LocostUSA.com

Hah, I didn't know that this build was on this site, as sometimes I skip over various builds. Mainlandboy, your built popped up on Grassroots Motorsports forum when I asked for what I might put a late model Corvette "rollerskate" under.

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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
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

Hi Kurt, you posted on page 4 back in 2016, so I guess that it's been a while!

Yes, I'm the same mainlandboy on Grassroots Motorsports, as well as the few posts that I have made on your Midlana forum. Coincidentally, I've already started planning/modeling my next build which will be a variant of the Midlana, but that one will have to wait for quite a few more years.

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

Got the firewall painted.

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

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Larry in Seattle

Feels like I'm in the home stretch now. Got some more painting done, reinstalled the wiring harness, the steering column, steering shaft and pedals. Also mocked up the radiator hoses, just need to get some hose clamps to finish that off. I also finished the pull cables in the door that allow the door latch to be opened by both the inside and outside door handles.

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

The spray adhesive that I used to stick the black vinyl to the dashboard was apparently not strong enough. After a few weeks, the edges of the vinyl started curling up off the dashboard and looked terrible. I also decided that the all-black interior needed some color in it, so I made a new dashboard and painted it the same blue as the outside. I also cut and installed the door cards, but they still need some black covering or painting.

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

Reached a big milestone, first engine start after 6 years of building! Running a little rough, but just happy that it started at this point!

https://youtu.be/YfiK3KTtiRQ

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

Time for an update. During the first start ups, the engine would run for a few seconds and then die. Turns out that I had forgot to ground one of the wires from the air flow meter, which is needed to keep the fuel pump running after cranking. Once I grounded that wire, the engine runs continuously now! That being said, the hydraulic lifters were ticking quite loudly. I had read some good things about using SeaFoam, so I picked some up and put some in the crankcase. After letting the engine run with SeaFoam for a few minutes, the lifter tick quieted down substantially.

The donor Miata uses a separate turn signal light in addition to the tail/brake light. Because I am using a combination stop/turn/tail light, I had bought a non-powered 3-to-2 wire trailer light converter to combine the functions. It turns out that the original converter I bought did not work properly with the LED stop/turn/tail lights that I am using. When turning on one of the turn signals, the turn signal light would flash as expected, but the opposite side lamp would also flash faintly. Also, when I put on the hazard flasher lights, my high mount 3rd brake light would flash in unison with the 4-way flashers.

The solution was to buy a powered LED compatible 3-to-2 wire trailer light converter. This new converter has a 12 volt input from the battery, and uses the signals from the incoming wires to direct the 12 volt input to control the lights, rather than passing voltage from the signal wires through the converter directly to the lights, as is the case in the non-powered converter. The old and new trailer light converters are shown below.

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

I also got the windshield wiper installed. Although the wiper is needed to pass inspection, I don't plan on driving the car in the rain, so I just picked up one of the cheap universal hot rod wipers from Amazon.

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

Congratulations! A runner!

For vinyl to work on the dash, the vinyl must wrap around to the back and be sandwiched to the dash with screws clamping around the edge. The glue to use is the thick yellow old school weatherstripping adhesive that smells bad. Faux emu or gator would look nice.

On the ticking HLAs, be sure to use only 5w30 and add a little marvel mystery oil (air tool oil). No need to put acid in your crankcase.

Maybe you can fit a pop-up cowl vent or floor vents? I’m liking this mini-streetrod. Will it be getting a full length, slide back vinyl roof?

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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

Thanks! I'm not installing a cowl vent or floor vents, but I have hinged the windshield frame to let some air in, as shown below. Now I need to figure out a way to latch it open and closed.

Regarding the roof, there is a front roof panel and a rear roof panel, with a piano hinge joining the two pieces. The rear roof panel will be permanently bolted to the top of the car, and the front roof panel can fold back to sit flat on top of the rear roof panel, for open-air motoring (for the front passengers).

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

Have you decided on how you will make the windshield frame rigid? Maybe a 1/8 x 1 inch flange around the inside edge? If going with standard laminated safety glass, fill the frame corners so the glass will be rounded and much less likely to break. Window glass shops have no trouble cutting radiused corners.
Make sure the windshield adjuster locks to where it must move forward first to be closed so that a gust of wind from a passing semi cannot slam it closed and shatter the glass.

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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

Motor cruisers (power boats) have had opening windscreens like yours for years. Hardware should be available from marine suppliers. But some old school sedans had this feature too ...

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

The 1" X 1/8" flange sounds like a good idea. I'll likely do that. I'll get a few quotes to get the laminated glass cut, and ask them about what methods would be best to attach the glass to the windshield frame.

I found a YouTube video that shows the bracket that holds the old Ford pop out windshields open. Fast forward to the 5:00 minute mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGyInWkxwYE

I'll try and source or fabricate a similar bracket.

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

New replacement slide arms are cheaper than the metal to make them:
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/1928-31- ... 51351.html
Check out the “also consider” links for the rest of the hardware.

Speedway also has an ebay store.

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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