LocostUSA.com

Hello LocostUSA members,
Sorry for the length of this posting but I hope it will help motivate existing builders and encourage fence sitters to get started on their dream project. I will post some pictures soon I hope. Vern

Well thanks to my amazing wife and one unbelievably reliable Locost 7, aka "The Bumble Bee" we completed our whirl wind tour of the east coast of Canada in sixteen days. Obviously after driving 6,066 k/m's, approximately 3800 miles, we have numerous stories of the places we went, the sights we saw, and the amazing people we met. Here is a summary of our amazing trip. I hope it helps to motivate new builders and encourage existing builders to get their projects finished ASAP. A lot of people will tell you it is great to travel the coastal roads in a convertible, but we can tell you it is even better in a Locost 7 that you built yourself ! I encourage all builders to look at adding side curtains and possibly a top to allow them to venture further from home and enjoy their cars even more. The side curtains make highway driving a pleasure and you won't be exhausted from wind burn when you arrive at your destination. The top not only allows you to travel in the rain and colder days but it adds an element of security during over night stays etc. A detachable trunk box is an easy way to provide the additional trunk space that your better half will require on a longer trip.

After making a 6mil poly quick fit cover, changing the oil, and making up a tarp alarm we packed our bags and left Toronto on the 26th of July. I took along some basic tools, tie wraps, tape, wire, and a spare igniter pack. We averaged around 105 k/m's an hour @ 3800 rpm and the engine used 2 litres of oil for the whole trip. The first day we made it to a small town past Montreal of St-Hyacinthe, approximately 600 k/m's. And after driving through Montreal in rush hour I was pleased to stop for the night. The next day we made it to Perth Andover in New Brunswick. And the following day we made it to PEI after taking a side trip to see the world's longest covered bridge in Heartland New Brunswick. The confederation bridge was really something to see, but due to the expansion joints in the road surface it was not a smooth ride for the Bumble Bee. We found the roads to be pretty rough from Montreal on so I wasn't that surprised to discover a day later while touring the north west corner of PEI that my front fender bracket had broken. I wired it up to get back to Summerside that night but I had it welded a day later for $30. We toured the middle and east end of the island over the next couple of days before taking the ferry to Nova Scotia and driving to Cape Breton Island. We stayed in Baddeck for two nights so we could drive around the Cabot Trail. The weather was amazing and we drove for the first time with the side screens removed. We didn't see Rita McNeil but we did meet some bikers from Midland Ontario. The scenery was simply amazing and I wish I had driven the trail in both directions now. The next morning we set off for Peggy's Cove and things went well until we ran into a thunderstorm just north of Halifax. Luckily for us you don't get wet with the top off at 100 kmph and the rain stopped by the time we hit the side road towards Peggy's Cove. We toured around the area and visited the Swiss Air disaster memorial before having a late dinner at the Cove. The next morning we had our first major down pour and it was going to last all day. We then decided to cut our losses and head towards Yarmouth instead of sitting in the motel room all day. It rained torrents on our way and although my top didn't leak a drop I discovered that the road water somehow came through the floor and I had about a half inch of water on my side of the car. I have never driven that far in such inclement weather in a normal car let alone a Locost with miniature wiper blades. The weather cleared up around 3pm when we arrived in Yarmouth before heading to North Kemptville where my sister's mother in-law lives. We stayed with her for a few days and toured the area. I then noticed a crack developing in my exhaust pipe where it comes through the body work, another victim of the rough roads I suppose. Anyway I went to the local garage the next morning where I had made arrangements to get it welded for $25. The guy was great and because he had told his buddies about my car several of them showed up that morning for a chat and a build history. His garage was amazing, it was a converted church that was moved there almost 100 years ago with oxen and horses. What an amazing place to live and have a garage business. The next morning we were up very early to leave by 5:30 am in order to catch the Digby ferry to Saint John New Brunswick, a three hour crossing. We met a group of Healey owners who were traveling together and I hope I will met them again at the Bronte Car show in September. We drove almost back to Quebec City before stopping that night which was too much for me, around 800 k/m's. The next day we took the bridge across the St Lawrence and traveled on the north side of Montreal to Hawksbury. Unfortunately our plan to take highway 7 home the next day went out of the window because we couldn't get a suitable room in Hawksbury and we had to drive to Cornwall around 10pm. After breakfast we drove steadily along highway 2 until we got on the 401 around Port Hope.

Wow, 6,066 k/m's, we still don't believe we did it !! Pretty amazing for a $120 wrecking yard motor. Not sure if I would do it again but the Rockies and Vancouver Island sure sound good !

Thanks for posting a great inspiration!

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

Even though its been 11 years the pictures and text still make it seem like I am still there. Truly the most beautiful place in canada.

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The biggest thing in motocross.

Epic, indeed! Thanks for posting!

Would you mind posting more detail pictures of you car? Particularly the trunk, top, doors, and front fender mounts?

Keep the shiny side up!
-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]

Hey Vern! Thanks for posting about your trip. I remember talking to you about your trip when we were at Bronte this year. Its great to see the pictures to go along with the story.

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"The decision to build a car is not one reached through a rational mindset. It is a decision that is made because we have to do it! It makes no sense, but neither does love, children and taxes" -Sam Buchanan

My Build Log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3054

Thanks for the feedback, glad you like the post. I reviewed your build info Johnothan, great stuff. Dave, I will post more pictures later. Vern

Thanks, nicely done!

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-JOSH
442ish round tube chasis, 2.0 lsj ecotec, solstice transmission, winters q/c rear

Yes yes yes! More more more! Build pix, we need build pix!

> I wasn't that surprised to discover a day later while touring the north west corner of PEI that my front fender bracket had broken.

No kiddin'? I never heard of such a thing.

> The weather was amazing and we drove for the first time with the side screens removed.

Where did you stash the side screens and top when The Bumble Bee wasn't wearing them? Also are there any pix of your construction of said screens and top?

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Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles

I like your trunk, easily replaceable with a bigger one if you need too!

I think I am convinced now that front fender supports that go outside to the spindle are a good idea... I saw those on a Canadian seven in some old photos from Ewhen the other day.

_________________
Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.