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PostPosted: August 13, 2006, 2:50 pm 
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If you are new.....

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It is a little more indepth....a new edition will be coming out in less than a year, but in the meantime you can get the second edition.
Amazon link, also read the customer reviews...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/185960 ... e&n=283155


Keith Tanners Book, How to Build a Cheap Sports Car
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This book complements the first book very nicely. If you are buying your frame and using a miata donor it is a great book. Very worthy purchase even if you arent . It covers header construction and other things that are not covered in the first book.

Read the customer reviews
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076032 ... F8&s=books

Also check out his website
http://www.cheapsportscar.net/


and the "car and driver" article in this thread
viewtopic.php?t=910


Also read these links for frames and general design Info

General info
http://www.sevenesque.com/

plans
http://www.sevenesque.com/plans/


Pros and Cons of Book vs +442?
viewtopic.php?t=803

Also think aussie mods if you plan EXTRA H.P.
http://locost7.info/mirror/aussiemods.php
you can read more about it here
viewtop ... ussie+mods

IRS design:
http://www.locostusa.com/Mcsorleydrawin ... sembly.pdf




Before you decide to try and build one of these, do yourself a favor and...
Answer the Seven Questions below

I've been working on a set of "Seven Questions" for new, would be builders based on my experience building one of these cars and reading this site for three years. (I've seen a lot of folks come and go in that time)

Ask these questions of yourself: (and be honest with your answers, the truth can hurt)

1. Do you enjoy metal fabrication, problem solving, and general dirty, greasy, sharp metal shavings strewn in all directions type hard work?

Yes- Continue to question 2.
No- Stop now. Buy a completed Caterham, Birkin, Westfield etc.

2. Do you have a place to do aforementioned work, without offending the people who allow you to work there?

Yes- Continue to question 3.
No- Sorry but now is not the time. Wait until you are older and own your own home, have a more understanding wife, or have access to a better working environment.

3. Do you have the space to dismantle and store parts from a donor car? (backyard only counts if you live in the southern US ) :wink: j/k Make sure it's your property you are junking up, your parents or wife may not be as tolerant of the mess. You will have lots of car parts to clean, degrease, paint and drag in and out periodically to test fit as you fabricate.
Yes- Continue to question 4.
No- Sorry but now is not the time. Wait until you are older and own your own home or have access to space to do with what you please.

4. Are you the type of person that obsesses about things, but abruptly looses interest and moves on to something else new and fascinating? (girls count too)
Yes- Maybe this project is not for you. It will take years of your life and must be regarded as a huge committment due to the cost and time involved. If this is what you want to do with all of your spare time and money for the next several years then go for it, but otherwise consider another hobby. Building one of these things requires altering your lifestyle. (for most folks)
No- If you are a cold calculated, singleminded determined SOB then continue to question 5.

5. Do you have the disposable income to pull this off? The most frugal of builders will spend at least $3-$5k on this project. If you have the time and brains to plan your build well the cost can come down some, but you will need to be very smart when choosing a donor. Buy something that will allow you to sell anything you won't use. It means a bigger buy in up front, but it also allows you to recoup most of the cost if you are a good Ebayer/Seller. Another thing of note, if you live in a densly populated area it will be easier to sell parts. Shipping a $75 Miata door across the country doesn't make sense to many people. If you live in the boonies, consider it a disadvantage when it comes to selling the larger heavier parts of your donor.

Yes- continue to question 6.
No- Wait until you are more financially stable.

6. Are you married to or do you have a low maintanance, understanding girlfriend?
Yes- Good, you are a lucky man, treat her nice and move on to question 7.
No- You need to decide which is more important to you, staying together or building a car. There will be friction at times. Time you used to spend with them will be spent in the garage making sparks fly.

