my 355 chevy engine for this?

[Chewy67420]

I'm with the trophy truck idea. From what your wanting that sounds about what your looking for. Well really just a "pre-runner", but they are pretty much mini trophy trucks. For your idea you're talkin about some bucks. I think if you were going for a 2wheel drive 1500 pre-runner you could get it done, but i don't think it would be cheap. To me you'd be able to get more suspension out of a two wheel drive vs 4wheel drive. I'd plan on around maybe $500-1000 per corner for shocks. Thats just a very rough guess on shocks. If you want a pre runner make it. Do the research, there are a lot of em out there. I'm sure skyjacker and fabtech make just what you'd need to go with your ideas. It's just all about how much you want to spend.

As far as using chromoly tubing goes... You really don't need it unless ur racing. Mild steel makes great frames. I'm not 100% sure but i think the buggy shown under my post was rolled 8 times and endoed 7 times down devil's dune in St Anthony. You could tell where the chromoly a-arms had fought with the mild steel frame, but the frame held up great. I have pictures someplace of the buggy after it took it's spill in St Anthony, but the picture bellow is how it rolled out of the fab shop.

Hell If i was you i'd find someone with vw sandrail with a nice frame. Have a vw bus transaxle built to it's max and then stuff that 355 in there. Do a mid engine set up. Now that would be a bad ass sand rail. The right might be a lil rough but you could always speed up to make it smooth out a lil bit... lol

To be 100% honest I'd say to get you a vw rail be it a stock motor rail with a stock transaxle or what ever and go from there. Find some buggy guys to help you out and you should be straight.

Now i left this out in my other post. based my views on that buggy on what you were going to trade for it. There is no way i'd give someone a motor like yours for that thing. But that buggy would be neat to have around for cheap.


Figure out what cha want and start saving!

[wideopenracing]

i thought about the mild steel frame and what not but with as rough on shit as i am, i would need it....ive been researching this idea for quite sometime and i think i would almost rather have a truck than a buggy, basically just for the room.... in a buggy with that engine stuffed in and 2 seats there isnt really enough room left for my big ass... im 6'3" 205lbs, i need the leg room.... i will probably go with the pre runner cuz i know im lookin at around 8g's just for the front a-arms and shocks all around, cuz im gonna need a long travel suspension, as far as building a rail with the vw transaxle, just to find the bellhousing adapter would be a nightmare!! mendeola.com is about the only place to get a transaxle set up for a small block chev........ also i think that if i were to ever build a rail i wouldnt use a vw or a chevy, i would get a mazda 20b rotary engine with the turbo set up...... rotary engines are super light weight and put out large amounts of power if set up right
thanks for all your ideas

[Chewy67420]

talk to tod over at http://johnsonsbuggies.com he can get cha set up to use what ever motor with a vw transaxle.

[wideopenracing]

sweet ill look into it

[climb any hill]

Looks like the old school buggies out here, that thing is nice & I'd go for the trade assuming it will perform well offroad! You'll need different tires & how about some paddles, will it roll on sand?

[2000BansheeBoy]

the truck would be awesome the rail could be cool, but nother idea that popped into my head is you could try and find somebody that might wanna trade a busa rail for your 355???

[Chewy67420]

Blah, I'm a moron.... I was looking at my friends 89 chevy, and noticed that it didn't have a solid front axle. I'd say making a long travel set up with a-arms up front would be pretty easy.

[2000BansheeBoy]

Do it!! Keep us posted wit what's goin on alright??? I love rails, just not as much as my quad haha

[wideopenracing]

thats what im looking to do really, but around here no one has a 2 wheel drive junker, only because this is 4x4 country, its basically a demand if you wanna survive the winters here, if i go with the 4x4 frame it wont allow me to have the same amount of travel in the front so i need a 2 wheel drive frame plus its lighter than 4x4, i would have liked to had the buggy but that dude backed out cuz he didnt wanna drive anywhere to make a transaction........ i think he got cold feet about the whole thing...... so im just gonna do it my way, its gonna cost some but when my son is old enough to raise some hell with me in it, it should be complete, so i have enough time. ill keep you guys posted, i just need a frame to start with, i thought about makin a chevy ranger but i dunno, so many ideas, just not enough resources

[2000BansheeBoy]

Chevy ranger nice. What mods are done to the engine exactly?