LocostUSA.com

Has any locost-er successfully mated a 2.0 Zetec from a Focus to a T5? I still think its my best option just because they're so cheap to replace, I could buy 3 (more even) for the price of one Miata engine. That would be pretty nice, to be able to beat the **** out of them knowing I could replace it for $200. Plus, they're substantially more powerful.

I also read that the Merkur XR4ti has the type 9 trans that wouldn't need to be modified at all to mate to the Zetec, is that right? I bet that would be hard to find though...

There is a bellhousing made for that application. It's about $450 for the bell and you can then use a T-5 for a 4-cylinder Mustang. I was thinking of going the Zetec route, but came across a really well priced 2.3L Ranger dual plug engine. It's a bit tall, but I will make it fit.

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Build sold to a new loving home. May start another one when I have more time to devote to it. For now I play with my boat, Datsun 240Z, and GS700 motorcycle.

The bell housings mentioned above come from www.Quad4rods.com in Denver and are indeed about $450. They are very good quality units though. I have one for my Quad 4. I think John developed the one you want for Jim McSourly in fact.
Wayne

I've heard nothing but good thigs about the bells that are from Quad4rods. I was really considering using one. I had some email contact with the owner and he was very helpful. Sounded like he really knew his stuff.

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Build sold to a new loving home. May start another one when I have more time to devote to it. For now I play with my boat, Datsun 240Z, and GS700 motorcycle.

Ive been using the HF blue box welder that is both gas and flux core compatible. It is doing fine, but it can be a little tricky to get set correctly. Well worth the money though. Don't forget you also have to set aside around 100 dollars for a tank and regulator. One tank should be enough to get the frame down, but a refill on AR/CO2 mix cost around 30 dollars.

I bought a Lincoln mig pac 10 from Canadian tire the other day, I imagine that the box itself is the same as a Lincoln 100, on sale it was $450 and I ran some practice beads with it today. It seems to work pretty well but after running about 25 or 30 beads on some angle iron I would recomend buying a proper helmet and terfing the face shield that came with the welder into the trash, I can already tell that I'm going to need my sunglasses tomorow.

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86 BMW 325 coupe powered by Ford. http://www.e30v8.com

Random,
If you really burned your eyes you will know it in a few hours when it feels like you have gravel in them. I had a bad case of welder flash last fall and let me tell you, it sucks. I woke up at 3 AM with water just ouring from my eyes. I couldn't open them, I couldn't close them, no matter what I did it hurt. I just walked around holding them open for an hour and was finally able to deal with the pain enough to fall back asleep. When I got up the next day they still felt like i had sand in them instead of the gravel I had earlier. Those hand held masks that come with the welders are a pain to use. I never even bothered with mine. I bought a auto darkening helmet from HF and have used that ever since.

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Build sold to a new loving home. May start another one when I have more time to devote to it. For now I play with my boat, Datsun 240Z, and GS700 motorcycle.

I'm still using an old, used, beater Clark 100EN on gas, and it works fantastic. I've built my whole frame and suspension with it, and if you go a little bit slow, it'll penetrate 3/8" plate steel with no problem. It will easily burn through 1/8" plate if you're not careful, so it's certainly enough for building a Locost (and welding exhaust, trailer parts, steel fence parts, etc. etc. all on 120V...I even use an extension cord...talk about portability).

I second the though on spending real money on a good helmet...I tried a cheapish auto-darkening one (a couple of hundred $, not the $39 Ebay ones!), and had lots of problems, including occasionally not darkening at all, then finally not lightening at all. I finally bought this one, and I love it. Huge viewing area, really fast response, parts are no problem if you ever need them....

OUCH!!!! No it was nothing that bad and I'll stop my bitching right now! Wow I'm sorry to hear about that, that must have really sucked.
No for me it was to a much lesser extent. That being said I'm still going to buy a proper helmet albit perhap a cheaper one than Zetec7's.

Out of curiosity, what shade of lens are people using? I think that the face shield that I have is shade 10 (not sure though) I'm thinking darker would be nice if it will prevent the sensation of a two day hangover.

Ted

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86 BMW 325 coupe powered by Ford. http://www.e30v8.com

I think my auto helmet is set at 9-10 right now. It goes to 13 I think. I found 12-13 to be too dark for the lower amperage work I was doing. The light shade is 7 I think. Yeah, I am a lot more careful with using my helmet now. I got burned by doing tack welds where you just look away while you pull the trigger. Well, you get into a rythm and I got out of rythm and opend my eyes too soon. I only got it about a half dozen times or so, but it was enough. I had spots all day after that, and no pain until when I was awoke by the gravel feeling. Now if I am tack welding like that, I put my glove over the gun to shield the spark in case I forget to close my eyes.

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Build sold to a new loving home. May start another one when I have more time to devote to it. For now I play with my boat, Datsun 240Z, and GS700 motorcycle.

I was welding in a roll cage and got flashed pretty bad with my HF helmet. I was in a wacky position trying to get the weld where I wanted it and the helmet just opened up and let me have it. I thought the batteries had died or something and replaced them, got back into position and flashed myself again. Turns out that where I had my head the light sensor was blocked. Since I'm bored at work I drew a really poor diagram below to help illustrate the problem with that particular helmet. If the sensor is put in the weld flash's shadow it doesn't darken. It's tough to tell sometimes when it's in the shadow since your field of vision remains unobstructed.

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

All auto helmets will have that problem to some degree. Comes with the territory I guess. That would suck though since you are expecting it to darken. At least you had the base shade to keep from really getting nailed.

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Build sold to a new loving home. May start another one when I have more time to devote to it. For now I play with my boat, Datsun 240Z, and GS700 motorcycle.

Hmmm, if the batteries die in an autodarking helmet does it go dark or does it stay open? I would think they would make it so that it goes dark when they are dead, I don't know for sure though.

I have the HF helmet and love it, there is no way I could go back to the old school helms.

Take the batteries out - should tell you pretty quick. I thought they were solar powered from the welding arc. Please tell me if that's the stupidest thing you've ever read.

I got one of the auto darkening jobs from Princess Auto (I would assume it's the same one HF sells). I haven't even opened the box yet.

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A man must keep a little back shop where he can be himself without reserve. In solitude alone can he know true freedom.
-Michel de Montaigne

Scratch built book frame with an 83 Celica donor 22RE. SHE'S A ROLLER!!!

got the same one, it is solar powered