7. Do you have, or are you willing to aquire the tools, skills, and knowledge needed to pull this off?[/b] You need to know or be willing to learn how to weld. (Mig at least) You need to cut, miter, and fit together steel. You need to cut, bend and fit aluminum. You need to lots of expensive tools or access to them. (Make sure to budget at least $1500 for tools if you're already got basic hand tools, and maybe $2000+ if you're starting from scratch. These tools last a lifetime, so they don't count in the cost of the car.) You also need to have a basic understanding of, or be willing to learn how the different systems of a car work. Brakes, fuel, cooling, electrical, you will need to do it all.

Yes- Congratulations, you just might be driving a car you built from scratch one day.
No- Sorry but this task may be a bit more than you can handle. Many more Locosts are started than are ever finished. Consider yourself luckier than the poor SOB who poured every spare minute and dollar into one of these projects only to have to sell it off before completion.

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I'll keep an eye out for you!

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


Last edited by mr.peabody.d on August 13, 2006, 4:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: August 26, 2006, 6:39 pm 
Here is more reference material to add to the list:

1. Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design
by Michael Costin and David Phipps. Yes, the same folks who brought you Cosworth.
This book has been long out of print, (my copy was published in 1963) but you may find a used copy on Amazon. This is still a very valid reference book for Locost cars.

2. Your Kit Car Assembly Manual
by Gary Brizendine www.yourkitcar.com
Although there are no drawings on this CD, there is much helpful build material. Well worth the money.

3. How to Build Your Tiger Avon Sports Car for Road & Track
by Jim Dudley.
A book similar to the Locost book which includes detailed drawings and a good chapter on fiberglass.
This is a Speedpro Series book from Veloce Publishing in the UK
www.velocebooks.com www.tigersportscars.com


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PostPosted: November 25, 2006, 1:33 am 
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Posts: 47
Chassis Engineering

by Herb Adams

Engineering-Herb-Adams...Amazon Linky

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PostPosted: December 27, 2007, 7:16 pm 
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Posts: 610
The Kinda Complete (More or less) Book List. With many new folks including me, and sometimes those that have been around a bit ask about a book for information. Most I have not read, some are out of print and good luck finding them, but they are recommended by guys who opinion i respect as they have been there, done that. I have gathered these from Kurts http://www.kimini.com./ , Keith's http://www.cheapsportscar.net , www.Turboford.net, and a couple on my own. If I missed any, or some of these are deemed less than ideal it can be changed. If you can think of better group titles i am open to that too. Many of these are available through links via Kurts (Kimini) and Keith's web site. Going to add (Thanks) notes to the contributors of each write up or adding books that I either didn't know about or forgot to add.

Build Books

Kimini: How to design and build a mid-engine sports car - from scratch by Kurt Bilinski (Author)

A very good book to shows the way of scratch-building without hand-guiding through every single step. Lots of subjective info about different ways to do things, and mistakes made along the way. A good general info book. (Thanks to THAWA)

How to Build a Cheap Sports Car (Motorbooks Workshop) by Keith Tanner (Author)

Another good book that shows step by step how to build a CMC kit, and for that matter pretty much any Lotus 7 replica. Doesn't give highly detailed specifics about every little detail, but most books don't. (Thanks to THAWA)

Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!, 2nd Ed.
by Ron Champion (Author)


The quintessential Locost book. You can't call yourself a locost builder without this one. Lots of info about building a cheap Lotus 7 replica. Gives dimensions, plans, and other necessary info to scratch-build a locost, though not 100% accurate. (Thanks to THAWA)

Build your own Sports Car: On A Budget by Chris Gibbs (Author)

Essentially the same book as Uncle Ron's. Adds more accurate dimensions, better pictures, and even goes through building jigs for arms and uprights. If you're going for efficiency go for this book. If you want to hear Uncle Ron tell you how to do it, get the 2nd edition. (Thanks to THAWA)

How to Build and Modify Sportscar and Kitcar (Speedpro) by Des Hammill (Author)

How to Build Your Own Tiger Avon Sports Car for Road or Track (Speedpro) by Jim Dudley (Author)

Your Kit Car Assembly Manual by Gary Brizendine (Author)

Race and Rally Car Sourcebook: The Guide to Building and Modifying a Competition Car by Allan Staniforth (Author)

A very good source book to supplement Champions book. Especially if not using the exact same donor and frame. It helps with brakes, tires, suspension (including the string computer), aerodynamics and pretty much the whole rest of the car. Helping with not only the how, but the why.

