LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 28, 2024, 5:02 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 192 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: August 16, 2020, 7:19 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 28, 2016, 7:59 pm
Posts: 161
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Finished my metal brake today (kind of) so that I can actually get back to work on the car. It's made out of pieces from the jig upon which the chassis was built, mostly, with a few other pieces of scrap thrown in--like the handles which are from my scrapped Suburban's torsion bars.

Attachment:
IMG_0996.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_0995.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_0987.jpg


It's very heavy, but seems to make good bends.

I set the pins in the ends of the clamps for .2" setback, for bending .090" aluminum (5052), but they can be removed for other setbacks, and the full length clamp can be lifted off so I can use short versions for this and that--a poor man's finger brake, if you will.

I'm glad it's done. I don't really have the tools for working with such heavy material, like the 5"x5"x.375" angle and 3/4" plate.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Aedifico ergo sum.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 8, 2020, 4:51 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 28, 2016, 7:59 pm
Posts: 161
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
I used my new bender to build the tank part of my new fuel system. I made it as big as I could, and then tried to add a little more. It's a very oddly shaped location. The tank ended up being just over six gallons, which is nice; I was afraid that it would be too small for any kind of street driving, but 6 gallons should be enough for me to feel comfortable driving about town as much as I'd probably want on a given day, as long as I mostly keep my foot out of it.

The plan from the beginning was to have an auxiliary tank for road trips etc., but with a 6 gallon tank I might only need a little rack to carry a jerry can or two. The C5 Vette guys can get 22 mpg city and 30 on the highway, and while my little rig won't be nearly as slick it's much lighter, so the around town mpg might be similar. (BTW, did I say that I'm now going to efi? the Holley Terminator X is really a game changer) My highway mpg. will be a good deal lower, and will depend more on my cruising speed.

Anyway, I don't think it would be at all crazy to expect about 80 miles of spirited driving from a 6 gallon tank. Hopefully I'll find out someday!

Attachment:
IMG_1019.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_1020.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_1016.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_1013.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_1018.jpg


I'll try to remember to get pics of my new expansion tank and headlight location (yes, I know, it's version four).


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Aedifico ergo sum.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 8, 2020, 5:30 pm 
Offline
Mid-Engined Maniac

Joined: April 23, 2006, 8:26 pm
Posts: 6410
Location: SoCal
I advise to start planning now for how you're going to add more fuel capacity.

_________________
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/


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 9, 2020, 3:25 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 29, 2006, 9:10 pm
Posts: 3160
Location: Oregon, usually
I drove chetcpo's MIata-based Locost from WV to Oregon with its 8 gallon tank and got gas every 200 miles, but I also carried a little red 1 gallon spooker tank just in case. Less range than you'll have was common for motorcycles in the '60s through '80s (and may still be today, for all I know) and it's common (though undesirable) among electric cars.

An extra gallon will get you a long ways, particularly an extra gallon you have to pour in after your car conks out. There's nothing like being down to your last gallon to reduce your tendencies toward "spirited driving." You'll drive that last gallon like granny drives her Prius.

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


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 9, 2020, 4:05 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 28, 2016, 7:59 pm
Posts: 161
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Thank you for the advice, Kurt. I certainly won't build myself into a corner here, and I hope I end up driving this thing in enough situations that I need more fuel capacity. If I do, it would be fairly simple to put a mirror-image tank behind the driver's seat and have 12 gallon capacity. Then I'd have to relocate the battery, but there are plenty of other places for it. A second tank adds, however, weight, complexity, and cost, and I'm just not sure if I'll ever actually need more than a 6 gallon capacity tank, especially if I also have a simple way to carry a 5 gallon jerry can.

I suppose it depends on how I end up using the car, and I just don't know that yet.

Maybe it would just be a pain to have to refuel before/after every time I go for a longer drive? I don't know.

Jack's example is helpful, but maybe others have other experiences? How much range does a 'nice day' car need? I'd love to hear from those who're already driving their builds.

_________________
Aedifico ergo sum.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 9, 2020, 4:54 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 17, 2008, 9:11 am
Posts: 6414
Location: West Chicago,IL
My RX-7 13B powered Locost seemed to get ~20 MPG regardless of highway (75MPH) driving or gentle country road trips. My 5 gallon tank made me look for gas stations every hour. That was a tough 600 mile trip. I changed to a 12 gallon tank after that. Using every reference for RX-7 MPG I could find, and adjusting for Cd and weight and... and.... and...., about 20 MPG was about right regardless. The RX-7 is a very inefficient engine. I expect that unless you are auto crossing, you won't be much less than that and perhaps better.

