Suzuki Sidekick Buggy/Go Kart

[Dzimm]

8 hours ago, Pete M said:

so what's the plan for making sure this breakage doesn't happen again? 

The plan is to find some steel housings from a Suzuki XL7 or Grand Vitara.  I've been having trouble locating those because they got both aluminum and steel housings and the junkyards aren't too helpful at checking the material for me..  I also will be more careful about power application when jumping it because I think I had hit the gas right before the front tires hit which aided in the damage.

 

For now I just need it running again so the aluminum will have to do until I can locate steel.

[Dzimm]

I've been getting a lot of stuff done on it over the last couple weekends. 

- installed the tie rod sleeve to complete the front suspension/steering

- solidly attached the two halves and mounted the front end

- got marker lights and light trim piece for the passenger side

- remounted the upper core support

- installed some hood pins

- removed most of the intake tubing so it's now just drawing underhood air, eventually I need to make a proper intake but it has no restrictions or pointless pieces/turns on it now

- reinstalled the fenders and flared them out to clear the tires and added plates to fill in the sides of the front end

- installed some cheap golf cart side mirrors

- got a truck mudflap and cut it in half to make a set

- used some angle to make brackets for the mudflaps and painted lower rear end with some bed liner because I had no other black paint

 

Overall it's looking much better and more complete.  The front end is a little wider on the passenger side due to it being crushed so bad but still looks better than it did.  I wish the mudflaps were closer to the body but still looks decent and is a few steps closer to street legal now. 

 

 

 

What I have left to do before taking it back to the farm for a while:

- fix and install exhaust

- make a plate to cover a rust hole right below the intake location

- get a new air filter

- change the oil

- fill the front diff

- top off tranny fluid

- put the rear seat back in it

- glue the passenger rear light lens back on and glue the inner light housing pieces in place so it works correctly

- reinstall rearview mirror

- make some kind of spacer for the oil pressure gauge feed line so it's not pinched by the windshield

- clean and reinstall the windshield

- vacuum all the grass and sticks out

 

Ultimately the goal right now is to get the tools I need by next spring and be doing a cage next year.  Once it's caged I plan on getting a Wrangler windshield frame to weld into the cage so I can run safety glass and officially it would then pass all requirements to be street legal as far as I can find.  

[Dzimm]

More stuff got done today.

- exhaust is done

- rust hole covered by the intake with a plastic dealer plate

- oil changed

- fluids topped off

- rear seat reinstalled

- rearview mirror installed

- oil pressure gauge feed line ran into a dash panel to protect it

- windshield wiped down, plastic polish will be here in a few days so I can really clean it up

- vacuumed it out

- beat the passenger side A-pillar out and flatted the roof in that area more so it is more even

 

 

This is a better shot of how I attached the two halves of the XJ front end together.  It's a piece of the center section I cut out, with a two part epoxy and bolts going through it.  Did the same to the bottom.

 

It just looks so much better now.

[Pete M]

you will forever get people giving that thing a second glance.  

 

(just don't show them those welds!)

[Dzimm]

9 hours ago, Pete M said:

you will forever get people giving that thing a second glance.  

 

(just don't show them those welds!)

Definitely.  Ha yeah that's what I get for being to lazy to clean up the pipes but she'll hold!