maindude Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 Due to a handicap I am unable to operate a clutch and was interested in staying active in duning and wanted to get some input on buggies with auto trans? Any advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot bob Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 fortin auto baby !!! or a sand car like flyan ryans with a turbo 400 auto or a vw powered rail with a vanagon auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maindude Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Thanks for the info, I will check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EY3BA11 Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Jeff Fields auto tranny's... They make some decent trannys that will withstand some abuse.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don29palms Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 The Jeff Fields transmissions are actually Audi auto trannys he rebuilds and beefs up. The are a nice choice but expensive about $15K. I imagine any other automatic transaxle will be in that price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barneycar Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 I run a mid engine with a turbo 350 in it backed by a 9in ford rear with independent rear wheels like the V8 rails cars .I did not have the 15 G to give for a trans and mine works very good. I am moving to a 400 trans later to get a stronger trans when I put the LS1 in my car. If you don't mind a frount or mid engine car this is the way to go with out spending lots of cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HI Turtle Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 What kind of buggy are you looking at? That will determine what kind of auto trans you need to look at. With a traditional buggy, you'll be looking at a torque converter to replace the clutch on a transaxle like a Fortin or an Albins. The torque converter on a transaxle setup would be ideal for higher hp so you don't have to worry about the reliability of a clutch. The only problem is that the price is steep. Fortin wide 4sp w/ torque converter will run you around 21K. I don't think Albins has come out with their torque converter yet. The torque converter will "cushion" some of the shock loads and help with the longevity of the transaxle too. If you're looking at a transaxle setup, then something like this would work. If you're going the turbo 400 auto, then the buggy configuration will be more unique...front engine(V8rail, truggy type) or a midengine like barneycar's setup. Also the wheel base of the midengine setup will need to be taken into consideration....length of the trans and rearend going to be longer than transaxle. There's not too many builders that utilize a turbo 350/400 setup for sand buggies so finding one would be more of a challenge. No matter what, you need to run a HUGE trans cooler. Your auto trans will run hot. I'm running a V8rail..front engine buggy. I like running an auto....turbo 400 manual valve body with LSx engine. Can upshift and downshift maually. Really easy to drive. Running a low stall so has engine braking and good response. No issues with trans...very reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooner Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 Craig if you have fab skills there is another type of automatic that may works for you (if you like a well turning/budget/mid engine/mid travel dune car ) : some 10+ years ago i build a small and light 2+2 seater with a little screaming 1.8L MPFI DOHC / 4-speed auto out of a totaled Escort GT (same engine as mazda miata) that i got for $1000 i mounted the complete (and only about 24" long!) FWD transversal (sp?) inline 4 engine and trans subframe in the rear of the buggy, replaced the steering with solid links and fabricated A arm/coilovers to replace the struts. the complete buggy was only ~ 105" WB with no overhangs front and rear and turned/duned like a dream !!! my front suspension was a outdated design with only little travel ....but if you build it with a modern A-arm/coilover frontend and a late model FWD package (~300 HP and 5/6 speed auto ) you may end up with a very quick (and cheap) buggy that will be a blast to drive..... stephan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoxman30 Posted November 20, 2007 Share Posted November 20, 2007 yeah jeff fields transmissions is probably the best way to go for automatic i know the guy personally. he mainly does transmissions for the baja but he did some work on my dads and put a mendeola into a friend of mines extreme performance car. he has a website...just go to google and type in transaxle engineering hes located i think in chatsworth in the san fernando valley but like i said its probably the best choice for an automatic transmission Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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