I picked up this 1986 Sammy from a woman who flat-towed it from Arizona. You guys on the left coast may not appreciate a car without Flintstone Brakes or metal mice nibbling at the fender lip, but belive me, it's rare in upstate NY.

Three months later she drives it out of oil and kills the engine. Long story short, I drive a half day to fetch it and tow it home. I got it to run but it wasn't happy about it. One blip above idle and the rod knock was apparent. I pulled the motor, flipped it over and pulled the oil pan. Bad. Real bad. With a torch and a 9lb. hammer you couldn't make the crank this ugly. Two broken rods, blah, blah, blah, you get the idea.

I bought a 1.6 for $200 and because I rebuilt the 1.3 carbed head while looking for a motor, I put that on the 1.6. It sits an inch higher than the stock 1.3 so rather than lift the body, I made a scoop. The exhaust is a stock manifold/down pipe and a liberated Cat from Jeg's. The muffler is a big stainless guy from a Honda 1100 sportbike, bolts right in!! I couldn't get the offset I need to put the 32 X 11.5 X 15 tires on, so I plugged the schraeder valve hole and put the rims on backward, then punched a new valve stem hole on the outside.

I took the A/C off but kept the fan. I wired the fan up to a toggle for that we ain't moving but overheating moments. Installed a two knob radio and CB.

I did a SOA swap with longer brake hoses and I'm pretty happy so far. Pretty crappy pictures, but my garage is 24 X 42, I section off the front from the heat with plastic sheeting. Total investment so far about $1600. with a new clutch, resurfaced flywheel, the tires, everything. :grinpimp:

Looking forward to getting dirty....


Dan

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2785389500047935481DVPWyZ

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2326226890047935481cZJKgF

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2049291670047935481qOMSoQ

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2049291670047935481qOMSoQ

holy shit

it looks newer than most 3 year old trucks in new england

"I couldn't get the offset I need to put the 32 X 11.5 X 15 tires on, so I plugged the schraeder valve hole and put the rims on backward, then punched a new valve stem hole on the outside."


Are you fucking serious? :shaking:

lol... thats what I did with my first set of 32's when did a home made shackle lift 13 years ago.... well except reposition the valve, I just left it on the inside. Sometimes you gotta go ghetto... especially when there's some miserly Screwge restricting your samurai funds....

(checks over shoulder to make sure miserly screwge isn't within viewing distance of monitor)

There are a few places that sell 15x8 rims with a 2" backspacing. A less expensive option would be to use wheel spacers and a stud extension. Flipping the wheel though shouldn't be a permanent fix. Those wheels are not designed to carry the weight that way and the reverse load stress can result in disaster. I went without incident in my rig for a couple years before I got a real set of rims with the proper backspacing, but I wouldn't recommend that anyone attempt it. I got lucky.

"


Are you fucking serious? :shaking:


OK, call me stupid, what's the problem? The center is flat and sits flat on the hub/drum; welds are identical on both sides.

If I'm going to kill myself, now is the time to speak up....


Dan

[QUOTE=914Driver;7783336]I picked up this 1986 Sammy from a woman who flat-towed it from Arizona. You guys on the left coast may not appreciate a car without Flintstone Brakes or metal mice nibbling at the fender lip, but belive me, it's rare in upstate NY.


No we get it. Its like marrying a girl over here at 23 who's just graduated college recently and is career oriented. But over there your sammy(23 year old girl) used to be a stripper with a coke problem.:flipoff2: So whats the next plan?

Moveaside wrote:

So whats the next plan?



Drive it I guess. If the wheel sits flat, the wheels have lug nut chamfers on both sides (factory), the only real change I see is wheel geometry. It it tosses lug nuts, shimmeys or tries to throw the rider, then I get new wheels. If you guys seriously have information I need, I'll listen patiently. Are you F-ing nuts doesn't point to reference material or supply much information.


