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Scratch Built VW Caddy
43655 - 11/9/13 at 08:46 AM

Now, while this doesn't feel like it really belongs here, it doesn't really belong on the VW Caddy forum either.
Pretty much the ginger stepchild of cars I'm afraid, but this does see to be the place to learn about suspension and chassis designing and fabricating.
The chassis design is near enough finished.
While I know it's not at all ideal, part of the design constraint was not to have tubes running up through the bed opening to the roof, as it will have a hard cover. Still not 100% on the door bar situation, as this will be a road car and it's very dan sall already I'm not overly keen on adding too much obstruction to the doors


engine is a 1.9TDi (don't hate me!), will get a bit of love in the shape of a custom ally Laminova W/A intercooler, +~80% injectors, possibly twin baby turbos, a 2.5L injection pump, engine cradle if i can get one, etc. Target for 250hp and lots of torque
Not sure what mounts i should be using though, as a diesel i can't use anything too stiff, but on the other hand I'd like it to be fairly well contained! Any ideas? Would like to use a lower-shore poly bush type of arrangement ideally.
Other stuff I'm unsure with so far is driveshafts, probably need longer ones, possibly custom? As struggling to find hubs with the same spline as the Audi 80's driveshafts. Also not finding any sort of LSD for the transverse box

As for the body, I'll be using what's left of the shell of my '88 MK1 VW Caddy as a plug for the fibreglass body. Raised wide arches to 1800mm wide, standard wheelbase at 2650 i think

Chassis a few weeks back with the engine roughly in place to get an idea


Tube templates from Solidworks printed, cut out ad stuck together. Not even half the car there


Plenty of fishmouthing practice, bit ugly so far, bare with me. Done with a pair of Makita angle grinders


mock up at ride height (4" with the rear wheels


-Henk


designer - 11/9/13 at 08:55 AM

Those fishmouths will be perfect when welded.

Well done.


Benzine - 11/9/13 at 10:16 AM

1.9 turbo dervo - the engine choice of kings This sounds like an awesome project! Can't wait to see it progress. I've used land rover engine mounts for my kit and they are a bit stiff, at idle things like cycle wings and steering wheel can vibrate a bit but not too bad, I will probably be changing them over winter. Were you thinking of compound charging? That's what I'm looking to do over this winter. I've had 6 months running at 20psi and it's time to up the boost!


MikeR - 11/9/13 at 11:16 AM

that looks very good but .....

(this is meant to be constructive)

You really need to figure out your suspension before you do any more build. If you're not careful you'll find you don't have tubes to support the suspension or tubes are in the way.


43655 - 11/9/13 at 02:50 PM

Thank you, got a lot more of them to do yet
Put the cab on the chassis for the first time today (got to be 50kg+ in that still!) and i have to lower the roll bar and mess up the joints sadly!

ha ha thanks. ah i did get some early landy mounts, but they're not really suitable for what i had in mind.
Yeah I'd like to do compound. Got a GT2052V here, and another in the post (I don't have the willpower to say no to a £30 turbo) and running one of the with a GT15 or similar. would hope for 30psi or thereabouts

Constructive criticism is good, the only obstructing tubing really is the rear bracing tubes that go to the cab, as I'd hoped to run pushrod suspension front and rear. I did start a thread dedicated to the suspension queries i had, but here's what I've been working on.

Thinking i should ditch the Pro Spindles as they're giving quite an offset and far fro ideal scrub radius (as little as possible right?)


Benzine - 11/9/13 at 05:15 PM

Nice, is the GT2052V VNT? Would you control it with MBC and right foot or some sort of electronic control? I'd like to go VNT one day.


ReMan - 11/9/13 at 06:04 PM

Great project. Yes it belonggs here
Keep the updates and pics coming


43655 - 11/9/13 at 08:41 PM

Yup, i had planned to run it as a single initially.
What's MBC? I designed a little assembly to control the vanes based on right foot and boost, can't remember how it worked exactly anymore mind
Have a VNT in the daily and it is nice, even if it's low boost.

thank you, I shall do


43655 - 18/11/13 at 10:46 AM

Bit of an update:
Since i bought this


i had to have one of these

2.5L TDi engine, will need to be 'clocked' around the gearbox due to the box's 20-odd degree engine angle putting the twin-turbos-to-be right through the chassis

which as of yesterday looks like this!


