Project WEEEEE Building my dream car
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:24 am
Hey everyone!
Since this place seems to be the official Atom online community, I figure here is as good as place as any to document/discuss the multi year project I'm starting on.
Hopefully a really long build diary of sorts is allowed.
My objective is to have an open wheel/cockpit, mid engine/RWD, F1/Indy looking gokart that can be driven on the street and track, perfect for a 40 year old man child. Natually this criteria drops the available selection down to like 5 or 6 cars. The Atom, DF Goblin, SVE rocket, exobusa, TR-42, and the sierra alpha. I'm sure there are some others i'm missing out there too. Or of course one could simply build from scratch, which is pretty much what your doing with all those cars except the Atom.
As luck would have it, i have found and bought a 2013 Atom SRA. IMO the best looking and closest i'll get to that F1/Indy look. Doesnt hurt that the Atom has a proven track record as a top performer either! Its the perfect platform for my goals! I'll start at street legal, then move on to wings/paint, then i'll start on power.
First objective is to get it street legal. Since its an SRA, getting it road legal here in America is possible but its going to require some work. Part of the reason for this post is to provide some up to date information, as shockingly, there isnt whole lot out there regarding this process, and i've been strongly discouraged from doing this. Meh whatever. If it was easy everyone would do it.
First of all, as of summer 2023 TMI will offer zero assistance in converting an SRA car into a street legal machine. Sucks, but i understand i guess. I'm not sure which parts are off limits, but as i figure that out i'll update the thread.
So what does an SRA need to be road legal here in America. Well it varies state to state but generally speaking the SRA is missing only 4 things. DOT lighting (headlights, tail lights, blinkers, and reverse), horn, parking brake, licence plate mount/light, oh and street legal tires since the SRA is equipped with hoosiers. In my state of Kansas, i wont have to worry about emission laws. Or at least I shouldnt have to as we dont have any. But you never know when it comes to an inspector.
Speaking of inspectors, my sheriff neighbor suggested to me that I take the car out to a small town where they routinely approve things like atvs, SxS, tractors, dirt bikes etc. Logic is they tend to be more accepting of hot rod laws, which is the set of laws governing what i'm doing.
But if this becomes a pain in the butt, there is always the proven Montana method. Which may be they way I go anyway since i have a huge tax phobia and Montana wont make me pay a property or sales tax like Kansas will.
Here is a 2021 article with more explination.
https://www.dirtlegal.com/blog/how-to-m ... reet-legal
So first up is lights. Since i've already alerted TMI about my intentions to make an SRA steet legal, i'm betting they're not an option for lighting. Ariel in the UK might be an option, or skunkwurx. Or I build a custom setup, which is probably what I'll do.
Next up is the parking brake. I'm gonna gamble on this and hope a simple line lock will suffice. If not i'll have to fabricate one since again, i'm not counting on TMI.
Horn, easy barely worth mentioning, same with license plate mount.
Tires, well i'm not sure what i'm going with yet. So if you have a favorite street/track tire tell about them.
As i get the lighting figured out i'll document what I do so others can follow.
Lookin forward to many years of fun with this!
Kevv87
Since this place seems to be the official Atom online community, I figure here is as good as place as any to document/discuss the multi year project I'm starting on.
Hopefully a really long build diary of sorts is allowed.
My objective is to have an open wheel/cockpit, mid engine/RWD, F1/Indy looking gokart that can be driven on the street and track, perfect for a 40 year old man child. Natually this criteria drops the available selection down to like 5 or 6 cars. The Atom, DF Goblin, SVE rocket, exobusa, TR-42, and the sierra alpha. I'm sure there are some others i'm missing out there too. Or of course one could simply build from scratch, which is pretty much what your doing with all those cars except the Atom.
As luck would have it, i have found and bought a 2013 Atom SRA. IMO the best looking and closest i'll get to that F1/Indy look. Doesnt hurt that the Atom has a proven track record as a top performer either! Its the perfect platform for my goals! I'll start at street legal, then move on to wings/paint, then i'll start on power.
First objective is to get it street legal. Since its an SRA, getting it road legal here in America is possible but its going to require some work. Part of the reason for this post is to provide some up to date information, as shockingly, there isnt whole lot out there regarding this process, and i've been strongly discouraged from doing this. Meh whatever. If it was easy everyone would do it.
First of all, as of summer 2023 TMI will offer zero assistance in converting an SRA car into a street legal machine. Sucks, but i understand i guess. I'm not sure which parts are off limits, but as i figure that out i'll update the thread.
So what does an SRA need to be road legal here in America. Well it varies state to state but generally speaking the SRA is missing only 4 things. DOT lighting (headlights, tail lights, blinkers, and reverse), horn, parking brake, licence plate mount/light, oh and street legal tires since the SRA is equipped with hoosiers. In my state of Kansas, i wont have to worry about emission laws. Or at least I shouldnt have to as we dont have any. But you never know when it comes to an inspector.
Speaking of inspectors, my sheriff neighbor suggested to me that I take the car out to a small town where they routinely approve things like atvs, SxS, tractors, dirt bikes etc. Logic is they tend to be more accepting of hot rod laws, which is the set of laws governing what i'm doing.
But if this becomes a pain in the butt, there is always the proven Montana method. Which may be they way I go anyway since i have a huge tax phobia and Montana wont make me pay a property or sales tax like Kansas will.
Here is a 2021 article with more explination.
https://www.dirtlegal.com/blog/how-to-m ... reet-legal
So first up is lights. Since i've already alerted TMI about my intentions to make an SRA steet legal, i'm betting they're not an option for lighting. Ariel in the UK might be an option, or skunkwurx. Or I build a custom setup, which is probably what I'll do.
Next up is the parking brake. I'm gonna gamble on this and hope a simple line lock will suffice. If not i'll have to fabricate one since again, i'm not counting on TMI.
Horn, easy barely worth mentioning, same with license plate mount.
Tires, well i'm not sure what i'm going with yet. So if you have a favorite street/track tire tell about them.
As i get the lighting figured out i'll document what I do so others can follow.
Lookin forward to many years of fun with this!
Kevv87