2016 Banshee Unrestricted Build

[CRT1990]

Alright, you've seen posts from me here and there. I'm a long time car enthusiast and flipper and I wanted to build something next level. I'm not attempting to conform to any competition rules, I just want to see what it can do with no upgrade spared. I finally bought one here and since then I've been through surgeries, family stuff, and powdercoaters dealing with ridiculous shut downs. Finally now, the chassis prepped and after working on cars since age 8, I have exactly zero idea what I'm doing. l.o.l. Any guidance on assembly order or shear plates would be appreciated. Comments and suggestions welcomed. Pics posted every step. Anyway, here's the starting photo!!

[Stan Clayton]

The blue frame looks interesting, but the bland generic sedan looks complete. What are you asking about it?

[David Ferguson]

First I think you need to decide on an engine. If you're planning to use a Ford Coyote V8 Aluminator, you may need to modify the frame.

[Bardahl77]

If you want to be really unlimited, a Helliphant crate engine would be the way.

Or maybe a Lycoming T55...

[provamo]

powdercoat?

[jrh3]

The blue frame looks interesting, but the bland generic sedan looks complete. What are you asking about it?

Organ donor?

[Dan Lipperini Jr]

I’ll take a stab at this since the OP left a bit to be desired in his post/description/photography skills. I believe this is a Formula Banshee frame like the car I picked up. Here is a link to my thread: https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...ormula-Banshee

Why would you powder coat the frame before you decided the direction of your build is going to take? For that matter, why would you powder coat the frame at all? Ever?

From the information that I’ve gathered, the car would best be used as a fun hillclimb/auto-x toy with a built VW engine and transaxle. The frame is stout enough but the rollbar should be upgraded to 1-1/2” tubing IMO.

To the OP, this forum is full of useful information and folks who are more than willing to help, but there needs to be some sort of effort made on your part. Ask questions and provide as much info as possible. Anything less will be met with sarcasm in case you haven’t figured that out.

Good Luck.

[CRT1990]

Okay, first off the powder-coating. That was offered by a friend of a friend. It's a triglycidyl isocyanurate designed to resist gravel in a color I liked for a couple hundred bucks. I'm newly married and trying to relocate to mountain time from Michigan. Building this car is a hobby build with a 1-2 year build time or finished around my move time. My new job both pays enough to finally relocate and is national and willing to transfer me. However, the hours are much longer and to spend time with the wife, I have about 3 hours of build time a week. Since the tgic coating included surface rust removal, I decided that a couple hundred to forget about any future corrosion seemed logical. Since everything else is on the swapping block, I did the chassis only.

On to my intention. I've owned and modified many street cars and every forum seems to devolve into debating the reasoning behind an application as opposed to discussing the application itself. This forum by contrast seems to be interested in whatever the build is and much more eager to help. So I'm just going to spill it all. I have mild aspergers/autism and among my many ticks is the neurological obsession with a symmetrical 200mph plus projectile. By symmetrical I mean I hate that 3/5/or7 seat delta config isn't standard. I thought about modding a 987 cayman to center seat, but I wanted a more purpose built car that I can see the inner workings of. Some mentally odd people hurt others, some eat crayons, some need to build a certain type of vehicle. This will be a street legal supercar slayer.

Some other backstory to pre-empt viability questions on the legal end. My parents were used car dealers my whole life and the B Dealer license is now in my name. We have had the same police officer do our salvage inspections for years. He has advised that Michigan has many options for historical, assembled, and other special vehicle plating. He's given me the list of mods like like lights and bumpers required for each and he will do the inspection. The full faith and credit clause of US Code will give me street legality in most states except the ones I wouldn't go to anyway. The places I'm looking to move are small rural towns within an hour of one of my employer locations where people drive all sorts of dune buggies to the bank and grocery and no one cares.

I've read conflicting opinions on the upper limits of the BTF chassis for torque and road forces above 150mph. To address this, I figure a high hp/torque ratio would be optimal since hp gets top speed and torque flex is what we don't want. Bike engines not only do this, but eliminate rotational torque in favor of the north south chain. And they stay symmetrically mounted unlike 99% of transverse engines which are offset. So until you started talking about a v8, yes with some mods, I was setting in on a Busa -- the point I look is that you say a BTF can hold that weight and handle that torque, my original plan was WRX swap.

