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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: December 29, 2022, 10:08 am 
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Joined: June 20, 2019, 12:34 pm
Posts: 586
Basement Build wrote:
Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F wrote:
Did you increase or decrease the effective ratio to comp for the spring rate? Too soft or too stiff?


The problem was not as subtle as that. Fully collapsed without the springs and the shocks were still too long by about 2". I have no idea how I measured that incorrectly, but the fix did not take a ton of effort. The angle changes slightly, but I don't think that will have an appreciable effect on the ride.


I did the same with my rear shocks. I ended up having to order new shocks- but was able to yse the same springs since the rear shocks are almost vertical. VSUSP showing no change required.

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PostPosted: December 29, 2022, 11:47 am 
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Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
That's a great exposé on the fiberglass nose.

I have a nose, but not rear or front fenders. I go back and forth on whether to do them in aluminum or fiberglass. I like the idea of metal, but wonder if I can develop the metal shaping skills quickly enough to get it done. In many ways, fiberglass seems more realistic. Your experience kind of proves the point.

Cheers,

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

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


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PostPosted: December 30, 2022, 7:02 am 
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Joined: December 18, 2013, 8:02 am
Posts: 47
Location: Southeast CT
Now to recap the fuel system. I planned to retain as much of the donor parts as possible. Ultimately, I only used the fuel filter bracket and pressure regulator. With the tank configuration I wanted, not much else worked. For the tank, I looked around at fuel cells and the like, but found nothing suitable. I wanted to carry about 10 gallons and have some space remaining in the boot to carry misc tools and maybe a small overnight bag. Those requirements pointed to a custom tank. I first mocked it up with foam board.
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The cut out the aluminum pieces and tacked them together.
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I thought I would try my hand at welded the tank myself, but I found two issues. One, I didn't really have the correct TIG welder and two, I suck at TIG. I reached out to a friend at work and he final welded the tank - much better than I could have in 20 years.
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The tank fit perfectly and leaves plenty of space for cargo. All that's left now is to incorporate a vapor recovery canister (CT inspector will definitely need to see that). Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find the canister I pulled from the donor.
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IMG_0606.JPG


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PostPosted: December 30, 2022, 2:15 pm 
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Joined: April 22, 2010, 4:43 pm
Posts: 432
Location: Livermore, Calif.
Nice looking tank. Did you do a leak test before filling with gas?
Cheers,
Roy

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PostPosted: December 30, 2022, 8:37 pm 
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Joined: December 18, 2013, 8:02 am
Posts: 47
Location: Southeast CT
Roy:
Yes, my welder friend pressure tested it - no issues there.


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PostPosted: January 1, 2023, 7:30 am 
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Joined: December 18, 2013, 8:02 am
Posts: 47
Location: Southeast CT
Now, I'm pretty much caught up from the past 4-5 years and into current events. My wife and I are working on growing our business (born of COVID) and there always seems to be something that needs to be done. After looking at the Locost every day and lamenting the lack of progress, I finally did what I should have done a while ago; I scheduled time to work on it. I blocked out time in my Outlook calendar and made myself unavailable for anything else during that time. It's a simple step, but it actually works.

The next significant hurdle is the exhaust. I found a header flange and a cheap, random tube selection and contemplated several scenarios. I attempted to fabricate a 4 into 1 collector, but could not make that work satisfactorily. Finally, I created a jig to make create 2 into 1 collectors and started a 4 into 2 into 1 header. I didn't spend any time worrying about equal length tubes; might regret that decision, but the reality is the OEM manifold is definitely not equal length.
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I still need to work on supports and adding O2 sensor bungs, then I can do the final welding and move onto the next steps. I'm hoping to have her on the road by summer.


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