LocostUSA.com

Are you planning any additional triangulation around the engine mounts? The slant-6 is really heavy, and without an additional diagonal, It seems like the engine lump could flex the floor around its mounting base.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://www.midlana.com/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains, http://www.kimini.com/book_info/

The same question had crossed my mind!

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

While the Slant Six is no lightweight at a reported 475lbs fully loaded, it also has a fair amount of torque. I would not forget about the torque forces. Assuming a few things, 475lbs might mean 237 lbs per side if evenly distributed. add to that another 215 lbs-ft torque to the one side. Perry builds street cars not high performance cars. However, reinforcement of the engine mount area sure sounds like a good idea to me.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

Gentlemen, I have no answer to your question. This frame is build pretty much like my Thunderbird 5.0L build. I'm using 1 1/4" x .100" sq tube, and I box in the motor mount pedestal base using 1/8" plate under the pedestal, and boxed in with 1 1/4" tube and the floor pan which is 16G steel. You can see the heat stains on the 1/8" plate where I glued it to the 1 1 1/4 tubes from underneath. The TBird build has a lot of miles on it with no motor mount pedestal issues. Should I be concerned or let one of my grandkids (whichever one inherits the car) worry about it? Took some close up pics today.


Warren, on the 3 previous 7 builds I've used the OEM proportioning valves. I'm happy with them. I've encountered some good emergency stops and the brake systems are well balanced. No front end diving, no rear end brake lock ups, I actually do these hard stops on the first test drives of the car to see if it has any nasty habits. It has never crossed my mind actually about brake balance while driving and braking my builds, they just seem to work like they should (if it was good for Henry, The General, and the Dodge brothers, it's good enough for me). Chuck nailed it - I build street car ice cream cruisers, iffin I was building hi HP performance cars I would have to rethink the whole frame/suspension/brake situation (like I had to do on my 58HP Topolino restomod ).



Made it out to the shop around noon today. By 5pm I had most of my steel panels cut, bent, and fit for the car. The big rectangular piece at the top left of the pic is going to be my fuel tank.

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O.
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build, The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered

Side-to-side, your engine mounts are more than enough; it's up and down I'm concerned about. I think a fair test would be to stand on either side of one mount and jump up and down on it to test for vertical deflection. The force involved will probably be pretty close to what the frame will see as the car accelerates down the road. The question becomes: are you okay with the deflection you see?

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://www.midlana.com/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains, http://www.kimini.com/book_info/

Kurt, once the side skin goes on, shouldn't that be enough in conjunction with a welded bottom skin? If it isn't, Perry will see side skin distortion or distorted rivet holes on the side skin. But the tubes the mounts attach to are fairly long span ...

Perry, thank you for the braking answer. Just what I'd hoped to hear.

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

All I can tell you guys is that I've built this frame like my second build http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14030. I have not noticed any issues with the frame or the aluminum sheet metal on it after 6 years. I guess we will see in 6 or 7 years if there are issues with this Slant 6 frame.



In the shop at noon today. I welded up the battery box (no pics) and mounted the foot operated E brake (no pics). I then humbled myself, grabbed the broom and swept the shop. Then I tested my stamina and grabbed the 36" x 36" piece of 16G steel and done bent me the beginning of a gas tank. I won't lie to you guys, as the years go by it gets harder and harder to bend steel, must be the steel not my age

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O.
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build, The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered

I then humbled myself, grabbed the broom and swept the shop. Then I tested my stamina and grabbed the 36" x 36" piece of 16G steel and done bent me the beginning of a gas tank. I won't lie to you guys, as the years go by it gets harder and harder to bend steel, must be the steel not my age

Notice how the floor gets farther away than it used to be when we need to pick something up off the floor? Did not realize I was getting taller as I age! LOL

Thom

I'm not getting any taller, actually I'm shrinking, however

I agree with your observation that the floor is getting farther away.

As a test sit on the floor crosslegged for 15 min, then get yourself up to a standing position WITHOUT using something to pull yourself up!

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I don't know who I am, when I am somebody else.

Couple of pics of where I mounted the E brake



Stitch welded all the 16G pieces I had cut (see previous post pic)

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O.
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build, The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered

I like the sheet metal weld-ins, Perry. I'm a tunnel believer too.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Still plugging away on the frame, thankful for the rotisserie. Nothing pic worthy but I have chiseled down the list I started once it was on rotisserie from this.

To this

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O.
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build, The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered

Out to the shop for the afternoon.
Welded up the receiver tubes for the spare tire carrier (no pics). I offset the carrier to the PS because I mount the license plate/gas filler on the DS.
Then I fabbed up the mounts for the rad. Couple of pics.


I then went over the entire frame with the grinder flap disc wherever I needed to knock down the weld for final assembly. Then I vacuumed the frame, blew it with the air hose, and hand wiped it down in preparation for metal prepping and painting.

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O.
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build, The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered

Out to the shop again this afternoon. Using POR-15 Metal Prep, I sprayed, brushed, and rinsed the frame. Turning up the heat to help the frame dry.

Also was able to sandblast the OEM steelies and paint them.

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O.
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build, The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered

looks messy, Perry. What's the benefit of the POR-15 stuff?

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886