Buggys

[Fordguy77]

Has anyone ever looked much into the buggy chassis you can buy and build up? i really would like to build a buggy one day so i can do more challenging stuff without worrying about body damage and such. I know body damage is a part of wheeling and all, But i do like my rigs to look rather clean than all beat up. If anyone has looked into this can you please send me where you found them. So far i have only found
Hendrix Motor Sports (http://www.hendrixmotorsports.com/index.html)
Granted i haven't looked to hard yet

[Brody]

The Hendrix Chassis is supposed to be one of the best bang for the buck builder chassis' out on the market. There easily 10 companies making generic 'buggy' chassis'. I believe that Bluey Fab, Blue Torch Fabrication, and maybe Sky Manufacturing make a buggy chassis for starters. There are also 2-3 companies that make a weld on chassis that will weld up to the existing frame rails of Blazers and Toyotas as another option.

Hendrix makes one of these Formula Toy weld ons. The company making the Blazer/GMC weld on tube chassis does the same thing and I bet that that would be similar enough to the Ford (if you want to stay with Ford) that it could be easily adapted.

If you were going to do this on a budget, your Formula Toy set up is probably going to give you the best rig for the lowest price. Too bad you weren't ready to rock and roll on this a couple of months ago. My neighbor had a Dodge 1/2 ton 4x4 frame, engine, axles...everything except the body for $700 that would have been the perfect cheap buggy builder.

[Haku]

The Hendrix X-chassis is an awesome setup, and is as much as most of us would ever need. The F-toy is specifically designed to compete in the WE Rock series, and is designed around the restrictions for the competition class. Essentially that means its designed to be built onto a full size chassis, using leaf springs, and has to have a Toyota drive train. From what I read, the X-chassis is their answer to the people who were looking for a more recreational style buggy, that could use link suspension and airshocks or coilovers. The cool thing is, they are big enough to fit 4 people comfortably, and are very capable yet lightweight rigs. The cool thing is, its all built off an existing chassis that already has all the mounts and such, so its a lot cheaper. Last I check, for a DOM .120 wall F-toy tubing chassis, they were asking $900 for a pre bent, pre notched, but not welded cage to attach to the frame of a donor pickup or 1st generation 4 runner. The X-chassis is a bit more at $2500 or so, but is completely made of tubing. Thats a steal, and worth every penny for either option. You still have to figure some other stuff out like getting the dash cluster, steering wheel, pedals and seats and such in, but thats true of pretty much any chassis.

There are other similar companies that will build you something mild to wild. No matter how you come out of this though, it will cost you more then you think it will. The Blue Torch Buggies are much more expensive, at around $5k, but they are fully built up, come fully welded I think, and will last a lifetime. There are about 5 or 6 other companies that I know of but can't remember their name that build chassis to build off of too.

There is also an outfit called AZ Rock Crawlers that sells plans so you can do the bending and notching yourself and save a ton of money. I think they charge like $80 or so per chassis, which is a steal. Think it said that it takes about 8 sticks of tubing (20feet), not including gussets and stiffeners, which should cost around $500 if you shop around for good prices (I recommend Marmon/Keystone for DOM tubing, their prices for DOM were better then most of the other places for the inferior quality HREW). Check out the plans here.... http://www.azrockcrawler.com/_images/plans/plans.html

A couple others to look at (poor man beware though)

Essentially Offroad ($2500 kit)
http://shop.eoronline.com/main.sc

Trent Fabrication ($4-5 buggy chassis)
http://www.trentfabrication.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=111&zenid=bae7htkebh7llhms0eu3ebv264

Twisted Customs ($5k for a bare chassis, nearly $10k for a rolling chassis with spider 9 axles)
http://www.twistedcustoms.biz/products.aspx?i=0&c=9

Bent Fabrications (don't have a website yet, but here is link to his pirate posts, you can see the other chassis he makes in his signature too, oh and $3800-$4500 for a bare chassis, $8k for a roller)
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7976655#post7976655

Branik Motorsports ($3500 or so bare chassis)
http://www.branikmotorsports.com/chassis.htm

Lots of other ones to choose from too. All in about the same price range though. The real question is, do you really need a buggy? Have a way to tow it (with a bunch of Fords in the yard, I imagine thats a yes). I know for me, I doubt I'll really feel the need for a buggy for quite a while. With an Exo cage and some beefier axles, I could probably keep up with most of those buggies in the rocks, but still be able to drive it on the streets without having to worry about rain and weather, or bugs flying at me. Making one of those Fords into a Truggy would be badass too. Gotta love a full size buggy.

