Side by Side Odyssey
 

Here is a project I have been toying around with the idea of building. Most of you probably know, my family and I have really been enjoying the Honda FL350 Odysseys and my FL400 Pilot the last couple of years. I am on the last stretch of restoring my 13 year old daughters FL350. At this point, it's basically finished with exception of a few small parts and waiting on the cylinder to come back so I can assemble the engine. My 6 year old has moved up to driving her old Yerf and she loves it as do I but it is under powered for the sandy hills in our area. So.....

I have this extra FL350 bare frame..
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4280.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4281.jpg

I have since sold off all the front suspension since these pics were taken and all that is left is just the bare frame, but... I may just cut it down the middle and replace all the bars that run side to side and widen the frame another 18 inches to make it wide enough for a second seat. I would like to keep the rear width about 60 inches so we would be able to follow the same paths as the other Odysseys & Pilot. If I can widen the frame, which should be pretty easy IMO and it looks like it will all come together and be a safe machine, I will pull this Ody apart and use everything to get the 2 seater running.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...R/HPIM3795.jpg

I clocked this Odyssey with a GPS at 67.8 mph with my fat butt in the seat so I would think it would have more than enough power to haul my wife and our 6 year old daughter who combined weigh less than I do up most any hill or trail. If not... well then maybe a sled engine will be in order. :D

I figure worst case & it is a bust, I'll just bolt everything back on the current frame and I am out nothing but my time, & little tubing. But if it will and above all be safe when it's done... well then I think it will be the coolest thing on the trails. :lol:

I found these pics on the web a while back..

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o70/x77d80/wow1.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o70/x77d80/wow5.jpg


If you look closely, it started out as an 350 Ody & is just wearing Pilot plastics. The only info I was really able to find on it was, it was said it was bought as is, they don't know who built it, but the conversion was done poorly. :( However, I am fairly confident I can build one that would be safe.

Anyhow, it is just a thought, but I might just see what I can come up with once the weather starts to warm up. :)

What do you all think, new buggy project for 2012???

Any buggy that was not in 2011, but can be in 2012, is a project made for the record books.

Imo, that would be a totally worthwhile project.
A-You definitely will have a practical use for the machine with getting the whole family on board'
b-I doubt you could ever purchase something that would give the same bang for the buck.
c-it would be unique.and eye catching.
d-based on the performance of the single this thing could prove to be a pretty bad -a$$ runner

Thats enough for me to justify a project like this. Plus getting the munchkins involved with the build adds a whole new list of benefits gained with this project. the quality time , pride and practical experiences they receive are priceless.
I would truely enjoy following your build.

Too bad you and my brother are on opposite sides of the country ... he's got the 250 collection going for the same reasons. Chop Chop! Looking forward to it

That would be an awesome build and practical-Good use of that chassis- I second the participation of the family bonding. You can't just tease us with this build and not do it!!!

hell ya! Awesome project there! Those pics are proof in the pudding that it can be done! Hell I'd like to get my hands on that one there and go through it and do it right.

Thanks for the encouraging words guys, I do plan to build it once the weather warms up so I can get out there in the evenings. This project was the reason I had asked in the side by side forum about the dimensions of a Razor or Rino. I was just curious about the width of the rear end and the seating area. If you look at the pic of the tail end of the 2 seater I posted it has stock width rear axles and suspension. It appears they just widened from the seating area forward and then came back with an addition tubing to tie in the rear so the cage would look right. IMO this is good and bad.

The good is you can use all the stock axles and suspension as a direct bolt on and not have to worry about lengthening the rear axles. The bad is you are stuck with the paltry 6 inches of rear suspension travel. Unlike a Pilot that uses CV joints, 350 Odys use U joints on the rear axles and when you exceed the factory droop they will bind and ultimatly break the axle and take out the shock in the process. :( If I widen the rear axles I can possibly pick up a few more inches of rear travel but then the buggy would exceed my 60" rear width goal.

Anyhow.. Just thinking out loud. It should be a fun little project & I will know a little more once I finally get going on it.

Sounds like a great project to me and for all the right reasons. Can't wait to see the results.

TOM

That would be a great build. The pics you found shows it would be a really cool machine. Fun, fun, fun!