All F1000s I see are north of 20k. I'm in the BTF 2500 so far and willing to bet that a Busa or WRX swap can be done for far less than 20k-2500. In addition to 20+ years exp on regular cars, I have wholesale access to every donor car/bike in every condition you can imagine.

To answer the questions in Summary:
-Legit mental oddity compels building symmetrical vehicle.
-Goal 200mph or best as possible
-Street legal weekend weapon
-My unique situation has legal covered
-My unique situation has donor parts extra covered
-I have several friends that can fab/weld solid and precise but ugly brackets.
-I'm not going to compete in any way that restricts this build in any way, if at all.

I'm 30 and and my vision for life hasn't changed in 14 years. Mountain house with property and an engineering hobby to drive after work where nobody cares. Society is too crazy for my anxiety and until I can get rural, envisioning this car with every wrench turn just soothes all the thoughts about looming global government and all the other stuff I think about that I don't wanna get into here.

What I need:
1. Consult on shear plates. Never used, never installed. How many washers per bolt? Front/rear plates same? Basically the BTF didn't come with instructions and while most is self explanatory, I want to avoid mistakes.
2. Busa vs WRX vs Insert Suggestion.
3. Body. In the interest of minimizing wear from power, I intend to relieve the other side of the formula by reducing drag with an enclosed cockpit.
4. Don't ask why, or you'll get the book lol. On the Crossfire forum, I needed advice on an SRT6/AMG swap. Every time someone said sell it and buy an SRT, I had to explain it was a gift from my ill mother and was too sentimental to sell. She beat the cancer so I sold the car and we drove to get this to celebrate the news. BTW Rick Simpson oil has kept it gone.

As a car dealer, I buy and sell many, but even pimps get married and I'd like to keep this car for life. I've read that the BTF is by far the best performance/price out atm and the chassis is quite capable. I'm in no rush and have unlimited patience for sourcing and fabbing in order to stay under 10k finished.

That's it. BTF, fast as possible, no particular reason. All advice appreciated. I'm ready for the sarcasm that my strange elaboration of the project will bring. XD Thanks all.

[TimH]

It's good that you've laid out your intentions in better detail. However, I can't help but notice the triangulation on that chassis is not symmetric. Adding some tubes would fix that and perhaps help you better deal with 200+ HP, even low-torque HP.

Just sayin..

[CRT1990]

wow, those pics really were bad. The other cross bar runs parallel to photo border just above :/ I'll post more this week.

[HazelNut]

probably not the best chassis to use to do what you're looking to do. Also you'll easily have 20k into this project. If you do manage to get to 150mph+ in it, hit a gnat and you're dead.

[EYERACE]

A chassis like a Banshee is not intended for even 150+ much less 200........you do understand that the stresses (mechanical and biological) vs. speeds are not a linear function.

[Purple Frog]

My suggestion: If it came with the transaxle... build it first with a hoped up VW engine. You'll learn a ton in that process, especially if you get it running and stopping safely. Use that knowledge as a jumping off point to move on to the next step.

Not familiar with your shear plates. There are some folks in the Mid-Atlantic area that may be able to help.
Check out this site:
https://www.formularacecarclubofamerica.com/

Get on their forum, or contact them somehow for help. There are contact info and phone numbers on the site.

[djones]

Christian
There are some good pictures of Banshees with the bodywork off in the autocross/ hill climb section. Just use the search function. Pretty clearly shows front and rear shear plate and aluminium spacer orientation.

[jrh3]

It's good that you've laid out your intentions in better detail. However, I can't help but notice the triangulation on that chassis is not symmetric. Adding some tubes would fix that and perhaps help you better deal with 200+ HP, even low-torque HP.

Just sayin..

Stronger than one might think. The chassis tubes are 1x1 0.120 wall and a very thick steel floor. I'd put a strong vw back in it and have fun.