aosborn
05-02-2011, 07:48 PM
Hello,
I have been building cars for a lot of years for customers. Mostly high end hot rods that though fun to drive, have never really done it for me. I wanted something that I didn't have to worry about if it got a little dirty or dinged up and was an absolute blast to drive. After many years of planning this is what I put together.
It is a 1997 Jeep Wrangler with all 1988 Corvette C4 suspension. The front suspension is mostly stock but with QA1 coilovers. The rear suspension had to be modified a bit to fit around the Jeep fuel tank, but it came out very well. It has 9.5" x 17" front wheels and 11" x 17" rear with Kumho Ecsta XS tires. The frame is X braced for torsional stiffness. I had a friend build me a custom transmission so as to eliminate the transfer case. I have cut as much weight out as possible. It is 600+lbs lighter than when it rolled in. It still has the Jeep 2.5 litre engine, mainly due to the near perfect 50/50 weight distribution it now has. I'm thinking turbo next...
I have had the car at a local track day, and it was plagued with massive oversteer. I since have got it pretty well sorted out. It now corners like a go-cart, and with the 12" slotted rotors and Corvette calipers, stops like it hit a wall.
I am going to keep driving it and keep tweaking it. It just keeps getting better and better! To top it all off, I have driven many beautiful and fast cars around, but this Jeep gets more attention than anything I have ever seen! It is a blast to see folks reaction to a "lowered Jeep"!
Andy
I have been building cars for a lot of years for customers. Mostly high end hot rods that though fun to drive, have never really done it for me. I wanted something that I didn't have to worry about if it got a little dirty or dinged up and was an absolute blast to drive. After many years of planning this is what I put together.
It is a 1997 Jeep Wrangler with all 1988 Corvette C4 suspension. The front suspension is mostly stock but with QA1 coilovers. The rear suspension had to be modified a bit to fit around the Jeep fuel tank, but it came out very well. It has 9.5" x 17" front wheels and 11" x 17" rear with Kumho Ecsta XS tires. The frame is X braced for torsional stiffness. I had a friend build me a custom transmission so as to eliminate the transfer case. I have cut as much weight out as possible. It is 600+lbs lighter than when it rolled in. It still has the Jeep 2.5 litre engine, mainly due to the near perfect 50/50 weight distribution it now has. I'm thinking turbo next...
I have had the car at a local track day, and it was plagued with massive oversteer. I since have got it pretty well sorted out. It now corners like a go-cart, and with the 12" slotted rotors and Corvette calipers, stops like it hit a wall.
I am going to keep driving it and keep tweaking it. It just keeps getting better and better! To top it all off, I have driven many beautiful and fast cars around, but this Jeep gets more attention than anything I have ever seen! It is a blast to see folks reaction to a "lowered Jeep"!
Andy