locost kit car
 

So a few people have told me about the Locost kit car. It seems fairly cheap, but Im trying to get a bettter understanding of where I can get it.

It seems like everyone is building them from scratch, I was hoping I could buy a frame and bolt on suspension parts, and panels. Im sort of confused about this car At first i though tit was similar to the Factory 5 packages, but after doing research people are using differnt cars,a nd differnt suspension layouts, but hte exterior panelsa look the same

http://www.flyinmiata.com/westfield/ Miata based kit
http://www.cheapsportscar.net/ Read it all and buy the book
http://www.amazon.com/Build-your-own...d_bxgy_b_img_b Another good reference

i heard of these....theres a shop (stokes tires) in santa monica racing one in nasa time trials....they are sick!

Thanks guys, this really seems like something I want to do in the future, but with a NA 13b. Buildng from scratch or getting a full kit, I guess I'm going to have to buy a book in the future and see.

I was trying to look at the Westfield website and I was trying to find the price on the kit they sell. From what I saw it seemed like you need the miata rear end, hubs, and powertrain. I'm still pretty newb at this and really want to learn more. I'll do more research, but if anyone has a good advice or a summary of what needs to be done, that would b great. Thanks

Here is one for sale. Nice, fast, Solo winning car, well built by an expereinced old car guy. $11,000 may seem like a lot, but this is a turn-key, ready to race, well sorted out car.

With home built race cars, the devil is in the details. Some people may get a nice motor or a good trany or a good differential, but getting ALL the little pieces just right to work together as a reliable system is beyond most peoples' capabilities. Most home built chassis cars or engine swap cars are never completely finished all the way to 100% perfection.

http://teamtac.org/e107/e107_plugins...topic.php?1795

As I pointed out in the other kit car thread - go read Tanner's website, esp. the build logs. This is an experienced builder and he spends a huge amount of time tuning and tweaking his setup after actually "completing" the car.

You can build a Locost using a complete FC as a doner, but it will require a lot of fabrication (modifying the front spindles to support an upper A-arm instead of a strut for example). It may be easier to find a junker Miata for the suspension and drop a 13B+tranny in it. Lots of options there.

-bill

If you're using a kit based on a piston engine then the transmission tunnel will probably have to be enlarged because the RX-7 tranny's are quite high up in the tunnel due to the high crank position (middle) compared to a piston engine (towards the bottom).

I was afraid of that. Im just not a big fan of the miata engine, even though it puts out enough power for that little chasis. Are you pretty sure about this though?

That seems like the way to go. I was getting confused because some of the websites I was on, the poeple were using Ford escort parts. I'll stick with the miata kit if I do get one.

Dont know if this might help but caterham produce a lot of locost type kit cars and also supply the kits if you need some ideas.

http://www.caterham.co.uk/

I used to own a Westfield:

http://www.showoffyourcar.com/cars/WESTFIELD/7368.jpg

Great fun as long as you have the weather for one - it rains most of the year over here and with me not having anywhere to store the car inside it spent a lot of time resembling a bathtub :o

They have the aerodynamic properties of a brick, so accelerate well to a certain point then stop. I was running about 160bhp flywheel on mine and always craved more from it. I estimated an extra 50bhp was required to give it the performance I felt it needed.

Here are my 13B power S7even. A blast to run. and cheap to maintance... kind da Danger !!! Check my you tube for more action video :)http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=diyman25


My lap time is only 3 sec slower then the SCCA Recoard EP car here... Consider. All the Trick part they use(Eng,Suspension. drive train). I am doing pretty good !! and I can find that 3 sec if I can dialing in the chassic more

Quick Car spec
Engine. 1985 Gsl-se 13BNA 160HP
Transmission/rear Axle: Stock Gsl-se MT and Gsl-se rear Axle, with lotus Link
Front Suspension. Spitfire Double A arm suspension with Custom 03 Yamaha R1 coilover
Weight 1400LB with driver
It take a lot of time and skill to build This type of car right... But is great reaward when the car work right


http://www.electricreality.com/photo...e/_MG_7944.jpg

http://www.electricreality.com/trackhq/2Loti.jpg

You need to look around the locost websites because there are quite a few companies that specify in building "book chassis". or in other words taking the welding/ cutting of the chassis out of the build proccess. Most will get you a decent, unpainted chassis for about $3g in a big shipping crate. You will also be able to order a fiberglass nosecone, suspension parts or any other number of things you will need to finnish the car. Most kits now are being built around miatas, wich I see as totally positive. The miata parts are well built, and are a great basic platform for the cars good handeling. I personally have been thinking of putting one together with miata suspension, and a honda s2000 f20c drivetrain.
Should be an easy fit with minimal fabricating do be done, and stock it will get me to a very reliable 240hp. I would be using the honda engine, tranny, and then either going to a miata diff and halfshafts, or out to the honda diff with a resized driveshaft. I figure that the stock s2000 engine should get me into territory just inbetween the caterham CSR200(200hp) and the CSR260(260hp) wich will do 3.7 sec and 3.1 sec 0-60 respectively with less torque making it safer and easier to drive then both.

...just some more food for thought :)

You might want to check this site out. The kit he's selling was used to build my car with a 12a rotary. Nice build quality at a cheap price. Let me know if you want further info:

www.coolguitars.ca/7.htm

http://mcsorley.net/locost/

They have the plans to build several different chassis versions depending on how much room you want.

The S2000 engine is rather tall, it may end up sticking out of the hood.

Hello if you go to Barnes & Noble there is a book with a step by step guide, & in the back of the book it even has prints for the whole car !!!

That's the 3rd link in my first post in this thread.