Fun with a Sawzall
 

Got bored one sunday and started hacking up my 96R that I am going to be using for my Locost. I figure that I can get a good feeling for how different weight loss affects the car this way. I didn't want to hack up anything inside of the cab for risk of getting cut, so that is unchanged. The outside of the car was free to cut away as much as i could.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/3445/img00437.jpg

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3445/img00437.jpg

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2724/img00439.jpg

Yes this is a temporary wooden battery box. It is held down with some 2'' sheet metal screws. Once again temporary.

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/6058/img00440.jpg

Thought about doing what Brandon is doing at FM with using the front/rear subframes and runnign some 1 1/2 square tubing between, but this was easier. That and it didn't make it a pain in the ass to use the rear subframe for the locost.

I wonder if you'd make it past tech at an autox like that...

If I get a special box for the battery and put in a roll bar I will. Just going to take the roll bar out of my LS1 project car until I get my pipe bender.

Hmm, I wonder what the weight and distrobution is on that...

Scales? :D

ha! that looks fun!

You need help with anything today?

I'd look for any excuse to head down to Pearland and romp around in that for a bit.

EDIT: What's the gauge up top?

Miata Speedster!

That looks pretty fun. Any idea of the actual weight lost?

Bruce (olderguy) and Eric did this for Autox.

http://www.lvmoc.net/mediagallery/me.../9/9_ac007.jpg

I hope that image works for you guys.

http://www.lvmoc.net/mediagallery/me.../d/d_ac012.jpg

http://www.lvmoc.net/mediagallery/me.../9/9_ac020.jpg

DUDE That ^^ is beyond awesome. I so want!!!
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Well shit I have more cutting to do. I feel like thr guy that pulls up to starbucks in his F360 only to have an enzo park next to him. Nobody cares about the F360 anymore.........

But seriously. I am going to leave it like this until i get my bender to make a full cage for it. My roll bar now doesn't have a harness bar, so can't go over to harness and cut the belt towers away. Either way this should be fun. Hope to look like Bruce's soon.

I am going to help a friend build shelves at his house. Normaly only messing with cars during the week for now. I have too many friends buying houses that need crap built for them. Next I get to rebuild a kitchen.........yay



I have no idea what you are talking about. Why would there be a boost gauge on this car...:giggle:

That is fucking awesome. It's even better that some wine and cheese ------ from miata.net is stewing over the fact that you cut up an R :D

+1

I so want to find a junk running Miata and do that one day. At that point though I would tempted to just go ahead with a full tube chassis.

Is this where my AFPR is going? Oh, did I just give something away?

Boosted Beast? :drool:

Man the title of this thread got me so excited! Im sure there are gonna be an assload more people that are going to do this. Phil and i included lmao

Olderguy's beast is boosted too. hehe. It's a lot of fun and you'll have a blast driving yours around.

that's awesome, almost looks like a locost!!! i see a new era in modified miatas

I was going to mention the same thing. I see a lot of locust here:
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3445/img00437.jpg

aaww come on, you can do better than that.

CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE CUT MORE


GET IT?

CUT MORE

Thought about making it street legal, but shot that down. Wouldn't be hard.

hmmm, quit giving me ideas to hack up my 90 in the garage!!

What would be required?

2x
Can you make a custom "tube buggy" street legal?

I think it would be more difficult since it's a modified previously street legal vehicle. Things like bumper supports and the likes would need to remain to meet pedestrian safety. At least I think that's how it works. Lots of stuff got chopped and would probably fail inspection.

I think just taking that chopped up thing and welding some metal or bolting on some fiberglass panels over the cut up fenders would look pretty cool. Make it look finished at least. It could be made to look decent like that, with a tube cage.

My guess would start with headlights, blinkers, taillights, rear view mirrors, windshield, top (yes we had a guy in Jersey fail because he left his convertible top down thru the inspection line).....

Thats screwed up. When i took my NA 3 years ago (top down of course) it passed green and the guy never said anything about the top

I wonder how the fm westfield passes.
Flyin' Miata : The Westfield

Because it's a "kit car" and and not a severely modified production car.

ah i see, so how do you make a kit car? meaning how do u get title.. vin.. make it street legal etc..

The battery is relocated to where the passenger seat goes and enclosed in an ammo can, as is the fuel filler. And, yes, it passes tech

Reminds me of an old Manx-style dune buggy. I'm liking it...

Good Idea. Thanks bruce

exactly, and they can be made street legal. even after cutting a section out of the frame and welding it back together and dropping a fiberglass body on it, after all that it's still registered at a vw bug

I have a mold for a Manx bug. Maybe I should see if it fits ha.

When I use these parts for my locost, then I will worry about being street legal. For now I am just going to use it for autocross.

We need more pics of the beast.
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very cool.

YouTube - The Beast Autox

This was with NT-01s before the Hoosiers

sounds a bit like a Subaru.

You should go post your pics on that VW Wheel thread on hondatech and tell them that your Miata had a buzzing noise that was driving you crazy, so you "fixed" it.

I wonder... How much does this weigh?