I thought I might bring this up again. Now that I am finished with my daughters Ody, it's time to start playing around with this in my spare time. This afternoon I drug the frame into the garage so I can start coming up with a game plan. This frame is pretty tweaked so I don't feel a bit bad about cutting it up for the build.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4785.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4786.jpg http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4787.jpg

I took a few measurements and was about ready to start cutting, but it was late in the day & I thought maybe I would give it a little more thought before the first cut. Tentatively the plan is to add 18"s to it from the main hoop of the cage forward. I dont want to widen the rear so I can keep the rear width close to 60"s. I am thinking I will cut the rear section completely off and then split the front half down the middle to widen it. I may just use some cheep conduit to tack it all together and work out the proper width and then come back and make all my permanent bars.

To be continued...

oh no you don't! there's a quarter panel for my bird up in connecticut with your name on it! :biggthumpup:

I heard there may be a new drug study for Buggitous in your area-please call in the next 4 seconds to get a double dose for free!!!!
I use conduit too for all my mock-up and complicated bends/angles- It's cheap!!!!

I plan on applying for some Obama simulous grant money to open the first chapter of BA (buggyhaulics anonymous).

TOM

rarerat - your garage is waaaaay too clean, your making me feel bad :crying: But it is good to know you have more than one kart/buggy also ! Maybe I am normal.

To bad you are so far away, I would be more than happy to do your Quarter.

I am starting to think I may need meds for this little buggy problem I've aquired. :laughing:

Hello, my name is Nick and I have 4.5 buggys.... :lol:

Well not really but thanks. Yes you are normal, or... at least as normal as the rest of us. :D.

Let the carnage begin!! :lol:

Just did a little mock up this morning with some scrap conduit I had to try and figure out how wide i want everything. As is i added 19"s to it but I am now thinking I my add another inch so I will have a little more room for the shifter between the seats. Sure I could move the seats out a bit but I want full protection for the driver & passenger in the event it ends up in it's lid. I will run into town next week and pick up some tubing so I can start the fab work. I am also thinking about adding 3 inches to the wheel base to make it a little easier to swap in a sled engine in the future. :)
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4788.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4789.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4791.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4792.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4793.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4794.jpg

I like your idea with the conduit. I also like the car in backround, post some pics of it .

TOM

Thanks it works great for a temp mock up.

Here are a few of the 47

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...e/HPIM4491.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...e/HPIM4323.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...e/HPIM4517.jpg

Nice ride, looks perfect. Other then the wheels is it stock,it looks like it might be a sleeper. Those were the days when we knew how to build cars. I must say that you know how to snag someones curiosity. Now what is under cover on the rack. Camero, Challenger or Cuda? Am I remotely close?

TOM

Hmm...looks like a Camaro under cover to me....

The 47 is basically original except for the drivetrain, wheels & I have dropped it 3 inches in the front.

Good eye guys, the car under the cover is a 86k original mile 69 Z/28


http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...8/HPIM4510.jpg

Sweet nice rides. Wish I had insite years ago for I would have several.

TOM

Very nice ride !

Thank you guys.

Tom that's the only reason I am able too own so many, I bought them all years ago when they were still affordable. Heck, I still have my very first car, a Butternut Yellow 68 SS/RS 396 Camaro. I bought it 31 years ago & paid a whooping 2500.00 for it. D@mn I am getting old. :lol:

I havent had much time to work on the Side by Side, but I did buy 40' of tubing last week and got the front half all welded up. I have been debating on adding some length to the frame when I reattach the rear section to make it a little easier in the future to do an engine swap, I just cant decide on just how much. Initially I just want to run the stock Ody engine and with this being a "budget build" I don't want to run into cable issues by stretching it too much. I think I could get away with adding 3"s to it so I may end up doing that once I can get back on it.

I got in a couple of hours on the new Ody project today. My POS tubing bender took a dump so My rear section plans have changed for now. I have the left side partially welded back on, it still needs to be braced and triangulated but here is a quick peek with half the cage on it.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0220121726.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0220121727.jpg
As of now I only have the bottom of the right side welded on. I need to remove the roll bar mount on the right side frame rail so I can extend the frame and then move it out. i decided on stretching the frame 3 inches, i figure I can manipulate the cables to gain the extra 3 inches so I don't have to worry about cable issues.

If I get a chance tomorrow, I will try and get the right side done and the other half of the cage mocked up. :)

I'm liking it --- very reminiscent of the type of v-based buggies they build up around here ... are you widening out the rear track proportionately to the front or going on the narrower side? BTW, what's the larger tube OD on these -- 1-1/4?

