Plan A not going so well...

The Firebird project is making very little progress and I'm worried we aren't gonna make it.

My question is if I show up with this thing will you all catch it on fire and trow us out???

Obviously it will conform to the budget rules and definitely needs roll-over protection but I cant recall anyone running a buggy before. Its a factory pan/suspension just a little shorter.

Let me know you all think.

How can that possibly be within budget?!

buggy probably falls under kit car which i think is specifically excluded.   if it's on a stock pan, i'd argue it's not a buggy, it's a beetle with body mods.   :-)

What's holding you back on the firebird?  How much lower can you get the buggy?  Read the current frame rules.

Vehicles must retain production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures or, if the vehicle uses a tubular frame, must retain the production exterior bodywork. If a tubular frame is used, then modification of exterior bodywork is allowed, provided the end result is substantially similar in general appearance to the original vehicle. If production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures are retained, then exterior bodywork modification is unlimited, provided no safety rules are violated.

In reply to Stampie :

Exactly, I did read the rules and I would say "Production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures are retained"

Woody said:

How can that possibly be within budget?!

Very easily. Complete bug was only $400 before body and interior was sold for a complete recup. Fiberglass body was free because the fiberglass had a few cracks and the previous owner felt it couldn't be fixed. Paint is left over from a different project. We have almost nothing but time invested in this as it sits. I do understand that we will have to calculate the cost of materials used for repair and paint but its not much.

In reply to driftz28 :

Since I know for a fact that you can drive a naked VW floorpan, I would have to agree with this.

Think of the body on this as a large chunk of bondo that got sanded funny.

Pete

In reply to driftz28 :

I could see it argued either way but I’d go with the floor pan being the unibody/frame rail.  Full disclosure, I have a dog in this hunt.

Edit  I’ve noticed this rule being changed slightly over the last two weeks.  I really wish we’d receive notification of rule changes.

We haven’t touched that rule in a while, Stampie, and try very very hard to not change rules in the middle of build season.

And it's our policy that any time we do have to change a rule for more than a typo, we notify all currently registered competitors.

Here is what is currently written, by the way:

Eligible Vehicles:
Any four-wheeled, production-based vehicle that was originally sold as a passenger vehicle is allowed. Vehicles must retain production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures or, if the vehicle uses a tubular frame, must retain the production exterior bodywork. If a tubular frame is used, then modification of exterior bodywork is allowed, provided the end result is substantially similar in general appearance to the original vehicle. If production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures are retained, then exterior bodywork modification is unlimited, provided no safety rules are violated. Vehicles that don’t fit these requirements or exceed budget may be run for exhibition only at the event chairman’s discretion.

Clarification Added 1/7/2019: Production frame rails or equivalent unibody structures may be modified to alter a vehicle’s wheelbase.

Looks legit to me because bug pan. The tube-frame buggies are obviously cheaty, but this is no different than Malle's Foxbody with every panel replicated in fiberglass. 

driftz28 said:

Woody said:

How can that possibly be within budget?!

Very easily. Complete bug was only $400 before body and interior was sold for a complete recup. Fiberglass body was free because the fiberglass had a few cracks and the previous owner felt it couldn't be fixed. Paint is left over from a different project. We have almost nothing but time invested in this as it sits. I do understand that we will have to calculate the cost of materials used for repair and paint but its not much.

Well bought^.

In reply to Tom Suddard :

My bad, I remembered wrongly that clarification being in the above paragraph.  When I looked up the rule today I didn’t scroll down enough to see the clarification.

Nothing say "manly" like "thrown clear of the vehicle"

ShawnG said:

Nothing say "manly" like "thrown clear of the vehicle"

There was nothing I could do. I had to lay it down.

Screw Plan A!!

Legal or not, I kinda want this in the worst way if you’re thinking about selling at/after the challenge.

This sure sounds like production frame rails or their unibody equivalent to me!

Has anyone asked just what the blazes is going on with that dual spoiler situation on the green Cutlass?

poopshovel again said:

Legal or not, I kinda want this in the worst way if you’re thinking about selling at/after the challenge.

I have a buddy that recently convinced me to sell him my Berrien Nostalgia kit with a brand new body, side pods, shortened pan, and 1776 engine for just over Challenge price... and then flaked.

I could be convinced to let that go while it is still fresh in my mind...

Cooter said:

poopshovel again said:

Legal or not, I kinda want this in the worst way if you’re thinking about selling at/after the challenge.

I have a buddy that recently convinced me to sell him my Berrien Nostalgia kit with a brand new body, side pods, shortened pan, and 1776 engine for just over Challenge price... and then flaked.

I could be convinced to let that go while it is still fresh in my mind...

Where are you located?

In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :

Just my dads creative interpretation of a GS spoiler