LocostUSA.com

I'm sure its just the lighting in the pictures, POR is good stuff. Did you try natural brushes or the black nylon ones? I had pretty good results with both, the natural ones seemed to loose hairs though...and knowing that I'd be doing touch up I tried to clean that $1.25 brush...what a mistake.

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-nate
www.clowar.com

My RX-7 Locost Build:
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7458

No posts in a while...been too busy working on the car!

I finally got around to fabbing some sort of R tube replacement. This is the engine bay upper diagonal. Without it, there's precious little triangulation for the upper suspension mounts...although I can't say I've noticed a problem driving without it.

With a Miata intake in the way, you can't put it where the plans call for it. The exhaust side is better, but still not straight shot. I ended up making two triangles, which should do a reasonable job. Even better if there was some sort of Z-axis triangulation to the R1-R2 joint, but what the heck.


BTW, the transverse tube that R2 cuts through is a leftover from my pushrod attempt. Somewhere along the way it volunteered to support the MAF sensor and air filter, or I would have deleted it. When I get around to moving the air filter in front of the radiator, I could remove it then...but it's not hurting anything. Besides, I'd have to paint again...ugh.


Clearance is close, but not what I'd call tight. There's an inch between R1 and the heat shield:


Pulling the engine is no problem. It has over 1/2" from front, R2, and Q (tunnel top) tubes. I did choose to cut off the upper radiator mount. It could have worked as is, but I kept bending it with the motor, and besides, it cut my arm more than once over the months. I'll go with a bolt-on solution when I get there.

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...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

Before now, if a pointy speedboat rear-ended me, the first thing it would hit would have been the plastic fuel tank. No more!


I lined the bar up vertically with the rear bulkhead. This put it high enough to protect the top of the tank, and will make any future cover/tonneau features a little simpler if I'm lucky. I'm not too worried about something attacking the bottom of the tank. Maybe if I'm sliding backward into a fire hydrant?

This was a trade-off with putting it lower, to give as much horizontal space as possible between the tank and the intruder.


Since this 1/8" wall tube is a bit heavy for my welder, I tapered the joint pretty aggressively. I cut the fishmouth with a bi-metal hole saw from Home Depot...worked perfectly. The fit was perfect...I had to tap it into place, and it would hold itself wherever I parked it without clamps.

_________________
...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

Since I hard-mounted the nose of the differential, I needed to change the rubber diff mounts to solid as well. Otherwise the rigid mount would be working WAY to hard and would eventually fail.

Mark Rivera designed and fabbed the metal pucks. They look VERY nice.


Getting the Miata units out is a PITA. I drilled out the rubber with a half-dozen 1/2" holes. Then threaded a hacksaw through the hole (the Sawzall was at the farm, dangit) to give it a bit of space, then worked out with a chisel for the next 10 minutes.


I started out hitting it on the part inside the bore. (I forget which way was up!) This went nowhere fast. Then I read the Mazda manual and started hitting it on the flange. This was better, but still was a bee-ach. I kinda went back and forth, hitting it whereever I could and mutilating it into submission. The second half then pops right out, but then you have to start all over with the other mount. Ugh.

_________________
...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

Question: If Darth Vader...


...took Cinderella to the ball...


...would he wear a tuxedo?

_________________
...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

I REALLY like how this paint looks. The black is POR-15. The topcoat is POR-15's Sterling Silver paint.





I started brushing it on, but then tried a roller...the little 4" dense foam rollers Home Depot sells for window sills and such. I started using the roller on the big, flat areas, but quickly found that it rocks on 1" tubes just as much, if not more. I never touched the brush again, except to poke down in little crevices. The roller leaves a slightly rough finish, which I like.

The black hides brush marks very well, ending up in a rich, glossy black. I never tried rolling any black, but will next time.

The silver is not nearly so benevolent. It will expose and point out every imperfection in your application, as well as flaws in the metal. I thought my fit and finish was pretty good...until I painted it silver!

The black and silver look DY-NO-MITE together. Someone looking for a pimpin' color scheme could do some wild stuff with this:

_________________
...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

That paint came out real good! Gives me more reason to reconsider the idea of powdercoating...

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Build Log (not much there yet): http://lotus.reddeth.com
442e frame, 3.4l Camaro donor

You can burn the rubber out; just keep the torch on it until it stays lit, then let it do the work. It will eventually soften the bond on the sleeve and shell, easily popping out. You could use a hard plastic like UHMW, cut on a lathe to fit tightly against the sleeve and outer shell. It is a lot less work.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

The silver paint looks great! Amazing what it did for visibility.

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Dreaming the dream since 2003. Haynes chassis, Miata uprights, everything else from 1987 NA RX7 donor.

WOW. It looks like an factory aluminum frame (from a distance). Nice work.

2nd note, don't you think you should close off the open ends of the Miate sub frame? I would.

_________________
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

Man that does not look like the same car I saw 16 months ago. Looking good!!!! Russ

Thanks, guys!

Yes, visibility has gone through the roof. Pity most of it will be covered up. Maybe I'll just drive it naked for a while. I planned on wrapping the roll bar in reflective tape or something, but perhaps that is not needed now.

I have decided I'm not going to paint the bodywork until Spring. Deciding on paint and trying to figure out exactly what to buy and talking to salesmen over the counter who don't like holding DIY'ers hands has worn me down. That, and it's pretty well too cold to spray outside any more. I dunno...I might change my mind. At least I did decide on a color. Sunflower Yellow, as seen on New Beetles:


As for the frame rails, I have some vague plan of mounting a proper bumper back there. I suppose it would have been better to resolve that before paint, but with that kind of mentality the car would NEVER get done! I guess I should do *something* to keep from gouging some Mercedes while parallel parking.

-dave

_________________
...nowadays people are so intellectually lazy and lethargic that they can't build ANYTHING with their hands. They'll spend hours watching whiny people marooned on an island, but won't spend a second adding anything to the world. -weconway
Visit my [Locost 7 build log]

For paint, these guys are very DIY-friendly, and I have not been able to find a bad review of their exceedingly locost spray guns:

http://www.tcpglobal.com/

They have a color library, too, where you can find your color. That's a nice yellow.

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Dreaming the dream since 2003. Haynes chassis, Miata uprights, everything else from 1987 NA RX7 donor.

Thats the same yellow that I used on the wife's miata as seen on my truck build, Audi jasmine yellow.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Hey Dave,

I really like the silver paint. very nice.

Quick question, the copper pipes for you water, are you just using reg household copper pipes soldered?

_________________
-nate
www.clowar.com

My RX-7 Locost Build:
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7458