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Project Fun Buggy - Demon Spongebob Buggy

Project Fun Buggy: Three steps forward, one step back
By Fred Williams
Photography by Fred Williams
Project Fun Buggy Front View
Project Fun Buggy Frame
Project Fun Buggy Multiple Tube Joints
At the lower portion of the... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Multiple Tube Joints
At the lower portion of the A-pillar and many other places on the chassis, we are integrating multiple tube joints such as this, where one tube bends and three other tubes converge. These points help transfer loads evenly across the chassis, but also require a trained eye to properly notch each tube so that everything fits together tightly prior to being welded.
Project Fun Buggy Roof Tubing
The roof also has multiple... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Roof Tubing
The roof also has multiple tubes to strengthen the chassis and protect the occupants for the day the first rollover comes. These three tubes come together to a point and from there down-bars will run out to midlevel tubes where they will converge with the outer diagonal down-bars.
Project Fun Buggy Front View
The front of the chassis has... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Front View
The front of the chassis has a center windshield tube and top corner gussets to further protect against collapse in a belly-up situation. Also note how the door bars have what I refer to as the vent window tubes acting as gussets for the A-pillar. Many of the internal gussets are made from 1 1/2-inch by 0.120-wall DOM.
Project Fun Buggy Rod Ends
Project Fun Buggy Links
The rear suspension will be... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Links
The rear suspension will be a four-link suspension with two upper links converging at the center of the rear axle and two lower links running near the ends of the axle inward slightly to each substructure of the chassis. Since the upper links are less likely to be hitting rocks and other trail obstacles, they will be made of 1 3/4-inch DOM with threaded bungs welded in for the rod ends rather than the more expensive swedged/threaded/heat-treated chromoly lower links. However, all the links will be the same size so that a single spare link can be carried in the unlikely event one is ever broken.
Project Fun Buggy Mounting Brackets
Where the links attach to... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Mounting Brackets
Where the links attach to the axles are special mounting brackets that Poly Performance custom makes to its specifications. The company offers a complete line of suspension brackets for front and rear suspensions and for swapping coilover shocks and/or different axles under your trail rig whether it be a Jeep TJ, Toyota truck, or custom tube machine like mine.
Project Fun Buggy Passenger Side Frame
My front suspension is a three-link... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Passenger Side Frame
My front suspension is a three-link design with a Panhard bar to locate the axle laterally. This design uses two lower links (swedged/threaded/HT chromoly) but just one upper link of the same design as the rear. These will keep the axle from rotating, while still allowing the axle to articulate fully. A Panhard bar will be run laterally with one end on the chassis and the other on the axle. The first step was assembling links and attaching link brackets to the axlehousing before swinging the 565-pound ProRock axles under the chassis.
Project Fun Buggy Transmission
Transmission duties are being... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Transmission
Transmission duties are being done by a TCI-built 700R4. This automatic has a full reverse manual valve body with compression braking features as well as a 2,200-stall converter. Behind that is the venerable Atlas transfer case with a 3.8:1 low range from Advance Adapters. With the 3.06:1 First gear in the 700R4, 3.8:1 low gear in the Atlas, and 5.38:1 gears in the axles, the combined lowest crawl ratio of 62.5:1 should be fine for a fun buggy. This may not seem that low, but we also have the torque multiplication of the torque converter and nearly 500 lb-ft of torque coming from our 383 small-block.
Project Fun Buggy Engine
With the transmission and... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Engine
With the transmission and transfer case situated, we swung the engine into place. This is the ZZ383 we built back in the Sept. '05 issue (yes, this build is taking a lifetime!). Specs include GM Performance Fast burn heads, ACCEL's DFI super-ram multiport fuel injection, MSD distributor, and Sanderson headers. We built this little torque monster at Scoggin Dickey Performance Center and dyno'd it at 413 hp and 491 lb-ft of torque.
Project Fun Buggy Engine
Locating the engine in the... 
   
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Project Fun Buggy Engine
Locating the engine in the chassis with the axles is a tight fit. We knew we wanted the engine behind the axle for a more even weight balance front to rear, but we don't want to push everything back too far and lose any length on the rear driveshaft. We were able to find just the right position where the centersection clears the crank pulley yet still allows substantial uptravel, articulation, and driveshaft length.

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