Chassis and Suspension

Competition Car Suspension: Design, Construction, Tuning by Allen Staniforth (Author)

Book gives a solid foundation on which to design a functional suspension. Very good book, though brush up on your math before reading. Side note, virtually identical to Competition Car Suspension: A practical handbook by Allan Staniforth (Author). The practical handbook version is a bit smaller, but in color with newer updated photo's and some updated information. For the cost difference, get the 2nd book (I discovered after I bought them all). Most of this information is also in the Rally Car Source book by the same author. For the money, I would recommend the Rally Source book, followed by the Competition Car Suspension: A practical handbook then the original if you just wanted it for your library.
Amazon Prices
Rally Source book $35 +/-
Competition Car Suspension: A practical handbook $35 +/-
Competition Car Suspension: Design, Construction, Tuning $99 +/-

Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design by Michael Costin (Author)

Tune to Win by Carroll Smith (Author)

One of the best books. Tons of info about taking a turd and turning it into a gemstone. Teaches about brakes, suspensions, engines, tires, aerodynamics, and vehicle dynamics. (Thanks to THAWA)

Formula Car Technology by Howdy; Alexander, Don; and Mayer, Steve Holmes (Author)

Prepare to Win by Carroll Smith (Author)

Another great book. Gives info about taking that turd and making sure it doesn't fall apart. Teaches about all the small parts of the car, linkages, fasteners, bearings, etc. (Thanks to THAWA)

Engineer to Win by Carroll Smith (Author)

Another one of the best. Teaches how to skip the whole turd part, and start off with the gemstone. Gives lots of info about metallurgy then applies that info to building. Covers some old topics and brings out some new topics. (Thanks to THAWA)

Competition Car Suspension: A practical handbook by Allan Staniforth (Author)

A smaller updated version of the original Competition Car Suspension: Design, Construction, Tuning also by Staniforth.

Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (R146)by William F. Milliken (Author), Douglas L. Milliken (Author)

Race Car Engineering and Mechanics by Paul Van Valkenburgh (Author)

Chassis Engineering HP1055 by Herb Adams (Author)

Good book with general information. Sort of like Tune to Win, but not quite as much detail. Still gives lots of information on most all of the same topics. (Thanks to THAWA)

How to Make Your Car Handle by Fred Puhn (Author)

Dwarf Car Technology by Steve Smith (Author)

Engine


Its always a good idea to grab the tech manual for your chosen donor.

Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control: How to Understand, Service, and Modify : All Ford/Lincoln-Mercury Cars and Light Trucks 1980-1987 (Ford) by Charles O. Probst (Author) (This is one of the manuals for mine as an example)

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Engineering and Performance) by Corky Bell (Author)

Pretty much everything you will ever need to know about Turbochargers, starts with the basics, and ends with designing a system. Teaches how to read compressor maps, and shows the math behind everything. Definitely a must have for turbo folks. (Thanks to THAWA)

Supercharged!: Design, Testing, and Installation of Supercharged Systems by Corky Bell (Author)

Take everything written in Maximum Boost, and apply it to Superchargers, and you have this book. Gives info specific to Superchargers as well, mounting, belts, intake, etc. (Thanks to THAWA)

Four-Stroke Performance Tuning in Theory and Practice by A. Graham Bell (Author)

Turbochargers by Hugh MacInnes (Author)

Smokey Yunick's Power Secrets by S Yunick

Body

Fiberglass and Other Composite MaterialsHP1498: A Guide to High Performance Non-Metallic Materials for AutomotiveRacing and Marine Use. Includes Fiberglass, Kevlar, Carbon Fiber,Molds, Structures an by Forbes D. Aird (Author)

Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed (Engineering and Performance) by Joseph Katz (Author)

Fiberglass & Composite Materials by D. Aird Forbes (Author)

Guts and Entrails

Custom Auto Electronics and Auto Electrical Reference Manual by Frank "Choco" Munday (Author)

Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook (Motorbooks Workshop) by Carroll Smith (Author)

The book touches on metallurgy, then delving into just about every nut, bolt, washer, rivet and most tubing and connectors out there. It is a great help in figuring out what to use where and why when it comes to connecting something to something else or getting a liquid to do something.

