LocostUSA.com

Hi All:

After a lost year+ of self pity, fits, and false starts, I am again making real progress on my Lotus XV replica, "Invincible II(a?)".

Back in Oct '10, I crashed it with 7 miles on the ODO, bending the frame, ruining the right side suspension, tearing up the nose, and wrecking the radiator.

After my first attempt to get it straightened didn't work out, I took it to McKee Engineering. They got it sorted pretty quickly, so I hired them to make some AL panels that I couldn't seem to make.

Now it is time for final bodywork & paint. Still gotta find a narrowed MG steering rack, or other suitable replacement.

Regards,

Mark

Welcome and please tell us more! That must have been a depressing day ( or year... ) when you had that accident. Glad your suffering seems to have not involved real physical injury, that would only make it worse.

Glad to hear you are getting back to the (re)build. Looking good. I keep meaning to look you up some weekend when I'm in town.

Glad to see you here, that "other list" sure seems to be a stick in the mud.

Hi All:

I delivered Invincible II(a?) to a friend of mine who does body work. He has agreed to pick away at it between regular jobs as filler, at a reduced rate.

His attention to detail is changing it from the assemblage of fiberglass and aluminum bits into a real car. He has eliminated the pits & other boo-boos in the glass work, and has added some thoughtfully placed AL strips to take some of the Jello wiggle out of it.

Unfortunately, I promised my daughters that we would attend the Indian Princess Spring Campout (I shouldn't say that, because we have a lot of fun there), and will be unable to attend the Midwest meet. That was my artificial deadline to have the car done.

I am not easing up on the schedule in any case, and want it on the road this summer.

I'll get some more recent photos posted soon.

Mark, Builder of "Invincible II(a?)"

Too cool! Where did you get the body basics? Nose and stern and scuttle appear to be molded fiberglass, is there a source for such things?

[Edit--Never mind. I found it on the "Good tires, Mused Bob" thread; it started as a CMC 11 body, which I think is a Westfield 11 copy.

BTW, you've got three threads active on this project, maybe you should pick a fave and transfer the other posts from the other threads into your favorite thread.]

Looking good Mark!

Here are some photos of the windscreen installed.

Now to find someone local who can mandrel bend a roll hoop, then Road America here I come...

Mark, Builder of "Invincible II(a?)

Looks great! I'm a sucker for british racing green.

Man, that looks fabulous! I like your windshield solution; simple curves can be very versatile.What tubing and what dimensions? Legs straight up and down? If you'll post the answers I can either make it or find someone who can, and shipping's pretty cheap on a hoop--UPS can bring it to you.

How will you brace it? This isn't Need To Know for bending a hoop, I'm just curious.

Back to the windscreen. Are you looking over it, or through it? How's the wind? What's the material?

Howdy Jack:

Thank you for the kind words. Your opinion means a lot to a guy who doodled Pfledge inspired canards on the margins of his papers as a kid.

I need to check my GCR and science the hoop out a little more before I can answer all your questions. I think if I go chrome-moly, I may be able to use a smaller dia. The hoop and brace will both bolt in. If I go with a hoop that only covers the driver's side, I only need one brace. That is a huge help for driver ingress & egress, as well as the overall look. I am a little concerned that any hoop big enough to work will look silly. I am seriously considering fabricating molding a hunker down seat from resin & beads that I would use for racing only. Then I could make the hoop follow the LeMans fairing.


The strongest point to attach is a steel panel ahead of the rear wheel on the side of the car. That means that the legs won't be straight, or will need a knee on one side. In the middle of the car, the hoop will go straight down to a plate on the top of the tunnel.

The single down tube will start near the top of the hoop, and traverse the passenger compartment to the outside bottom of the foot well.

I wonder if I would be allowed to use some type of Dutchman's clamp on the hoop so that there isn't a tab waiting to bash my skull in when the brace is not installed?

Regards and more soon,

Mark, builder of "Invincible II(a?)"

Howdy Jack:

Thank you for the kind words. Your opinion means a lot to a guy who doodled Pfledge inspired canards on the margins of his papers as a kid.

I need to check my GCR and science the hoop out a little more before I can answer all your questions. I think if I go chrome-moly, I may be able to use a smaller dia. The hoop and brace will both bolt in. If I go with a hoop that only covers the driver's side, I only need one brace. That is a huge help for driver ingress & egress, as well as the overall look. I am a little concerned that any hoop big enough to work will look silly. I am seriously considering fabricating molding a hunker down seat from resin & beads that I would use for racing only. Then I could make the hoop follow the LeMans fairing.


The strongest point to attach is a steel panel ahead of the rear wheel on the side of the car. That means that the legs won't be straight, or will need a knee on one side. In the middle of the car, the hoop will go straight down to a plate on the top of the tunnel.

The single down tube will start near the top of the hoop, and traverse the passenger compartment to the outside bottom of the foot well.

I wonder if I would be allowed to use some type of Dutchman's clamp on the hoop so that there isn't a tab waiting to bash my skull in when the brace is not installed?

Regards and more soon,

Mark, builder of "Invincible II(a?)"