Every year just over the boarder in NSW they have a soapbox race in a quite little country town. There's all different classes, kids, adults, women and relay. Unfortunately I missed it last year, but seeing my mates as inspired to build one with what I got laying around. I'm by no means a pro welder/fab or anything like that, just a self taught cabinet maker (wood). I wanted to build it for next to nothing nut have something safe and well engineered. This is my mate one that got me hooked.
I'm happy to hear good and bad feedback. I started with a 70's jag lower rear quarters (yeah I know). Didn't have any idea what it should look like. Ended up buying the track grill of a fellow hamber. Instantly I thought dirt track midget racer! Next the front quarters of my spare 54 Plymouth were used to add depth and a body line.
I wanted it small and light as possible, but I'm about 6,3' tall, so that was a struggle to keep the lines flowing and proportional in size. I used the better part of the jag hood for the rear section, with a bit more Plymouth for good luck.
Thats cool i was just looking at the pics from last years event in cruzin it looks like fun so i think i might build one for next year.
Next the axle. I thought how hard could it be the make a mini dropped I beam? Well wasn't hard, just time consuming. Just like to thank work for un-knowingly donating the material
Now I had the very rough body shape, I started the frame, 25mm box section. Kinda ended up looking like a coffin. The frame "rails" are one piece from front to back, just pie cut and welded to get the angles.
Next year or this year? It's in Bangalow, not to sure on the correct spelling. I'll try dig up some photos from the event.
Starting the floor. Using a product called sign alloy, it about 3mm / 1/8 thick. Which is a thin layer of alloy front and back with black plastic in the middle. Had to make a recess for my massive clown feet to fit in too,
That looks like fun. One of the local cities here held and may still hold soap box races every year. They too had several age groups also.
Rear axel. Well that's made up from an old steel bull bar I had lying around. I made it out of 2 pieces so I can use all my socket extension to bolt on the wheels, then join the 2 halves together. Also wanted a parallel 4 link type set up, so for that I used a couple of old low rider bike sissy bars. Cut and welded on some plates to mount to 4 link, even used a level and square to "try" get them true as possible. I didn't want a fake 4 link, so I got on egay and ordered some rear mountain bike shock/coil over thingys, then cut and welded on some tabs.
Looks like you will need a panhard bar, the 4linkdoesn't look stout for side to side movement. That looks wery well thought out and engineered considering I have never seen a soapbox derby car with suspension. Very cool!
What a great project!!! You do nice work, starting from full-size car pieces and getting to the mini soap-box and it all flowing so well!!
Brakes are next on the list. I'm going to loosely base it off the way the did it in the 50's except mine will be made from steel.
Great work, that looks awesome and thanks for adding another thing to my "wanted" list! Nice spot Bangalow too,.. As a fellow "woodie" I can see a cool airstream body in steam bent ply!
Starting the brake, flindstones style. Brought some 25x5mm flat bar for a kind of scissor arm set up x2. Using some 75mm angle for a brake pad that will eventually have a rubber base. All the flat bar has been center punched ready to take to work tomorrow so I can use the drill press. It will be cable operated that connects to a leaver on the outside. Still need to find some springs to pull the brake pad back up.
Hopefully it will all make sense (and function properly) in the next day or 2. Here's my brake leaver, Foxcraft. Not too sure what its off but it'll do.
The Jalopy Journal
