Dave's la(te)st buggy build...

Bit more today...

To answer Paul's question first though... the idea of the winch rop running through the tube to the front is to try and keep it as simple as possible... as you'll see in this update there is in fact only one slight bend in the tube, in fact it's just a kink! One straight paralled run straight out to the front, no complications of up or down bends to give more room to the passenger.... it's quite comfortable even for my six foot frame

Ok... on to the photos!



As indicated yesterday, I started the day with the hole saw... and cut through the back of the cab.... I used a piece of 6mm steel plate behind to avoid hitting the petrol tank!!!



And then cut down to the holes...



And then carefully worked out the least angle of bend I could then get away with...



Just one kink to bend when the seamless tube eventually turns up? No sign of it today



I then disassembles the front seats... I took loads of photos but won't bore you with the process (?)

Stripped the squab and backs off...



And then re-bolted the subframes back in, braced them with some flat bars bolted in, checked they still slid forwards and backwards properly, and then took them out again and attacked them with Mr. Angry (the angle grinder), and then made up mounts to correspond with the four holes under the new bucket seats, and welded everything up...



And then bolted them in! Hooge! :lol:





And then pushed it outside again for a look, a photo, and to sweep up

Just need to dis-assemble them, paint the subframes, re-assemble and store them safe somewhere whilst I continue building the rest of the buggy...

More soon!

Might I offer a suggestion on the winch tube issue, could you make a sleeve section that is able to telescope into itself in the event of a collision, that way you don't have the risk of a rigid tube deflecting up into the passengers legs?

The winch rope tube has to be one simple smooth run so that the rope can run freely with no snags... it would be hard to make a telescopic section in it as there would then be edges for the rope to snag on...?

I have ordered bigger diameter sections so that the main tube can be slotted into the back of the donut fairlead mountings and then be bolted up (nuts welded to the bigger diameter tube no allow nolts to hold the inner smaller diameter tube) to clamp it in place.

The tube is inboard of the rear, and on the front runs along the top of the nearside chassis rail...?

I'll nip out tonight with a beer and stand, stare and ponder...

Dave

As long as the inner end of the smaller tube is sufficiently rounded and smooth like the donut fairlead, but smaller obviously then the rope will still run freely. And being seamless the two tubes will run freely together. It needs only be a meter of the smaller size with an intrusion of 150mm into the larger one to allow enough space for a catastrophic impact. Think like a collapsible steering column. If it saves a passenger from being impaled it has a value.

Also if the small tube is at the front then in most circumstances the rope will only be under power when pulling into the larger tube and therefore down the lip not against it. And that also means that normally the rope is fed out into someone's hands who could feel if there was a problem should there be one. Also also that rope is going to be fairly central in the tube under tension because of the straight ish run so again binding is minimal.

We’ve also being discussing on our group’s WhatsApp chat...

Also looking at possibly doing the main straight run in the same plastic waste pipe I’ve been using for testing and mocking up...

The other suggestion was to slit the tube longways at the front to act as a crumple zone...

And a few of us said they’d be more to worry about in a big front end collision!!!

In that case what about some blue water pipe, it's thicker walled so will take longer to wear through on the bends but is more flexible than waste pipe so won't need joints to get up to the winch. Comes in 25mm id which should be big enough and you can get bulkhead fittings for the firewall.

Sorry if this is a silly suggestion, but what about running the tube along the chassis under the body so that it never has to enter the body? Or would that make it too low if kept straight?

This is all getting beyond my skill level

I'm working at home in my garage... ok, I've got a pipe bender,decent mig welder, big pillar drill, chop saw and "Mr. Angry" my trusty angle grinder... but I'm just a bobbyist making things up as I go along....

I wasn't anticipating these constructive comments, I'm having to re-think it all now, even though I've started and the materials are ordered

Sorry. I wasn't wanting to make it difficult for you just making some observations I hoped might offer a different view. It's your buggy you must be happy with it and not just build what some random farmer says via the internet.

Sounds like every car or home DIY project I've ever done Dave, except you're much better equipped

We're just interested in your ingenuity, but you'll have to forgive us chipping in every now and then. But don't feel you have to justify your thoughts around any suggestion, it's your project

LOL :lol: Thanks guys (hug emoji needed here)