Dan

Moveaside wrote:
Drive it I guess. If the wheel sits flat, the wheels have lug nut chamfers on both sides (factory), the only real change I see is wheel geometry. It it tosses lug nuts, shimmeys or tries to throw the rider, then I get new wheels. If you guys seriously have information I need, I'll listen patiently. Are you F-ing nuts doesn't point to reference material or supply much information.Dan

I've never seen a vehicle with chamfers on both sides of the wheel before. I still haven't taken the wheels off my Sammi yet because it's been too cold to work on it. If it really has chamfers on both sides, then you might be ok. I'll check mine out soon...when it warms up :D

Chamfers aside, is this bad?


Dan

914Driver:
So, off the subject. I noticed an image of a motorcycle in your album.
Did you build that? http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2453908880047935481DQsEtk

Looks pretty sweet.

Yeah, that's a work-in-progress. Got pushed to the back of the garage to do the Sammy. It's a Yamaha 650 with a 5" stretch hard tail, foot controls and suicide shift. Soon to feature '59 Caddy taillights and fish tail exhaust.

Here'a a Yami 250 I built for my wife.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/914Dan/Baby%20Bobber/

Other vices I've had....
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/914Dan/52%20Dodge/

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/914Dan/Corvair/

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/914Dan/1966%20Datsun/

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/914Dan/Fiat/

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/1003/914Dan/Malibu/




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/914Dan/Bat%20Bus%20/Img_0008.jpg

but belive me, it's rare in upstate NY.


So, where abouts in "upstate" NY? I'm in northern Catskills, and know several NYzookers. We have an all-Zook "event" coming this summer. We should hook up and ride if you're not too far away.

Saratoga Springs, about 30 miles north of Albany. I hope to have this on the road by 1 March and take a month or less to sort it out before beating on it. Too many new things and changes that can go bad fast....


Dan

Nice bike....I'd love to have an old school hard tail to putt around on. The Sportie I ride is nice, but I need something with a little more personality. I started building a bobber out of an VT700 Honda I had, but lost interest on it when I couldn't get the motor to fire correctly after putting new timing chains in it. I should have waited till the project was finished and running before putting new timing chains in it. Oh well, live and learn!

Now for the tech, why couldn't you just order some cheepo steel wheels with the correct backspacing from like Summit or 4Wheel Parts or something? My local tire place can get them for like $20 each with a 2" B/S. The rig looks nice, and I can appreciate a long drive to find something rust free. :beer:

Awesome find, especially for the east coast! Are you going to be able to keep it rust free?

sorry i took so long to get back to you Dan. You won't kill yourself right off with the wheels reversed. The geometry looks similar, and the spokes are almost flat, but they aren't completely flat, and the welds aren't the same on both sides.

I'll try to find the picture again. There's one floating around that shows a samurai wheel with the posts ripped off of the rim.

You're in 'Toga. I actually work in smAlbany. You're a little over an hour from my place. We'll have to hook up, as I carving out rock courses on my place. I also got a hook on cheap dealer parts in Albany.

And you're an old air-kewl'd VeeDubber. I'll have to tell ya of my 1973 Ghia sleeper sometime.

Uhhhhh no. That VW has a 400hp small block mid-engine, right behind the driver.

Pureevil71, I already own these wheels and thought they would work, why spend the $20/wheel?


Dan

Uhhhhh no. That VW has a 400hp small block mid-engine, right behind the driver.
Dan

I guess is wasn't all that street friendly.:D My Ghia has a 200HP Bergmann type IV, but I kept is sleeper (stock appearance). Just like my Zooks, I kept my VWs as "pure" as possible. For the 1/8th, its an Iroc eater. Always funny to hand the ass of a 80's V8 muscle-wannabe by a "bug", 'cept maybe the GrandNat (ain't touchin' that).

A magazine called Grassroots Motorsports hosts an event every year; build/bring a car to compete in 1/4 mile drags, Auto-X and Concours. You can't spend over $2007 and have to show all receipts.

The BatVan was built for the $2004 event. Blew it up right in the parking lot. I got the People's Choice award, Best Visual Package and second for Most Spectacular failure.


Dan