No, I am leaving the rear section stock width, it will end up kind of like the Yerf's with a slightly wider front. I may be able to find some different off set rear wheel wheels and maybe add some spacers if I decide it looks horrible. :lol: IMO, the problem with widening the rear section also is, stock they are already 60 inches. If I add the same 19"s I added to the front, suddenly the @ss end is as wide as a car and I wont be able to take it on the same trails as the the other Ody & Pilot. I do have to admit... it would be cool looking though. :D

The upper side tubes are 1 1/2 OD.

Ok guys here is what I came up with on the cage.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0221121259.jpg

I am going to just move the factory mounts on the main hoop inward and just extend the rear down bars. The one on the right side is bent pretty good so I may just use the ends and build new rear down bars so they both match. Next I just need to build the center seat supports and I should be able to pull the cage back off and finish up all the welding & bracing. Looks like I will need to make a little filler panel or possibly a whole new roof topper, but most likely just do a filler because I would like to keep it looking as much like an Odyssey as I can. I suspect people that know what things are will really give it a double take when they see it blasting down the trails. :eeek: I am so glad the weather has finally started to warm up so we can all get out in the garage, I really enjoy doing stuff like this. :D

This will definitely raise some eye brows out on the trails- sweet project :biggthumpup:.

P.S. I just went out and bought a surplus supply of gloss red for my stuff just incase you get finished quickly!!!.

LOL... yeah buddy you better stock up before I get there. :lol:

Here are a couple more pics, slight change of plans on the rear down tubes, but I think it will work well.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...221121547a.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...221121547b.jpg

Looks great, nice work.

TOM

Thank you sir.

that looks better than an odd,imo

Thank you


Ok I went out today & finished up the frame. Everything is final welded except for the top half of the cage. Things look like they will fit pretty well but it is going to be tight with the shifter & parking brake.:( In hindsight, i should have added another inch to the width, but I will work around it. When I get some time I will haul it down to a carwash and clean all the grease & gunk off the frame so I can start prepping it for paint, metal, did you stock up on Red yet? :lol:

Anyway here is what I came up with...


http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4816.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4817.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4821.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4822.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4823.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4819.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4818.jpg

Look'n nice!! What's the game plan on the tubes that are a smaller diameter when it comes to the finish? Oh- by the way, Cans of gloss red can be purchased for $1.00 a can- but shipping runs $12 bucks per can!!! Get'm why supplies last!!!
I just started a restoration project myself, you've set such a high standard & made me jealous way too often - now I going to try my hand at it.
That is going to be such a BAD ride when it's done.

Thank you for the kind words Metal. I am not sure I understand your question on the 1 inch tubing? If you are asking me about paint? Well, send me 8 cans of your 1 dollar Red, you combine shipping right?? :D I still need to make the Oh $hit bar for the passenger side, but I am debating on making it a bolt on, or maybe making it telescopic so it can be adjustable for different sized riders. My wife came out this afternoon to see this contraption for the first time and she gave me her approval, which is always a good thing. lol.. I look forward to getting on the trails, I really think the whole family will enjoy it.

here is video of some of the work done so far, I didn't take near as many pictures as I normally do but may the video will inspire someone else to build something also.



Can't wait see your new project, as I have said in the past, you are a very gifted fabricator.

Thanx back at you. The front cross member tubes appear to be a smaller diameter than the stock tubing it's welded too,If the nose is enclosed then you wouldn't see them- but if exposed I'd think you'd see the change in size.

Nice work, wish I could keep my garage that clean and organized:biggthumpup:
Tom

Great Video . And yes i agree SYC i wish i could keep mine looking like that also.:rofl:
He is in NM so he never has to worry about rust. No humidity !Down here in Florida it you sand metal you better have a can of primer in the other hand ready to cover it !

Ok now I know what you are talking about, The factory front bars are 1 5/8 OD and the tubing I used was 1 1/2 OD. The 1 1/2 slid snugly inside the 1 5/8 so I gave it 3 extra inches on each side. Once I build the front bumper and a some kind of a foot tub I don't think it will be that obvious there is a difference in OD tube size.

Thank you, but actually my garage is messiest it has ever been right now. :(

Very true, that is one of the benefits of living in the desert. :D

Well Rarerat if you consider yours messy then I guess mine is a disaster:lol:

My problem is I havn't enough space to put everything, probably combined total space 2500sq ft. but need double that. to be able to organize everything. Maybe I'll get there one day.

