formula for us?

[KI5KA]

My wife and I drive this:
1985 Toyota, 22RE, flatbed, dual cases, 33 truxus on steel wheels with beadlock rings (for extra protection and strength) but no beadlock. Longfields, ARBs front and back. Wagoneer springs on sky's hangers with rancho 9000s Ford shock towers in front /\ in back.

We do everything from rock crawling to highspeed desert romps mostly in the Sonoran desert. We do road trips in it too. It's a great all-around rig but we want; better visibility, better protection, lower center of gravity, better axle control (wrap), smaller turning radius, longer travel, better roll control in back.

We're considering tubing the front and rear, links and coils but keeping the cab and adding a cage inside.

We like the F toy design and concept, and are wondering if we might be better off buying a chassis and building a sealed cab with foam and fiberglass. In back would be fuel, water and air tanks built in. I've done boat construction, so I have some idea what would be involved with that part of it.

Opinions... Even totally unsupported wild-ass opinions
How big a performance difference is there between an F toy and a rig like ours?

Any reason the F toy wouldn't do high speed well?

Best guesses at what would be more expensive, the changes I outlined for our current rig, or finishing up an F toy with a closed cab. (removable panels and glass) and everything to make it road legal (not too hard in Arizona ).

We have no exposure to competitions and have never considered it, but if we had one, this seems like a nice group to join. We're going to try to make it to globe on the 7th.

[Pook]

I'd say go for it. The formula toy will be much more purpose built, and lighter.

It's be fairly easy to seal up, with the floor and firewall being the most time consuming (not difficult just be patient).

Only down side is if you want to compete you need to stay leaf sprung, if you want it to just wheel you could easily link it.

[KI5KA]

Originally Posted by Pook

... Only down side is if you want to compete you need to stay leaf sprung, if you want it to just wheel you could easily link it.

Thanks for the reply. I missed that in the rules.

I've been trying to tell myself I really don't need to spend the money there. One of the reasons for going the F TOy route is having a "limit" to what I do so that it remains affordable, so that may in fact be an "upside".

[ACE-CAGE-#29]

One thought that comes to mind, are you going to be able trailer an F-toy? This is something to consider as extra expense.

In response to performance and in my opinion, the F-toy will out wheel most bodied trucks due to the increased axle travel, its lighter and low center of gravity. The F-toy is really care free wheeling; I will never go back to a fully bodied vehicle.

I say go for it, the more the merrier. The F-toy owners group seems to be growing again. It is really exciting to see all of the excitement that is being generated about F-toys. I hope you can make it to Globe. Come by and say hi if you do.

Thanks,
Matt

[KI5KA]

Originally Posted by ACE-CAGE-#29

One thought that comes to mind, are you going to be able trailer an F-toy?

Road legal is a MUST! Pook, weren't you trying to do that? Anyone have a road legal FToy?

In response to performance and in my opinion, the F-toy will out wheel most bodied trucks due to the increased axle travel

Would there be a difference in the amount of travel possible between an FToy and my current rig if I lost the fenders in front and did hoops through the flatbed in back?

its lighter and low center of gravity.

yeah, that's what seems out of reach if I keep the cab!

The F-toy is really care free wheeling; I will never go back to a fully bodied vehicle.

thanks, that's the kind of feedback that's helpful. Not measureable!, but important

karl

[Tim Florian]

Can't you preety much get plates on anything in AZ??? I've seen sandrails cruising the streets so there is no reason you couldn't get plates for an f-toy. But if you want to compete in this super fun class you'll need to trailer to Ca.

I wish Ca was as easy as Az for getting plates on things like this. a street legal f-toy would be f'n killer.

[KI5KA]

Originally Posted by Tim Florian

Can't you preety much get plates on anything in AZ??? I've seen sandrails cruising the streets so there is no reason you couldn't get plates for an f-toy. But if you want to compete in this super fun class you'll need to trailer to Ca.

I wish Ca was as easy as Az for getting plates on things like this. a street legal f-toy would be f'n killer.

Hmm, so you're suggesting that even if I legally register it in AZ, it won't be legal on the road in Cali??? Been trying to find a definitive answer this question for years. Keep getting conflicting opinions, including from law officers.

[Tim Florian]

You won't be able to legally drive it in Ca. No question about it.

[Kyron]

It all depends on "what" you register it "as"

Get the VIN plate and the sheet metal that was around it from a 1950ish truck and fab it to the fire wall and now its a old truck

[KI5KA]

Originally Posted by Kyron

It all depends on "what" you register it "as"

Get the VIN plate and the sheet metal that was around it from a 1950ish truck and fab it to the fire wall and now its a old truck

It doesn't seem too hard to do it legally. Seems like there's lots of reasons not to do it this way... like, it's illegal

[Tim Florian]

Originally Posted by Kyron

It all depends on "what" you register it "as"

Get the VIN plate and the sheet metal that was around it from a 1950ish truck and fab it to the fire wall and now its a old truck

What you register it as has nothing to do with it, if your talking about driving it on the streets of Ca. The Ca highway patrol eats shit like that for breakfast. They don't have any tolerance, and from what I've seen they don't just look the other way. They'd love to spend an hour impounding your toy.

[a2b]

Originally Posted by Tim Florian

The Ca highway patrol eats shit like that for breakfast. .

the CHP eats shit for breakfast

[Tim Florian]

Originally Posted by a2b

the CHP eats shit for breakfast

[am4x4]

while we are on the topic of steet legality, why couldn't you keep the firewall and dash vin, you already have the frame, what is the diffence betwen that and a toyota truck that has been gradualy tubed up and all that is left is the same parts. I am not talking about swaping vin's, just keeping the ones you have. of course you would need a windsheld, all required lights, horn, wipers, ect.

[Mustard Dog]

Originally Posted by a2b

the CHP eats shit for breakfast

That was the first thing that came to my mind

[RE:Todd]

Originally Posted by am4x4

while we are on the topic of steet legality, why couldn't you keep the firewall and dash vin, you already have the frame, what is the diffence betwen that and a toyota truck that has been gradualy tubed up and all that is left is the same parts. I am not talking about swaping vin's, just keeping the ones you have. of course you would need a windsheld, all required lights, horn, wipers, ect.

I think it would be more work than it's worth. The dash vin might be able to be utilized as a dash in the buggy, but the firewall would be a pain.

[azyota]

In AZ we have a silly law about lifted pick up's. To be street legal, it has to have mud flaps. If you want to lift a Mustang and put it on 44's, no problem. But if it says pick up on the title, it has to have the flaps.
Just something to keep in mind.

[am4x4]

Originally Posted by am4x4

while we are on the topic of steet legality, why couldn't you keep the firewall and dash vin, you already have the frame, what is the diffence betwen that and a toyota truck that has been gradualy tubed up and all that is left is the same parts. I am not talking about swaping vin's, just keeping the ones you have. of course you would need a windsheld, all required lights, horn, wipers, ect.

UPDATE: I talked to someone at the main CHP office and they said that my idea probably wouldn't work because it did not look like a toyota anymore. I guess if a cop really wanted to be a dick he could impound it but according to one of the laws he quoted you could get it back if you could prove ownership of the major parts. He said if it has all of the required equipment you should be able to do a special construction reg. Anyone try it???