Topic: "Moon Buggy" build...

[reklund5]

Ok guys, heres the plan:

My buddy at work and I want to build a bitching full-on competition "Moon Buggy"  with a really low center of gravity, coil sprung axles and a flat belly with huge tread.  I'm thinking 42's...

Anyway, in the interests of a low center of gravity and a flat belly, we started kicking around the idea of running Previa van engine...Anyone here know about these?  They're a 4cyl engine laid over on its side to run under a minivan.  Low, compact, and plenty of power for a buggy.  They were available with a manual trans and all wheel drive.  Knowing this, I figure we could frankenstein a Previa bellhousing with a W or R series tranny and dual transfer cases...  The entire engine is only like 16" tall I'd guess and really compact.  (We just pulled the engine out of his wifes Previa today for a Headgasket repair...I"ll post up some pics when we get back to the shop on Monday)

Any thoughts??

Ryan

[toyhatsu]

Ryan,

This is my friends buggy.  2.4 Chevy mid engine with 39.5 Iroc's...I think he is selling it.

[Fireimp141]

Wow thats a crazy little bugger

[Mike D]

the air bag suspention it a little odd

[BigMike]

Hey Ryan, if you want a low cog, why not use an apposed engine, like a Subraru/Porsche/VW engine? If you are going to make a custom bellhousing, then you can do that with anything as long as you can get a clutch that will work with the tranny input.

And, if you do go with the Previa van engine, then FOR SURE you are going to use the Supercharged version, right? Its the Previa SC model with the Toyota SC14 supercharger unit, 1400cc. I converted from my SC12 unit (1200cc) on my AE92 4A-GZE superchraged Levin engine that I swapped into my MR2 with a SC14 unit from a 1G-GZE Jap-spec Toyota Soarer engine.

On my 1.6l 4A engine, using a crank pulley that was even 5mm smaller (less boost pulley), when I converted over my peak boost went from 13 psi to 17.5 psi just because of that larger displacement supercharger. So that previa engine has got some potential with that huge supercharger on it. You could eaisly change the pulley ratios and get over 15psi Im sure, if you wanted to..

BigMike

[UNBREAKABLE]

That buggy rocks!

[reklund5 [OP]]

Big Mike-

The entire reason for using the Previa engine was to make people go "what the hell is that engine from" when they look at my rig...

And do you really think that I'd go to all the work to use a Previa engine and NOT get the supercharged version?  You must not really know me    I am the guy with the 400HP supra, remember??

-R-