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Scratch built car hauler...design study
I have this problem. Well, actually, I have lots of problems but most don't apply to this site.
One of my problems is that my brain never shuts off...not that it's necessarily doing anything significant or that it's even capable of doing anything significant. It's just always noodling about something or the other and working through what it would take to do......whatever. My long suffering wife (40 years next month) can spot it...."What are you building now...." Someday, I'll finish the roadster....someday...surely someday.... And then what? I'd really like to build the Bugatti pedal car but that won't take long....surely.... What's been rolling around in the empty spaces for the past year or so is that I'd like to build a really, REALLY neat car hauler. Something that I could drive places with the roadster in it and possibly use it as a motor home of sorts also. Or make a tractor and trailer combination. I don't know....so many options. Some of you are probably wondering what the heck I'm rambling about and what this has to do with an all metal shaping site? Well, we've always maintained that it was OK to get into the mechanical aspects of a project as long as the overall project was documented and had a majority of the project was metal shaping...which this will be. My roadster build is similar. There is a lot of non-metalshaping in it but it's all related to the overall project. Hard to build a body without the chassis/drivetrain..... What I'd like to do is get input from the group on this project. Design ideas, schemes, thoughts, etc. If we start getting to far off track, those who are interested can join me in a social group that I'll start to discuss mechanical aspects of the project. Some of the things that get my blood pumping: Can you see what I see with this White COE? And then there is this: I have parts of the is 55-57 (single headlight Chevy COE: I also own a 76 Chevy Crew Cab Dually with a strong 454, rebuilt tranny, new everything and a crapped out body...it was my Dad's. I also have access (freebie from a Brother-in-law) to a couple 56 Chevy PU Cabs and am confident I could build a stretched COE cab from them. What to do...what to do??? I've also thought about getting a late 30's panel truck and converting it into something by building a body off the back that was large enough for the roadster to fit in it. Issues and design goals: 1- Has to have the 'look'. I can't describe it but will know it when I see it... Art Deco look. Could be scratch built but probably using something for the cab portion would be infinitely easier. The car container part will be pretty simple with primarily simple rolls and tapers either glued or riveted to curved stringers. Have to have a flip up rear end to get the car in and out. 2- Could be a single vehicle or tractor and trailer. Advantages to both approaches...not the least of which is having a drivable vehicle after the trailer is dropped. Another BIG advantage is room in the shop. A motorhome sized vehicle is going to consume my shop and won't fit on the lift. 3- Front wheel drive power train is an interesting thing? I know that some motor homes were made from Olds Tornado and Caddy Eldorado FWD big blocks. The car only weighs 2200 lbs and the majority of the hauler will be aluminum so weight shouldn't be a big deal. Is there a way to use the front axle from a 4WD 1 ton and turn the motor around to only drive the front axle? Seems like it should work but I don't know. The axle would have to be flopped over so it'd rotate in the right direction...maybe....I don't know. 4- I'd like it to be low. Lower than 8 inch or so clearance from the bottom of the frame. It'd be nice to use the front wheel drive so I could use a couple dropped single wheel axles in the rear in order to keep the deck height low. Another advantage to the front wheel drive. 5- I'd like to have decent gas mileage and not have to deal with DOT numbers, weight stations, etc. I may be able to get around if it is an 'RV'. ????? 6- I'm retired and don't have unlimited funds. 7- I'd generally rather build than buy because the building process is what I enjoy. 8- To be determined So, what do YOU think?
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Kerry Pinkerton |
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Hi Kerry
I sure would like some of those drugs that you are on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds interesting!!!! Front wheel drive ramp trucks & cab overs have been around for quite a while now.It has been a popular conversion. I also have pondered the same ?'s in the past. I just keep putting it on the shelf. I do think thow I would finish the first project first. thats what I keep telling myself. Butch Last edited by Butch Duke; 12-10-2010 at 12:52 AM. |
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Can you tell me some brands/makes Butch. I'm aware of the Izusu ect COE turbo diesels but thought most of those were RWD?
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Kerry Pinkerton |
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This is kind of what I've been working on with my Flxible project, sort of. I originally bought it to pull the little race car around. I chose it over other rigs because of the fuel mileage, 12 mpg compared to 4 mpg we got from a GMC motorhome like the green one you have pictured. The GMC did have interesting suspension in the back though. It had single sided swing arms , 2 on each side in the back that were sprung with air bags between the tandem wheels. This provided a flat floor that would work well as a car hauler. Fun stuff.
Maybe a Olds Toronado transaxle with a Duramax diesel in place of the Olds 455. Last edited by bobadame; 12-10-2010 at 01:07 AM. |
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I'm a real fan of the White 3000 series trucks.
There are some interesting customs and design studies that were done for White such as in the following link: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...thing-on-niko/ The Classic White Forum: http://www.classicwhitetrucks.com/ The American Truck Historical Society: http://www.aths.org/ Some early firetrucks are also interesting: from the following thread: http://allmetalshaping.com/showthrea...ght=fire+truck |
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I've collected a few of the toro suspensions and trans for that same reason.
Am I gonna do it? Doutfull, there are I think 27 (don't count'em anymore) projects ahead of that one |
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Here is a very high-tec hauler from the 30's. I realize it would be hard to duplicate but maybe you can get a couple ideas from it. < grin >
Do you think it made it to where ever it was going?
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The Rod Doctor, Richard Crees |
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Kerry,
I've got a great base over here(a mercedes benz car hauler 306D from 1977). Why don't you build the body and the n we'll mate it to my chassis .
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Nico |
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Hi Kerry i have the same as you said in your previous post.
One of my problems is that my brain never shuts off... We are on the same wave lenght as far as building something that stands out.... i love the old style trucks and panel vans,but with to many restrictions over here in the Netherlands not much is left what i can do as far as building something until these little cars came on the road..... These are 30 miles an hour cars with a little diesel engine so very very good on gas mileage....Called Aixam Mega Multi Truck.I can change the body on this car because restriction wise it is a Moped so less rules. Then i found an artist on the HUB his nickname is Tinpau and he made a 3d drawing of this I asked him if he could sent me the 3d file and he did..... I opened it up in Solid Works but it had no date in it so getting info to make a buck was not possible , it was an STL file that i could not turn into a step or so. i tried with a lot of help but that did not work out... After a while however i met someone that could get info out of the file and he did it for me, i now can make a buck.Now i have to find the time to do it good luck with your new challenge... Ben |
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OH here's a few more to think about...
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Ron Lile Captain of an unknown, landlocked pirate ship |
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