locost body

eastpark wrote:

noddaz wrote:

NOHOME wrote: I kinda like this for thinking outside the box.

that is quite amazing in a disturbing sort of way...

I'd love to see someone try to get in that car...

it all depends how married you are to the body's lines. Anything is possible. You could raise the roof.

or use it for the door

If you want to stick with something Lotus-like, there's the Westfield 11.

http://westfield-sportscars.co.uk/showroom-brochures/westfield-xi-kits/

The back panel on a 7 is pretty easy. The challenge is to wrap the aluminum around the top tube without it looking like poo. There are ways. There are no compound curves on a 7, so it's reasonably easy. Except the scuttle (cowl).

The scuttle is what will kill you. It's so hard to make that look good. To do it like Lotus/Caterham, you need a bead roller, a shrinker/stretcher, and the patience of a saint. I didn't have those, but I did have a lot of profanity.

I made three scuttles for my first Locost, then bought a Caterham scuttle for the second (unfinished).

I have other tips and recommendations if you go "book" (or derivative) chassis. Message me here or through my website http://www.gwellwood.com

SkinnyG wrote: The back panel on a 7 is pretty easy. The challenge is to wrap the aluminum around the top tube without it looking like poo. There are ways. There are no compound curves on a 7, so it's reasonably easy. Except the scuttle (cowl). The scuttle is what will kill you. It's so hard to make that look good. To do it like Lotus/Caterham, you need a bead roller, a shrinker/stretcher, and the patience of a saint. I didn't have those, but I did have a lot of profanity. I made three scuttles for my first Locost, then bought a Caterham scuttle for the second (unfinished).

Bah. Here's the back end of Midlana, no pounding metal around tubes.

Here's the dash going in, no compound curves.

A bit of a stretch, but I'd love to see a set of body panels that fit onto a Locost chassis to look like the Stiletto Roadster:

http://www.stilettoroadster.com/

http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/stiletto-roadster-kit-car-brings-new-twist-to-hot-rod-culture/

NOHOME wrote: I kinda like this for thinking outside the box.

I like the thought, but it's a photoshop and the scale of the Beetle was reduced considerably to fit a 7even.

kb58 wrote: Bah.

Bah to you too (grin). I prefer the look of a 7.

kb58 wrote:

SkinnyG wrote: The back panel on a 7 is pretty easy. The challenge is to wrap the aluminum around the top tube without it looking like poo. There are ways. There are no compound curves on a 7, so it's reasonably easy. Except the scuttle (cowl). The scuttle is what will kill you. It's so hard to make that look good. To do it like Lotus/Caterham, you need a bead roller, a shrinker/stretcher, and the patience of a saint. I didn't have those, but I did have a lot of profanity. I made three scuttles for my first Locost, then bought a Caterham scuttle for the second (unfinished).

Bah. Here's the back end of Midlana, no pounding metal around tubes. Here's the dash going in, no compound curves.

Pimping your stuff, eh?

DeadSkunk wrote:

NOHOME wrote: I kinda like this for thinking outside the box.

I like the thought, but it's a photoshop and the scale of the Beetle was reduced considerably to fit a 7even.

I have sawzall, E-wheel, shrinker stretcher and welders. Glas is all flat, so no issues that I can see.

Have to ask where the driver's shoulder and outboard arm will reside.

Except that I already have a project!

Getting in would be ridiculous. You would have to clamshell the Bug body.

NOHOME wrote:

DeadSkunk wrote:

NOHOME wrote: I kinda like this for thinking outside the box.

I like the thought, but it's a photoshop and the scale of the Beetle was reduced considerably to fit a 7even.

I have sawzall, E-wheel, shrinker stretcher and welders.

....which is a common shop situation around these parts.

Glas is all flat, so no issues that I can see. Have to ask where the driver's shoulder and outboard arm will reside.

Getting in would be ridiculous. You would have to clamshell the Bug body.

I think you just made a convincing case for why someone here needs to do this.

There are a lot of experienced voices on here. Most of the replies on this so far have been from folks with awesome build threads who know what they are doing, but you probably already knew that.

I fully support this plan!

If it were me, I would be torn between a rebody 7 (I appreciate the engineering but not the ugliness) or a Midlana. The world is an open book with the body.

The midlana is more appealing from a performance envelope standpoint. The locost is more appealing from a standpoint of large numbers of completed examples.

Really couldn't lose either way.

Maybe in the long run the answer is both could wind up being built.

Why hasn't this made it to the thread:

What would it take the evil fiberglass geniuses at Factory Five to bang out a run of these, and a frame to fit inside it. Would rather have one of these with (insert rwd 4cylinder du jour) than a Cobra replica, no matter how much I like them.

Teh E36 M3 wrote: Why hasn't this made it to the thread: What would it take the evil fiberglass geniuses at Factory Five to bang out a run of these, and a frame to fit inside it. Would rather have one of these with (insert rwd 4cylinder du jour) than a Cobra replica, no matter how much I like them.

Gosh, that's pretty, but please don't hang your arm out the window.

Ha ha- I think you do that exactly once. Put a k-series honda in there, and problem solved (for the driver).

Midlana with a Stratos body kit would work

Kreb wrote:

kb58 wrote: Bah. Here's the back end of Midlana, no pounding metal around tubes.

Pimping your stuff, eh?

Or maybe, "offering choices and broadening horizons?". Most people like having options, no reason to stay in the dark.

I personally didn't care for the Locost body from an aerodynamic standpoint. While I came up with many ideas for improving it while still keeping as much of the '7' character as possible, for me, nothing was able to beat one of these beta-test 'Lalo' bodies from Jack at Kinetic Vehicles...Designed to essentially drop over a traditional Locost chassis:

Everything looks better with a boattail...even a locost

Or maybe go full crazy aero downforce if that's more your style.

The Seven cars lend themselves to a bunch of different looks.

Teh E36 M3 wrote: What would it take the evil fiberglass geniuses at Factory Five to bang out a run of these, and a frame to fit inside it.

The ability to bend the laws of physics to their will. It's easy to make something that looks great in a computer, but as modeled won't actually work in real life.

Dusterbd13 wrote: The midlana is more appealing from a performance envelope standpoint. The locost is more appealing from a standpoint of large numbers of completed examples. Really couldn't lose either way. Maybe in the long run the answer is both could wind up being built.

I believe the reason for that has more to do with the fact that the design for one has been out for a year and a half, and the other what, 30 years, than the design or construction difficulty of either of them.

Edit, looks like How to build a sports car came out 20 years ago.

fanfoy wrote: Everything looks better with a boattail...even a locost Or maybe go full crazy aero downforce if that's more your style. The Seven cars lend themselves to a bunch of different looks.

I want more information on the blue one please. That's pretty much what I have in mind.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

It's the original Lotus series 2 body. Check this link.

Not a lot of info on it.

You could probably build one with the FG over foam method.