-04-2013 8-04-16 PM 20-04-2013 8-04-16 PM This equated to many happy years of sideways driving around the farm / scaring my friends / rolled it once etc. But I decided that I needed more POWER - so here is the story of what came next. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Following the successful design of one my cousin built. I started on a new creation. It involved the chassis from one of these Thames van by David, on Flickr and a V8 of some sort So I got a chassis 5 17-04-2016 5-59-18 PM 4 17-04-2016 3-52-51 PM As these vans are forward control, I cut about 2 feet off the front - and converted it to rack and pinion (thanks to an Avenger) you can see the rack ready in these pictures. Also at about this time I got these wheels and tyres for $50 from the McLeans Island Swapmeet - these vans are standard Ford 5 stud, stud pattern. I also got a Bedford diff (more on that later) which very nearly fitted the springs. 7 17-04-2016 3-52-55 PM 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mo999 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 18, 2016 So I was now on the lookout for an engine and gearbox and came across this beauty an HT Holden with a not very factory Chev V8 in it. Got it from some extremely dodgy guys in Linwood, Christchurch for $1000. Trailered it home and proceeded to do burnouts until the diff blew - not surprising it was just the standard banjo type! 2 17-04-2016 3-52-39 PM 3 17-04-2016 3-52-44 PM This is my Father (GuyWithAvaiators grandfather) giving it a go as well - I remember seeing mum coming down the road in the distance and Dad encouraging me to light it up as she passed! 4 17-04-2016 3-52-37 PM 17-04-2016 3-52-37 PM 17-04-2016 3-52-37 PM Was kind of glad the diff blew as when we got back home and took a look at the front suspension was about to fall out from rust anyway. It turns out it was a 307 Chev with a powerglide - with some nice Holly rocker covers and it ran extremely well - great oil pressure and good compressions all round. I sold the genuine Holden V8 radiator for $100 - ripped out the pedal box and floor shifter and dumped the rest. (Actually we attempted to blow it up with a Oxy/Acetylene bomb first) I mentioned we got it some some dodgy types - when we dumped the body a Butterfly knife (the completely illegal type) appeared from under the dash. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted April 19, 2016 Author Share Posted April 19, 2016 By this time I had mounted the steering rack - complete with welded tie rods (no certs needed here ) Time to test fit the motor and box - just hook it up to the front-end loader and drop it in - I just needed to straighten out the inner chassis rails and in it went. 6 17-04-2016 3-53-00 PM Built a rear crossmember support and bolted in the OG Holden one - job done cars020 cars022 10 Points for an ID on my car in the background? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintin Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Subaru Justy? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.craw4d Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 ^^Beat me to it, was gona say justy. Loving the buggy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 One more of the engine in cars021 At this stage I got the Fordson out, took the motor and box back out and welded up the rest of the underside. I have also started on the framing for the firewall and the rear of the body. You can also see the centre mounted tramp rod I added to the diff to stop the leaf springs winding up under power - but still allowing for plenty of travel on the rough stuff. Also to be seen is the mount for the Steering Rack. cars079 cars080 The framing of the body is just 1/2 inch galv water pipe, hand bent around a from. I love the smell of galv burning off when welding! BTW the car is not a Justy. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam-B Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Nice! Im guessing its a leone in the background? ive owned a few and those mudflaps look very familiar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 Nice! Im guessing its a leone in the background? ive owned a few and those mudflaps look very familiar Give that man a prize - 1980 Leone 3 door 1800cc - a great wee car - Still not sure it it was better than the avenger it replaced! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 My girl-friend at the time (now wife) took some pics of me actually working on it. Not sure if welding this close to the petrol can is OSH approved! Definitely OS approved though. Things have moved on a bit now - just welding in the steering shaft support bearing - you can also see the Trans oil cooler I built from an old fridge compressor. cars054 I had trial fitted a seat to determine the pedal placement - note the G-Clamps holding the steering column on - I seem to remember driving it around like this - just because I could - brakes are entirety optional cars055 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 Some more progress - and a new car! no points for guessing this time - too easy! Starting to take shape - firewall in - the finest fire proof plywood along with the pedalbox / brake MC from the HT even managed to use the throttle linkage. cars070 Also note the Bedford radiator - "borrowed" from dads Spray truck cars052 cars053 Points for the foamer that ID's the re-purposed air cleaner 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted April 27, 2016 Author Share Posted April 27, 2016 A bit more progress, cars082 cars081 cars083 I was definitely driving it around like this - note the straight pipes, vise-grips holding the battery cable, fuel tank that was tied on and G-Clamps! On the construction side, I was given some white colour steel ex an industrial fridge so this is glued and riveted on so it doesn't rattle - no painting required. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo999 Posted May 13, 2016 Author Share Posted May 13, 2016 Here it is nearly finished, after this it made some bull bars for the front and fitted a towbar to the back - then just drove it whenever I could. cars098 cars097 cars096 For those interested in old trucks - the front bumper was taken off a 50's Dennis truck (ex council rubbish truck) seen in the background of the picture of me sitting in it. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mo999 Posted May 22, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 22, 2016 Final update - unless I find the VHS tape of these beasts running. After I had it complete we had a weekend of fun on the farm with two others just like this one. It went very well handled good - got great bite on the dirt - when launching from a standing start it would pop the left front wheel off the ground! Two mishaps though - my girlfriend (now wife) took it for a spin (literally) and removed 20M of the boundary fence and nose down in a water race - it was pretty exciting on wet grass! We pulled it out of there bent the bumper back off the wheel and fixed the fence all good only a bit of hurt pride and sore knee where the ignition key on the dash got it. Funnily enough I was talking the the old neighbour a while ago and he still remembers this happening - it was in the 90's! The other thing of note was that I learnt that Bedford diff's are not strong - but not in the way you might think - it broke the axle off outside the bearing and of course the wheel fell off causing the passenger riding in the back to somersault off, apparently he landed on his feet. After that I replaced that diff with a Transit one - the heavy duty type with floating axles - and had no further problems. Drove the thing lots and lots after that, places you cannot go now - rivers, beaches etc. One memorable trip down the Waipara river from the SH1 to the sea and back. Never let me down - I learn't that towing it into a Nor'wester up hill to Kirwee with my L series Turbo Subaru was not a good idea - BHG on the Subaru! So I picked up a cheap and very rust HQ Ute with a 253 in it - not a real V8 one though which made a much better tow vehicle. I will just leave this here - not long before I sold it due to family and lack of place to store it - I still miss it! Thats me and GuyWithAviators when he was just two years old! buggy002 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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