TOM

A little more progress..

I did a quickie paint job the frame. I will still need to add a few mounts but it will be easy to touch up...
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4824.jpg

Here is the donor odyssey..
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4827.jpg

cleaned and painted all the rear suspension parts before installing..
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4830.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4833.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4834.jpg

When it came too the front, I got lazy and just bolted everything on..
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4837.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4839.jpg

Is's a shame I dont have another foot tub, it looks like I could just set the two side by side. :D
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4840.jpg

The shifter will be tight but doable..
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4841.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4842.jpg

I am not crazy about the front end being so wide, but from the rear it doesn't too bad I guess..
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4843.jpg

All I really need to do is make new brake lines, extend the harness and one tie rod, for the most part the rest should mostly be just a bolt on & go..:D

That's just PHATT!!!! couldn't read the tape across the front-how wide is it? I guess you're going to have to make a front floor pan? I'm loving this thing more & more imagining your wife and younger daughter rolling beside the Pilot and 350. Makes me sick to see the donor getting violated!!!!-But it's no-doubt to the GOOD.

How did you get it painted so fast? I intentionally sent your paint to the wrong zip code!!!!

Yeah I am not crazy about how wide the front looks. The front tire width is 67"s :eek:. I want to take it out and see how it handles first but I may chop the front of the frame off and try and take 8-10"s out of it right at the very front. The rear width with these wheels & tires is only 61"s right now. I may try and find some different off set wheels for the rear or possibly add some wheel spacers also to get the rear end out a bit.

I ordered a roll of 1/8 White plastic so I can try and build a new foot tub. Honestly if I was 100% sure I would never rebuild the donor Ody I would cut this foot tub in half and use some of the roll plastic to fill in the middle. I still may go that route once we have driven this and are satisfied with the way it handles. I should be riding it next weekend and will know a lot more then, I wish I had the time to work on it there is only about another day too day & half worth of work and it should a functional buggy.

If you can tolerate the front width it'll probably handle better with the rear a little narrower, but a test run will tell all!!!! Are you going to share your plastic forming skills/technics with the rest of us?

What plastic forming skills?? :lol: Yeah I will let you all see the good the bad & the ugly of it..:laughing:

If you have a locked rear end the widder front should give a tighter turn radius.
It looks great, can't wait to hear how it handles.
TOM

After looking at the pic of the 2-seater someone else built they must've narrowed the floorpan alot!!! Part of the Oddy's comfort was the placement of your legs straight out in front of you since your butt is almost flat on the chassis. I'm all for function over the form/appearance any day.

front 3/4 view looks badass! It's too bad they use the trailing link set-up on those--nothing wrong with it, it just looks like it makes it pretty difficult to revise the front end without major cutting unless you make you're own pick-up points for all of it. 67 is pretty big! If you bring the tires in like you're thinking, any thought of a straight chop off and adding about a foot to the length? Looks like you're going to be "fighting" foot/legroom and tire clearance worries along with some really fun tube angles to hassle with to pull them in. I really liked the handling change when i widened mine out up front, turn-in on tight corners just seems to happen "now" if you get my drift--which is why i just found myself a set of pre-made yerf nerfs in my scrap pile. Aside from knowing the actual width compared to most buggies, it looks pretty "natural". Donor= next project??? ))))

Thanks that is good to know, these have locked rear ends. I am pretty anxious to see how it handles also. :)

I was able to track down the last known owner of it through Youtube, but unfortunately he bought it the way it was and said he was not very mechanical and no idea what they did. he did tell me, basically the original was a miserable failure. It would take a foot ball field to turn it because if you turned the steering wheel past about a 1/4 of the way the tire would hit the shock. When talking to him I couldn't understand why at the time, but now I realize the builder must have really moved everything inward on the front end.

Like yourself my main concern is it is functional and safe, before I worry about it being pretty. :lol: I want to take it out and drive it before I make any real changes to the front end but I still think I can pull about 8"s out of the front end with out too much trouble if need be. I did buy a pair of rear wheel spacers on Feebay last night so worst case I can get the front & rear widths the same.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380400561522...#ht_500wt_1180


Thanks, yeah I completely agree the front J arm suspension on these things is really sub par compared the the A arm front end on the Pilot and other buggies. A straight chop is basically what I am thinking and then pulling 8-10"s out of the width and then just add some tubing like I did in the rear to re attach the front end back on. I almost think I can move the front shock to the inside of the frame to avoid the tire rubbing issue and If I chop it right where the front end welds on it, in theory shouldn't really effect the leg room.

