LocostUSA.com

Got the chassis set up to begin welding the first tubes.
Ran out of gas while practicing my TIG welding.

So decided to do a little work on the body.
Sanded out some mold lines.
I was certain the grill was going to work very well and just had to to mount it up.



I'm pretty pleased with how well the Alfa bits have been working out so far.
Have to make some spacers, cut some mesh, and create a surrounding trim to complete the grill.

Used a HF air-saw to cut and trim the radiator opening.
I did remember to leave a couple of mounting tabs for the Alfa grill.
Also left a small flange around the entire opening for a couple of reasons.
One was to increase strength, the other to make it easy to mount the grill mesh.
Never really satisfied with the HF air-saw for cutting sheet-metal but it was GREAT for cutting fiberglass.
Cut at a nice controlled speed, leaving a very smooth edge with virtually NO chipping of the gel-coat.

I have some leftover PVC I think I am going to use to make a stand for further work on the bonnet.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Well, NUTS!
Good thing I had not gotten the frame welded yet.
Double checked the frame width to get my correct front track.
Needs to be almost 4" narrower!
Not a big deal overall, except that this means I have to make a choice.
Either abandon the Alfa front suspension for Mustang II so that I may keep the original width, or change my Alfa Spider oil pan out for a narrower Alfetta pan to fit between the rails.
I do have an Alfetta pan to use if I must.
Chassis drawing I have is designed around the Mustang II, bends I did for the main rails are for Alfa.
I left some extra length so may be able to increase the height of my bends per the M-II spec.
I really want to make this as much a single donor build as possible.
Have some thinking to do and decisions to make.
An even narrower chassis would mean I am also going to need an even narrower steering rack.
I suppose the third option might be shorter custom A arms?
I hate design compromise.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Really do not want to back-track and have to mess around with with the oil pan, or re-bending the chassis rails.
So it looks like I will be making custom lower A arms after all.
Should save a little weight so not all bad.Not a real big fan of rod-ends for the street as they do not seem to last long.
There used to be some pivoting bushing ends available but last time I looked for them only one too large size was still available.
Simple part, just a pair of holes in solid stock.
One for the bushing and another to fit a clevis end.
May just make my own and put the CNC's to work for a while.
Again, wondering if there might be a market for them?

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Not much physical progress but perusing several threads here has confirmed my "Old school" bias.
Traditional round blackface gauges, No electronics, no cup holders!

Have to visit the DMV soon to register another car.
Since their site does not even mention some items I want to know details about I am going to try to talk to a vehicle inspector.
Things like, What are the requirements to build a single seat car?
I know wipers are required if you have a windshield, but I do not see any actual requirement to have a windshield.
If I can avoid a windshield at all I will be very happy with that, even better if I may have a short wind deflector.
I've been told I cannot register a BEC here, what statute states that?

If I'm unhappy with the answers I will try to get the codes revised next legislative session.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Took the Melanite off the build table, set the chassis rails and drivetrain in place directly on the steel.
Tacked in the first two cross tubes so it's an official start to making the frame.
Seems I need to make my bonnet mount before I do engine mounts in order to get it placed exactly right.
Bonnet HAS to be a tilt front for easy engine/suspension access.
Will probably make it quick detach as well.
Ordering more tube and designing the hinge.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

If you care, shortening the A-arms changes the camber curves and roll center migration, so you may want to confirm that the new arms result in something you'll be happy with before making them.

_________________
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/

What I am ending up with will be very similar to the Mustang II setup.
Seems to work well with a lot of builds.
I had hoped to use the original lower arms for simplicity.
Alfa Spider lower oil pan is very wide and normally sits in front of the steering and axle centerline.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Thinking more about my paint.
Have decided to try to make the car look as much like an old Sports Racer as possible.
Looking for period correct stickers and class markings.
Anyone know what SCCA would have classed such a car as back in the 60's?
Tube chassis "Special" with an Alfa Romeo engine, back then the engine would have been a 1600.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

In the 70's it would have been a C Sports Racer....CSR.

Check out this place http://www.isaydingdong.co.uk as a great source of quality reproductions of period stickers and decals.