I need to get it weighed, but I would think around 1650 to 1700. I could be way off.

measure the panels and see how much they weight.

everything is gone to a metal scrap yard. People came and got it as soon as I put it out in front of the shop.

Here is somebody on h-t's experience with a sawzal. Made me laugh: So, Dont buy a VW - Honda-Tech

cant you weld a wrench to the bad stripped screw in there and get it out in about 5 minutes?

That was me.

It was a nice sunny day so of course the top was down. Car (my old 96, pretty much stock) was running fine, so I was shocked when they gave me a 'fail' sticker. I asked why and they said the top had to be up.

1. If that's true, then why didn't someone tell me before I drove through? I would have put it up.
2. They said it's a safety feature. All the top protects me from is rain, UV rays, and bird poop. Nevermind the BIG STEEL ROLLBAR ... ???
3. I put the top up to show the guy it works. They made me drive all the way through and have everything re-tested.

Another guy here in NJ failed because his shift knob didn't have the pattern on top. Nor does anyone else with an aftermarket knob (i.e. most of us), but only he failed for it.

well it appears that the NJ inspection people need to get a life of some kind or perhaps at least graduate high school.

I'd think it'd be less than that. No proof, obviously. Just seems that a fair bit of metal and glass have gone the way of the Kappa.

Scales are in your future.

Windshield and frame alone weighed about 60-70 lbs.

I am trying to think of a place locally that i could even weigh it at. All local dumps are pay for the size not weight adn there are not truck stops with cat scales anywhere near me. I need to start looking around.

Hey, I love the look of your photos, why not keep it like that and start an ultimate weight reduction thread.

Because this is 1600-1700lbs and the car I am building off of it is 1250lbs. The homebuilt car will be street legal too.

shhhhh. Less talk more piccies.

Bringing this one back from the dead.

Found this thread by way of a google search on "sawzall miata". I just bought an 06/89 miata last night that is barely crunched on both ends, but perfect for my project.

Are there any more of these out there now? Any more detailed pics and info. from the guys that have already done it? Any future plans, and/or regrets?

I've got to send some Konis back for rebuild and I'm sure I'll need a different spring rate for the Ground Controls. Has anyone put one of these on scales to see weight distribution?

I will autoX my car so I need to make sure my trimming doesn't bring me to the point of having a flexible car, but I will cage it also.

I did a LS6 Miata build a few years ago based on a miatacage.com kit that I extended through the firewall to the front shock towers; I will do a custom cage this time with only the main hoop above my head. Because I will cut the A-pillar off I'm only going to run the front hoop high enough to support the steering column and then I will again go through the firewall to the front shock towers.

For you guys that have really cut these cars, maybe some of you to the point of being able to put them in a dumpster, is there a way to remove more of the bulkiness around the firewall area and the area where those Boss Frog Fender Braces go?

Thanks in advance! I'm glad I found y'all.

Robert

Hey Newb - better start your intro thread before you get kicked you ass wipe troll!

He's a good guy Mods - fuck him gently.

Here's where I am so far. Yesterday a few friends came by to pull of what was marketable and then this afternoon I started cutting. I was hoping to get more done, but the neighbors kept coming by and then I ran out of daylight.

I'm not going to cut out anymore right now until after the cage so I don't fold the car up under it's own weight between now and then, but after I get it back...ITS ON!! errr off, depending on how you look at it.

I left a little bit more of the rear frame rails than RHarris and Old Guy, but I did that so a trailer hitch can be welded between those rear rails for rigidity and for a hitch hauler for out of town events.

After the dash and carpet come out I'll be at a stopping point until my cage appt. 4/28.

A few pics before (yesterday), then during (yesterday afternoon), and then from this afternoon.

The previous owner threw in the 8-ball shifter, huge bird mess splatters, and interior home paint all over the hood and front bumper for no charge.

More pics

http://rides.webshots.com/album/580001295Nhvgzt

So Mr. Harris, what happened? Is it a caged, cone dodging autocross machine or is it in a retirement home call Joe's Junkyard?

We strarted needing parts for the other 4 cars we have and before we knew it, most of the stuff had been taken off. The "body" is still sitting up, but I doubt it will ever get used. At this point I have little to no time for projects, but in the future it may get revisited.

I do have another car here that I could swap everything over to it from, but that takes time. Time I don't have. I really miss college.

Took it on a 40 mile drive to a friend's body shop today so he could stitch weld some areas and weld in some sf connectors before I cut anymore.

Today was the only day I had available within a few weeks to do this. So with the wife and kids in the other car to follow me, we took off into a severe thunderstorm. Me? No headlights, no windshield wipers, no defroster, I did have brake lights though! Every so often I would wipe the inside of the windshield off and I drove with the windows down.

Except for sliding a hardtop on before venturing out this morning. Here's what I drove.

You talk about getting the looks! LOL

Anyone know if this is street legal as long as required lights are attached? I read the Virginia State Inspection manual and it mentioned tires being within 4 inches of the body. I don't remember seeing bumpers, fenders, and doors as requirements.