I did add a luggage rack for that long trip and did carry an extra jerry can of gas. With the 6 gallon tank, even an longer afternoon country drive required a filling stop.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
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


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 10, 2020, 8:35 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: September 22, 2005, 8:12 am
Posts: 1879
Location: 4AGE in S.E. Michigan
I have to agree with Chuck. A 5 gallon gas tank is going to be a PITA on any road trip. If the Seven is mostly used for auto-cross it would be OK. I have 7 1/2 gallon tank, better mileage, and still get nervous about running out of gas. I've run out of gas, a couple times. I adjusted my less than accurate gas gauge, so when it is at "E" I have 1/2 gallon. I normally stop for gas when I'm down about 5 gallons [about 1 1/2 driving hours]. If I where to build another tank it would be 8 1/2 gallons.
Davew


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 10, 2020, 9:29 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: August 11, 2013, 6:03 am
Posts: 573
Location: CNY
I would find a way to temporarily mount on a 6 gallon plastic boat tank, and use the quick connect and an aux transfer pump to fill the main tank.
Maybe you could have it siphon into the main tank with just the primer bulb.

I ran a Honda FourTrax with a boat tank on the back rack for a few years when the steel tank under the seat got pinholes.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: October 28, 2021, 11:31 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 28, 2016, 7:59 pm
Posts: 161
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Just doing a picture dump for some of my recent progress. It sat untouched for several months while I was first nursing a foot injury, then welcoming kid number 5. Back to work the last several weeks as the weather turned cool. I've done lots of tabs, flanges, and panels. Tedious, but I'm getting faster, and I'm now almost done with this part, or, feel like I can see the end anyway. I really like the way the windshield flanges turned out. The scallops lend the right 'hot rod' vibe, I think.

Attachment:
IMG_1799.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_1800.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_1801.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_1802.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_1803.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_1804.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_1806.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Aedifico ergo sum.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: October 28, 2021, 4:54 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 23, 2019, 4:30 am
Posts: 388
Location: New Zealand
Good progress, looks great.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: June 27, 2022, 9:42 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 28, 2016, 7:59 pm
Posts: 161
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Some more updates with more panels.

Attachment:
IMG_2349.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_2370.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_2365.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_2352.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Aedifico ergo sum.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Exo Hot Rod
PostPosted: September 28, 2023, 11:21 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 28, 2016, 7:59 pm
Posts: 161
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
It's been a long time since my last update, partly because I didn't get much done for about a year. Very busy with family stuff. I was reflecting on this build the other day, and realized that I had two kids when I started this and I have six now. God builds much faster, and better, than I do.

Another thing that has contributed to my lack of progress was the addition of an '84 Corvette for my almost-16 son. It was really cheap, and I thought it would be fairly simple to just get it on the road, plus give him some experience working on a car. However, it turned out that the car had a fire in the transmission tunnel that destroyed the fiberglass there as well as a lot of the wiring, carpets, interior plastics, shifter and kickdown cables. A small project has become a stupidly big one. Doesn't make much sense to spend money on this car, so we're trying to get it to run and drive as cheaply as possible. That also slows things down a bit.

I have gotten a few things done in the last month. Finally. It was always the plan to put the radiator in the back, and I now have that done except for the rubber hoses to connect things. I had a terrible time sourcing 1.5" aluminum tube locally, and what I did find was both pretty thick (1/8") and not a well-bending alloy (6061, probably T6). So it was a lot of cutting and welding instead of bending. I was careful to only make joints with smallish angles, but I know it won't flow as well as bent tubing. It's a bit oversized, I think, so it should be fine.

I used the aluminum tube for the long run under the car, and for the bit that squeezes by the exhaust. The hose connection under the car allows me to assemble/disassemble without messing with anything else, and also provides a very convenient coolant drain point, as it's the low point in the system.

I have measured the system and it will about 10 pounds of tubing plus about 12-14 pounds more coolant. I would have planned to get some of that back with the simpler mounting of the radiator, but various shields/ducting in the back will probably make it a wash. However, I prefer the look of the front without a radiator, and it takes weight off the front of the car (one of my key objectives for this build).

The cooling system will have two high points: the expansion tank in the front, which is plumbed to the heater hoses and steam vent line; and an expansion tank in the back. Both will be sealed with radiator caps, but the lower pressure cap will be on the back, since that's where the overflow reservoir will be.

Pictures of the new plumbing:

Attachment:
IMG_1573.JPG


Attachment:
IMG_1571.JPG


Attachment:
IMG_1572.JPG


Attachment:
IMG_1577.JPG


Attachment:
IMG_1580.JPG


Hopefully I'll have more pictures soon. I did order a Speedway radiator (19" x 24"). The rear expansion setup will need to be completed before I can begin sourcing/splicing hose to get it plumbed. Until then, I'm trying to get the driver's seat solidly mounted so that I can make real plans for the pedals and steering.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Aedifico ergo sum.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 192 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
POWERED_BY