questions about designing my own car?

Question

Alright, I have this dream about making my own car. Not just slapping a body kit on older car, I mean all-original car. What I want to do, is get the chassis of an older mustang, camaro, something rigid. Then find an old V6 from a Camry. I'm planning on this because they're friggin everywhere, relatively light, reliable, and front wheel drive. What I plan to do is turn the engine backwards, so it's rear-engined, rear wheel drive. Then build it up sort of like the Atom, kind of an exoskeleton. I have several designs for steering, pedals, brakes and such. I was going to make the body out of sheet metal, to keep it light. The only problem I can think of, aside from making it work, is getting it legalized. Could I possibly run it on a motorcycle tag? It will have blinkers and a 5 point harness, what else do I need? Thanks for the help guys!

? · Accepted Answer

Ok this is a very interesting idea

Now using a camry motor is a bad idea. A camry  has a modern computer control ed fuel injected engine. Your Engine should be pre1988 and have a carburetor, this just makes starting it much simpler. As well as you wont need to move the cars computer and sensors over,. As well as there are far less parts to fail. If it has to be rear engined look into a corvair frame.

If you really want to do this quickly you should get a 2wd 1970s or 1980s truck frame with a working drive train. You should just use pre made parts when it comes to Essential systems, ex seat belts brakes etc, for inspection reasons more than anything. Though if you have worked on cars im sure you could manage a custom made rack and pinion system.  You would then design and build a cage on the frame out of steel tubing. Mind you it will have to suport your new steering column master cylinder etc.

Though if i was to do this i. Would just make my own frame from scratch useing two 6 inch dia steel tubes and then adding on a frame simalar to a dunebugys frame on that. Which if you have some experience i would recomend.

Using sheet metal for your covering is obvious and simple though your doors should be taken from a donor car as well as your dashboard. This will just make it a bit simpler to do. When it comes to wiring and makeing the windows retract and such.
In any case expect to spend between $20,000 and 60,000 on just the car.
Not to mention it will take about 5 years to do

Now i dont know what kind of Machine shop you have Access to. You probubly have all needed parts. As you know this cant be done in your garage or on your lawn, not at least with out many expensive tools. Most importantly a welding machine and a variety of angle grinders impact wrenches etc. If your shop isn't as extensive as mine expect to spend 15,000 on tools.

Now making it legal Is easy just use a realistic wheel base and have all legal lights and seat belts and you should be fine. People have goten away with far crazyier cars, like a vw betle with a jet engime sticking out the back or  car thats only 17"inches highThough consult an expert about the dmv's laws.

Though no unless it has 3 wheels or less it can't be registered as a motorcycle

? · Answer

May want to do a little more research on your vehicles. The Mustang and Camero did not have a full frame, they were a uni body style so the body is the frame. It cannot be a motorcycle with 4 wheels. Blinkers and a 5 point harness are not even close to what you need to make it street legal. brakes, exhaust, windows and wipers, heater , head and tail/brake lights. Bumpers, just to start. You cannot just make a car and put it on the road. Front wheel drive engine mounted backwards will allow you to go forward in reverse only and go in reverse at 60 mph. None of this can be done without at least 100 k$ and lots of space and skills and time.

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questions about designing my own car?

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