It's good to know yourself & Tom have said there is an advantage in turning with the wider front end. With these things, you do most of your turning with the throttle anyhow so and help with be nice. To be honest, even though the front end is wider than I would like, I think it will be fine. Once the floor in done & the cage is on it will change the whole look of it.

The donor frame will get stored away until I come up with my next bright idea for a buggy project. :lol:

What is your painting secret? spray cans? looks good !

Thanks, it was just a quick rattle can job. :eek:

50-states bulletin just went out from rustoleum and krylon to all stores today .. Sunrise Red Out-of-Stock until further notice ... If you can shoot rattle cans, spray guns are a cakewalk. )))

NOOOOOO!!!! :lol:

It's the $1 can price that caused the run on the spray cans....

If there's anything left of my Yerf when I'm done, I'm going to have to advance order about 50 gallons .... Dang, where's Jet with that drum full of funky green ....

Guess I have to put off painting my truck:banghead:
TOM

There's always the roller method and a lot of block sanding :p

But its hard to get the door jambs with a roller!!!!!!!!!!!:lol:

That is looking awesome! You always do such nice work. Looking forward to hearing your handling feedback on this one. I'd hate the thought of cutting it back apart after all that work, I'd opt for some rear wheel spacers first just in case you find it affects the handling adversely. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for the kind words Acefab.

I worked on the Side by Side for about 3 hours yesterday afternoon & worked out the parking brake issue by making a small little connector piece out of some small round bar that basically extends the cable. The nice thing is the handle is still in the factory location and not only looks correct but has easy access from outside of the buggy.

I built all the brake lines Friday evening but unfortunately I can not get the rear brakes too bleed. :banghead: They have been going away for sometime on the donor Ody and I think after 27 years the Master Cylinder finally gave up the fight. :( I ordered a rebuild kit for the master cylinder but with waiting on the parts to be shipped, I think this will put a damper on getting to take it out this coming weekend for it's maiden voyage.

Since I hit a wall with the brakes I went ahead and installed the engine, gas tank, exhaust etc.... I had to lengthen the wiring harness since I lengthened the frame so I wanted to double check to see that everything still worked. I am happy to say that it only needed to turn over for about 5 seconds before it came to life. :biggrin:
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4844.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4846.jpg

I still need to build the shifter mount, but with the engine in I now know exactly what room I have to work with. I will need too run into town this week and buy some 3/4 OD tubing so I can extend the right Tie Rod and that should complete the steering. I still need to finish weld the top of the cage and add a small support in the middle so I can bolt the toppers on in the middle of the cage. Also need to widen the net that goes behind your head and a few other small things including the front floor, but it seems to be coming together pretty smooth. :)

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4848.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4845.jpg

one of these days that camaro is going to creep over and flatten your oddys out of jealousy! Have you ever done any fiberglass mold work? I was thinking about your foot tubs the other night, might be pretty easy to get some mold release spray and make a pair out of mat and resin.

Fiberglass, that is a great idea. I have never built a mold before but I'm sure if I tried I could come up with something.

Nice. ))) When my daughter was two, I told her the MGA would be hers ... i've got 10 years left to go to work on it. one of the first things she said is that I have to paint it yellow, orange and pink ...hence the mini-shark's paint scheme. Something tells me that didn't get it out of her system. LOL.

As far as fiberglass goes, pretty easy, a little messy. Rather than a direct spray onto the plastics, (curing heat might warp them) i'd put an intermediate layer in (welding blanket etc,) then heavy tinfoil back-taped together with mold release spray on it. Using fiber matting--not mesh, just lay on a thin resin base, work the matting into it followed by more resin to fully penetrate it. Basically you then just build it up in layers that way to the desired thickness. temperature control and correct hardener amount is key so it doesn't set up faster than you can work. You can work fresh into cured withotu issues. you could work inside and make an under-sized version, or outside and make it oversized. Other than the sticky aspect, most people don't like to deal with it because of getting the itches sanding it out. I always liked playing with it myself. One of the few media that correct a goof is really easy. Make a version of your good tub, then cut it in the middle and use more glass to build between them to fill the difference.

