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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: August 20, 2016, 7:59 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
Progress has been made. Some is very visible and some is not. I did a lot of small welding jobs on pieces that had been heavily tack welded for engine/transmission fitting, but weren't fully welded in place. The notch of BR12 is 95% complete. I just need to remove the waste material that makes up the wedge I carved out for the rear axle pumpkin. The 1/8" plate (tie strap) was installed and fully welded in and painted. You may notice that the clearance wedge has been cut through adjacent to the 1/8" plate. After every thing is fully welded in place, I'll cut out the remaining piece, which is cutting along the black lines in the photo below. In the mean time, its presence will keep things from moving around.
Attachment:
DSC03292.JPG

The finished piece looked pretty much like below. I did add a couple of more small welds after this photo was taken. My belief is that this construction will handle any tension/compression, twisting or bending loads across this joint. Time will tell.
Attachment:
DSC03298.JPG

I also got the reinforcing plate at the right rear of the transmission tunnel fully welded in place, all welds ground down and the new work painted in primer. That's going to give me a little bit on insurance with respect to driveshaft clearance due to the 3/4" offset of the input shaft for the rear axle.
Attachment:
DSC03300.JPG

Here's the additional 1/2" of clearance for the driveshaft it got me. I made the tunnel as narrow as possible to allow for wider seats, which I felt our street cruiser would need. I thought I had the driveshaft clearance taken care of, but after it was constructed, it looked like a potential interference problem that would be harder to solve in a finished car, so I did this alteration.

If I were doing it again, I'd make the passenger side of the tunnel wider at the rear, and accept a slightly narrower seat for the passenger.
Attachment:
DSC03299.JPG

Tomorrow, I'm going to try and get all the welding done for the new triangulation pieces added a little while back. I'd like to have all tasks for the tunnel done as I'm going to need to do spackling and painting next week before our new window coverings are installed.

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: August 22, 2016, 11:46 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
I did reach a good stopping point for my 1-week switch onto home improvements. It took a lot of stitch beads to get the footwell sheets fixed permanently and more welding to get the trans tunnel fully triangulated, but those things are done, and the results are coated in primer, which will keep them from oxidizing while I'm off the project.
Attachment:
DSC03302.JPG

Attachment:
DSC03303.JPG

Attachment:
DSC03304.JPG

I didn't get all my weld grinding finished, so I painted over some weld beads that need to be ground down for paneling of the chassis tubes. I'll get those done when I pick up the project in a week or so. I did get every thing coated with primer, however.
Attachment:
DSC03305.JPG

Attachment:
DSC03307.JPG


I still have a number of chassis fab tasks left too before I put it back on the build table and start noodling out the details and parts of the front suspension. Some are minor, and some are fairly significant. It's been a few weeks of solid, continuous progress however, so I'm generally pleased with things.

Cheers all,


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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: August 23, 2016, 7:52 am 
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We are Slotus!
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Location: Tallahassee, FL (The Center of the Known Universe)
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the results are coated in primer, which will keep them from oxidizing while I'm off the project.
GeeWhizz... My stuff just "rusts" but Lonnie's stuff "oxidizes"... I wish I wuz smart like you, Lonnie... :rofl:

Looking like progress, Bro! Good luck with the home improvements, and hurry back!
:cheers:
JDK

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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PostPosted: August 23, 2016, 10:32 am 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
@GonzoRacer

So, you like that fancy word, JD? I was thinkin' of spelling it funny so as I could copyright it and charge people money for it. I was thinking along the lines of "Ox-E-Dize" or something similar to it. I pick up the real word in an Injuneering Course I took once, or maybe twice (can't remember).

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: September 9, 2016, 8:50 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
Well, I'm back on the job with the Locost. Besides time spackling & painting, I made a big effort to both clear out the garage of things I'm not using, and to sell off a lot of the stuff we brought down from our house in the mountains when it sold. It was all in the garage, right where I tripped over it every day. :roll:

Along the way in this design/build process, I redesigned the transmission tunnel to narrow it as much as possible. My original design was done in a 3D package I no longer have a license for. That is, it no longer works. So, the thing I built needed to be documented an I needed something to develop the seating in too. Ergo, I did a quick-and-dirty 3D model of the thing I already built in the software I have now. It's not pretty (who cares at this point), and I left out the triangulation as it's just the spacial envelope that matters here, but it's dimensionally accurate, which is the important part. Below is the driver's side. I'll just mirror it all through a plane in the future to get the passenger side. You can't do that with cardboard!
Attachment:
Driver's Envelope.jpg


I long ago had a specific type of structure in mind for the rear most part of the tunnel, but have found it necessary to alter my ideas and create something new. First, it was cool, but too hard to build with what I have; second, I found I needed to add additional clearance for the drive shaft and travel of the differential pumpkin. So, I took my new model above and noodled out a new design for the rear most portion of the tunnel. It's circled in red below.
Attachment:
Rear-Trans-Tunnel-Structure.jpg


I'll be off in the morning to buy the steel for it and get to fabricating it very soon. Sunday is our "Church of Football" day and it's our season opener for the Chargers, so not too much will get done this weekend.

