Can you build your own UTV?
#11
Can you build your own UTV?
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: OIown12
I was thinking about this the other day. I actually put together a list and priced off the rack OEM parts to build a 2007 Sportsman 500 EFI. [img][/img] I work for the Federal Government, so I have plenty of time to conduct experiments like this. [img][/img] I painstakingly added up every nut, bolt, hose and fitting. Are you ready!! The price was a whopping
$26,401.60
What a bargin!</end quote></div>
That's not even including a toilet seat or a hammer. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
I was thinking about this the other day. I actually put together a list and priced off the rack OEM parts to build a 2007 Sportsman 500 EFI. [img][/img] I work for the Federal Government, so I have plenty of time to conduct experiments like this. [img][/img] I painstakingly added up every nut, bolt, hose and fitting. Are you ready!! The price was a whopping
$26,401.60
What a bargin!</end quote></div>
That's not even including a toilet seat or a hammer. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
#12
Can you build your own UTV?
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Scootergptx
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: OIown12
I was thinking about this the other day. I actually put together a list and priced off the rack OEM parts to build a 2007 Sportsman 500 EFI. [IMG][/IMG] I work for the Federal Government, so I have plenty of time to conduct experiments like this. [IMG][/IMG] I painstakingly added up every nut, bolt, hose and fitting. Are you ready!! The price was a whopping
$26,401.60
What a bargin!</end quote></div>
That's not even including a toilet seat or a hammer. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0[/IMG]</end quote></div>
That would put it well over 30Gs. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]
You can build your own... anything... if you have enough time and money. If I wanted something like a RZR only better I would get a RZR S. The mods are already done. http://www.polarisindustries.c...-S/Pages/features.aspx
One of my cousins used to build dune buggys from scratch. Guess what? He was an automotive engineer and a race care mechanic. His years of studying engineering then working as an engineer gave him the knowledge he needed to build his own vehicles. He even did something that several people told him was impossible. But he's smart and did it anyway.
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: OIown12
I was thinking about this the other day. I actually put together a list and priced off the rack OEM parts to build a 2007 Sportsman 500 EFI. [IMG][/IMG] I work for the Federal Government, so I have plenty of time to conduct experiments like this. [IMG][/IMG] I painstakingly added up every nut, bolt, hose and fitting. Are you ready!! The price was a whopping
$26,401.60
What a bargin!</end quote></div>
That's not even including a toilet seat or a hammer. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0[/IMG]</end quote></div>
That would put it well over 30Gs. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]
You can build your own... anything... if you have enough time and money. If I wanted something like a RZR only better I would get a RZR S. The mods are already done. http://www.polarisindustries.c...-S/Pages/features.aspx
One of my cousins used to build dune buggys from scratch. Guess what? He was an automotive engineer and a race care mechanic. His years of studying engineering then working as an engineer gave him the knowledge he needed to build his own vehicles. He even did something that several people told him was impossible. But he's smart and did it anyway.
#15
Can you build your own UTV?
Man you guys are getting tough on here lately. I dont think it would be all that cheap if your going to sub contract everything out. The price is so high if you buy all the pieces cause Polaris sells bolts and such for much more than you could get it at the farm store. If your not doing it yourself I'd scratch the idea, however I think with some time and a welder anything is possible. I've thought about doing something like that with the Predator being I don't ride it anymore. I don't want to make it as big as the Razor, thought maybe just like a Go Kart like they sell at the Farm Store on Steroids. My buddies building a metal shop so maybe this Winter we'll get started. We have been kicking ideas around so who knows...
#16
#17
Can you build your own UTV?
Have you priced materials lately? Not, mechanical parts mind you, just steel, aluminum and such. Regular raw materials you would need just to build the frames or the metal you would need to build components.
Even if you had access to a metal supplier who gave you every piece of metal you needed for free and you had the machine shop and equipment to make your own scratch designed components there would still be certain times that you would almost have to buy and they would probably cost almost as much as a new UTV.
One off vehicles, even when you have all the materials coming in at wholesale cost and you can source free or nearly free components are extremely expensive. You would absolutely soil yourself if you knew how much was spent on prototypes during the design process.
Suppose you are Polaris R&D and you want to build a prototype of a UTV, lets call it Razor 2.0. This vehicle will sell retail for $10,000. Once you begin production your actual cost to build is say, $6,000. What does it cost to build the prototype? 6,000? 10,000, 50,000? Companies can have hundreds of thousands in a prototype. It isn't uncommon for car manufacturers to have million or more in a prototype. This is even when they have access to a fully stocked parts room and materials shop. It is why there has been so much money put into computer aided designing and modeling. So they can do the prototyping stage on computer and eliminate that step in bringing a design to market. Prototypes and one-offs are ungodly expensive.
My point is that yes you could build a UTV in your garage. Of course you could. A person with excellent mechanical, engineering and mathematical skills who could weld, machine and trouble shoot could build a UTV. In the grand scheme of things they're not THAT complicated. The trouble is that it would take a great deal of time and would be exceedingly expensive. To create something along the lines of a razer or teryx, or rhino could cost several times over the cost of one you bought. I know of guys who have bought airplane kits that included engineered drawings, all the materials and incidentals and it has still taken them years to build it. One guy I know designed and is in the process of building his own plane from scratch. Probably has tens of thousands in it. He's been working on it since 1967. It probably won't fly for another 10 years.
Even if you had access to a metal supplier who gave you every piece of metal you needed for free and you had the machine shop and equipment to make your own scratch designed components there would still be certain times that you would almost have to buy and they would probably cost almost as much as a new UTV.
One off vehicles, even when you have all the materials coming in at wholesale cost and you can source free or nearly free components are extremely expensive. You would absolutely soil yourself if you knew how much was spent on prototypes during the design process.
