LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 28, 2024, 9:02 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 28 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
 Post subject:
PostPosted: January 6, 2009, 2:15 pm 
Offline

Joined: December 14, 2008, 1:07 pm
Posts: 215
Location: Vacaville, California
DaveW's comments are correct, of course, but may be shorting an important factor...quality of the welding and trueness of the chassis. I am an okay-to-acceptable welder, but knowing that a guy like James can deliver me a professionally welded, properly jigged, square and straight frame for only about $600 above the cost of materials gives me a great deal of peace of mind, not to mention a good head-start.

Of course, I'm still going to do 90% of the work on the finished product. :D

_________________
Stan
Dauntless Racing
You can have it fast, cheap and reliable -- choose any two!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: January 6, 2009, 4:36 pm 
Offline

Joined: February 6, 2008, 10:36 am
Posts: 66
What rear diff is that? Is it sourced or do they actually run a custom unit?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: January 6, 2009, 11:28 pm 
Offline

Joined: November 1, 2007, 10:29 am
Posts: 143
Location: Central Coast Cal.
The more I learn the more I don't know. thanks it's clarified


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: January 7, 2009, 12:44 am 
Offline

Joined: July 23, 2008, 2:54 pm
Posts: 250
Location: Richmond, VA
jan2594 wrote:
What rear diff is that? Is it sourced or do they actually run a custom unit?


Ford Sierra 7"

same as the Gibbs chassis


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject:
PostPosted: January 7, 2009, 2:40 am 
Offline

Joined: May 17, 2008, 8:01 am
Posts: 70
Location: Simi Valley CA
One thing that has yet to be mentioned is that if you build your own frame the car can be designed your way, probably not better than a Caterham but your way none the less. With all the characteristics "you" want. If you want the suspension geometry designed for a 2" ride height you can, if you want seven inches of ground clearance cause you live on a dirt road you can, If you want a right hand drive car with no reverse, push rod front suspension and a bike engine I you can(or I can). I think there is value in that. If you just want a quick light car to drive and you can afford a Caterham or some other kit than you should probably go down that road. If your interested in creating something unique with your hands and are willing to take the risks associated with that then build your own.

The Caterhams are beautiful cars but in my case are way out of my price range. There are some cheaper kits out there that are nice but with just about everyone of them there were things that I would like to have been done different, not necessarily better but different. I would be silly to buy some kit just to cut it up and change it to suit my needs, when for not that much more work and certainly lower cost I can build my own.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: October 29, 2016, 9:22 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
I'm not sure why this topic reappeared on the "View New Posts" section. It looks like it had not been updated between 2009 and this post that I'm making. Gremlins again? Those are great photos of the chassis linked to on page 1. I copied those for future reference.

Reinforcing what Dave W said way back when, I did read a year or so ago that the current generation of Caterham chassis went through very extensive FEA analysis using software from Lotus Engineering. It was an Internet story, not a press release, so who knows if it's accurate. It is a very elegant, but complex structure. I think a home builder could duplicate it physically, but it would take a more complicated fixture/jig than our current planar build table provides as they are now. Maybe a real-world chassis bench with the ability to locate things accurately in 3-space would suffice? That would be a project all on its own, though.

Cheers,

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: December 31, 2016, 7:20 am 
Offline

Joined: February 3, 2016, 3:08 pm
Posts: 19
I think major difference is the geometry.

Original Caterham frame has more triangulation than the homemade frames.

For e.g. see the attached image. Notice the front section. The geometry of front section is way different than our chassis.

As far as the gauges and material used i think not many people will know about it as its company's secret formula.

If you go through this video you will get good idea about the frame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3EbtLoROhU

Thanks
Swapnil.


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


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: January 1, 2017, 8:26 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
@swapnilnimbalkar

That video is blocked (not viewable) on YouTube when from viewing it the United States for copyright reasons, it says. That's too bad. Thanks for posting it, however. I'm sure it's interesting.

Cheers,

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: January 2, 2017, 1:11 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: July 20, 2010, 7:56 pm
Posts: 525
Location: Warrenton, Virginia
Have a see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHLt67YOR48
Ron

_________________
"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


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: January 2, 2017, 1:27 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
Got it, Ron, both parts 1 and 2.

Thanks, and Happy New Year.

_________________
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: March 18, 2018, 5:31 am 
Offline

Joined: March 15, 2018, 6:03 am
Posts: 160
twnpipe - "I find the British sense of humor so enjoyable - but what do they think of yanks?"

We love you, but not necessarily your politics... but then, we don't enjoy our own politics much either.
[NB: to moderator: This is not intended to start a discussion about anything other than welding and suchlike...!]
We Love: Friends; Frasier; Golden Girls; Cheers; M*A*S*H; RoseAnne; Fargo (sorry, isn't that supposed to be a comedy...?) and so on... At least, I DO...!

I am so pleased to have discovered LocostUSA - and Smirnoff...

Mangpong


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: March 21, 2018, 1:37 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 31, 2012, 12:49 pm
Posts: 1713
Location: Louisville KY
MangPong wrote:
twnpipe
We Love: Friends; Frasier; Golden Girls; Cheers; M*A*S*H; RoseAnne; Fargo (sorry, isn't that supposed to be a comedy...?) and so on... At least, I DO...!

Mangpong


I thought we simply ripped off whatever worked on BBC, with some Benny Hill thrown in?

_________________
***************
Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: March 24, 2018, 12:22 am 
Offline

Joined: March 15, 2018, 6:03 am
Posts: 160
Don't underestimate yourselves - we all take inspiration from others - but British TV has nothing like those I mentioned - though it does have a lot of other good stuff... lol.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 28 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 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