LocostUSA.com

Hi fellow locosters I feel it's time to share my build. TooBusy encouraged me to start a build log, I have been on the fence fora while. It all started when I purchased the engine, drive train, pedal box, steering column from an Individual in Blowing Rock. I thought; "great everything I need to build a locost!" I was wrong... I'm sharing so others can learn from my mistakes. I still plan to finish my build, but it is drastically different from what I started with in November 2019.

What; Started with MGB "donor", basically everything but the body of a 1980 MB (last year of production) will fit in the back of my Sierra and roll down the mountain. I decided not to use the B engine when I priced out carburetors, and learned of their dodgy reputation. I decided a JDM Miata engine would do the trick, the 1.6's are cheep, and I decided It was time to learn to work with fuel injection. Drama ensued. Mustang 2 spindles and the usual Speedway motors mash-up on the front end. NOTE TO OTHERS; don't use the Mustang 2 spindles on a book locost, you end up with a lot of scrub radius and your upper control arms will be kind of short. But the suspension seems to work.

Back story; In the late 90's I was done with high school, working at Sears in the tire shop, tinkering with old cars, weekends where spent at Road America. I learned of the Lotus 7 replica's and just thought it was too cool. Man, build your own car, who wouldn't to do that.. Decades passed, I traveled the country welding in chemical and power plants. I settled in NC. House, wife, pick-up truck, built a 20x24 garage... It was time to build... Found the locostUSA website, built a 442 chassis, planed to shoehorn a 302 Ford I had lying around in it... Had no idea what I was doing... parts where crazy expensive... Got distracted... cut the chassis up. I didn't know it had value.

More years passed, more projects, started thinking about sports cars again. Looked at Subaru BRZs, Miatas, Nissans, even rusty old Camaros. All the time in the back of my mind I was weighing ever vehicle I saw against the locost7. I didn't like that my build failed. I wanted to try again. I searched for a donor. I knew Miata made the most sense, but couldn't find one reasonably priced, or not trashed. Thats when I found the MGB parts. I bought Ron Chapion's book. I read Advanced Race Car Chassis Technology by Bob Bolles. I built the Book chassis in January, adding 2" in height to clear the MG engine. I have named my little car "hot mess" because it's a poorly planed mash up, and I love it.

January 17 2020; B engine installed, tunnel fabricated, triangulation added. Because the chassis is 2" taller than normal I had to get creative with the triangulation in the engine bay, or the single diagonal truss would interfere with the sheet metal skin.


January 21, took chassis to work to grind down the welds. I weighed the chassis on the shipping scale; 110 lbs.

January 24 Fabricated steering column mount

February 8th Bought a Mazda 1.6 from a JDM dealer in Charlotte. Got a racing seat at a swap meet. Also my garage was a mess!


February 14th modified the MBG pedal box to use a Mustang 2 master cylinder and Afco Clutch.

Some time in February I fabricated these crazy motor mounts. They are a compromise because, the Mg engine mounts are on the front sides, the Mazda engine mounts are more in the middle.

February 15 I pulled the harness out of a 1992 Miata at a pull a part in Winston Salem. $15 out the door.


February 21, I start striping the harness.

February 23, I purchase a USDM Miata cylinder head and score a lot of free Miata parts. The intake cam on the JDM engine must be swapped for a USDM cam. The USDM cam has a boss on it for the NA Miata cam angle sensor. Bucket type valve lash shims must be ground or I need 2 replacements, to get the valve lash right.

February 29 I make an adapter for my free NA Miata gas pedal.

Nice welding! You pros make it look so easy.

Can't see your pics though without right clicking each one to open in a new window.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Thanks MiataV8, yes weldings my thing. Sadly computers are not, how should I post photo's?

Jordan Good to have you on board. Parts for the motor are coming in every day. Pertronix electronic ignition kit should be here today or tomorrow. I have to finish the teardown to see what size bearings and piston rings I need.

For pics, you can use the upload attachment down below the text screen. File size has to be less than 2mb, and I don't remember how many pics per post, but I think it's around 12.



once uploaded click the place inline button.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

When drafting a post, scroll down to the "Upload attachment" box, click "Choose file" to open up you computer'sfiles in a pop up window, click the image file name and select "open". The pop up closes and the "upload attachment window shows the image file name. Select "add the file" in the middle of the box, the screen will refresh and the file name will show under "posted attachments". Then submit the post or preview to see how it will look before posting.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I can't even see them by right clicking.

As for posting images, I use "snipping tool" and "Snip & Sketch", the former being discontinued at some time n the near future, to capture an image and save. Then go thru the steps below the message body when posting. The pic shown here will be the same size as the captured image and be appropriate for file size.

You can edit your posts to update with pics if you want rather than creating new posts. Looking forward to seeing your photos.

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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

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Wait, SU's have a "Dodgy" reputation?
I've always found them to be bullet-proof so long as the basics were observed.
Even the Zenith's are not bad.
Currently running Zenith's on a V8 Land Rover with no issues at all.
I will be putting carbs on almost every build.
Only exception is due to the insane price of Weber IDA-3's now.

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

I've built with carburetors in the past, mostly Holley's. It is simpler to implement than efi. I thought about trying to build a manifold to run an Autolite 2100 2 barrel, but even that carb would probably be too big for a 1.8. Going with the 1.6 Mazda engine was only a little more expensive than just a new Weber and intake. Those SU carburetors are at least 40 years old, the rebuild kits are expensive. I did research, for me the benefits of efi outweigh the simplicity of any carburetor. Just personal preference not trying to put down anything. Didn't Zenith carbs have some plug that would fall out, spill fuel on the hot exhaust and cause the car to burn to the ground?