Car Project

A formula inspired engineering project, diving into vehicle suspension exploration and chassis design.

Project Description

Following my sophomore year of high school, I set out to design and build my own Formula-style car as a completely independent project. Having always admired the engineering behind Formula 1, I wanted to take my own spin on vehicle design and fabrication. This project became a way to combine my passion for cars with hands-on learning — teaching myself welding, wiring, and the fundamentals of vehicle mechanics along the way.

Because I had not yet taken any formal engineering or CAD courses, much of my initial design work was done through sketches on paper and modeling in SketchUp. I fabricated the chassis from steel tubing, rewired a Kawasaki Z1000 motorcycle engine to function as the car’s powerplant, and adapted its transmission system for car-style shifting. When I later converted the vehicle to an electric platform as part of a high school engineering capstone, I used CNC machining for the motor mount and was introduced to CAD tools for the first time.

Some of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the build included designing a custom differential to work with Ford Firebird rear knuckle joints, adapting go-kart steering knuckles to an independent suspension system, and fine-tuning the alignment of A-arms for proper camber and caster. The process also gave me deep exposure to engine wiring, electronic fuel injection, and diagnosing ECU and harness issues.

The entire project spanned about a year, with nine months dedicated to fabrication and testing. Due to limited resources, many changes were made through trial and error, learning directly from each failed or flawed attempt. In the end, the car successfully drove under its own power. I later donated it to my high school so future students could continue iterating on the design.

This project taught me invaluable skills in metal fabrication (cutting, bending, and welding), automotive wiring, ECU flashing, suspension geometry, and overall vehicle dynamics. Beyond the technical lessons, it gave me a foundation in problem-solving, perseverance, and the creativity required to engineer with limited resources.