Made a little head way this afternoon on the project. I finished up the steering, mounted the shifter, finished welding the roll bar & added some inner supports for the toppers. I just need to make a the inner harness mounting points and the roll bar should be ready to prep for paint. I ended up raising the shifter above the seats. It was just too darn tight with it mounted down lower. If I would have had another 1/2 an inch I could have made it work but it was rubbing when you shifted it and that's just no good.

The rear wheel spacers were delivered today, but I didn't get a chance to try them yet. I may hold off on them until I have ridden it first to see how it handles before adding them.

I havent had much time to work on the Ody project, but I did get the shifter & seat mounts finished. I painted the cage and have it just sitting on the Ody with just a bolt here & there so I could get look at it. Still need to do the master cylinder and front floor area. Need to build a front bumper and a few other odds & ends but it is really close to the first ride. IMO, the cage made it look a bit more uniform & not so freakishly wide up front. ;) I think I will call it my "Yerf Dog on steroids" :biggrin: since it has a lot of the same look with the wider front end.:)


http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4856.jpg

I really like these two side shots, it almost looks like it could have been a factory built side by side.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4855.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4854.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4852.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4851.jpg

"FL350 II" is what it is now!!!! It does look factory built and you're right the slightly strange wider front end doesn't jump out @ you now.Loving it!!!

Ditto the factory-fresh look--only view of it that looks a little "odd" is dead on front because of the double cross bar. If you hang a bumper about 4 inches out in front with a center "point" another couple inches further out that covers about 2/3rds of the width, it'd really tighten up the look.

something tells me that we ALL now have a 5 x 7 red-dust ingrained rectangle on our garage floors. Took mine to bare metal the last few nights--have a few corners and the inside floor to hit yet.

Thanks guys.

FL350 II, I like really that, Very cool Metal. :biggthumpup:

I was told today that because of America's love of red paint in recent times has created a shortage and caused due to heavy buying on the Wallstreet futures market the price has trippled overnight.:banghead::laughing:

Looks awsome:banana::banana::banana:

LOL... Thanks Tom.

Update..

Yee Haw!!!! this thing is a blast!! My daughter & I finally took it out on it's maiden voyage this afternoon and this thing rips, lack of power is not an issue!! It handles amazing and when you are driving it you would think you are just driving a factory FL350. The extra weight really helped with the crappy factory shocks and it took a lot of the pogo stick effect out of the rear end. All in all it has far exceeded my expectations. :biggthumpup::biggthumpup:

Still need to build the oh $hit bar, hood and a few other small things. Also I'll try and get some video for you all of it in action soon...


http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4864.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4865.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/HPIM4866.jpg
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wow man...nice job. You know...they have this thing called You Tube...

Excellent job!

Thank you.

lol.. I will get a video up on Youtbe as soon as I have someone to hold the camera. :)

:cheers:

SOOOOOO NICE- can't wait for some video. Like always ,incredible job.

The family & I snuck back out after dinner for another short ride and brought the camera. The sand was pretty deep and the tires are pretty bald but still tons of fun. :) We were just in the arroyo here close to the house but I wanted to get a quick video .

Nice! Looks really stable--and totally "natural", be careful you don't get used to tossing that one hard in the corners and then hop in your stock ones and go barrel rolling.

Looks great, seemed to handle really good. Nice Job.

TOM

That's just like Double Mint gum!!! double your pleasure, double your fun. That toy is Awesome. Great vid.

Thank you for the kind words guys. So far it has truly exceeded my expectations, and my wife and daughters just love it. My oldest took both my wife and youngest daughter for a ride in it after we filmed the little video and they both commented on well it handled and easy it was to drive. Of course you can always use more power, but I think for now a new set of 24" Mud Lites for the rear will take care of the traction issues.

Kudos to you Metal, Xbird and Tom for commenting on the wider front end aiding with the handling. I have the 3" spacers for the rear but I don't think I will even bother to use them because the buggy handles so well just the way it is. It is hard to turn anything in the deep sand unless you are in the throttle, but when we drove it on some harder packed surfaces it was very responsive and you could do some wicked doughnuts. :lol: We woke up to 50mph winds today so no more testing. :( I guess I really need to go recheck all the bolts and get the passenger side grab bar built anyway.


