I got a neglected '87 Big Bear 350 4x4 for $300. It has been sitting for about three years. The joints are shot/missing. No front drive shaft. The rear diff was locked up with rusty pieces of the bearings and no sign of oil. I got the rear diff to roll after blowing enough crap out to fill a pop can. It is ugly. But I put some gas in and charged the battery and IT STARTED! It smokes a little, but gets better the more it runs.

I read a lot of posts that say it is slow (around 40-50 top speed). Does that mean that you are in high range 5th gear at only 40mph? That sounds like a lot of shifting for low speed.

I have a Baja Dune 150 side-by-side mini dune buggy from Pep Boys Auto Parts. I have done a lot of mods to the suspension, intake, exhaust, etc. The 150cc four stroke scooter based motor does not have much torque, but it will go 45mhp on a rough trail. It will barely make it up some steep mountain trails at about 5mph. The buggy weighs 100lbs less than the Big Bear.

I am thinking about putting the Big Bear 350 engine in the buggy, and possibly the rear drive system. I am willing to give up some torque to get some top speed. I want to go about 60mph or so at top speed, and climb hills without slowing to a crawl. I would prefer to not have to use a clutch. I have 21 inch rear tires.

If it is a semi-automatic, do I need a clutch at all? Would it be better to convert to chain drive to allow for gearing changes to get more top speed? Would the front Torque Control Diff work for the rear drive for independent rear suspension (using the stock transfer case directly to the front diff)?