Thread: Mopar Reverse Trike

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Got it in the garage today after evicting numerous wasp nests and stripped a few parts off. Still tossing several ideas around; I'm going to strip it down to the bare body and drive train and then start figuring how to build a tube sub frame for the motor trans that will make the body wide enough for tandem seating. Lots of thinking to do......

I'm curious how you'll pull this one off.. you've always been creative in your other builds. Can't wait to see this one come together!

Same here! All I can say for sure is that it will run and drive and have 3 wheels. Everything beyond that is TBD.

I got out the sawzall and trimmed everything down to the frame rails to get a good look at how the drive train and suspension mounts. The plan is to build a similar frame using 2x3 tubing. I'll be able to bring the frame rails in a few inches and duplicate the mounts for the drive train. The track width will stay the same with stock CV axles but I'll build tube upper and lower control arms and use a coil over shock rather than a strut. The cabin will be as wide as the frame rails and be center steer using a small manual rack; maybe something like a Geo Metro unit. Rails will taper in behind the passenger seat and use a single swing arm rear with a fairly wide tire. That's the plan so far...we'll see if it works out like I'm thinking.

Shoot, you're ruining some 80's retro dude's dream car! I saw cut away! Haha

Originally Posted by falconvan

I got out the sawzall and trimmed everything down to the frame rails to get a good look at how the drive train and suspension mounts. The plan is to build a similar frame using 2x3 tubing. I'll be able to bring the frame rails in a few inches and duplicate the mounts for the drive train. The track width will stay the same with stock CV axles but I'll build tube upper and lower control arms and use a coil over shock rather than a strut. The cabin will be as wide as the frame rails and be center steer using a small manual rack; maybe something like a Geo Metro unit. Rails will taper in behind the passenger seat and use a single swing arm rear with a fairly wide tire. That's the plan so far...we'll see if it works out like I'm thinking.

My very best advice would be to keep the stock suspension pieces in place and use them as is, unless you are well-schooled in IFS geometry. If you're not, you have no idea what a bag of snakes your headed into. Been there, done that.

If you insist on devising your own IFS, I would strongly recommend using a good computer program to work out the geometry, or educating yourself by reading "Tune To Win" by Carroll Smith and working out the geometry with "paper dolls" and stick pins like I ended up doing.

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Thanks Tech. What I need to figure out on the suspension is that since the wheels are going to be out away from the body, I don't want the strut assembly sticking up. So at first I thought I'd just build an upper control arm and use the rest of the suspension but I don't think it would look right with a tube upper control arm and a stamped lower. Thanks for the suggestion on the book, I'll pick that up.

I really wanted to take my 49 to the car show tonight but of course it rained most of the day and is supposed to rain all weekend. So I did some more chopping. Going to spend tomorrow on my 48; I got some parts in the mail today so I'm going to work on getting the exhaust on.

Looks to be a fun build to watch, thanks for the updates!

Did a little more dis-assembly; I need to get rid of all the crap I'm not going to use and make some room. After some good advice, I think I'm going to use the front suspension as an assembly with the exception of a smaller manual rack, eliminating the strut towers and fabricating an upper control arm. Not sure how that's going to work yet but I've got some ideas. Also picked up some 2x3 rectangular tubing to start on a chassis as soon as I have the rest of the car stripped and out of the way.

As I'm reading your posts a familiar voice creeps into my subconscious.. Mr. Miyagi is guiding Danielsan in the art of pruning the bonsai tree..

He says, "close eye, and get picture of tree in mind.." , "got picture?"

roflmao!

Hah! Now that's funny!!! Great movie, too.

Miagi's tree and the previous mention of bamboo frame:

I'm envisioning a stand of bamboo, being grafted and spliced into shape.

Grow your own car. It would be a slow go, but bamboo grows fast, right?

I trimmed everything down to the width of the unibody rails and will use this front section as a pattern to build the frame. Still have the rear section to cut up but wont be using any of it. As soon as its gone I'll have some room to work.

OK, all the junk is cut up and gone so here's my starting point. I need to get some things done on my 48 but should be able to start mocking up a frame soon.