LocostUSA.com

I’m tossing around the idea of a Honda fit based mid build.

One reason is because the sports have a 5 speed automatic with paddle shifting,
My wife has a 2013 and it’s really fun and decently quick.

2nd reason is the Honda L series is extremely reliable and lightweight.

I’m considering that I’d like to use many parts of the fit to help with the build:
Headlights
Gauges
Steering rack, LCA’s, knuckles.
Seat belts, trunk and hood latches, hinges.
Maybe even the dash could be narrowed or reused.
I’ve checked the specs on track width and it’s 1475mm which is pretty great.
The rear glass might even be suitable for a Lola Mk type front windshield
Of course a complete donor could give many many parts.

The purpose of the car would be a weekend warrior that is more than safe enough to do track days in.

Using LiveForSpeed www.lfs.net simulators new modding system I modified one of the base cars mechanically and visually to shrink it down, lighten it up. Tested many configurations including turbo, motorcycle and more…

The funnest version is always the 90-130hp versions that have nicely spaced gearing and don’t weigh more than 1500lbs with a driver.

I feel like I could make it pretty lightweight, I’d be shooting for less than 1200lbs ready to go but I wouldn’t be mad if it was heavier and had much better side impact and rollover protection.

I know I’m not capable of building a body from scratch yet, but I do know for a fact that I can do all the mechanicals without much trouble.

So that’s the plan first. Get the donor, (I can measure off of my wife’s car to start), design the frame and suspension mounts. Get the frame built. Make it a roller. Then add the body after that.

Great idea, a fun single source donor and plentiful supply. Just add lots of lightness then a turbo! Looking forward to what you come up with!

Sounds like a fun project, and I suspect that the Honda Fit would make a good donor. You mentioned that "The rear glass might even be suitable for a Lola Mk type front windshield". Doesn't the rear glass have defroster wires running across it? If so, I'm not sure how easy it would be to remove the defroster wires without leaving marks on the glass.

The render looks good, but the most challenging part will be building the body. It might be worth saving yourself a lot of work and time by buying a kit car body. Your design looks a bit like a Factory 5 818S, so that might be an option:

https://www.factoryfive.com/galleries/8 ... ports-car/

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Photo gallery of my completed Locost:
https://plus.google.com/photos/10397358 ... banner=pwa

I totally forgot about the defroster strips. Ha ha!


I am so glad that you suggested that. I’ve been searching for months and I have never seen that particular car come up. It looks very very much like what I’ve been conjuring up, and definitely, the body is the part I am the least excited about. I’ll dig into the 818 and see if it’s within my budget

*edit*
If they go into production, $10,995 is definitely a good deal for that. I hate how much it weighs and that is used a Subaru drivetrain. 1800lbs.

We will see if they go into production soon. Are there any other lightweights like this I haven’t seen? I don’t know enough about what this type of car is called to effectively google search it.

A windshield needs to be laminated glass or if low with no wipers and not required by your state, acrylic/plexiglass or polycarbonate/lexan.

Rear and side windows are tempered glass.

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The Factory 5 818 has been in production for a number of years now. Just search "Factory 5 818" on Youtube and you'll find several examples. Even if the Honda Fit drivetrain is light, you may want to loosen your expectations on making a full bodied car come in under 1200 lbs.

Are you already familiar with the Midlana mid-engine home-built? The body is much more minimalistic than your render, but would be much easier than creating a full body like the one in your render:

http://midlana.com/

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Photo gallery of my completed Locost:
https://plus.google.com/photos/10397358 ... banner=pwa

Thanks for the mention

My Midlana book contains full plans for a complete car, using existing fiberglass bits (nose and fenders), in addition to presenting a ton of considerations when undertaking such a project.

If you're committed to making or buying a body, you might want to also check out my first book, "Kimini", which covers chassis design and component placement when starting with an existing shell.

You can find both books at my printer's site, https://www.lulu.com/, and searching on "Kimini" or "Midlana."

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/