BlackEye
30.04.2021 12:35:21
The Mercedes-created Smart, for all its tiny charm, isn't a great car and it sells horribly. I think I have a solution to both problems: turn it into a dune buggy.
See full version: The Smart Car Would Be Better As A Dune Buggy
The Mercedes-created Smart, for all its tiny charm, isn't a great car and it sells horribly. I think I have a solution to both problems: turn it into a dune buggy.
Look, hear me out. I know it seems an unlikely candidate, but the Smart actually has a number of traits that could make it a workable successor to the old VW-based dune buggies. I don't think the Smart will end up with the competitive legacy of VW-based Bajas and sand rails, but for a fun, built-in-a-backyard toy, it'll be great. I'm thinking long-term here–-this is a way to repurpose older used Smart cars. [links]
It's not like I lived in some special neighborhood of mechanical geniuses. It was just a regular mid-size town's residential, middle-class neighborhood, and this same thing was going on all over the country. The kits were relatively easy to work with, and cheap VW Beetles that had used up their first lives as somebody's everyday car were common. And that's the root of the problem we have now: there's no good donor cars for dune buggies anymore. The simple and plentiful original Beetle chassis are no longer so plentiful, but I have an idea for a good replacement: Smart cars. more
There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die. more
Gen[M]ay Audio/Video Club Member
31f8e9ddb02391c72f05adcdeb50a8c3
Its almost like a very small pickup frame, it has a bed of sorts at the back and is of very simple construction. a cage could easily be welded ontop.
I once stripped an old plymouth reliant down to the unibody and used that as a dune buggy. had soem get up and go, although u could only go 80 km/h at the most becuase it was so unstable and light. then some jack ass stole it
Apr 14, 2005 #6 2005-04-14T06:49 [links]
We have this frame at college which was from a 70s kit car, it uses all MK2 Ford Escort parts and would be so easy to make into a dune buggy. very simple frame, macpherson struts up front and leafs at the rear.
I own 2 ATV 4wd and in the past I have done a great deal of off road exploring in a small 4x4 pick up truck. Years ago I had an isuzu that basically rotted away but it had a bullet proof motor and trans. I stripped the bed and plated the entire frame. I rebuilt a steel and PT wood tiny bed and put huge tires on it. more
Ever seen the the rally cars and what theyre put through
Re: Convert a car into an offroad buggy. Doable?
Re: Convert a car into an offroad buggy. Doable?
This four-wheeler is designated as the DSE-1700A, but don’t let the door-less presentation and a fancy name fool you; this little Samurai rip-off looks as bad on the inside as it does on the outside. Rudimental frame construction makes this thing a laughable prototype. here
This machine isn’t necessarily a bad design. It may be supremely crude, from an engineering standpoint – but it gets the job done. Although the design of this four-wheel machine seems to be completely useless, it acts as a perfect platform for the unobstructed viewing of back-country mud-running – some of the wildest pickup truck tomfoolery you’ve ever seen in your life.
He’d do exactly what you’d think he’d do – the same exact thing (minus all the professional production and safety closures). And that’s essentially what he did right before posting it on YouTube for millions to see his face, license plate, and name plastered along the side of the ‘67 as it wreaked havoc in downtown San Diego. House arrest, jail, and probation are how that story ended. [links]
Next time you find yourself aimlessly wandering around the Peruvian desert without a travel itinerary, consider moseying on down to Huacachina. You can book a travel tour to the ancient ruins of forgotten cultures – or decide to entrust your safety to the third-world maintenance practices of a buggy converted from an old Volkswagen platform. more
If you’re not up to speed on the San Diego Shark Attack, picture what would happen if you gave a young, testosterone-fueled man an insanely-powered, ’67 Baja; one that’s built like a Ken Block special – and then showed him Gymkhana videos of a 1,400 hp Mustang ripping up downtown streets for 15 minutes. [links]