LocostUSA.com

For those that participate in autosports you know, on occasion, that sometimes things go boom and you cant drive home from an event. As my car is presently not licensed for the road I wont even be able to drive it to an event. What is the preferred choice for carting your seven to and from events?

I used to flat tow an autocross car and found that very simple but dont really know where to hook the tow bar up on the 7. I have an old camper trailer that does hold the car but its too high and a little awkward to get on and off of.

Whats everyone else doing?

Years ago I used to pit for university friends racing an MGB and a mini. We had but one (single axle) trailer, so had to flat tow one of them. Flat-towing was always nice and docile (we towed with a Volvo Canadian and an Alfa sedan), but less than nice in parking lots. For some reason the MGB would sometimes fail tech inspection after a long (5 hour) flat tow with sloppy front wheel bearings, which we easily re-adjusted. After I left they wrote off the Mini between turns 4 and 5 at Mosport (brakes failed so the driver leaned it against the Armco, initiating an end-over-end ...). I hope they took the trailer that weekend.

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

Hey, when you are a one man show, you just have to be creative. Been there, done that.

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Martin


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

Did that really work?

I can just see the pick up gradually oooching off the back of the trailer as bumps relieved it of some of it's traction.

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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.

can you legally flat tow a vehicle that is not registered, all trailers must be registered.

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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.

Rent a car dolly from Uhaul. As long as one end of the Seven stays rolling then you'll always be able to get it home.

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Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

I don't yet have any specific towing plans for my car once it's drivable. But whenever that day comes, I would prefer to tow it to/from track events with all 4 wheels up, if still attached...And with a winch that can get it onto the trailer even if they aren't.

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-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

Flat towing an unlicensed vehicle varies with jurisdiction. Most are OK. It is wise to check.

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

carguy123,
it looks like it worked. At least for some distance. If you look closely, the gentleman with the striped pants appears to be a RCMP officer who pulled the Darwinian award winner over; the trophy is probably in the U-Haul with all the other junk.

I've towed my fair share of race cars, and for a FWD, the dolly works well, but only if your shunts are confined to the front end. For low ride height and RWD, a full trailer. I had a very light, single axle trailer for my FF; something like that would work well for a 7 type. No need for double axles.

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Martin


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

Wow... Totally different situation here, or at least a different mindset...

I've had a few trailers over the years. The small, light ones were fine for transporting the car. IF that was all you were transporting. I always wound up with a pickup load of "stuff" that went with me. Tool box(es), extra wheels/tires (if I had any), fuel cans, air tank, floor jack, lug wrench, folding chairs, cooler... and so on and so forth.

Our "local" events aren't all that local, 50 miles from where I live. I usually go the night before, so anything I couldn't lock in the cab of the truck had to sit on the trailer or in the bed of the truck, exposed to the elements and whoever walked by at the motel.

What all this is leading up to: Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I'm going to buy an enclosed trailer later this year. The car (like most of you, mine has no top!) and all my tools/parts/junk can ride inside, locked up and dry. I'm thinkin' it will be mah-vell-uss not to worry with how to pack it all safely (don't want those empty fuel jugs blowin' out!) or about somebody walking by that decides to stab one of my tires or pull off all the plug wires, etc.

Not a "Locost" solution, I know. But to me, it's the best solution... YMMV, all IMHO, etc...

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

I did that too. It's a help if you can reasonably move the trailer around by yourself and a single axle is a big advantage for that. Trailers take a bit of storage space.

You don't need a sprung trailer to tow your car. You can buy parts to make a trailer online, places like trailerparts.com.

Have we got to see a picture of your car yet? Is it a Locost?

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

In my brief racing career, five years or so, I never did tow my car to the track. Once or twice I towed it home. I always liked having my race car licensed for the street.

I would build a single axle trailer like Keith Tanner had. Its light, simply, and should be able to be towed by almost anything. If something serious breaks you'll always have a ride home.




I enjoyed driving my Locost to events (got plenty of great reactions especially with the tire rack on the roll cage) but it lost its glamor after getting soaked from sudden down pours a few times or having to scramble to get a lift home when the differential bushing tore.

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-Andrew
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