ngpmike wrote:
Here are some more thoughts for you! I'm 6ft, nuthin' and 265# but I managed to get into a "book frame" car. Wouldn't want to spend the whole day there, but you get the drift. You might want to look at a 221. That's what I'm planning on building. The Miata parts you're considering should be OK, if not ideal. Look at the V8 Miatas that Flying Miata is putting together. If further on it appears that the brakes are lacking, there are big brake kits available.
One more thing that we tell many of the newbies here is to let us know what part of the world you call home. Many times you can be directed to someone in your vicinity that is building, or has built a Locost and can give you some hints, tips, and pointers.
Good luck with your project!
Would a 221 be large enough to fit me an a v8 power train? I can see if the car is running something small like a miata power plant I could wedge into it but with a larger trans and longer v8 would it work?
Also I'm in central Manitoba, Canada
carguy123 wrote:
Let me add that if you build a book chassis then you will never want to have a passenger as elbows simply don't fit for turning the wheel or changing gears. Car 9!!
This is going to be important as I want to be able to drive it on cruise nights etc with bros or the wife...
turbo_bird wrote:
I agree with the others, you shouldn't have any issue fitting in a book frame car. That's what I built, and I'm 6'2", about 285. It's definitely tight, but I can drive it for an hour or so before getting too uncomfortable, and have been in it for as long as 2 hours on the highway. I'd also echo the comments to look at the Car9 design that Marcus put together. I want to build another locost using that frame design, and I already have on on the road. How heavy is a ready to run Coyote? The old 302 Ford can be pretty light, and is about the most compact V8 that is commonly available in North America. 400hp isn't overly difficult either.
Kristian
The Coyote is about the same weight as an aluminum LS or lightener 302. However the kind of power you get from one is [Fornicating] delightful compared to the older 302s and I think its a more racy feeling motor over an LS. The downside is the heads are big and availability is limited compared to an equal LS motor. Mostly I'm thinking Coyote because I'm more of a Ford guy That said I could easily see myself using an L92 (6.2L truck LS) as they are overall pretty compact and things like cam changes etc are quite affordable. The goal is the keep the motor at around <450 lbs.
So how does a live axle locost compare to an IRS locost in terms of handling?