LocostUSA.com

Around here at least, the brand-specific car events are often closed to non-marque car brands.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I am an "Associate" member of the PCA, meaning my buddy who owns a 911 put me on his membership. I'm obviously only allowed to run in the visitor class which is why I was competing against the Jeep and Elise.

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William Conway
Building the Spartan 7 - Build Blog
LocostUSA Build Log
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time...

Around here everyone is welcome and they are less class concious than SCCA. Very open classifications cause the idea is to have fun moreso than get your name up in lights.

Much friendlier than SCCA, fewer people, usually shorter days with many more runs and longer runs. If I've got 47 runs I'll still be improving so I think the more the merrier rather than the 4 runs we get in SCCA.

Plus there are many times kit car specific clubs. We have Equipe Rapide that was formed because SCCA shut many of the cars out.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

Same in our area. Most Marque clubs let anyone run because they could use the cash. As long as you play nice, they are all very friendly here, including SCCA.

In my SCCA region, any car can run, classed or not. You put up the cash, have a safe car, and want to run, you are welcome. We have had some pretty interesting vehicle not classed officially by SCCA but that does not prohibit them from having fun. Like yesterday's autocross, a guy came in with a new Nissan Skyline GTR. He was not classed by SCCA and I ran him in A modified class and he went home with a trophy (uncontested). He was a happy camper and will be back for more fun I'm sure.

If someone from "SCCA" excludes someone from running with any safe car, kit or not, they are not speaking for the club.

Unfortunately regional car club politics ruins things for the newbie sometimes. Sad

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Building a whole car from scratch is a 1,000 little tasks, done 1 task at a time, while thinking 10 tasks ahead, then redoing it anyway.
South Bend Region SCCA D-Modifed Class Autocross & Track-Day/TT. Chevrolet 1.4 L Turbo Ecotec Power


Link to my build log:
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3356

Congratulations on finding a great way to enjoy both your Miata and your future Locost! AutoX is usually a great introduction into the world of motorsports. It's both easy on the budget and typically a very safe environment to begin learning car control and your car's limits. I would definitely recommend spending some time dodging cones before heading to even your first track day (or HPDE) event. Although that last bit is a bit late after your trial by fire at Lemons.

I completely agree with your decision to build towards a specific rules spec if you eventually want to compete. It's very easy to build a fast car that has noplace to race, and just limits you to track days. It's not usually that much harder to build a car that meets all the rules for a class you can have fun in and eventually allow you to race door to door if you wish.

I'll save my club v. club & racing politics tirades for some other, more deserving thread, lol.

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.. in the world

It's looking like D-Mod is the eventual home for locosts, unless someone here knows better. Going over the rules, there are a few details regarding construction that I should look into when designing the frame, but otherwise nothing is really different from what I was planning anyway. There are a few tidbits for cars running slicks that I should pay attention to when putting the car together in case I go that direction.

In any case it doesn't look like my car as planned will be competitive in D-mod nationally, and perhaps locally if I'm up against purpose-built hardware. That's not the point of my build, though, and designing to a specific set of rules will probably result in less angst when some stickler techs my car.

Staniforth (RIP) said that you should design the car to the rules FIRST, and everything else comes next. Funny how that seems so obvious when someone explains it to you!



Hey I'm new to this. Everyone's just trying to help - different strokes and all. Personally I enjoyed 70 seconds of adrenalin followed by 15 minutes of hanging out and shooting the bull with other drivers. Perhaps at the SCCA level drivers won't be so willing to share tips and info!

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William Conway
Building the Spartan 7 - Build Blog
LocostUSA Build Log
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time...

Glad you really enjoyed it. Please pardon the club comments, I meant them as tongue in cheek; my sense of humor tends to run pretty dry at times.

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.. in the world

Check out and join Yahoo Groups Non-Official SCCA D/E Mod Forums.
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCCA-DMOD-EMOD/?yguid=192483298
Lots of help from the top SCCA Mod builders. Very friendly group.. No secrets there! We air out all our dirty laundry

The Mod Gang in SCCA is kind of self regulating entity within SCCA. If we all agree it is OK then it becomes Da rules. Probably one of the more stable rules sets in SCCA solo classing. That is why I am building my Locost for solo. I could not keep up with the "flavor of the month" and buy a new car each season to be nationally competitive in the stock classes.

