LocostUSA.com

Hi, longtime lurker, first time poster.

I know Curtis Unlimited offered Elva MK7 body panels at one time, but they haven't been in business for a few years. Does anyone know what happened to all their molds? I remember at least one poster in this forum building a locost with a body from Curtis.

I contacted Kinetic Vehicles, since I think Curtis supplied some panels to them at one time. They told me to look up Jack McCornack on this forum. I thought he was the owner of Kinetic, but I guess no longer. Unfortunately I don't have enough posts to earn the right to use private messages, so this is the next best thing I suppose.

Alternatively I was looking for whoever ended up with the Abarth 1000SP molds that JMC14 sold a while ago. I heard they went to California somewhere...

So far I have a collected some good parts to build a neat little mid engined locost. I have the complete front and rear subframes from a 2000 Miata, plus the steering column, fuel tank and wiring harness. I also have all the running gear from a 2005 Ford Focus including a 2.3 Duratech and an MTX75 5-speed with a Quaife diff.

If I can't find a nice 60's sports racer body for a reasonable price I guess I'll have to design something but I'm not looking forward to all that fiberglass work.

Dio Tipo's are still in stock and a pretty simple build.
They will take a V8 so you should have plenty of engine room.
https://diocars.com

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Can't help with sourcing the body.

If you are wanting it to be road legal with a DOT windscreen that can be found here, it is probably better to just build around your completed chassis with aluminum rockers and only the compound curves in composite.

Otherwise, plenty of body choices used and new across the pond.

For a middy, I'd obtain another focus subframe with spindles, swaybar, rack, and steering intermediate shaft and keep the miata parts for a traditional non-middy. Parking brake type calipers or inline hydraulic lock can be fitted but it may depend on how you plan to get this to be road legal in your area.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I'm not sure if you are familiar with the Midlana, but it's pretty much the go-to solution to build a mid engine Locost, with no fiberglass work required:

https://midlana.com/

If you want to short cut the build process of starting from scratch, the DF Goblin is an option:

https://dfkitcar.com/

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Photo gallery of my completed Locost:
https://plus.google.com/photos/10397358 ... banner=pwa

Would a Lotus 19 body be of interest? I've got one of those.

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

Jack, not to be too much of a pest, but what does your Lotus 19 body consist of? I am guessing it is the front and rear clamshells, but anything else? I am trying to imagine it as a coupe, gull wing doors, and I am wondering if the proportions would work. Like a DJet? or maybe it have to remain a roadster for the fine California days. Do you have any thoughts on prospective rear axles, suspensions, etc? Did Curtis make the body? No rush on answering, and May the fourth always be with you.

That's hardly what I'd call pestering, but you're going to get a looong answer.It has the nose and the stern and the doors, and that's it. There's no scuttle or bonnet, just a one-piece fiberglass nose that goes all the way back to the cockpit.If I were to continue the Locost 19 project, I wouldn't go to that much trouble, I'd probably do a tilt-back roof a la Gilbert MacIntosh's Lotus 11 street car -- see <https://www.lotuseleven.org/DarkAges1/MacIntosh.htm>The Djet (Matra, right?) was a lot taller than a Lotus 19, but I guess you could do like that.Dress like a motorcyclist and tough it out; that's what I do in MAX.I was initially building it for a Geo Metro with a Suzuki GTR drop-in upgrade for when I get sick of hypermiling, but any small FWD powerplant will fit. It's a left-right symmetrical body and will be easy to slit in half and rebond it wider, like I did with the Lola Mk1 body for MAX, if you want a wider track than a Metro/GTR.Yes, Fay Curtis made it for me.

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

RE: Dio Tipo.
The original was the "AMBRO Special" and still exist in vintage racing.
Back then state of the art was still tall and skinny 15".
The AMBRO was built on a TR3 chassis.
The body was partially molded from a Maserati Birdcage.
I've been sacrificing several of my projects recently to get my hands an a VMC to make parts no one else offers/income.
But my Dio Tipo is not on the list, still intending to finish it.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!