Now that the chassis design is done its time to design the body. At first I wanted it to look almost pure Locost but as designed the chassis I worked up the following requirements and constraints for the body.
Because the sides, for safety, are reinforced and high, it will be an athletic feat to get into the car. Doors are out of the question. So I decided to go back to the old concept of a running board. They will act like a step and should make it easy, for most people, to get in and out.
Because I am using the Miata front and rear subframes, and so have rather short suspension parts in the front, the front of the body is wider than a classic Locost. Also I need the room to use the existing Miata seats. Thus I decided to abandon the idea of having separate fenders that are attached to the hub. Instead I will integrate the fenders into the front of the body.
I am moving the exhaust to the drivers side of the car but I want it tucked under the running board.
I am using square headlights because they were on the donor. I want to reuse as much of the original Kart as possible.
The result is below. The center is sort of Locost like but the fenders are similar old Morgans and other cars with integrated fenders. I got the running board idea from some old Porsche and BMW photos.
Please excuse the poor artwork. I have a book that is a beginners guide to drawing and between it and a few days struggle this is the best I can do. I think it is good enough for me move on to a CAD model.
Any comments? Ugly? Adequate?
Attachment:
Locost body.jpeg