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Junkyard Build

Put a Coyote V8 in a 1970 Bronco, a Lamborghini V12 in a Miata, or a Cummins diesel in a Land Cruiser, and see what happens. Junkyard Build is a 3D car builder for learning what the major parts of a vehicle do, using real parts you could actually buy.

How it works

Pick a body (now including a 1973-79 Ford F-250 4x4), then go through the drivetrain one part at a time. Each part shows its real specs, where it came from, roughly what it costs, and a short explanation of what it does. The build updates in 3D as you go: the body turns to glass so you can see the engine, transmission, driveshafts, axles and springs, and the build sheet below recalculates weight, 0-60, quarter mile, top speed, crawl ratio and ground clearance. If a part won't fit or won't survive (a Hellcat behind a three-speed, 37 in tires with no lift), it tells you why and what builders do about it.

Then drive it. The test ground has a quarter-mile drag strip with a timer, dirt trails, a rock garden, a mud pit and jumps. Lockers, low range and big tires matter in the rocks; sticky tires and gearing matter on the strip.

The parts of a vehicle

Body and frame
Body-on-frame trucks bolt the body to two steel rails; unibody cars use the shell as the structure. Wheelbase sets stability and how well it clears crests.
Engine
Makes torque at the crankshaft. Horsepower is torque times rpm. Layout (inline, V, flat, rotary, electric) decides how it fits.
Transmission
Picks a gear ratio so the engine stays in its useful rpm range. Every gearbox has a torque limit.
Transfer case
Sends power to the front axle in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, often with a low range for crawling.
Axles and gears
The ring and pinion multiply torque one last time; bigger tires need shorter gears.
Differentials
Let the wheels on an axle turn at different speeds in a turn. Open, limited slip, locker or spool decide what happens when one wheel loses grip.
Suspension
Springs and shocks keep the tires on the ground. Stiff and low for pavement, soft and long-travel for rocks and whoops.
Wheels and tires
Every force ends at the tire. Compound and tread decide grip on pavement, dirt, rock and mud.
Brakes
Turn speed into heat. Drums fade when hot; discs and big brake kits shed heat better.

Driving controls

W A S D or the arrow keys to drive, S to brake and then reverse, Space for the handbrake, F to shift the transfer case (2H, 4H, 4L), X for lockers, Q and E to shift by hand, C to change the camera and R to flip back over. On a phone, use the on-screen pedals and steering buttons.

Credits

Several body models are adapted from artists who share their work on Sketchfab:

The FJ40 and C10 bodies, the engines, drivetrains, wheels, the test ground and the engine sounds are made for this site.

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