Locost resources

I am looking for resources for building a locost. Web boards, great books, people local to San Francisco with experience, anything related to building one. Thinking I might take the jump in the next year or two so I'm trying to get familiar.

Thanks James

locostusa.com is the only board that I know of. I am sure there are many other sources as well.

Yes, the locostusa forum is very good. Also buy Keith's book.get Keith's book. If something in it is not clear, just ask him; he's a regular here. (He also hangs out at locostusa.) You'll probably also want to have some suspension books. As a non-engineer, I like staniforth's books....they're not so mathy that I get lost during the explanation. FWIW, my website has links to a variety of locost things, including the McSorely chassis plans:

http://pennyanteracing.com/links.php

There is also a UK site http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/

And this site http://www.cheapsportscar.net/

And of course http://www.mcsorley.net/locost/

I built one of those....

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/131/

The guy who posts here under the name Kreb is in Berkley. He built a Stalker(Sp?).

Type Q wrote: The guy who posts here under the name Kreb is in Berkley. He built a Stalker(Sp?).

Dat's me. I'm part of an informal group of builders that meets periodically at a friend's house for beer, food, car talk and general debauchery. Between half-a-dozen of us we've built a sizeable handful of Locosts, sand rails, race cars and what have you. Feel free to message me if you (or any other local enthusiast) want's to tag along the next time.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Locost_North_America

HAYNES BOOK.

locostbuilders.co.uk is probably the biggest and most active site, but it's UK centric. Locostusa.com is a good source for US builders, but there's at least one individual on there who does more harm than good with his pronouncements in my opinion. The mailing list suggested by Dr Hess is a decent one.

And definitely meet up with Kreb and friends. Ted Rose is in the Concord area and is a serial Locost builder as well.

If you need an american doner I have a 1993 GMC Sonoma with a 3.55 rear end and a 5 speed transmission that is for sale.

Just sayin.

It was my plan to build one, but I got an RV to pay for now that my wife and I are driving to Alaska Next Summer.

Keith wrote: Ted Rose is in the Concord area and is a serial Locost builder as well.

Keith: Do you mean Ted Aston (The guy who sold you a Rover engine, if I recall) or is this a new, Concord area builder I don't know? If so, please PM me with contact info so I can get out an invite.

Sorry, Ted Rose is the guy I bought my Land Rover from Ted Saton is the guy in Concord, and yes he gave me a Buick Fireball engine that will end up in that Land Rover. I think the two Teds would get along really well, actually...

Thank you guy's for all these links! Looks like a bunch of stuff to read, hopefully I'll find a way to get that book for xmas!

Kreb, I would love to meet up with you at some point and get a better feel for what is involved in a project like this. Pretty busy at the moment maybe sometime during winter break?

Sorry I took a while to respond, my roommate moved out and it took a while to transfer the internet to my name!

Thanks James

If you're looking for a head start there is a guy in Milwaukee that is abandoning a S-10 build. He has the drive train, frame built, and nose cone + assorted extras for $650. His post was on the locost USA board.

510-773-9809

Marty makes a good point. incomplete Locosts come cheap. Here's one in your general area:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/1484921249.html

You can get even cheaper deals if you're patient, although I would be concerned about the quality of the welds.

There's a Miata based build being sold on the Yahoo list right now. Turbo charged long nose Miata engine, bunch of other stuff. I think about everything you need for two large, or less if you go for a different rear end.

Yeah, buying an incomplete build is a good head start.

I think I'm at least 6 months maybe a year away from actually building, still very much in the research/resources phase! It will probably be a middy cause of my MR2 experience and potential of a mid-engine setup, however I could be way off...

Thanks for the help, been working my way through the links and adding books to my xmas list!

I used my MR2 (RIP) as the donor. It's a front engine book build, mostly. Except for the IRS. Just add a T50 and a rear end and take the rest from the MR2 (steering, front suspension, brakes, etc.) Believe me, it's a lot easier and ultimately cheaper to buy a T50 and some old Corolla or Truck axle than go mid engine and/or IRS.

If I build a car, I want to do it right. Middy IRS will have the most performance potential, I'm aiming for performance between 0-100mph focusing on lateral G's. This is going to be a longer-term build not looking to finish for a while.

If you are thinking of buying instead of building, my old Locost is for sale again. It's a racecar - so you'd still have work to do if you want it street legal. It's in Oregon now.

http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=6100

mr2peak, what you are referring to is called a "midcost," in the lingo. There's some midcost builds out there.

I'm on all the Locost forums and have never heard them called a midcost. On one hand I like that moniker, but on the other it implies higher cost than a locost.

I also frequent the Locost forums and have not heard the term "midcost" to refer to a mid-engine Locost. The name Locost came from the car being "low cost" to build. On the Locost forums, people sometimes use "hicost" to refer to a conventional Locost design (front engine, rear drive) that cost a lot to build. By this logic, a "midcost" would be one that was neither cheap nor expensive to build.

A mid-engine Locost is typically referred to as simply a "middy".

Here is a link to my photo gallery of my Locost:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marktsui1975/MarkSLocost#

Mark

mr2peak wrote: If I build a car, I want to do it right. Middy IRS will have the most performance potential, I'm aiming for performance between 0-100mph focusing on lateral G's. This is going to be a longer-term build not looking to finish for a while.

By all means, do what you think best, but a significantly rear-bias car shouldn't be the best in terms of lateral gs. As I understand it, a garden variety 4-banger locost is usually around 48% Front, 52% rear, whereas a middie will be biased further rearward. The unloaded front wheels can't contribute to overall grip as much as in a better balanced car. It will also be more prone to spinning. The reason that the top race cars are middies are because of the advantages that config gives in braking and acceleration, not cornering.