Fabrication

Race Car Fabrication & Preparation by Steve Smith (Author)

Metal Fabricator's Handbook by Ron Fournier (Author)

Welder's Handbook : A Complete Guide to Mig, Tig, Arc & Oxyacetylene Welding (Hp1264)

Sheet Metal Handbook: How to Form and Shape Sheet Metal for Competition, Custom and Restoration Use by Ron Fournier (Author), Sue Fournier (Author)

Advanced Sheet Metal Fabrication by Tim Remus (Author)

Competition Car Composites: A Practical Guide (Haynes Competition Car Series) by Simon McBeath (Author)

Need to read anyway

The Unfair Advantage - Special Edition Hardcover by Mark Donohue (Author), Paul Van Valkenburgh (Author)

Lotus Seven: Preparation, Restoration and Maintenance. by Tony Weale (Author)
[url=http://www.amazon.com/build-your-Supercar-Essential-Manual/dp/1845841662/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230267620&sr=8-1]
How to build your own Supercar
,[/url]Brian Thompson Covers the techniques needed to build a fiberglass bodied car and more.


Last edited by Mandurath on March 1, 2008, 11:37 am, edited 4 times in total.

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PostPosted: December 28, 2007, 4:02 pm 
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Any small write ups by those that have read the above books would be appreciated.


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PostPosted: December 29, 2007, 12:39 am 
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Joined: August 14, 2006, 2:09 am
Posts: 384
Location: Sacramento, CA
I've only read some, and a couple I haven't finished, so I didn't comment on those, I also added a couple.

Build Books

Kimini: How to design and build a mid-engine sports car - from scratch by Kurt Bilinski (Author)

A very good book to shows the way of scratch-building without hand-guiding through every single step. Lots of subjective info about different ways to do things, and mistakes made along the way. A good general info book.

How to Build a Cheap Sports Car (Motorbooks Workshop) by Keith Tanner (Author)

Another good book that shows step by step how to build a CMC kit, and for that matter pretty much any Lotus 7 replica. Doesn't give highly detailed specifics about every little detail, but most books don't.

Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!, 2nd Ed.
by Ron Champion (Author)


The quintessential Locost book. You can't call yourself a locost builder without this one. Lots of info about building a cheap Lotus 7 replica. Gives dimensions, plans, and other necessary info to scratch-build a locost, though not 100% accurate.

Build your own Sports Car: On A Budget by Chris Gibbs (Author)

Essentially the same book as Uncle Ron's. Adds more accurate dimensions, better pictures, and even goes through building jigs for arms and uprights. If you're going for efficiency go for this book. If you want to hear Uncle Ron tell you how to do it, get the 2nd edition.



Chassis and Suspension

Tune to Win by Carroll Smith (Author)

One of the best books. Tons of info about taking a turd and turning it into a gemstone. Teaches about brakes, suspensions, engines, tires, aerodynamics, and vehicle dynamics.

Prepare to Win by Carroll Smith (Author)

Another great book. Gives info about taking that turd and making sure it doesn't fall apart. Teaches about all the small parts of the car, linkages, fasteners, bearings, etc.

Added Engineer to Win by Carroll Smith (Author)

Another one of the best. Teaches how to skip the whole turd part, and start off with the gemstone. Gives lots of info about metallurgy then applies that info to building. Covers some old topics and brings out some new topics.

Chassis Engineering HP1055 by Herb Adams (Author)

Good book with general information. Sort of like Tune to Win, but not quite as much detail. Still gives lots of information on most all of the same topics.



