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PostPosted: May 13, 2016, 11:22 pm 
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Joined: November 11, 2013, 2:11 pm
Posts: 97
Location: Frankfort, KY(for now)
Ok people, I have been trying to scale up my modified version of the McSorley 442e and been having trouble doing so. I know the McSorley has a 95 inch wheelbase. My design has a 109.25 inch wheelbase. I designed the car big because of my height, so I added 6 inches to the cockpit. my rear track is 61.5 inches wide and my chassis is 50 inches wide. My question is, how do you scale up the chassis and keep the thing proportionate?


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PostPosted: May 13, 2016, 11:36 pm 
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Joined: December 17, 2010, 1:24 pm
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Location: Gainesville, Mo.
The easy answer is to multiply everything by 1.15! Whether that's the right answer or not... well, just take anything I say with a grain of NaCl! Remember, I'm the guy that's been hangin' around here for 6 years, and I still haven't started my build! :BH:

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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 12:10 am 
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Joined: November 11, 2013, 2:11 pm
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Location: Frankfort, KY(for now)
Thank you because I have been struggling trying to figure this out.


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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 9:30 am 
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Joined: December 17, 2010, 1:24 pm
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Location: Gainesville, Mo.
You might try messing around with drawings and photos. Your Wheelbase change is where I got the 1.15 figure, and if your apply it to your entire build, you will just get a "Large" Locost. If you only apply it selectively, say to length and width, but not height, you may get a visually longer, lower, and (hopefully) sleeker Locost. Play around on paper (it's cheaper than steel) for a while and see what you come up with. :idea:

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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 9:33 am 
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If you don't increase the depth, the strength will be less.


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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 3:14 pm 
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Joined: December 17, 2010, 1:24 pm
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There is that, but these things seem to be pretty over engineered to begin with. Do any of our veteran number crunchers out there have any thoughts on this?

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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 4:22 pm 
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Joined: July 17, 2015, 1:56 am
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Location: Morrisville, PA
if you are using a cad software you can take the frame step file and scale it during the import by Mike's 1.15. that will give you a measurable model to guide you with.

Other than that its just as mike said, figure the percentage of increase in you wheel base and multiply that into your frame piece lengths should even scale up your build.

This should be similar to your sedan idea a few years back. same idea on stretching just no added passenger space.

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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 6:37 pm 
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Joined: November 11, 2013, 2:11 pm
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Location: Frankfort, KY(for now)
I have no problem with adding depth to the overall chassis. It's just my height makes things difficult (6'4, or I might be 6'5.) im going to play around with some numbers but scaling up the chassis is a must. As double check, I researched and found that the standard 442e chassis has a 95 inch wheelbase. Does anyone else have a larger or smaller number? If so, what is your wheelbase?


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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 6:58 pm 
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Joined: April 19, 2016, 1:03 pm
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Location: Falls Church, VA
A few questions to ponder.

Why do a 442e and not a 442? The 442 gives you the length in cabin instead of the engine.

I am 6'5" too. The first thing I did was wall measure myself to a comfortable position. If you haven't done this, you might want to, because it is what will make you comfortable. Remember just because we are ~7" taller than the 7 was designed for, we probably only need about 3.5" in legs and dash that stops a little higher and a roll bar that does the same. I owned and drove daily, very comfortably, a NA Miata. The car had a foamectomy and the drivers side door arm rest removed to clear my knee.

You don't need to scale the car as much as you think you do.

But as said before, if you WANT to scale the car just figure out the multiple and scale it that way.

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PostPosted: May 15, 2016, 7:58 pm 
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Location: Frankfort, KY(for now)
I need to scale the car because of my design and I also need to space for the drive system (because, steam car.)


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PostPosted: May 17, 2016, 3:32 pm 
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Joined: July 4, 2006, 5:40 pm
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Location: Novato, CA
I agree with Mike, the Locost frame is seriously stronger than it needs to be, at least in bending stiffness if not torsion. After 25K miles and a lot of rough roads my frame is still solid as a rock.


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