LocostUSA.com

I started my chassis last week so thought I'd might as well start a build thread since I've been asking lots of questions lately,been here studying since last may however.

Anyways here's some details,miata donor for hubs,brakes and diff,'02 yamaha R1 for power mounted where the driver normally sits with driveshaft not chain.1.5x.095 tube that will have the panels on the inside so the chassis will be exposed but the wind won't blow up my pant legs.
Car is only for autox and track day fun so no legalities to deal with other the safety stuff.

Pics,

Interesting....

How did you bend those large radii?

Wheelbase length?

Wheelbase is 81",the pics don't show the front very well but its actually 3 bends per side not 1 big one.

Looks very stout. Nice height in the cowl area. You shouldn't have to look down at the instruments and the windscreen can be lighter, with no "wasted" screen where you don't need to look through. Good side protection too, right at the shoulder.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
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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,I decided when I started doodling that one thing I wanted was the ability to look AND see everything.My last hardcore project was a production based racer,with the seated mounted low and the high firewall seeing the front corners of the car was impossible.The windscreen for this is intended to just be a single pod.
To be honest I'm not a fan of the typical 7 and a big part of that is your upper body and arms exposed and looking like you could be flung out at on every hard turn,when I'm doing a track day with full size sedans I'd like to feel a little safer.

Looks like it will be a fun beast! I expect the nose will turn out looking really cool/aggressive.

Can't wait to see your progress,
-dave

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...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

Thanks Dave,the front is still a little unclear for me on how to work it out.With the main hoop and dash bar layed back 10 degrees I wanted the front(and rear)to visually do the same in side profile.Have played with 2 tubes up front either vertical from the corners of the base rails or angled up from there to the corners of the round tube,also considered a single tube in the center and having a wire mesh go from the side tube around to the opposite side tube instead of just the front edge.

Looks like you really put in alot of thought into everything from your build table to your frame design. Looks like really good progress if just about a weeks worth of work. I look forward to seeing more.

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I'll keep an eye out for you!

To err is human...
I am more human than most.

Progress update,well not as much progress as I'd hoped with the holidays,a wicked head cold and work getting in the way.

Diff is mounted,engine mounts started.Wheels are sitting at the track width for reference,these wheels are the ones being used with 20x8x13 hooiser slicks.Tires currently mounted at 205-60's and 1.5 inches taller than the slicks.

It may just be the photos, but that seems like a pretty radical angle the driveshaft will have to make to mate up with the differential.

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Build Log (not much there yet): http://lotus.reddeth.com
442e frame, 3.4l Camaro donor

Yes it is,thats why the engine is turned so a u-joint can be used at the engine end as its under 2 degrees but the diff end will use a cv joint.

Just a single U-joint on the engine end? Typically you would have another U-joint 90* out of phase on the opposite end of the shaft to cancel out the velocity changes from the first one. I don't think I've ever seen a shaft with a U-joint on one end and a CV on the other. You may want to consider a double cardan joint or another CV on the engine end instead of the single U-joint. I really like the design so far BTW.

Thanks Glen,I was thinking that since the angles are next to nothing at the engine end the velocity changes would be nil.The trouble so far it seems with using a cv at the engine is in how to attach it to the engine,a dsr racer that uses R1 engines says that however the drive is transfered it must be bolted tight as the slip fit type strip the splines on the output shaft-sounds expensive.
The usual way to attach the driveshaft is to use a bolt on adapter from Hawk machine to allow a-joint from spicer to bolt to it,if a cv is used both ends the shaft needs to be supported with bearing block adding weight/more work.

As always I'm ears to hear others ideas solutions so....

You're right, there won't be any issues if the angles are next to nothing. Literally hundreds of race cars years ago used CV on the trans and Uni at the wheel with no noticeable issues.

Very efficent use of space and CG.