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A car project 2 years in the making: a tube-frame motorcycle-powered race car with a vintage station wagon skin.
Check out the Instagram page for current updates:
Check out the Instagram page for current updates:
After getting the sensation of driving a motorcycle-powered vehicle with Virginia Motorsports, I wanted to build something with that same frantic, high-revving energy; but in a street legal package. At this point, the car is being shaken down as a rolling chassis without the body attached. One day, you may see Supernugget with its VW body on the street, but for now it's confined to autocross and private driveways.
3D Scanning
3D Scanning
This technology was essential to ensuring my CAD models were accurate to real life, and vice versa. Every capture was performed using my iPhone 13 through Polycam, an app that can use cloud-based photogrammetry and the rear camera's LIDAR sensor.
Suspension components from a Mazda Miata were used to save design time. I created this accurately jointed model from the scan meshes to be able to check clearances and ensure the steering geometry was accurate.
Interior, exterior, and some suspension scans needed to be overlaid to get a full picture of the existing surfaces of the 1973 VW Type 3 "Squareback".
Since the car is centered around the unique powerplant, an accurate representation was critical. This high-definition scan was actually performed with my old iPhone SE 2 - a single lens is all that's needed for photogrammetry!
Chassis design and fabrication
Chassis design and fabrication
Ensuring a snug fit to the body while maintaining proper clearance was enabled by the scans, along with physical measurements to correlate to reality.
Carrying forward skills I learned making race cars with Virginia Motorsports, I designed and fabricated a fully custom vehicle chassis with the main safety cell built to FIA hillclimb specifications. Implementing best practices supported with FEA, the resulting structure is an incredibly stiff and light skeleton for my project.
Chassis validation FEA results are shown here, and the results are a torsional rigidity of 1,785 n*m/deg - almost twice as high as many production sports cars. The structural safety factor under an extreme bump loading case is ~2.5 with simplified loading.
The rear subframe was designed so the entire powertrain could be removed as one piece for servicing or future modification. It separates from the main chassis with only four bolts.
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