Hoser from Pilot Odyssey site took these screen shots from my video. I thought they were kind of cool & thought you all might like to see them..


http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...at20honda4.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...at20honda3.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...at20honda2.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...at20honda1.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...eat20honda.jpg

Such a unique and fun machine! Well done!!!!!!!!!! biggthumpup:

Thank you

Added the Oh $hit bar to the passenger side, just need to go buy some handle bar grips to put on it...
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0320121402.jpg

I am going to take the whole family out to the Rio Puerco this weekend and give it a good real world test up giant sand hills. The rear tires are pretty bald so it should be a real challenge with almost no traction on the some of the bigger hills, but either way I am sure it will be a great time. :party:

Update..

Ok guys, today I took the family out to the Rio Puerco for some real world testing with the Side by Side. This is where I primarily ride so I wanted to get a good feel for how it would really do in some tough terrain.

First the good..

A) the wide front end handled great was not a problem through the tight turns on some of the narrow trails.
B) Power was great with 2 people in the buggy
C) braking seemed good, didn't have any problems shutting it down after a hard blast
D) The Cool Factor was really good, the place was packed and lots of people wanted to know what it was or where to get one. :)
E) Bang for the Buck was awesome, in other words, as Ckau stated I couldn't replace it with a store bought anything that would give so much for so little.


Ok now for the bad..

A) IT NEEDS TIRES BAD!!
B) I need to get a cooling fan on it. It was 80* today and when moving at slower speeds the engine was getting pretty hot.
C) IT NEEDS TIRES BAD!!
D) The stock shocks suck
E) IT NEEDS TIRES BAD!!
F I did hit the front frame bar on some rocks, so it would be nice to raise the front end a bit too gain a little more ground clearance.
G) Did I mention it really needs tires? ;) The bald rear tires and the deep sand make a lot of the hills a real challenge. I spent a lot of time backing down hills as my wife and oldest daughter blasted right up them. The pilot and the my daughters Ody have ITP Mudlites and they work really well in the sand. I think it's time to put a set on the side by side. :D

All in all a great day of riding. The whole family had a good time and all three machines ran great. :) I had planned to get some video or some pics, but managed to leave the camera in the truck until we were loaded up and ready to come home. :(

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/100_0025.jpg
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While looking at your pictures I couldn,t help to notice that you need tires really bad. I don't think you mentioned that.:laugh2::lol::joke::banghead:

I'm sure some folks did a few double takes as it went by!
Did we mention, you might need some tires? :biggthumpup:

LOL... You noticed that huh?? :biglaugh: Yes sir new tires are now officially on the to do list.:) All joking aside, it was great day with the family.

ITP mud lites are a good choice.

The Mud Lites are an interesting choice since they dig so much. Have you tried them with the tread reversed so they make a paddle that scoops the sand under the tire as they spin?

I havn't thought of that !

Maybe I will swap mine side to side on my Pilot and see how they do.

Man just found this thread. Outstanding job and build man. That thing does great.

Thank you

Tossed a new set of used 25x12x10 Bear Claws on the side by side. I'm planning too take the family out riding on Saturday so it should be a good test for them.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/100_0082.jpg


I have ridden it once here close to the house and they seem to bite well, but when we get to the Rio Puerco that will be the real test.

The new rear tires made a huge difference in the way the Side by Side handled the deep sand hills, but I think I may yank them back off and replace them with a smaller set of 24x11x10 Bear Claws. :o The tires on it now are pretty tall compared to the others and they made it a bit little sluggish out of the hole, so until I can come up with a Power Bloc Clutch, I better stick with a stock height tire. I have this new set of 24x11x10 bear claws I bought for my Pilot and only ran one day before pulling them off to go back to the Mud lites. IMHO these just don't hook as well as the ITPs, but they should be fine on the Side by Side.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/100_0072.jpg


The cooling fan I added too blow right above the exhaust bridge seemed too really help keep the top end temps down, we didn't notice any power fade from heat soak.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/100_0068.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...0/100_0069.jpg

My wife rode the Side by Side most of the day Saturday and now claims it's her favorite of our buggies. I need to build a cooler rack for the roll cage so we can take an Ice chest with us on the longer family rides with the kids, and would still love to swap the shocks but, all in all this little project has been a huge success. :)

Where are you going to find another Power bloc clutch? Nice to hear that all your work has made for family friendly entertainment. Still think the pretty Pilot needs to a 2 seater!!!!

Glad to hear all went well:party::hooaray:

Thank you it was a nice fun family day, but honestly I don't know who enjoys it more, the kids or myself?? :laughing:

You all enjoy, that's all that matters family fun.