LocostUSA.com

Woooo!!! I think I have steering wheel envy. Dave W

So Voudou evaporated.
But what of their plans, did they evaporate too or are viable links still around?

Anyone complete a car and have feedback on their suspension?

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

I have a PDF of the Vodou plans, though I never found a complete set. You still need to fill in the gaps using information from the Haynes plans (control arms) and book plans (rear hoops). Send a PM and I'll email what I have if you'd like.

It's been a long time since I posted an update. Lot's of stuff going on, precious little Locost related. I have been motivated by another post to get up to speed on this build log, so over the next few weeks I'll try to do that. Photo hosting has changed - hopefully, I can get that part right.

Lets start with getting the frame out of the basement. I had pretty much completed the fabrication and drive train fit out, so it was time to disassemble and move the frame out of the basement. It was easy with the foam mockup - how hard could it be with steel?



A little bit of head scratching. How was the mockup oriented, leaning in or out? Got it wrong the first time, but eventually got that worked out. I put an eye into the ceiling and tested it to make sure it could hold the weight. Then simply used a block and tackle to lift.





There was very little room to spare. Seriously, it was about 1/2". Got the frame up the stairs and into the porch.





Then a simple matter of moving it into the living room and out the front door.





Time to move it to the rented garage to get some more work done.

OK, apparently I did the photos wrong. I'll have to work on that. Any suggestions on posting photos from Google Photos?

Edited - photos attached

Started reassembly in the garage:



Selected wheels and tires - very happy with the selection:



I glued up some foam insulation and shaped a nose cone. I planned to make a plug, then a mold, but decided just to do a layover of fiberglass similar to composite aircraft construction - we'll see how that works.

Nice! That's a lot of progress.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Continuing along with the build log. I know these developments occurred years ago, but the log won't be complete without all the steps. I have gotten multiple tips along the way by reading other build logs, so I figure it's worth the time to update.

I had been working sporadically in the rented garage, but making progress was difficult. I mentioned earlier there was no means to build my own garage. Well, I studied the zoning regs and figured out a way to make it happen. We broke ground right as COVID hit and turned this:

Into this:

I finally got my dream garage! 25' x 42', 10" thick concrete and precast concrete planks for the roof structure, clear span so no support columns required.
Next - moving the L7 back home.

Beautiful addition! Very impressive. I used precast concrete to create my garage over a new basement in 2017 to add living space for a walkout basement. Never regretted it!

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Thom

One of the best days ever - when I got to move the Locost into my own garage! While it would have been a less "puckering" experience to have some help during this process, none was available and I was impatient. Needed to be very slow and careful - fortunately, all went well.


Back home:



Maybe now, progress could really be made.

The first order of business after getting the car back home was to adjust the front upper shock mount position. Somehow, I incorrectly measured the lower to upper mount distance and bought the wrong shocks. Even at the lowest setting, I couldn't get the ride height to where I wanted it. I first created a template:

Then fabricated the pieces and welded it all together. Much better.

Short bed and no stake holes to strap, I'd pucker too but it worked out. So many sketchy things work out fine with smart operators.

It would never occur to me to use a concrete roof (another pucker). Impressive.

Did you increase or decrease the effective ratio to comp for the spring rate? Too soft or too stiff?

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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

The problem was not as subtle as that. Fully collapsed without the springs and the shocks were still too long by about 2". I have no idea how I measured that incorrectly, but the fix did not take a ton of effort. The angle changes slightly, but I don't think that will have an appreciable effect on the ride.

Backing up a bit now to the electrical system. I have done multiple "wire diets" before and while not difficult, it does take a lot of patience. I found the wiring diagrams on line - these diagrams show basically connector to connector versus wire by wire like a true schematic. After pulling the harness from the donor:

And after several days of cutting, snipping and re-soldering:

For safety, I wanted to make sure I had a built-in safety for the clutch. Initially, I installed a pressure switch after the clutch master cylinder, but wanting a more positive disconnect, I incorporated the OEM clutch safety switch into the firewall. Not the prettiest installation, but it works:

My original plan was for six gauges (speedo, tach, voltage, oil pressure, water temp and fuel):

However, I decided I wanted less clutter and opted for Speed Hut gauges that combine everything into two 4" gauges:

I also wanted to have a small center console to incorporate a charger, the ignition switch and a small phone cuddy:

I will cover the console similar to the dash eventually.

Recall that I fabricated most of the Locost in my basement, I found myself running out of tasks to be completed before the extraction of the frame into the light of day. I decided to try my hand at creating a mold for the nose cone. I didn't particularly like what I saw available to purchase, so I developed a plan to incorporate the features I wanted. The photo sequence below shows the steps, making it up as went. I hope I'm not exceeding any bandwidth/hosting allowances, but I want to show the whole sequence.
My wife was not pleased by my use of her electric carving knife to cut the insulation, but it really is the ideal tool for the job! I used the knife for rough shaping and a rasp for the finishing.












All in all, I like the way it came out. Once I mold the fenders and hood (bonnet, I suppose), I'll start the fiberglass work.