LocostUSA.com

10 years ago the Elio Motors 3 wheel, tandem 2 seat, econocar was announced as a commercial project, with deposits called for and stockmarket options.

Over 18,000 people paid a $1000 premium deposit, over 45,000 more put $100 deposit for a ticket number, and many also bought stocks.

To this day Elio Motors has not produced a single car. You can Google the whole story if you don't already know it.

So I figured there must be a few of the customers out there who still want one, I was right, there is, so I first built a rough prototype to figure layout, seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKJxY-oyM0w

and now have built a pre-production prototype that is close to the mark, still a few things to figure out, but quite happy with where it's going.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9-RVzfhWZE

I will drop some build pictures in the next few posts later.

The basic bodyshell parts I am working from, will be odd 2 door, drivers door on the front left, passenger door on the rear right

Held for build pictures

After 3 development chassis builds, now the 4th and actual production chassis is well underway, very few changes required now for production with it ..

Over the next 2 weeks or so, will get it driveable, lock it in, and start on the bodywork. Power is by Honda Fit 1.5 with about 130hp, though not intended to be fast, with the power to weight ratio and aero, it won't be slow ...

Actually quite proud of what I have achieved, what you are looking at is achieved with only 12 laser cut and folded (all bent at 90 degrees except 1) sheetmetal, and obviously the few tubes you can see.

Super cool!

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Ford 5.0 into an M3
mikaelvroom.com | @MikaelVroom

This will be a fun follow.
Interesting idea to have a door on each side instead of both on one side. May help with rigidity a bit if you can 'seal' the non-used doors, if the body is structural at all.

If not, I suggest V2 have cockpit-length Gullwing doors, ala the Koenigsegg Gemera.

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1975 MG Midget
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=24382
13B Powered Rotus Geauxkart
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20899

The body is non-structural, though of course it will add some, but the frame is enough, and there will be a 'naked' version as well, a little bit like an Arcimoto (Google it).

Though the shell will be fiberglass, the 2 doors are steel OEM (as seen in the top pictures), just logical for ease of production with the electric windows mechanisms, the windows, hinges, catches, locks, etc.

Thanks.

Aptera is another wannabe. They burned through all their investor money the first time around, not helped by over-the-top marketing claims. This time may go better, but they apparently hired the same marketing guy, so who knows. They claim to have tens of thousands of deposits, but haven't started actual production yet.

One thing no one mentions is how freakin' wide the Aptera is, several inches wider than a full-size pickup truck. That offsets some of its perceived utility about being able to park in tiny places, but I guess we'll get to see the whole drama play out, regardless.

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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/

I'm sorry I missed the first set of postings. Lookin' good!

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-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

Can't deny it, the wife helps me get dressed.

Ha ha ha ha, yep I can relate to that, but I can also add another.....sometimes she wipes the drool from my chin (or calls me a pig and tells me to wipe my own chin), that's living

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

Pretty close to a production chassis, as usual a few niggling problems, nothing serious ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3zFWPk7Bhs





and then I threw the engine in today ..

In the first photo of the frame, will there be any triangulation?

In the last photo, is that the final arrangement with the engine and frame rails? I ask because the tires appear close enough to the rails that they won't be able to turn very much. No?

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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/

Rear steer?

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1975 MG Midget
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=24382
13B Powered Rotus Geauxkart
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20899

It is a 2F1R trike. i.e. front steer.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766