JH

[Fordguy77]

Thank you both for all the input. The main reason i would want to go buggy is just to relieve some of the stress of denting my stuff up. I know its apart of wheeling. But i am spending alot of money restoring/modifying my rigs, and i want it to show. I have though about turning an older ranger into a truggy thou, seems like it would be pretty cool and functionable. Yeah towing isn't to much of a problem around my place. Hell one time i had no choice other than to use my ranger to tow a 76 f250 home from steamboat. I might of only went over rabbit ears at 15mph, but the little ranger got her home. My other thought is to just build the hell out of that BII and put an exo on it. But currently its been used as a DD so building it to much right now isn't a great idea.

[Haku]

I know how it is. I'd love to have a dedicated Buggy too. Something light weight and powerfull. I just keep coming back to the fact that its nice to be able to roll your windows up when it rains and stuff. That, and the fact that however much you think the project is going to cost, and how long you think it will take, its probably going to be double. I've seen a ton of projects that take 2 years, when the guy was planning on it being a 4 month winter project. Still dumping money into it the whole time though. They are always gung ho about it for the month or so, and then they start to realize what it really takes and get discouraged. Can't remember a buildup where the dude building it didn't saw "screw it" and threw a tarp over the project and didn't touch it for a couple months at some point.

Just remember, everything will have to be beefed up pretty heavily for the kind of use this things beg for, and that is not cheap. Not trying to be a buzz kill at all, just trying to bring the reality that I've found spending the last year focusing most of my web browsing on this subject, and trying to put it to use on my truck.

Either way, if you get this going, I'd love to help out and learn with ya on what it takes. I'm determined to be a fabber, and am in the process of building up the tools and knowledge to get there. Have a look through the Ford section on Pirate and see what some of the guys have done. It mostly be Bronco's and such on there, but there are some cool Rangers and Full Sizes too. Oh, and being a ford big truck guy, you probably have some axles sitting around that would be badass to build a buggy with. hehee......let me know if you have a Kingpin Dana 60 non dually steering axle that you want to sell:lmao:.

JH

[Fordguy77]

I actually managed to score a couple dana 60's last march when i was working in craig, from that giant junkyard they got just east of town. I even scored 2 ford 10.25's. But not plannin on getting ready of them anytime soon, hopefully one day plan to have them under a 78 bronco and a 76 f250. lol if i ever get a 78 or 76. if i ever decide to let them go i'll let ya know

[Fordguy77]

Yeah, i am trying to build a spreadsheet, and build plan for a buggie. I am still living at home with the folks and such. If i do plan to build one, i will probably start next jan after i have 90% of the estimated funds. I like the toy formula one. but i'll have to go check out those other sites you listed me. And thanks for the idea of going over and checking out ford truggys on pirate, thought never occurred to me.

[Haku]

Seriously, if you see a set and can't afford it, let me know. I'd go for a Ford 9" too. I'd love to go full width on my rig, but the Dana 60 axles are pretty spendy, and the Ford 9" doesn't come in a steering axle, so you have to put Dana 60 C's and knuckles on. I know the Ruff Stuff axle that I mentioned in the other post can use up to 40 spline axles, which as far as I am concerned will never ever break under a Toyota. Either way, I could probably scrounge enough money together to get a Dana 60 if it was a good junkyard find or something.

JH

[Fordguy77]

Seriously, if you see a set and can't afford it, let me know. I'd go for a Ford 9" too. I'd love to go full width on my rig, but the Dana 60 axles are pretty spendy, and the Ford 9" doesn't come in a steering axle, so you have to put Dana 60 C's and knuckles on. I know the Ruff Stuff axle that I mentioned in the other post can use up to 40 spline axles, which as far as I am concerned will never ever break under a Toyota. Either way, I could probably scrounge enough money together to get a Dana 60 if it was a good junkyard find or something.

JH

Alright will do. i do a lot of classic ford parts hunting in various places all over the state, you'd be surprised how easy it is to find 9's in the right yards. And thats where my problem comes in, i have the axles but not the cash to build them. one day lol i think i need to focus on one project at a time right now rather than be working on like 5 at a time thou, it might help.

[SubaCool]

Speaking of Buggys, I still have my Baja Bug I'm trying to sell :rolleyes: That could give you a good base to start with :D