Suppose you are Polaris R&D and you want to build a prototype of a UTV, lets call it Razor 2.0. This vehicle will sell retail for $10,000. Once you begin production your actual cost to build is say, $6,000. What does it cost to build the prototype? 6,000? 10,000, 50,000? Companies can have hundreds of thousands in a prototype. It isn't uncommon for car manufacturers to have million or more in a prototype. This is even when they have access to a fully stocked parts room and materials shop. It is why there has been so much money put into computer aided designing and modeling. So they can do the prototyping stage on computer and eliminate that step in bringing a design to market. Prototypes and one-offs are ungodly expensive.
My point is that yes you could build a UTV in your garage. Of course you could. A person with excellent mechanical, engineering and mathematical skills who could weld, machine and trouble shoot could build a UTV. In the grand scheme of things they're not THAT complicated. The trouble is that it would take a great deal of time and would be exceedingly expensive. To create something along the lines of a razer or teryx, or rhino could cost several times over the cost of one you bought. I know of guys who have bought airplane kits that included engineered drawings, all the materials and incidentals and it has still taken them years to build it. One guy I know designed and is in the process of building his own plane from scratch. Probably has tens of thousands in it. He's been working on it since 1967. It probably won't fly for another 10 years.
#18
Can you build your own UTV?
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: OIown12
Awwwwwwwwww, how hard can it be? I've seen those guys on TV convert a stock Jeep to rockcrawler in 30 minutes.</end quote></div>
great point, another one.... guys that run mud boggs over on highlifter they buy 10k machines and throw another 6 into them... you don't see them expecting another machine to just be sitting next to there exitsing one.. no the lift, tires, snorkles, gears, rims, tires, axles, etc.. it all adds up..
Captin, your also correct on the price of materials.. let me put it like this... a home 5 years ago that cost 150k is now going to run you around 300k... around here there is a huge problem with people going into homes and stealing copper piping while people are at work and on vacation, im sure it is the same way all over the country... why because the crap is expensive...
agoutihead, obviously i am not the only one in this boat... so give me some of that stuff your smoking so i can clear my head and see how things are going to be cheaper
Awwwwwwwwww, how hard can it be? I've seen those guys on TV convert a stock Jeep to rockcrawler in 30 minutes.</end quote></div>
great point, another one.... guys that run mud boggs over on highlifter they buy 10k machines and throw another 6 into them... you don't see them expecting another machine to just be sitting next to there exitsing one.. no the lift, tires, snorkles, gears, rims, tires, axles, etc.. it all adds up..
Captin, your also correct on the price of materials.. let me put it like this... a home 5 years ago that cost 150k is now going to run you around 300k... around here there is a huge problem with people going into homes and stealing copper piping while people are at work and on vacation, im sure it is the same way all over the country... why because the crap is expensive...
agoutihead, obviously i am not the only one in this boat... so give me some of that stuff your smoking so i can clear my head and see how things are going to be cheaper
#19
#20
I disagree
I disagree, the cost of building something is substantial, but with some creativity, some frugal discipline and the ability to create and adapt your design to parts and equipment that is available. you can do it.
I perssonally do not believe CapitainQuit at all when it comes to a manufacturers R&D. the build very damn few prototype and they do their designing on paper/computer. have you ever bought a first year "toy" they all pretty much suck and have problems. Because they dont R&D, polaris specifically cant build a first year machine, then they have key dealers that for some reason have polaris tatoos on their arms and are so damn loyal to the brand, they come up with fixes and give them to polaris for incorporation.
where manufacturers spend $ is in making the design repeatable and on "finish" to make the item saleable against their competitors.
dont think for a minute they spend much on development, they have an existing motor and drivetrain, they fit a frame around it, add a suspension then spend money making it look neat. Take the plastic off and check things out for yourself.
Jumbo frank...I say GO FOR IT!!!! you will most likely not save much money...although if your really really crafty and lucky you may. but the satisfaction of riding your own build is AWESOME.
I found this link because I'm researching how to build my own 4 seater UTV. I have a source for materials at a very good price. the only hicup I have found so far is how to effectively make it 4x4 and still light,
for a full up 4 person RZR ready to ride your pushing 20K....that is alot alot alot of materials and parts.
also think of the fun you will have doing it....GO FOR IT. Show these nay say'ers your grit. once I find a site that is dedicated to what I want you can find me there! just look for spomey!
I perssonally do not believe CapitainQuit at all when it comes to a manufacturers R&D. the build very damn few prototype and they do their designing on paper/computer. have you ever bought a first year "toy" they all pretty much suck and have problems. Because they dont R&D, polaris specifically cant build a first year machine, then they have key dealers that for some reason have polaris tatoos on their arms and are so damn loyal to the brand, they come up with fixes and give them to polaris for incorporation.
where manufacturers spend $ is in making the design repeatable and on "finish" to make the item saleable against their competitors.
dont think for a minute they spend much on development, they have an existing motor and drivetrain, they fit a frame around it, add a suspension then spend money making it look neat. Take the plastic off and check things out for yourself.
Jumbo frank...I say GO FOR IT!!!! you will most likely not save much money...although if your really really crafty and lucky you may. but the satisfaction of riding your own build is AWESOME.
I found this link because I'm researching how to build my own 4 seater UTV. I have a source for materials at a very good price. the only hicup I have found so far is how to effectively make it 4x4 and still light,
for a full up 4 person RZR ready to ride your pushing 20K....that is alot alot alot of materials and parts.
also think of the fun you will have doing it....GO FOR IT. Show these nay say'ers your grit. once I find a site that is dedicated to what I want you can find me there! just look for spomey!