LocostUSA.com

Funny how adding that grill transforms virtually anything into a “jeep.”

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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, http://www.kimini.com/book_info/

Are you trying to say it didn't look like a Jeep before?

Fair enough, I'm only trying to making it look like a pre 1949 car due to local registration regulations, which is also why I'm using an original 1946 chassis. If I could register a Locost for road use here I'd 100% be building one of those instead but the red tape and cost is absolute insanity, especially in my state.

I'd like to think that once it's done the car should not be dissimilar to a Shelby Cobra - similar weight, independent suspension front and rear, V8, sidepipes... while the Cobra is my dream car, I'm hoping this can give me a similar experience at a fraction of the cost and the satisfaction of having built it all myself.

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

Grill top mounts finished and I also threw in the headlights to get an idea of what it will look like



I'll probably end up shortening the front of the chassis a little but I'll leave that until the bodywork is complete



Bit of a googly eye look but with the bonnet shrouding the lights a little hopefully it looks a little more mean.

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

Minor update: some stainless elbows I ordered in an end of financial year sale have finally turned up.I still need some straight 2.5" and 1.5" sched. 10 pipe, a couple of v-bands and a set of bellows to be able to do the turbo manifolds, but it's a start.

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

New toy day!





I won't get a chance to test it until the weekend but my new welder arrived.

The hot rod and garage still look the same :p

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

One of the best things about having a homemade bench - you can modify it however you'd like.



Some scrap SHS and a piece of 3mm aluminium that didn't even need to be cut to size means the TIG has a new home!

This week I'll be buying a sheet of 1.6mm steel, as well as the material for the front and rear guards and turbo manifolds so I can get cracking on the hot rod again.

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

Glad to see the beer fridge is in a very handy to reach spot, the tinnies won't even get a chance to warm up, you can reach them from the drivers seat. Looking good, get cracking.

The most important tool in the garage Thanks mate!

This weekend I managed to get some garage time! First up I rewired the foot pedal from my old TIG welder to suit the Unimig, using the spare plug supplied with the machine and a $2.50 10k pot.



I almost just bought the unimig pedal but saving $300 for an hour of work was well worth it.

Next up I added a bus bar in the CNC cabinet for all the Earth connections and wired them to the machine - one to each moving axis and one to the frame of the machine.



Finally I had some spare time to work on the hot rod so I started on the upper radiator mounts.



These cups will have a ~25mm hole bored in them in the lathe so they accept the rubber bushes on top of the radiator.



Then I plan on adding some angle to bolt them to the grill support, and then run a threaded rod down to the lower radiator mount bracket, so they can be clamped down securely

Hopefully sometime this week I'll get a chance to pickup the steel and stainless needed for the turbo manifolds and the front guards/bonnet/scuttle structure, which will make it look even more like a proper functioning vehicle!

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

Also the best place to put your loctite.

True! Haha, I hadn't thought of that

Last night I bored the 30mm hole in the cups using a holesaw in the lathe





The rubber bush fits perfectly, now to add the angle iron forward to the grill and the threaded clamp rod down between the I/C and the radiator.

_________________
Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

As a Fathers day present I was left to my own devices in the garage for a few hours, so I had a go at starting an airbox for the hot rod











My plan is to build a ~100mm tall airbox under this plate to feed the turbo intake, that way I can have a bug catcher scoop without it being "fake" (though I realise without mechanical injection it's a bit fake anyway, but whatever!)





I still need to check I can see the road far enough ahead to be legal, but there is some wiggle room in the height to still have it work.

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549

I also forgot to mention I got the upper radiator mounts mostly complete - just have to make the tension rods that go down between the radiator and intercooler when I get some M8 threaded rod and they're done.

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Scratch built turbo V8 hot-rod in progress
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=19549