2000 replies to this topic

[zakats]

its never over, he could always do a drivetrain swap or even change the drivetrane format hint hint!

[phatboycrxhf]

AMAZING ! ! ! ! this car is so clean and just down right mean looking .i'm very glad you finished and have been enjoying her .the black on the hood and no gas cap is a nice touch

well keep it up

mitch

[firstgencrx]

Very very cool!

I wish there was some kind of AX or SCCA events around here. We used to have a local track, but they closed it. I think the closest place to drive is down in Colorado Springs, or even farther to the south in Pueblo. That is like 4 1/2 to 5 hours away from here.

You are a lucky lucky man!! I have to test drive my cars illegally.

David

[kakabox]

wow, looks amazing but it's too bad it's all over. now you just have to find a 1g and make a twin.

Thank you.

I have and I will...except, this time the 1g will be a roadster w/a 6 pt. roll bar!

Stay tuned for further developments on the 1g front. If the deal is for real, I will start a seperate build thread. The 1g build will be even more radial than the Kakabox!



David:
Thanks...I'm really stoked. This is only the 4th time I've taken the 'box out on the ax course. I think I'm starting to get the hang of driving the thing as I keep getting faster. The V710's were a huge step up as they now make the car faster than me. I have to trust the car more because it appears capable of more speed through the course then I'm ready for right now. I figure that will come w/more seat time. It's a blast...probably as close to a street legal go-kart as you can get!

"...the black on the hood and no gas cap is a nice touch"

Thanks Mitch, I appreciate that...and, the Kakabox isn't over yet...I still have a few "tricks" up my sleeves!

Cheers!

[firstgencrx]

Thank you.

I have and I will...except, this time the 1g will be a roadster w/a 6 pt. roll bar!

Stay tuned for further developments on the 1g front. If the deal is for real, I will start a seperate build thread. The 1g build will be even more radial than the Kakabox!

Cheers!

We will all be watching for that!

Nice work dude. I get some pretty cool ideas form you. We all do!

David

[kakabox]

Rear Hatch Lightening...Part 1

To remove more weight from the 1700 lb. Kakabox, I decided to lighten the 3g's rear hatch. To avoid taking the car offline while I performed the mod, I used one of my spare $15 PAP hatches. This one is an '84 1500 S hatch w/the black plastic air deflector. FWIW, the plastic spoiler is 1/2 the weight of the Si's steel deflector: 3.5 lbs. vs. 7...


It weighs in at a portly 33 lbs. (a hatch w/the steel air deflector would weigh ~36.5 lbs.)...


To avoid having to dispose of a ~55" x 24" piece of automotive glass, which won't fit in my garbage can, I used a spring loaded center punch and...




BTW, I wore thick leather gloves and good eye protection while doing this. The glass shatters into millions of 0.10" x 0.10" cubes...and just falls away from the hatch. I spent the next hour removing the remaining urethane gasket w/a sharp bladed putty knife and sweeping up the pieces.



When I was finished, all that was left of the rear window was a small pile of glass in my trash bucket!

The now glass-less hatch weighed in at 15 lbs...meaning the rear hatch glass weighed 18 lbs.



To be continued! Next up: lightening the 15 lb. hatch by cutting away some needless structure.

Cheers!

[firstgencrx]

Will you be putting some kind of clear plastic window in it when you are done? I only ask because I know you live in the land of rain.

David

[1gcvcb18]

I have an extra hatch and i am going to do the same thing but i don't really know what material to use for the rear window. I will be watching this one kakabox, hope it dures out really really light.

[nature223]

aw mannnn...as soon as I saw this...

I knew that glass was toast


you shoulda SOLD it mannnnnnnnnnnn...I know center punches are fun and allll....butttttttttt

you going lexan??

Edited by nature223, 17 August 2007 - 04:23 PM.

[kakabox]

Will you be putting some kind of clear plastic window in it when you are done? I only ask because I know you live in the land of rain.

David

Yes, a polycarbonate window, .118" thick, will go in. It will be mechanically fastened to the cutout just like the side quarter windows & sunroof. Typically the polycarbonate weighs a less than half the weight of the glass.

FWIW, the Kakabox doesn't play in the rain. With no wipers and no HVAC, it's only a fair weather car and I'm just fine w/that! If it happens to rain while I'm out, no biggy...RainX on the windshield and it doesn't matter if the interior gets a little wet...I'll just pop the floor pan plugs and drain her out!

nature223,
Hatches are a dime a dozen at the local PAP. I already have two in stock and a third if you count the Kakabox's oem one. It's so much easier to dispose of the glass this way! I'd have no room in my garage to work on cars if I saved every thing that someone told me I should "sell"!


...besides, I've always wanted to try the center punch thang! It's COOL!

Cheers!

[firstgencrx]

if the interior gets a little wet...I'll just pop the floor pan plugs and drain her out!

D.

[kakabox]

Rear Hatch Lightening...Part 2

Lightening the metal hatch frame...starting w/a 15 lb. windowless hatch frame...


...I marked out what I thought to be excess metal, fired up my cutoff wheel, and began whittling away at the frame:




When I was done, I had removed 3 lbs. of "fat":


Then, for some real weight savings, I fired up the hole saw and took tons of weight out...



...well, not really, but the holes are in the "spirit" of cutting weight out and they just look cool!

The windowless hatch frame now weights 12 lbs.

Next up: Fabbing the polycarbonate window

Cheers!

[zakats]

man... thats a paris hilton diet- that the hatch is on

[1gcvcb18]

Can this part be cut off instead of making holes, i know the two holes a each end are to cover the screws that go to the spoiler but i think it could be done.

[TheOdditie]

Rear Hatch Lightening...Part 2

Served 2 purposes there...saved weight, and made you some nice washers