LocostUSA.com

I don't have any pictures to put up just yet as this one is going to need quite a bit of modeling time in order to get a few details right. The basic concept is going to be a front end that looks kind of like the Donkervoort except a little more squared, keeping the airflow design they have for the radiator. I'll have a downdraft radiator with fans in a push/pull configuration that blows the air out through hood vents. The engine is a 318ci Magnum from a 2000 Dodge 1500, stroked to 360ci (5.9L). I'm hoping that the air cleaner will fit under the hood so that I don't have to cut a hole for it. The hood should have two narrow vents, like Sondergard and the two vents on the sides in front of the doors. I'm going to have to hunt down a windshield that I can use to model a windshield frame. The base of the frame is built from 1.5" square tube with a 0.12" wall, with uprights and most of the rest of the frame made from 1" square tube with a 0.065" wall. The roll bar will be swept a little further back to allow for a targa top and tie directly into the base of the frame instead of ending at shoulder height. Similarly, a roll bar will be built into the frame of the windshield, following the A-pillar, down past where the front door hinge would be and down through the frame, tying into the base. The two hoops at the back, instead of being two fairly tight bends with a straight section between, will be a more sweeping arc because the back of the Sondergard car is not really flat. Finally, two round beams will link the roll bar to the upper hoop. I would like to be able to either roll down or remove the back glass between the rollbars when the windows and roof are removed. I'll have to think about the doors because when the roof is removed, I don't want the window frame to be there, yet the windows should still be able to go up and down. Rear suspension will be an 8.8" IRS from a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII and may have to be fairly stiff considering the fixed wheel arches. The quarter panel windows are more or less useless on the Sondergard, so instead of windows, these may be turned into scoops to duct air in for cooling the rear end. Not sure yet whether the exhaust will run out the back or out the sides.

After I make a trip to HomeDepot, I'll start making a full-sized frame mock-up using 3/16" hardboard cut into strips and glued to form square tube. In some places, I'll be using 1" and in others, 1.5" PVC, PEX if I can find it that large. One more interesting element I'm thinking about is circling the cockpit with a 1" hoop. I'm flipping through pages here to see if I can get my terminology close. I'm looking at cutting the front wall out of part O, part of the top out of K1 and K2, the tops out of N1 and N2, and the rear wall out of the cockpit-facing scuttle bar, and welding 1" round tube into the opening. N1 and N2 may be notched, bent and welded to create a curved square bar, which will also act as a guide for building a sill for the door opening.

I'll be using http://www.desicodesign.com/meerkat/Bodywork.htm for pointers of building a body buck and fiberglass molds to produce the body panels.

the remote air filter assembly from a late model jeep is very low profile and so happens to fit the 5.2/5.9. ..

Ah, yes. Since the 5.2L was an available engine for the Grand Cherokee, that makes sense.

I'm drawing out the 442 frame and quickly learned that the measurements have to be tweaked a bit when using tubing of a larger size. When placing a vertical beam that is at an angle and a certain distance in relation to a 1.5" tube rail, when the given measurements are for 1", the measurement point is roughly 13mm below the surface of the rail (~38mm vs 25mm). There are two beams that I'm kind of wondering about, G1 and G2 flank the engine bay and while the diagram on page one makes them appear to be parallel, they may not be. On page 49, it says that the ends are cut 3 degrees from perpendicular opposite one another.

Does the area of E,G1,C,G2 form a trapezoid or a rhombus?
If it's a trapezoid, is it wider toward the front or toward the rear?
If it's a rhombus, does the aft side shift to the passenger side or toward the drivers side?

Completely unrelated to your build, or is it?, what are the dimensions of the Mopar block when compared to the Ford or Cheby?

Any weight comparison?

Hmm. Good question. Since they're not as common to pick up as a crate engine, the numbers might be hard to come by. When asked "How much does a 318 engine block weigh?" Answers.com says "Alot... Its all cast iron..."

As a long block, the 318 is said to be about 225. http://www.angelfire.com/ca/mikesspot/318specs.html Lists specs for just about everything else, but not the weight of the block itself. A fully dressed 318 is likely about 525lbs. A Ford 302 is right about 500lbs and Chevy 348/409 as 620lbs? That sounds too heavy to me.

http://www.team.net/sol/tech/engine.html

I would probably trust this:
http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/mo ... _block.htm
At only 25" wide (valve cover to valve cover), the Mopar Small Block is 1" narrower than the Chevy V8. At 29.5", they are 2" longer than the Chevy counterpart, but the same length as the AMC V8's often found in Jeeps. At 550 lbs, the Mopars beat some of the conventional Chevy V8 by 25 lbs.

Using a few references online, the 318 can be rodded out for pretty cheap. hotrod.com lists a 375hp motor for about $1100, but that's just one example. Although that's an LA engine and not a newer Magnum. Given aftermarket support, the LA engine is probably a much better choice. It would cost me more to stroke the 4.0L in my Jeep than it would to build a 318.
http://www.hotrod.com/howto/113_0304_31 ... /dyno.html

There's not a great deal out there, but I found some cool pictures of the Sondergard design:

I haven't looked at the links you provided yet, but at 1' narrower than the Cheby that puts it just slightly wider than the Ford.

