Hey I think that your guys should make a dunebuggy and race them in a large dirt and muddy area and see whose can whit stand 3 laps without out anything breaking.

-- Nick SIbson (Robo_bot@hotmail.com), March 21, 2001

Answers

Sorry Nick, this has been done twice already- Once with British teams and once with the Americans. The results were interesting each time: As I recall, whichever team used a motorcycle engine for power won over the larger car engine powered machines. The use of motorcycle powerplants has proven, in a wide variety of applications, to be the winning entry. Maybe they should go for a real challenge: A motorcycle out of CAR PARTS!

-- Chip Haynes (ehaynes@co.pinellas.fl.us), March 21, 2001.

There is a motorcycle called "Road Dog" that has a 4 cylinder ford motor and an automatic transmission that is 20 feet long and cruises at 85 plus on the freeway on the show circuit. It was built in the sixties by some guy who would call a girl up to go out for steak in texas from his home in wisconsin and he would set the cruise at 100 and go like crazy on the interstate wherever he chose to go. Ahh the pre radar days.

-- Stephen A. Binion (Stephenbinion@hotmail.com), March 21, 2001.

I remember the Road Dog- Buzz Walneck bought it some years ago and did a big story on it in his magazine. Long, low and ugly- but it must have really moved! These days, there's a compnay called "Boss Hoss" that builds motorcycles with Chevy 350 c.i. V-8's in them. (!!!) Saw one the other day- It's a massive thing- Makes a Harley look like a moped. The question is: Can the teams on JYW build a bike out of car parts?

-- Chip Haynes (ehaynes@co.pinellas.fl.us), March 22, 2001.

yeah, but the boss hoss does`nt corner worth a damn!......and sitting on it feels like your straddling a 55 gallon drum

-- tim (milehiharley@hotmail.com), March 25, 2001.

Hey, the Saturn Five wasn't much for cornering either- but you heard few complaints! Since my biggest bike is a 500cc, cornering is not a problem. Any way you build it, a bike out of car parts is an impressive sight!

-- Chip Haynes (ehaynes@co.pinellas.fl.us), March 26, 2001.