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Picture
Information
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URL:
http://riceornot.ricecop.com/?auto=20925 |
Submitted
by: AutobahnRacer
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Comments: 36 (Read/Post) Favorites: 0 (View) |
Submitted
on: 03-26-2003
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View Stats |
Category:
Off-topic |
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Description:
The Monster Garage Mazda RX7 SandRail.
It was slow.
It needed NOS to help.
It got killed by a Dillon Machine gun,3000 Rounds per minute,4 barrel.
TRANSITION TECHNIQUE:
The seven-day odyssey began with a firestorm of ideas, with the end goal for the RX constantly changing. At first, the design team talked about converting the Mazda into a sand rail, a lightweight steel-tube configuration built to cruise over sand. Then their plan shifted to building a hill climber, a vehicle meant to drive straight up a sand hill. In the end, they decided that a single wheel powered off the rear drive shaft would be their design — no matter what the purpose.
With the plan finally cemented, the build team arrived the next day and tore apart the car, trying to figure out how much space they had to work with for the giant mono-wheel. Ideas flew, but the team had trouble deciding how the swing arm would work. So they went about their separate tasks: Jim and Jason focused on pumping up the horsepower on the Mazda's rotary engine by adding a nitrous system; Anthony and Mike machined the detailed parts for the mono-wheel's hub and swing arm, with master fabricator Cole filling in the gaps; and Jesse built a roll cage.
The team also pumped up the Mazda's front end to add clearance by using air-powered canisters, mounted off-road performance seats for dune driving, and replaced the heavy stock tank with a lightweight fuel cell. But after days of building, planning and re-planning the team found themselves running out of time — and without a completed swing arm.
Finally, as Build Day 5 came to a close — the deadline only eight hours away — the team pulled together. In a full-force effort, they finished the swing arm and hooked up the dual actuators that would move the mono-wheel up and down. By 11:15 p.m., the monster was complete and ready to test.
Minutes before midnight, Jesse hit the sand, but the sand hit back. The engine fired up, the mono-wheel turned, and the Sand Rail moved — but merely moving is not terribly monstrous. Before the crew could evaluate what was going on, the cops showed up and shut the test down.
Alas, the team was left in limbo. Was their monster a success? Or a failure? And, well, if you watched the show, you know the answer ... |
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