LocostUSA.com

Does he still run the live axle? Fine on a smooth track, but in bumpy canyon runs, It got a wee bit too loose for me to the point that I'd rather have been running my NA Miata. Speaking of which, a friend is running Miata rear suspension in his Locost and it feels like emerging from the dark ages relative to my old Stalker.

Oh yeah, that beast - the axle, no wheels or tires - is something like 150 lbs. I got a ride in it and hitting bumps was downright painful. Driving Kimini or Midlana, with the far higher sprung-to-unsprung weight ratio, over the same bump was a night-and-day difference.

Regardless, it's hard to argue with him flat out beating everyone at trackday events, including some very expensive hardware and 160-mph straights. For some reason, his LS3 engine works great and his tires don't spin uncontrollably - couldn't resist.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

After my first lapping session with the top driver for team Birkinsport in the passenger seat, he replied "You aren't one of those drifters, are you?" That car had great manners at the limit, and it was sometimes hard to resist a little more drift angle than would be ideal for the fastest lap - just because it was fun.

But my NA V6 pretty well hit an aerodynamic wall at 120 or so. I used to say that it was a supercar 0-60, a ponycar 60-90 and an accord 90 to 120.

Jack McCornack has a fix for that ya know.

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

True, but I think that I'll wait for the Lightning Bug version - which just happens to be modeled on a Stalker chassis with a LSX inside!

Bit of a side note how is everyone calculating there lb/hp?

My car has 249.6WHP (according to the dyno a couple of weeks back) lets call it 250 for easy numbers, my race weight is 1750 (with driver, 100+lbs of ballast and 2/3 full tank of fuel) so that is 7 lbs per HP.

However I think most people calculate flywheel hp and empty car weight. This would give me 290hp and if I remove myself, the ballast and the fuel I'm down to around 1400 giving me a much more impressive 4.8 lbs per Hp.

I guess this leads me to believe that lb/hp numbers are mostly useless.

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2015 & 2016 EMod Florida State Autocross Champion
2013 & 2014 DSP Florida State Autocross Champion

Scrap Metal Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14558

We're car guys, so of course we're going to use the more impressive numbers. I figured thats how car manufacturers list it, so I would too. Mine's more like 8lbs/HP when I get in, and that just won't do. It gets even worse with a passenger, obviously. But with non standard driver weights and no minimum weight like for racing it's the only way to compare different cars. But yes, pretty much useless.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
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Agree but these days no one uses engine dynos, they're all chassis dynos measuring power at the wheels. All the forums I'm on use that number, which is more honest. Of course they leave out driver and gas and coolent and oil weight in order to get back to an impressive figure.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I am going to use a 2.3L Ford with a turbo out of a Thunderbird turbo coupe.

They are known for being nearly bullet proof. They are a non interference motor so if you loose a timing chain no damage happens because the valves cannot touch the pistons at max lift. And because they are used in mini stock there are tons of aftermarket support for them in normally aspirated forms. But there is also aftermarket support for the turbo versions as well.

Here is what I plan on doing to my 2.3 for my car.
Knife edge and port the lower intake
Build a box or tube upper intake that will fit under the hood.
Mild port on the head
Ranger roller camshaft along with the roller rockers
Adjustable cam gear
Larger injectors
Pimp engine controller
Walbro fuel pump

This should put the engine's horsepower north of 300 and with the Pimp system I can control every aspect of the engine.

They are heavy little engines but the power they make will more than make up for the additional weight.

Eventually I would like to add an Eaton TVS 1300 to my S2000 motor. If I run it around 10 PSI that should get me just north of 400WHP on pump gas. Could probably push it to around 500whp on E85 or race gas but it seems like diminishing returns as 400 would already be a silly amount of power. I doubt even my 15" wide rear slicks will keep it under control.

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2015 & 2016 EMod Florida State Autocross Champion
2013 & 2014 DSP Florida State Autocross Champion

Scrap Metal Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14558

Put it out front of the wheels the trim the nose cone to clear it. Lots of 1920s-1930s cars did that, with flat-twin or V-twin engines. Downside: the engine is now your front bumper.



GM used Honda 3.5 V6 engines in some of their Saturn SUVs. Those had the GM "corporate V6" bellhousing bolt pattern, which means they'll take the T5 setup from any 4 cylinder or 60 degree V6 S10 or Camaro. Dunno about the starter and flywheel bits, though.

You know, it's amazing how many of these problems simply go away if you go with a mid-engine layout...

Yes it is, though I'm heavily biased

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I think that most people are better off with a traditional layout. They're more forgiving to drive fast and easier to work on. (says the guy with a rear-engined car and a middie )

Driving a 2016 Jetta for a rental car today.

Now, normally, a rental car drives like a rental car. You know, numb steering and numb brakes and you have to kick the hell outta it to get moving.

But this thing has a drive train that, pound for pound, hauls (donkey). Low-end torque! And its auto as that sequential / fake manual feature where you really *could* run it like a manual if you wanted to.

So I'm wondering if one could find a trashed Jetta/Golf and use it as a middie drive train, or even figure out how to mount a trans on it for a rear-engine adventure? OH, and gotta figure out how to run the ECU, there is that.

But damn, this thing gets out and runs!

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.