Suspension geometry's been tweaked a bit, for tyre friendliness it's looking like I'll be using 17's instead of 16, sorry!
http://tinyurl.com/ob5ytxu please let me know if there's anything i should do to it, still very new to all this.

What I aim for it to look like

Inspired mainly by the Audi Quattro S1 bodykit.
I'm focussing on chassis and suspension though for now, when it's on wheels I'll look at the bodywork again

[Edited on 18/11/13 by 43655]


nick205 - 18/11/13 at 11:31 AM

Coming on nicely!

Love the moody Volvo shot in the woods


43655 - 28/11/13 at 10:46 AM

Cheers im pretty chuffed so far.
Considered getting a TIG for nicer welds but damn they're expensive!
Yeah the v70 is a cracking car, just a phone camera and a tweak in photoshop
Hopefully smash on with the chassis over the christmas week off although I've got college work to do
Depends how cold it will be!


43655 - 28/11/13 at 05:39 PM

Now i'm not on my phone, a few photos for anyone who cares


Rear upper wishbone tubes, engine cradle etc. basically the main part of the rear end now welded up

Cad model as of a few days ago

Any issues with tank location or suspension? Please say


jwestie15 - 25/2/16 at 05:38 AM

sorry excuse my american ignorance, is the caddy about the same size as a Mitsubishi Mighty max or ford courier? or the older VW rabbit pickup, Its not something we have stateside and I would love to have a track truck like this


Wadders - 25/2/16 at 08:23 AM

Are you planning on adding any cross braces to the top tubes where the top suspension mounts are located ?


z2000 - 25/2/16 at 01:12 PM

Looks like an old thread being brought back to life.....any updates 43655 ?

Would love to see what happened to the build.....


43655 - 21/2/17 at 10:17 PM

Goodness yes this has rather changed since this!
I am mainly going to be updating here https://www.facebook.com/tubechassiscaddy/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel and also have a thread on Pistonheads, but due to various reasons practically nothing has happened in the last year

So, whole new chassis modelled and made as of July '15 (well, almost finished...)


suspension close-up. remaking the front end to accommodate the latest design here



Making my own billet 7075 or 2014 uprights, something along the lines of porsche brembo calipers with evo discs & hubs



rear end something like this



got myself an engine, Lexus 4.3 3UZ. 'Box is Audi 01E but going to sell myself to buy a 996 Turbo 'box with an LSD in the future



So yes, it's rather evolved since this V1 model!



[Edited on 21/2/17 by 43655]


nick205 - 22/2/17 at 09:00 AM

I'm impressed with your efforts here! Always been a bit of a VW Caddy fan myself (my Dad used to have one for work).

The last 3D image has a Group B rally car look about it

I do recall VW made a mkII Golf Rallye some years back. Dated I'm sure, but a hint as to their skills.


43655 - 22/2/17 at 09:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I'm impressed with your efforts here! Always been a bit of a VW Caddy fan myself (my Dad used to have one for work).

The last 3D image has a Group B rally car look about it

I do recall VW made a mkII Golf Rallye some years back. Dated I'm sure, but a hint as to their skills.


Thank you!
Yes I've been strongly considered swapping the front end for an Audi Quattro, mated to the 'cab' and bed of the caddy.
Have yet to model it up though, surfacing isn't my strong point (the bodywork models are 2 that were robbed from the internet, cut in half and the arches modelled onto them)

Also took some inspiration from the nascar 'trucks' with the big lip spoiler, should prove functional, have not tried running it through CFD yet

yeah the Rallye was a cool looking car with the box arches and rectangular headlights, would likely have used that but they're very rare & expensive!

so just making it more of a weird hybrid inspired-by kinda car



Iconic and perhaps more fitting!