I want to create a Car from scratch

[BluMaann]

I am looking for a huge project. Im 16 Years old and want to build a car from scratch. I want it to be road legal. Preferably the car would be Electric, because I am more experienced in electronics then petrol engines. I know how big of a project this is and i want it to be a multi-year project. Any idea on what motor to but along with other parts. i dont want to use a donor car, but it is an option.

 

Any ideas?

[yathis]

You are allowed to create your own car from scratch and have it road worthy. Not sure what tests need to be done, but it can be done. I would talk with your insurance agent first.

 

It would be easier & cheaper to start with a rolling chassis and build out from there. Then your custom creation is just a Ford F150 and not Special Vehicle.

 

I would choose a motor for your driving terrain. Something reliable but does not cost too much for parts. So you need something old, like an old Dodge, Ford or Chevy/GMC engine. You need a rock solid transmission as well and axles. Maybe a Ford 9" rear end, disc brakes, 727 trans, adapter plate to a 454

[Seamonster420]

In most states all you really need to be street legal is headlights, tail lights and a windshield. It should also be able to drive at highway speed if you ever plan on taking it out of town and it can't have any protruding bits of metal that could pose an excessive danger to pedestrians or other drivers if in an accident. The larger issue is whether or not you'd be able to get the thing insured and registered (almost certainly no since it wouldn't have a VIN number), though if you use an existing car body even if it's just the frame you would be able to register the vehicle as whatever kind of car that frame and vin number came from.

[byalexandr]

In the US, the car must have a unique VIN number for it to be able to be registered. With a custom chassis you cannot create your own VIN. Basically you have to start with a chassis of some sort, and just go from there. After college I actually plan on buying a Nissan S chassis and making into mostly a tube frame with custom pushrod suspension and all. But it will still legally be that S frame car that I take it from, that way the car will still be street legal and I can register and insure it.

 

My plan, just to give you some ideas:

 

-Buy a RHD S15 from Japan.

-Remove the front end (in front of the fire wall) and do a complete tube front end with wider track width and angle kit and all. Custom motor mounts to hold a 2JZ or LS3.

-Strip the rest of the chassis and do a complete FD spec cage and other chassis reinforcement.

-Cut out the rear end, another fire wall put in so I can do a fuel cell setup.

-Custom rear suspension, perhaps some custom engineered pushrod suspension.

 

So basically the car will look like an S15 from the outside but it will basically be a lot stiffer and stronger.

[MadyTehWolfie]

4 hours ago, BluMaann said:

I am looking for a huge project. Im 16 Years old and want to build a car from scratch. I want it to be road legal. Preferably the car would be Electric, because I am more experienced in electronics then petrol engines. I know how big of a project this is and i want it to be a multi-year project. Any idea on what motor to but along with other parts. i dont want to use a donor car, but it is an option.

 

Any ideas?

Unless you know how to weld or do mechanics and have all the tools I wouldn't recommend it.

[Misanthrope]

12 hours ago, BluMaann said:

I am looking for a huge project. Im 16 Years old and want to build a car from scratch. I want it to be road legal. Preferably the car would be Electric, because I am more experienced in electronics then petrol engines. I know how big of a project this is and i want it to be a multi-year project. Any idea on what motor to but along with other parts. i dont want to use a donor car, but it is an option.

 

Any ideas?

From scratch it would mean that you'd be creating an engine too not just re-purposing one. Like getting huge magnets, bunch of wire, doing the coil yourself, etc. 

 

So nah that wouldn't work out just build around a reasonable made electric engine though I'm sure you'll find it will be hard to have an engine big enough to push you and the batteries around while lasting more than 15 minutes per charge.