LocostUSA.com

Well folks, it is time for me to start my builder log, even though currently I'm doing more demolition work than actual building .

Build outline -
An all out track car.
I'm pretty much done with dual purpose, it always bugs me that dual purpose cars end up compromising both purposes, I'm aiming at going fast around the race track.

Donors -
Mostly parts sourced in my old miata track car that I parted out.
The motor is coming from a 2005 Yamaha R1.

Chassis -
Home made, full roll cage integrated into the chassis (rather than built after the chassis is done).

Suspension -
Double wishbones in all four corners, miata geometry in the rear end.
Possibly inboard shocks in all four corners but even if not in the rear end it is very likely that the front will have inboard shocks.

Budget -
Shooting for $8500-9000 total, may go slightly higher if needed.

Must have -
A good driver seat, hopefully I'll manage to fit the one I had in my miata.

EDIT with specs as of Oct 2010 -

Frame - homebuilt 1.5" wider than book to accomodate seats, integrated 10 point rollcage with nascar bars
Engine - 2005 Yamaha R1 with 4-2-1 exhaust
Cooling - aluminum civic radiator, aluminum main pipes, SPAL 13" curved blade fan
Diff - Ford 7.5" IRS off a 90 Thunderbird, clutch type LSD
Axles - Hybrid T-bird into Miata
Front suspension - 95 Miata uprights, inboard shocks, Koni 2822 4-way IRL Dallara shocks
Rear suspension - 95 Miata uprights, double wishbone design mainly borrowed from the Miata with some changes, Koni 2822 4-way off a WC Mazda touring car
Steering - Miata rack, shortened and depowered
Brakes - 1.6L miata brakes in the front, 1.8L rear brakes, tilton hydraulics with adjustable bias
Inside - Sparco 260FSN steering wheel w/ SPA quick release, Cobra evulotion driver seat, Cobra Suzuka pax seat
Outside - Caterham classic nose cone

Moti

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My R1 powered Locost build log

www.BlackbirdFabworx.com - quality performance fabrication work, NASA / SCCA road racing, Redline time attack, Miata specialist, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Caterham, Locost and YOUR car!

Some pics from last night, when I finally got it down to the bare tub.
Also some pics from the "glory days" of the car.

YouTube vid of the car in action (an old vid, the car was a good bit faster towards the end) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deW0TyZdP6w

Enjoy!

Moti

_________________
My R1 powered Locost build log

www.BlackbirdFabworx.com - quality performance fabrication work, NASA / SCCA road racing, Redline time attack, Miata specialist, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Caterham, Locost and YOUR car!

Looks like a beast of a track toy. I'm sure it will be even more potent in its reincarnated form.

Good to see your log here, Moti!

-dave

Sounds like an ambitious build - can't wait to see the build progress!

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"If you were going with a mid-engine car, you always got a problem to make it look pretty. Very difficult."
- Graham Nearn, Caterham Cars

I'm fully motivated to get the project going in full blast and I love it!

I happen to do a construction project right now in a warehouse and we're doing a bunch of steel framing... some of the studs I used today happened to get cut into the right dimesions for a build table structure.
I'll get some MDF tomorrow and screw the thing together.

The miata got sawzalled into pieces last night and is out of the garage for the most, the remainder will be out tomorrow.

Got my motor and everything looks fine aside of one connector that's missing.
I'll probably ask you R1 guys out there about it once I get there.
I'm also watching eBay for auctions on 04-06 R1 gauge cluster, seems like most used ones go for ~$200 is that the right price to pay or is there a better source to get them from?

My wife and I are expecting our first right around the beginning of march, I know this is a really tight schedule but I also know that I won't have too much free time after we have the baby.
This is also the slow time of the year for me at work so I'll have some extra time for the build.

Exciting stuff!

Moti

_________________
My R1 powered Locost build log

www.BlackbirdFabworx.com - quality performance fabrication work, NASA / SCCA road racing, Redline time attack, Miata specialist, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Caterham, Locost and YOUR car!

The first 5 months or so will slow you down. You'll be suprised how quickly you and your wife adjust and get back on track once the baby starts sleeping through the night. We had our 3rd boy this past March 5th.

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

I disagree! I got tons done while the baby was young. All she did was sleep.

--Chris

Well, I am hoping to get a good bit of the work done before we have the baby, and what will happen after only time will tell.

Back to car stuff, I sawzalled the rest of the car this morning and got it out.
After cleaning the garage a bit I started working on my build table and I should be done with it tomorrow., given I made a good bit of progeress today.

I'm still contemplating whether I should start the build using the standard 16 ga square tubing or go for the somewhat more complicated build using 1" DOM tubing for most of it.
I have given myself until monday morning to decide about it, I don't want to drag it any further, the moment of truth is here !

Moti

_________________
My R1 powered Locost build log

www.BlackbirdFabworx.com - quality performance fabrication work, NASA / SCCA road racing, Redline time attack, Miata specialist, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Caterham, Locost and YOUR car!