Engine

Its always a good idea to grab the tech manual for your chosen donor.

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Engineering and Performance) by Corky Bell (Author)

Pretty much everything you will ever need to know about Turbochargers, starts with the basics, and ends with designing a system. Teaches how to read compressor maps, and shows the math behind everything. Definitely a must have for turbo folks.

Added Supercharged!: Design, Testing, and Installation of Supercharged Systems by Corky Bell (Author)

Take everything written in Maximum Boost, and apply it to Superchargers, and you have this book. Gives info specific to Superchargers as well, mounting, belts, intake, etc.


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PostPosted: December 29, 2007, 12:46 am 
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Thanks! Ill edit that into the message with a note on who wrote it, so we can hopefully keep it clean and easy to read. Blech, feel bad about missing adding the author part to Kurts book.


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PostPosted: January 20, 2008, 7:23 pm 
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Updated

Race and Rally Car Sourcebook: The Guide to Building and Modifying a Competition Car by Allan Staniforth (Author)


Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook (Motorbooks Workshop) by Carroll Smith (Author)

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PostPosted: March 1, 2008, 11:39 am 
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Updated



Competition Car Suspension: Design, Construction, Tuning by Allan Staniforth (Author)

Competition Car Suspension: A practical handbook by Allan Staniforth (Author)

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Turbo cars are like hot women. A little edgy, every guy wants one, some guys can't handle them, and if you throw a little alcohol in them they'll rock your world


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PostPosted: July 31, 2008, 8:51 pm 
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Location: Darboy, WI
I was reading up on some books on the sae.org website and I found this book:

The Multibody Systems Approach to Vehicle Dynamics

http://www.sae.org/technical/books/R-273

Does anyone have experience with book?
Just wondering since it piqued my interest with the key-features but the price is not quite locost, for a book anyway.


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PostPosted: August 26, 2008, 1:08 pm 
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Posts: 678
Location: San Antonio
It would be kind of nice to have a book review forum, just a thread on each book.

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PostPosted: October 8, 2009, 12:26 pm 
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I read Herb Adam's book on chassis design. His best idea is to make a small mockup of your frame with balsa wood so you'll have something to test its stiffness. It's a good way to make sure you aren't making any silly mistakes and gives you something easy to modify and retest.
I wouldn't trust what he says about suspensions, though. He said the reason Funny Cars rise in the back is because of the suspension geometry. Actually, the rear axle assembly is rigidly mounted to the chassis. The rear rises because the tires increase in diameter as wheel speed increases; they're so thin they get taller and narrower from centrifical force. Watch a Top Fueler doing a burnout and you'll see (Funny Cars use the same tires.).


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PostPosted: October 8, 2009, 1:36 pm 
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jerelw wrote:
I read Herb Adam's book on chassis design. His best idea is to make a small mockup of your frame with balsa wood so you'll have something to test its stiffness. It's a good way to make sure you aren't making any silly mistakes and gives you something easy to modify and retest.
I wouldn't trust what he says about suspensions, though. He said the reason Funny Cars rise in the back is because of the suspension geometry. Actually, the rear axle assembly is rigidly mounted to the chassis. The rear rises because the tires increase in diameter as wheel speed increases; they're so thin they get taller and narrower from centrifical force. Watch a Top Fueler doing a burnout and you'll see (Funny Cars use the same tires.).


He's talking about anti-squat geometry that they may have used back when that book was written. I found everything he said in the book to be valid so I wouldn't say he isn't to be trusted. The whole book has an early 80s feel about it. Most of the pics look to be from that era or earlier as well.

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PostPosted: February 8, 2013, 10:46 pm 
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Joined: February 8, 2013, 10:39 pm
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Location: Wilmington NC
Does anyone have a easy way of mounting a miata diff to a + 442E chassie? I would like to keep the stock miata seats in the car?


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PostPosted: February 9, 2013, 7:18 am 
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Location: Park Hills, KY
Search Miata subframe and you should come across all kinds of great into here... Do you have a build log?


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