LocostUSA.com

For those of you who've built your own frame, how long did it take you? Both man hours and how many months / years?

Well winddude, that's a tough question to answer because there are a lot of variables involved.
How much time can you dedicate to fabrication each week/month? What level are a persons fabrication skills? What kind of tooling does the shop have? What does a persons budget allow to spend monthly/annually on the build?
Bottom line is that it depends on the individual, there is no specific timeline required, that's what makes this hobby so rewarding.

_________________
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

There, that's about right.

It took me about a month working 2-3 hours a night, 4 nights a week to get the perimeter of my frame, upper and lower, built and tacked. It's the details that eat up time...

_________________
"If it's broke, fix it. You can't make it more broke"

BMW 2002 donor, M10 motor, 4 spd trans, IRS, tube chassis.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20787

Years ago, several builders said it took a long weekend. That being said, it was basic frame only. No suspension or suspension pickup points etc. I'm not even sure if included the tunnel. I would think that the basic frame would consist of <5% of a total building effort, not including the time it takes to evaluate choices, make decisions and source the necessary parts. Then there is the additional time spent surfing on this site. Of course those estimates exclude Perry, a.k.a."Horchoha".

I usually estimate the time it takes to do something, double it and then double it again.

_________________
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

In that case, I'll be 40 before I have a legal & running Locost.

_________________
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

I think that still puts you well ahead of many of the builders on here.

_________________
Cheers,
Logan

If you build strictly to a particular plan (Champion, Haynes, etc.) that will help conserve time, because the details are so well documented in books, websites and build logs. Most of us do not, and it all costs time to figure out our particular adaptations then fabricate them.

If you're lucky enough to have a dedicated space to do your build, it won't matter as much because you can work on it when time permits, without a serious deadline. Depending on your fabrication and welding skills, you might go slowly at first, but build speed as experience and confidence grow.

I'd encourage you to at least try. That said, there are probably 2 individuals on this site who would build you a chassis if you decide to farm it out, and are willing to pay for it.

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

There are reasons (excuses) that I won't go into here... But coming up on 7.5 years, and the frame is still almost 'half' done.

_________________
-Justin

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

Thanks for your feedback, but as much as I wanted to build a goblin I don't think I can dedicate the time and I know my engineering brain will want to change things, and push things to the limit. Plus I'm a bit tight on room, and it was seemingly hard to come by a good miata donor, I had had my eyes open for several months.

I found a cobalt SS donor, so I've opted to build a df goblin. Cheers.

Frame: 2 days

Br@ckets: 2 weeks to 2 years

For me, with beginner MIG skills and simple cutting tools I think I fabricated the basic frame, not including the rear framework behind the cockpit, over a period of a few weeks, maybe 4. If I had to do it again without all the anxiety and self doubt, I could make the same progress in about a week. That part , following a set of plans like the McSorley 442, is straightforward and fairly easy.
The challenges that took time from then on were designing and deciding a thousand other dimensions and details to develop a suspension geometry, pivot pickup locations and brackets, then the rear subframe to hold the differential and suspension. Probably not that difficult for some. If I had started knowing these specific dimensions and brackets that I ended up with, this could probably be fabricated by me now in probably 40 hours, not including the fab of control arms.
The support brackets for the front suspension took quite a while to figure out and install, and again to do it again, probably another 30 hours. Partially due to using slider boxes, making my own ball joint holders and making practically any dimension you can imagine adjustable. Overkill ?? Maybe. The thing about this for me is the challenge of making it the best way first and once. Also figuring out your own design takes a lot of thought and measuring. There are a hundred other things to be researched and decided based on the particular donor parts you are adapting to.
I think the second Locost would take 1/4 of the time to build.
Skidzzz

_________________
japanese proverb - If you fall down seven times.............stand up eight.

It has taken me 135 Hrs to get this one to where it is. It has suspension tabs, and built in seats as well as splits in the middle. It still needs some triangulation, steering and pedal mounts, and motor mounts. Based on what has been done so far I think that will likely be another 25 hrs. So I think I will be "done" with the chassis in 160 hrs.

_________________
MG midget bodied Locostish car in progress