_________________
Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Not a lot to report but I have finally completed welding in the first pair of chassis cross tubes.
Also decided that I need to mount the nose to the chassis in order to confirm engine and pedal placement.
Which means I need to complete some repairs as this body has been floating around from owner to owner for a long time.
Not all of them (none?) have taken good care of it.
Gouges in the gel-coat where someone dragged it while upside down, some crazing, probably also due to poor handling and age.
The worst is warpage, appears to be partly poorly placed joints in the mold and partly poor storage.

Anyone who is going to take years to complete their project needs to be careful how they store fiberglass body parts.
Unfortunately the typical storage is simply to let it lay in the yard and sunshine, NOT a good combination.

I think I will be adding some reinforcing ribs to the underside to reduce flex and resulting crazing.
Back in the day we laid cloth and resin over cardboard tubes taken from coat-hangers.
I suppose now I will be looking for around 3/8" closed cell foam rods or half-round stock.
I do know from mistakes made in my very first repair of an abandoned 'Glass body that it is important to put a layer of resin on anything being used as reinforcement first.
Even wood will draw the glass and warp/print to the outside if it is not made non-porous first.

The worst of all is going to be filling in some fairly large low spots in what should be a flat or slightly convex curved area.
Way too wide and deep for just adding more glass and I know better than to rely on Bondo.
Have to think about this some more.
May try screwing it to plywood then adding ribs to the bottom which should flatten it a lot.
Worst of the low area is close to 1/2"!

Maybe grind off the gel-coat and add some foam under another layer of 'Glass?
Would be strong but a LOT of work!

I did do some small repairs at the lower edge of the nose tonight.
Will fair them back in the morning after the resin sets up properly.

Pics of how I get along, or has that been done to death?

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

It might be a good idea to fully mount the body before you get too much else done. Then you can determine how much the body has warped and you'll have a free hand at positioning bulkheads or props to push it back into the correct shape. Sometimes a hair dryer or heat gun can help reshape a panel.

Once you get all that done you can set your edge gaps where the panels meet.

Doing all that early, while you have (relatively) easy access to the "behind the scenes" areas, also makes it easier to 'glass in reinforcements or bulkheads.

Some fiberglass is quite thin; great for a racing car, not so great when someone tries to sit or lean on the car. Also, wind loads can get fairly high; the fiberglass hoods and fenders you used to see for sale in places like Hot Rod were thin enough that they waved about in the wind. No problem with a drag car, but sort of tacky when your girlfriend asks if the front end is about to fall off.

Not sure if I should post this in a separate thread.

Trying to figure the minimum radius for DOM Tube: 1-1/2" O.D. x .065" wall.
Measured the body curve and it comes out at about 9", so 9" outside radius for the bulkhead tube corners.
1.5" tube so 7.5" die set, which cost more than the bender itself.
Bender and dies are not Locost friendly.
A tube roller can be had for a LOT less, but will it roll that tight a radius in 1.5" without kinks?

Another point that keeps intruding into my thoughts is that I am not fitting a 500 HP V8, more like 130 HP Alfa I4.
So the original chassis design is way overbuilt even with it's "Pre-bent" design features.
The original chassis calls for mostly DOM Tube: 1-1/2" O.D. x .065" wall.
I'm seriously considering reducing most of that outside the main perimeter to only 1" O.D. x .065" wall and adding significant triangulation.
Perhaps a space-frame from the current main rails on up?
I know 1" is not nearly so strong as 1.5", but at 130 vs 500 HP would I really be taking a risk?
What does the hive mind think?

Would be nice to do the first chassis on the cheap.
Anyone have experience with sand filled bending over a wooden form at around 7.5" radius and 1.5" tube?

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

tight radius tubing bends without an expensive bender just a cut-off wheel and welder required....

_________________
Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Ah, thanks?
These are structural bends.

Going to visit an expen$ive local fabricator and see if he will share some tips.
Might even give in and have him do a few of the tighter bends to speed the first build.
He will still be cheaper than the cost of a bender and dies.

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

I might have done some of those in my time, too..

_________________
Scratch building, at continental-drift speed, a custom McSoreley-design framed, dual-Weber 45DCOE carburated, Zetec-engined, ridiculously fast money pit.

http://zetec7.webs.com/