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Rockin' Rat Rod
Blake Savage hit the nail on the head when he came up with his newest trail rig. He said he took inspiration from the old rat rods - low luster but high capability. |
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  He
took a Sami body, added a Track/Kick suspension, chopped off what wasn't
needed and tubed the rest. He doesn't have to worry about his 37" MTR's
rubbing the fenders - because there aren't any! This allows the chassis
to sit really low and it keeps the tipping to a minimum. |
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  Here
you can see the front coil suspension. Unless you know what you are
looking at, you won't be able to tell that the CV shafts are actually
from a Toyota. Blake kept the center section Suzuki when he used a front
axle from a Grand Vitara. The front chunk is also stuffed with stock
5:12 gears and a locker to keep it going slow. |
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  The
rear axle is a stock Track/Kick unit as is the suspension itself. Also
stuffed with 5.12 gears and a locker, it sports a limiting strap to keep
the suspension from getting out of hand in the twisty stuff. |
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  While
most of the Sami tub was retained, the back was chopped for less sheet
metal damage. The battery was relocated to a safer place out back. The
conventional gas tank was also ditched for a spun aluminum tank tucked
into the cage for safety. |
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  Up
front you can definitely tell it is a Sami by the stock hood. But what
you don't see is the Track/Kick 1.6 - caged and stashed under that hood
(complete with power steering). With more engine and less vehicle you
can just imagine the power this rig has on the trail! |
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   The
interior has only the parts required to get the job done. The seats were
replaced with lightweight racing buckets and then dropped to the floor
for that lower COG. This rig has already seen some rough trails, and he
doesn't baby it. It is definitely a one-of-a-kind rig, so watch for him
and wave as he blows by you! |
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| Built By:
Blake Savage |
02/28/07 14:59
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When
planning a rig, you think of a few points that would make life so much
easier. Like a low COG (center of gravity), a strong, integrated cage,
big tires, a strong power plant and not much sheet metal to worry
about... right?
