New Build: Bad Juju Mutant Vehicle - online 2020

[Nein1won]

Hey folks,

My wifes grandfather revently passed away and one of the things he left behind was a well loved and well maintained John Deere Gator TX 4x2. We hemmed and hawed about it a bit but as soon as we both saw it we knew we were gonna take it 2000miles home to Texas and turn it into something awesome.

We are planning to build a reanimated alligator named BAD JUJU. The gator will tow its own 5x8 trailer, which will form the belly of the beast and a small swamp lounge area complete with crickets and bullfrogs.

This is not a party car, and while it will of courrse be literally and liberally illuminated, the plan is to build something dark and downright spooky if we can.

I'll be posting period updates here through the vehicles debut at FZB2020 in January. We've only just arrived back in TX and I of course have to prep for this years burning man, but for now I can show the 3d mockup that I've made and some photos of the vehicle.

3D mockup: [https://poly.google.com/view/cAG4l4egppi]
Photos: [[

Id love any input on the design or the following topics in particular:
-ATV/UTV towing capacity on playa: JD says 1000lbs and the hitch is on the axle so no suspension mods will work.
-engine and hydraulics protection: Do i need to modify my air intake? The gator has a hydraulic dump bed that we are hoping to use to open and close Juju's mouth, do I need to protect that from playa?
-materials: right now the plan is coroplast, LDPE, and faux leather for the aesthetics, steel for the frame.

Thanks for reading, would love any input you can provide

-Bones

[Nein1won]

A static photo of the design can be found here:

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[Nein1won]

I'll also amend this to note that there will be no live plants in the vehicle at burning man as they are prohibited. We will save that for the regionals.