Mopar Reverse Trike

[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.

 

[falconvan]

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.

 

[Fastfish70]

Don't know if I uploaded this pic right

Found this pic somewhere on the web.

 

[21willys]

I came across this thing today in my travels.

 

[falconvan]

Both pretty cool! I've been looking at a lot of designs and decided to shoot for something similar to this. Wont be exact but relatively close.

 

[falconvan]

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.

 

[earthman]

Really liked that bug Fastfish.

 

[falconvan]

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.

 

[zzrodder]

This could be fun [P[P
The Morgan 3 wheeler was the most common "reverse trike" that comes to mind. Here's someone we all know out for a putt in his...

 

[soltz]

Cool But

Still rear wheel drive falcon is brave enough to build a front wheel drive [cl
Waiting
[P[P

 

[falconvan]

Thanks! We'll see how good of an idea it was in the end. 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.

 

[zzrodder]

Still rear wheel drive falcon is brave enough to build a front wheel drive [cl
Waiting
[P[P

OK, here ya go, James Bond driving half a car. Guess you could call it front wheel drive - or since they're the only wheels, maybe it's all wheel drive . Obviously a stunt car, but it did work, a third wheel would make it a breeze to drive by comparison....
Are you going to use a fat tire out back?? Would be cool with one of those pro street type Mickey Thompson tires...[P[P

 

[falconvan]

Hah! That great, I love the old Bond movies. I'm not going to put a monster tire out back but definitely something wider than the Omni pizza cutters.


I went ahead a roughed together the frame today; I just used the front unibody rails as a guide and will transfer over the existing engine mounts and K-member mounts. It narrows right after the drivers seat and has just enough room for the passenger seat at the small end. Swing arm for the rear wheel will mount to the narrow end.

 

[nolimits]

should be cool, Can't wait to see more...

 

[soltz]

Coming right along. [cl

waiting for what comes next [

 

[Neto]

I've been following your progress on this, and others' comments, both here & on the P15 site, and I'm curious as to the width of your frame at the driver's seat area, and on forward. I know that you are using the 2.2 engine, and I don't know that MoPar has any that are physically smaller. Like the 1.8 or 2.0, or is that all the same block? If so, is that engine wider than, say, a 1.4 out of a Chevy Spark, or something like that? Or is the engine forcing you to keep the frame rails wider than you would otherwise want at all? Is your front track going to be the same as the original car's?

 

[falconvan]

Basically I used the 2.2 out of convenience. I had a ton of new parts for a 2.2 sitting here plus got the Omni with a clear title really cheap. Being just kind of a fun experiment, I figured the less $ I put into it, the better. I am keeping the front track width the same so I can use the original suspension cradle but narrowed the frame rails by a couple of inches. I picked up a video series that shows how Ed Roth built his custom bodies using a plaster over paper mâché form, covered it with fiberglass cloth and resin, and the broke out the plaster. Once I have a running, driving, chassis worked out, I'll be trying that method to build a body. Just something different to play with; hopefully it doesn't end up being a pile of abandoned crap that I have to haul off.

 

[falconvan]

I laid the frame and the unibody front section side by side, drilled out the spot welds on the front suspension mounts, and transferred them over to the new frame. After a lot of measuring and remeasuring from different points it looks like they are in the right spot and everything is square. The goal is to get a rolling chassis and then figure out the drive train mounts.

 

[soltz]

[P[P [cl

 

[falconvan]

I got the suspension mounts finished today and bolted the IFS down for a test fit. Looks like everything is square. I also cut one side off of the rear axle and will use this piece to make the rear swing arm. I dont know what they make that axle material out of but it destroyed several heavy duty sawzall blades before I got through it so it must be pretty stout.