How about a comparo of heights?

I was really expecting it to be bigger than both.

I am almost certain that you can buy alum blocks (not Locost tho) and I know they used to sell the 360 in 2 different power variations at Mopar. I was thinking the factory offered the alum blocks.

I'm not sure how you can get the "new" hemis, but Mopar has always offered a pretty good selection of complete motors - although not nearly as many options as Cheby.

I grew up loving the 340 and have always had a soft spot for this engine series. I'd never really considered a V8 Locost and to date I haven't seen anything but Ford or Cheby in any. I'm going to love seeing how this turns out and what issues you encounter.

Boy that Sondegaard has a heck of a 3/4 rear blind spot!

Electronics are never going to be as reliable as older methods, but the blind spots could be solved by using a wide angle backup camera.

Avoid the transmitter type cameras and go with hardwired. Noise can be an issue if your using it constantly.

I made this comment on the thread about a proposed Dodge 3.9l build; IF I understand correctly, the 5.2 (and one yr only 5.9) Cherokees, while mechanically the same engine as in the Dodge, have the starter on the passenger side. (Was told this by my buddy a longtime Dodge tech.)

This would certainly open up some driver's footroom.

Mikey B

Yeah, that should be right. On the Magnum engine, the starter looks to be on the passenger side right below the oil filter, but on the older LA engine, the starter is on the drivers side. I'm a little concerned about how much space the transmission and bell housing is going to take up. The TKO-500 or 600 is fairly narrow, but the bellhousing is not. Hopefully it's far enough forward that it's not an issue.

The Magnum engines are supposed to be a bit better design than the LA engines, but the older engines are cheaper to build and aftermarket support is better.

Negative Charles,

On LA engs, the starter is on the driver's side. Same on the Dodge Magnum engines (Magnums were never factory in Chry or Plymounth applications, only Dodge trucks and vans, and Jeep Cherokees). What I am saying is, I have been told that on Jeep 5.2 & 5.9, the starter is pasenger side. I do not have personal experience, nor can I hit the junkyard today.

If this is true, and you want a 5spd, you should use the a Jeep bellhousing thern select your trans choice. There are a number of selections with the same tranny bolt pattern as the AX15, including Colorado, Pontiac Sky, '88-92 turbo Supra, etc... MANY!

The difference between LA and Magnum engines are the heads / intake / exhaust components and that the Magnum block does not have provisions for an eng driven fuel pump and the inclusion of a mounting boss for the crank position sensor. You may easily use Magnum heads on an LA block with either a Magnum style intake manifold (vertical mounting bolts) or by redrilling the heads for LA pattern bolts. This swap does require special length pushrods (can't use either LA or Magnum). Also, the center exhaust ports on the Magnum exhaust maniflods are individual, not combined as on the LA (360, 318-4bbl and early 3.9).

The Mopar Performance Parts 300hp 360 (5.9) crate motor was same cam & heads as stock Magnum truck engine, with elec distributor and carb. The 380hp version used a hotter cam, larger valves and single plane intake. The stock Magnum exhaust manifolds are the best flowing factory manifolds, better even than the ubiquitous '68-72 340 manifolds. There are "configuration" differences between Dodge and Jeep manifolds.

In fact, the stock 1.98"/1.62" Magnum heads outflow the Chev LS1 heads.

Hope this clarifies things,
Mike

cough (roller cam too) cough cough.............

I think I'm going to go a different way with my frame design. Instead of building a frame of a given width, then sort of grafting in a transmission tunnel, then finding seats and other parts to fit the design, I believe I'm going to build a backbone first, sort of like the Lotus Elan shown below. After I have a rolling chassis, I will build the skeleton frame to fit the backbone, then a body buck, then fiberglass. So the car will be bigger than a standard seven, a bit wider and rear wheel arches will likely be built into the body.

Sort of an off-side question, anyone use multiple linked fuel tanks instead of a single tank?

i've used pretty big swirl pots (an old fire extinguisher, maybe ~2 gallons?), some aeroplanes use wing tanks with transfer pumps. .. pump from a storage tank(s) to an accumulator tank is what you have in mind or gravity feed, series or parallel plumbing?
(assuming a book type chassis, you said backbone) a 5" change in the passenger front bulkhead would give enough room for ~3 gallons, passengers don't need to be able to hit the brakes have the passenger front bulkhead even with the gas pedal and you know theres enough room for them. you can even keep it the 30's styling with a bulkhead tank. ..
a transfer pump would need to be either manual operated or have some kind of failsafe so it doesn't do a dry flameout, xx seconds of 0 pressure to shut off and trigger a warning lamp maybe? cascading warning lamps and a single gauge on the final tank would work as a visual. .. as long as you have 3 gallons you should have an hour of "civilised" driving range at least.
if you get caught in a blizzard driving a locost you have worse problems