Also, I drove a Mod car and was hooked.....

Mark

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Building a whole car from scratch is a 1,000 little tasks, done 1 task at a time, while thinking 10 tasks ahead, then redoing it anyway.
South Bend Region SCCA D-Modifed Class Autocross & Track-Day/TT. Chevrolet 1.4 L Turbo Ecotec Power


Link to my build log:
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3356

no response to my email? merkur lemons car in my driveway?

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Georgia Tech
Ride and Handling Engineer for a major car company
Locost finished - book frame, IRS, '84 celica GTS donor, '99 tacoma 2rz motor with a turbo, megasquirt DIYPNP. Getting rebuilt with new IRS, F20C
"the all-consuming time-sucking car, which I really enjoy working on" -KB

I'm working on it. Swamped at home...

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William Conway
Building the Spartan 7 - Build Blog
LocostUSA Build Log
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time...

For engines under 1.8, D-Mod. For 1.8+ and turbos, E-Mod. I think the rotaries are all E-Mod, but that's not my thing so I don't know.

There's a bit more to it that you need to research on your own before committing acts in steel, but that covers 95% of the story.

-dave

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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]

I'll add my dated half assed recollections. I thought the cutoff for DM was two liters, but it's been a while. I think the old 12A rotaries (in stock trim) can run Dmod, but not the 13b rotaries. Also you can run a turbo in anything under 1.4 liters in Dmod, but I don't recall anyone ever doing it. There have been discussions as to the value in creating a Frankenturbo using a Miata 1.6 head on a Fiesta 1.3 block but to my knowlegde they have never been properly mated. IIRC the final consensus/bottom line/straight poopie on DMod was that you need at least 200whp to ever dream of being nationally competitive. Not easily done.

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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.

From da SCCA rule book, whhich is free in PDF on line at http://cms.scca.com/documents/Solo_Rules/2009_Solo_Rules.pdf

The 12A Mazda and 13 B Rotary engines are permitted in D Modified
with the following restrictions:
1. No replacement of cast iron engine case segments with
aluminum.
2. On the 12A engine, only side and rotor housings from
1974 to 1986 engines shall be used.
3. No replacement of 12A or 13B sections such as side plates
with those from other series engines, i.e. Renesis type
parts.
4. On 12A engines, no peripheral porting or J-porting is
allowed. Bridge porting that does not cut into the water oring
is permitted. On 13B engines, 4 and 6-port: Maximum
porting permitted is street porting. No bridge porting,
no peripheral porting or J-porting is allowed

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Building a whole car from scratch is a 1,000 little tasks, done 1 task at a time, while thinking 10 tasks ahead, then redoing it anyway.
South Bend Region SCCA D-Modifed Class Autocross & Track-Day/TT. Chevrolet 1.4 L Turbo Ecotec Power


Link to my build log:
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3356

If the ol' American English translation of that is "hydraulic valve lifters" then try running the engine with some Marvel Mystery oil in it before you tear it apart.

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"My junk is organized. At least is was when I put it wherever it is." -olrowdy
Completed building GSXR1000 CMC7, "Locouki"
Website: http://projekt.com/locouki/

Howdy fellas!

I've been out of the Locost zone for the last few months. I haven't made any progress on the project, but I thought I'd stick my head up to let you guys know I haven't given up.

After completing the worlds longest timing belt change (3 months for my Miata because I was too busy to work on it all at once), I have exceeded my own record. I'm now pushing 4 months on the CR-V (my daily driver) due to my well-documented fiasco. I've learned a LOT on that project, and I'll be happy to put it behind me.

Why did it take 4 months? Well first off we found out we're having a little boy in June, which tends to draw attention away from the garage! My wife and I are excited about our second child, but that means tending to a sick wife and working on the house vs. playing in the garage.

I also lost my job last month, but got it back two weeks later. All told I was never really "out", so I'm thankful to be collecting a paycheck. Lots of people have it far worse than me.

In any case I'm slowly getting back into the zone. I just wanted to say hey to all of you. Hope to come roaring back soon.

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William Conway
Building the Spartan 7 - Build Blog
LocostUSA Build Log
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time...