The coolest Infento creation you’ve ever seen!
In the first edition of the Infento Masters you’ve met Jan Wittholz and his Infento ride-on mower. Since then, Jan has not been idle, next to being a father of 6 children! 🙂
This German super builder proves that with imagination and determination, you can build anything! In this edition of Infento Masters we are showcasing Jan’s latest creation, a real sand buggy.
The sand buggy
As Jan says: ‘Bigger is better. And bigger than big is even better!’ With this mindset he got to work. Initially, he wanted to build a trophy truck (off-road truck), but the bodywork was too demanding and the wheels too big. Then he thought of his childhood toy, a Tamiya radio controlled car. The idea for a sand buggy was born! Just a bit bigger than the toy version 😉
Let’s have a look at all the special features the buggy has!
Double wishbones
A must-have characteristic of a sand buggy: the double wishbones with a longer lower wishbone.
Custom aluminum hubs
Made from solid aluminum attached to an Infento axle flange and spacer.
Jan made these wheels hubs himself. Not a job within anyone’s reach, but very, very cool.
8 inch 3D printed reinforced rims
The wide front rims allow enough space for the steering knuckle. They weigh almost a kilo a piece. Bullet-proof according to Jan!
Roll cage
The roll cage has been sized to perfectly fit one of his boys. That’s what we call tailor-made!
Custom brake pedal solution
The pedal pulls and balances 2 brake cables, the spring makes sure the pedal is pushed back into position.
Flip up steering wheel
After almost finishing the roll cage, it turned out getting into the buggy was a tricky job! The steering wheel was in the way so Jan invented a flip up steer with self-locking function to stay in place while driving.
Triple-adjustable shock absorbers
The adjustability allowed Jan to find the ideal setting for the buggy’s suspension.
2 kWh electric brushless motor
This power unit ensures enough power to get through heavier terrain.
Custom made differential
This is the same differential Jan used in the ride-on mower. Now this part will really be tested for toughness!
Remote switch and display unit
We love switches and buttons! The display shows the battery voltage and the switch is for adjusting the speed level and going into reverse. There are 3 speed settings to choose from.
CAD designed and 3D printed light housing
Jan used lights he purchased online, but he was not satisfied with the housing. That’s why he designed and printed the housing himself.
Rear spoiler with two blades
The spoiler is made from an Infento box with custom designed 3D printed fins. The fins shape the spoiler to be curved and give it the required stiffness.
3D printed external reservoirs
The rear shock absorbers looked a bit skinny, so Jan printed some ‘reservoirs’ and decorated these with Sachs stickers. Indistinguishable from the real thing!
Black custom 3D printed hubcaps
To make the front rims match better with the rear rims, Jan fitted custom hubcaps.
Side skirts from EVA foam
The stickers on the foam side skirts are the finishing touch to this masterpiece.
The result of all this hard work was a sand buggy with a length of 90 inch (230 cm) and a width of 47 inch (120 cm). If you were wondering how they got this monster out of the house… good thinking!
The buggy had to be partly disassembled and the roll cage was only just small enough to fit through a window of the house.
Total weight: 247 pounds (112 kilograms)
Weight distribution: almost 50/50
Drivetrain: rear-wheel drive
Motor: 2 kWh brushless motor
Want to see the entire building process and some muddy scenes? Check out Jan’s YouTube video. Maybe you or your kids can guess which famous movie scene he got inspired by. It starts with… focus and speed. ‘I eat losers for breakfast!’
Are you aiming to be our next Master builder? You could be! Join the club of creative geniuses and get your Kit today!