LocostUSA.com

Cool build and I would vote for the Airline Coupe but you are right they are tiny Spridget axle might be too wide
I'm not sure about your view on 30s car's side panels being flat in fact I'm pretty sure the only way to make them look flat is to roll a little crown in them. This also makes them a lot stiffer. I don't want to discourage you though after all if you can build a car you can easily build an ewheel.

Yeah, I work with a company that makes electronic components. Just finalizing a deal with a 2nd one. I have been working with the first and travelling there for over 11 years now. 1st as a customer, now as a technical support for them here in the states. Can't say it has been all that bad a deal for a semi-retirement gig.

As for the Airline coupe, if scaled up a bit, to fit a slightly longer chassis than the Locost,(maybe even 2" wider) it wouldn't be any smaller than a Locost. I'm not suggesting a 100% replica, There are a lot of design clues that would easily be transferred to the newer, larger incarnation. like the sweeping tail, inset spare tire or even the unique 3-window opera sunroof. I tried overlaying the Airline over my Locost but my Photoshop (Gimp actually) skills are severely lacking. Maybe someone else can stretch and push it into the appropriate shape without destroying the character.

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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

I've read that too. I'm hoping Santa brings me an English wheel then I'll get out the Ron Covell dvds. I have a feeling that the place where I get sheet metal will see a lot of me in the future.

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

Another thought on the Airline Coupe: the trick that made it possible to be so tiny was that the seat was very upright and the clutch was back next to the drivers feet, I would bet the WB wasn't any longer than 80".
I'm not sure why you are interested in a steel body. It is more work and if you use the 19 ga. most custom fabricators use a lot heavier. But stronger and requiring less support. Of course you can't weld the Al to steel but you can bond it with urethanes, or so I am told.

Last night I got a bit of work done. The dummy trans is an automatic so I spent some time measuring the 6 speed in my Locost. Then I made a nice wooden shifter to mock up the location.


I also removed the Power Plant Frame and stored it in the attic for later. I had spent hours on the thing a few months ago and despite having all of the bolts out it just wouldn't budge. I even looked at the shop manual, no help there. I spent an hour or two on miata.net yesterday and found a post by Keith Tanner, two minutes with a pry bar and problem solved. Moving the bits around I now have a much more reasonable wheelbase of 96". I also set the tank back up and put the rear subframe back in to soak.

Today my project was replacing the broken light fixture on the ceiling fan. Step one, take wife shopping to pick out the replacement. Step two, take the universal fixture back to Home Depot and tell them that it is not universal. The clerk was a good guy about it and said that things that used to say "One size fits all" now say "One size fits most". Step three, have a long chat with the guy in the lighting department about which one would fit. We ended up deciding that my fan was too old and that none of the new fixtures would fit my old fan. He suggested I replace the fan with a new one saying that the new fans were much cheaper than my old one but there was a reason for that.

I decided that if I could build a car I should be able to fabricate a fixture that would fit my fan and use the old globe. One and a half episodes of Top Gear on the garage telly later I had a fully repaired fixture. Savings $40.



I will cheat on the fenders, I have already ordered a set of fiberglass 36 Chevy fenders from Speedway. I like the basic shape and have no problem cutting and reglassing them back together. All of the fiberglass on my Locost was cut apart and widened, lengthened or raised. Why steel? I do want the extra strength, I intend on welding the frame, rollcage and body together. Also I am miserable at welding aluminum (but really great at melting it).

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

I just stumbled across this picture of one Foose did. I don't know if it will help you or not.

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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.

Thanks, it is along the lines I want. It needs to be a little more sports car and a bit less street rod. Speaking of street rod, my fenders from Speedway arrived at lunch time. I went down to the loading dock and grabbed them and loaded them in my Volvo wagon. Pictures later when I get home.

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

Here are the '36 Chevy fiberglass fenders:

I will do some reshaping of the wheel openings and some other detail changes but the basic shape is there. I still have more pushing parts around to do then I'll start mocking up the sides.

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

I like where you're headed with the Chevy fenders.One I liked even better (and as long as the subject title is "1930s Style Sports Car" I'm not guilty of hijacking) is the HRG Airline Coupe, which used an MG Airline Coupe cabin and a firewall-forward rebody to fit a bigger engine and longer (and better suited to road racing) chassis/wheelbase.[EDIT: rather than further clog this thread with Airline Coupe distractions, I've copied the appropriate posts to an Airline Coupe topic in the Exterior forum]

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Locost builder and adventurer, and founder (but no longer owner) of Kinetic Vehicles

with the chevy fenders, are the rear ones just the outside?

how wide are they? how far is it from center of wheel opening to the rear tip?

what do the fronts look like from the front view?

in fact, some pictures of the fenders from various different angles would be even better if you can.

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

I'll get some pictures and dimensions when I get home and try to post them tomorrow.

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

Santa dropped off my present early this year:



Actually, I had to go pick it up as it wouldn't fit in my wife's car and at 180 lbs it was too big for her to unload. It is from Harbor Freight so it's not top of the line but I was surprised at how well built it is. First order of business is to figure out where to put it. I'm running out of space in my two car garage. I have my Mini, Locost, project car and Volvo wagon stuffed in there. I used to park the wagon on the street but now I'm spoiled, having a warm car I don't have to scrape off in the winter.

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

I tried getting fender pictures last night. The flat white color makes them hard too see the shapes. Here are some front fender shots. The wheel center to tip is 43"

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

Here are some rear fender shots. The wheel center to tip is 36". The fender width at the tire is 8" but it gets wider towards the back.

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My car viewtopic.php?f=37&t=16434
1930s Style Sports Car viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16888

What the hey!!!
This may be not at all what you envision, but you might be able to take something away from it (besides blurred vision and a queasy feeling ).





Ron

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"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Mark Twain
In my defense the moon was full and I was left unsupervised