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: September 10, 2016, 5:54 pm 
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It was an easy day today. I just went to a local steel supplier and got partial sheets of 16-, 14- and 12-gauge, cold rolled sheet, which should get me pretty far through this phase combined with the stuff I have on hand.

I'm learning it's worth my time to clean off the fresh steel with acetone, wire brush any hints of oxidation, and white-primer the material. We live 1 to 1-1/2 miles from the ocean and if we get a day or two of salty air, the metal starts to rust. I'd rather clean and primer it now versus wire brush it later. I use Rustoleum, Bare Metal primer. It's pretty cheap and it doesn't take a heavy coat to protect the material. It provides a good matte surface for marker lines when you lay things out, and comes off pretty readily with a wire wheel on a drill, so welding it later isn't a big problem. On the other hand, the brown stuff for heavily rusted metal is a total bitch to deal with. It is a very, very tough material.
Attachment:
DSC03343.JPG

Attachment:
DSC03342.JPG


I also took a little time and reflected the half cockpit model in the graphic I posted yesterday through the center line plane. And, bada-bing, bada-boom, you gots a 2-fer which include the driver's and passenger's sides. Of course, your design has to be symmetric about a plane for this to work.
Attachment:
Mirrored-Drivers-Side.jpg


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: September 18, 2016, 9:03 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
I've been working away like a busy little beaver. You know that English wheel I put together a while back? This one here?
Attachment:
English-Wheel-1.jpg

Attachment:
English-Wheel-2.jpg







Well, . . . . it just proved to be much easier to use then I ever thought possible. Once I figured it out, I just raced along lickety-split like I was tap dancing over owl snot on a chrome steel plate. So, now, I'm all finished with the Locost. It turned out much, much better than I ever in my wildest dreams expected. So, what ya think of it?









Attachment:
Medium-Top-Down-Passenger-Side.jpg

Attachment:
Medium-Front-View.jpg

Attachment:
Medium-Top-Up-Driver's-Side.jpg

Attachment:
Medium-Passenger-Side-Top-Up-Rear-View.jpg




The interior turned out nice too.
Attachment:
Medium-Full-Dashboard.jpg

Attachment:
Medium-Interior-View.jpg


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: September 18, 2016, 9:43 pm 
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Joined: April 23, 2006, 8:26 pm
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Location: SoCal
Supposed to rain in a couple days :P

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Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
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PostPosted: September 19, 2016, 1:42 am 
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Location: Holden, Alberta, Canada
Man, you had me, hook line and sinker!

Made my day, thanks. :cheers:

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'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle


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PostPosted: September 19, 2016, 1:58 am 
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You got rid of the T5?!?

Always thought it was a shame to have to put plates on the front of a locost....

Looks pretty good though, well done!

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PostPosted: September 19, 2016, 7:01 am 
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Well turned out, it is truly amazing what guys are making at home these days!

Bill


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PostPosted: September 19, 2016, 7:26 am 
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In the immortal words of Ray Charles, "You lyin' to me, honey!"

Nice ride! I've always loved Jags... :mrgreen:

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom


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PostPosted: September 20, 2016, 1:24 pm 
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
@KB58
@horchoha
@Trochu
@BBlue
@GonzoRacer

So, does this mean I didn't really fool anybody? Man, I'm gunna have to find some dumber friends! Thanks for the nice comments though, and for the heads-up on the rain, Kurt. We didn't get any. Not even one drop!

I haven't had an interesting car, just commute or utility vehicles, since 1999 when I had my Prelude. It was a fairly spontaneous decision to let go of the homely, but reliable, 4x4 utility vehicle we no longer need, and get a nice cruiser for the two of us. Once we made the decision, I was pretty much on that task exclusively for the last 7-10 days or so. It's been fun, and an education too. Subscribe to CarFax if you buy a used vehicle, would be my sincere advise to everyone.

Believe it or not, the car is almost 20 years old. It is so pristine that it's just ridiculous. It was practically a child to the man we bought it from. Fortunately, he really liked Anne and I, otherwise he wouldn't have sold it to us. He didn't want to sell, but his wife wanted something more practical. He was taking it to an All-British car show in a week or so to sell it, and I knew it was a "now or never" situation as someone would have snapped it up there for sure.

Anyway, now I have to get the Explorer ready to sell, and get it listed, then I'll get back to working on the Locost. I really need to catch up with everyone's build logs here too. I'm pretty far behind.

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: September 20, 2016, 2:55 pm 
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Joined: April 23, 2006, 8:26 pm
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Raining in Poway right now and rained on the way here this morning, so yeah, that convertible is a total no-go. I can help with that.

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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/


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PostPosted: September 20, 2016, 5:03 pm 
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Location: Pemberton, BC
Lonnie,
not bad for a first try. It looks a bit rushed, if you don't mind me saying so. I wouldn't have used that plywood dash mock-up for my final build. I figured a guy with your talents would have made it at least from a fresh sheet of aluminum. But not bad overall; I'm sure your 7 is going to look a lot better, after all that practice. :rofl:

Hope it brings a lot of smiles for Anne and you. :cheers:

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My build log:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14520&start=0
My build video:
https://vimeo.com/143524140 password "matovid"


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