LocostUSA.com

Thanks for the ideas guys. I'm just not a 'red' guy. I think I'll be changing the interior vinyl from red to black.
This is the color scheme wifey wants. Body Storm Grey Pearl Metallic and fenders Dark Pearl Metallic Blue.
Here's a pic of a fender my kid did on a Harley dragster couple months ago with those colors.


Anyhoooo, making some progress. Sanded fiberglass body and pieces, wiped down with acetone, mixed up some poly resin and cabosil to the consistency of peanut butter and 'glued the front body mounts in place. I'll be adding layers of chopped mat over this in time for reinforcement of the mounts.
Couple pics.

_________________
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

Today I made several small batches of peanut butter and put a fillet around the rear body mount.

_________________
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

Love your "gas cap", Perry. Don't be smoking or flicking ashes while you're driving, though [LOL].

Cheers,

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

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

Hey, that's my molotov gas cap, I paid good money for that roll of hand towel,

_________________
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

Small update.

Working with glass and resin, slow work for me, like watching paint dry.
Reefing up the body mounts, they are black pieces in the pick.
Also fixing smashed glass, holes, and cracks.

_________________
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

Looks good, as always Perry.

I actually like working with fiberglass. I never experieinced the itching problem that most have.I once considered changing jobs to work at a boat manufacturer just to smell that polyester resin. So glad I didn't.

_________________
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

Thanks Chuck. Yeah that reminds me of when I was a kid, you could order 'itching powder' from the back advertisements of comic books. All it was, was ground up fiberglass, boy did we get in trouble with sh!t in school


Anyhoo, bought some bling for the Gazelle. Should look period correct kinda sorta I hope.

_________________
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

Lucky you guys, I suffer itchiness when I work with the stuff, however top tip is to use baby powder on your skin before working, the talc seals up your pores and stops the fibre shards irritating the skin - at least it does for me. Plus I smell nicer.

I call it done, looks like it's totally driveable as is. I think everything from here out is overkill and just adding weight, but it's your call.

Slow progress working on the glass body.
Put in hard points for hinges, the previous builder just has SS screws through the fiberglass, I'll be using SS machine screws and nuts.
Patching cut outs from previous VW chassis build, fixing lots and lots of garage rash.
Gave the body a complete sanding, which I'm sure will be one of many.
Starting to contemplate winding project down as we will be heading south in 49 days.
Some pics

_________________
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

Well just over a week ago I put the glass body on the frame then put that on dolly's and put the Gazelle away for the winter because we're going south in less than 3 weeks.
That was a mistake, I found myself walking around the shop in circles itching and scratching with nothing to do, so I rolled the Gazelle out and am doing some small items on it.
Glass patched some holes in the pan then sanded it. Sanded and primed the trans tunnel I fabricated. Shortened the shifter so the knuckles don't hit the dash.
I found that I'm too big for the car in that my knees will hit the dash when sitting in the car, not good. Wifey fits perfectly, she's 5'4".
So I cut the 2x2 cross member behind the seats at an angle and capped it. This will allow me to set the seats back another 2". Also extended the seat base another 2 1/2" to reposition the buckets further back.
I took the buckets to my upholstery guy to get done over the winter.


Then I started work on the dash. Made a cardboard template, transferred to plywood and cut it out.
Mapped out gauge placement. Had to keep gauges 1 1/4" for the top of the dash because there is a padded roll that mounts across the top. It will be a simple dash, GPS speedo that has turn indicators and high beam indicator built into it. Then oil press, coolant temp, volt, and gas gauges. Headlight and wiper switches are on the steering column. A couple of 12v power points.
Some pics.

_________________
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

Looking good, Perry.

Those must be the longest Clecos in the world to go through the plywood and the fiberglass! The layout of the instruments looks great.

Cheers,

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

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

Thanks Lonnie

The end result, a simple dash. Speedo, volt, gas, oil press, coolant temp and 12V power point

.

_________________
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

The most redundant statement in all of body work, hah.

_________________
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/

Perry can head away for the entire winter and still have a faster rate of progress than me, I am in awe.

Perry, the big concern is that when you traveled south last year, you discovered this project! What will you find this year?

_________________
Thom