How To: Build a car from spare parts and scraps
Click above for more shots of this home-built Ariel Atom replica
Every once in a while, we run an article aimed at the do-it-yourself crowd. Usually, these things are not that difficult to accomplish, but today, we've found something a little bit more in-depth for those really hard-core recyclers out there. A man in Utah has taken various bit of scrap, a kayak, a doghouse and a wrecked car or two and made himself a very cool replica of the Ariel Atom. His car is fully registered and licensed for street use, though we can't imagine it's all that practical to drive every day. With its Honda K-series engine sourced from an Acura RSX and super light weight, the replica is pretty fuel efficient at over 35 miles per gallon as well as fast. The run to sixty takes just 4.5 seconds on the builder's stopwatch. Since so much of the car was either hand-built or procured second-hand, it took just $11,000 to make this dream into a reality. Well, that plus 800 hours of hard work.
Gallery: Home-built Arial Atom replica
[Sources: Flickr, MAKE]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
tchamp 2:32PM (9/25/2008)
Ha ha... I had to laugh at this! My 4 year old son has asked me many times if we can make a car. When I ask him how he thinks we should do that, he says that we should go to the junk yard and get some parts, and bring them back to our house and put them together.
I just smiled and said "Thats not how it works - cars are built in factories, and its too hard to do at our house."
I guess this guy just proved me wrong. I'm glad my 4-year-old can't read, or he'd have me trying this.
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cgill 2:44PM (9/25/2008)
Man can build his own replicar from scrap, but cant manage to mount directional tires properly?
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tankd0g 11:04PM (9/25/2008)
Probably took them to Walmart.
Harley 2:10AM (9/27/2008)
Pretty darned impressive. Put some additional side impact protection in and put it on the road.
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