Well I guess my situation is unique to the layout of my house among other things. My baby's nursery is right above the garage bay where the Locost sits. That and my wife breastfeeds our baby so he needs fed like every 3 hours so she had to get her sleep when the baby was sleeping. That meant that daddy had to be very quiet down in the garage. So as for the amount of work you will get done, I guess it it's the same as anything else, it depends.

Regardless of any interruptions of build progress, it will change you and your life forever having your first child. It will be the most wonderful and the most traumatic thing you will ever go through. Building a car may be last of your priorities for a while. Congratulations, do you know what you are having?

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

Nope, we'll find out when he or she is here .

Moti

_________________
My R1 powered Locost build log

www.BlackbirdFabworx.com - quality performance fabrication work, NASA / SCCA road racing, Redline time attack, Miata specialist, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Caterham, Locost and YOUR car!

Where would we be without that old Milwaukee, one of the best tools in the shop.
Al

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1969 Amx
2004 Passat 1.8T 5Spd 4Motion
Haynes Sort of Super Seven 3.4 snooze build
Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=2391
http://www.lotussuper7replica.com/

The sawzall is the right tool for about 80% of the jobs, along with a BFH and duct tape .

One very useful tool was my main one for today (and pretty much every day at work), the impact drill.
I just love that thing!
There are days at work that I get to pop some 2000+ screws a day and I'm willing to swear by that tool.

My build table construction is done.
I built it using tips from the members of the the NA Locost list and this forum, so thank you all for your great ideas!
I'm happy with it, it is sturdy (as you would expect from anything bonded with liquid nails and 200 screws) and very very flat.

More to come.

Moti

_________________
My R1 powered Locost build log

www.BlackbirdFabworx.com - quality performance fabrication work, NASA / SCCA road racing, Redline time attack, Miata specialist, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Caterham, Locost and YOUR car!

Good looking build table, that. What does it weigh? I'm thinking I need to build myself a lighter one than I have now--I'm running out of space, and a build table I can put on sawhorses would free up some real estate.

Uhh...what's an impact drill? I googled that question and got conflicting decriptions from wikipedia and some woodworking and masonry sites. What is it, what makes it so good for this job, and who makes a good one?

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Locost builder and adventurer, and owner/operator of http://www.kineticvehicles.com

Thanks Jack!
I have no idea how much the table weighs.
Take the weight of a 1" thick sheet of MDF (if you know it) and add some 10-15 lbs of steel, screws and glue to that.
I'd say it's not too bad and maybe even lightweight comparing to some of the other tables I've seen that other builders put together for their build.
Putting it on the saw horses did take two people, it's too bulky and heavy for one guy to handle.

The impact drill / driver that I have is the little DeWalt seen in the pic with the table leaning on my truck (IMG_1562w).
It is the 18v version model DW056 and I have it for almost a year now.
I'm in the construction business and work with this tool almost on daily basis.

At work I have two of the impact drills made by Hitachi in their 14.4V version.
They have been extremely reliable throughout the insane amount of abuse we put them through and are built nicely with a integrated bit storage.
I've sampled the 18V Bosch model for about 3 weeks during a project and didn't like it as much (felt heavy) and lately I've had a chance to sample the new 18V Makita and I absolutely loved it.
The Makita is by far lighter that any other model I tried and was very powerful.
This helps when you come to bury some long screws into things as I get to do sometimes.

The DeWalt that I have is very powerful too but heavy comparing to the Makita and doesn't have the nice feature of the LED that lights up towards your work piece when you hit the trigger as some other models do.
I did get it when DW had a 1+1 sale that they sometimes put up, got a free 1/2" hammerdrill with it (bare tool that uses the same battery / charger), all for $250 shipped to my door.
I had a problem with the batteries that was fixed under warranty and since then they came up with a new design that is said to be the best thing since sliced bread.

Here are some of the models I was talking about -

My DeWalt -
http://www.amazon.com/DeWalt-DW056-Cord ... 976&sr=1-5

New DeWalt -
http://www.amazon.com/DeWalt-DC827KL-He ... 4&sr=1-108

Hitachi -
http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-WH14DMR-1 ... 31&sr=1-26

Makita -
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-Cordless-I ... 00&sr=1-21

HTH,

Moti

BTW, forget about trying the Craftsman 20V impact (or any other of their 20V tools for that matter), they must have thought it was quite a joke when they came up with this battery - it's freakin' HUGE!
WTF?!?

_________________
My R1 powered Locost build log

www.BlackbirdFabworx.com - quality performance fabrication work, NASA / SCCA road racing, Redline time attack, Miata specialist, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Caterham, Locost and YOUR car!

Love your table.

Steel makes a lot more sense. especially if your build take smore than a year. Wood as a tendency to work. I know my table did, I had to reset my adjustable legs to compensate.

Keep the pics comming.

Fred