Early in the project, it became obvious that even with all its resources, Spidertrax was going to have to slow down because of expenses. Luckily, Enelio Ortega jumped in, purchased the project and allowed Spidertrax to continue the buildup. We're happy he did, as Arachnid turned out better than our wildest dreams. Enelio's a good driver, too, which he proved during the photo shoot.
Arachnid started out as a clean 1994 Suzuki Samurai. Spidertrax immediately stripped the vehicle to the bare frame and went to work. They wanted to use most of the Samurai body, so 70% of the stock frame was retained. The chassis can be separated into two parts, an upper and lower section. The upper section is removable, allowing easy access to the lower section. The lower chassis has all armor integrated into it for reduced weight and to simplify things. Eddie and Tom wanted to use material that was lightweight, yet strong enough for the stresses that might be placed on the vehicle (such as rollovers). To this end, 1-5/8" x .120 wall tubing was utilized for the cage and other vital protection, 1-1/4" x .120 wall on selected chassis members and 1 x .065 on the front clip. The belly pan/skidplate is made of 1-1/4" x .120 wall tubing and protected by 7075T6 aluminum panels. It attaches with three bushing-style mounts. |
