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pringa
PostPosted: April 12, 2018, 9:01 pm 
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Joined: April 12, 2018, 8:10 pm
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Location: Durham - NC
Gday everyone! Well after lurking around for years now I've finally started! I've even moved to the States in the time i've been searching through this site, thought the best time to join would be when I finally get building, so here goes.

Background - used to live in Australia, moved over to the states after coming to NC for 2 months learning how to build stock cars. I didn't have mates into cars when I was younger so I'm starting a lot of it from scratch and pulling things apart, youtube has certainly been a great resource.

I figure with the build best to start with a Locost that's as close to a 'stock' build as possible, which seems to be the Miata based build. The Vodou plans in combo seem to lend themselves as to not having to deviate to far from this build theory. So I'll be learning a lot on the way, hopefully I can pass some info onto prospective builders wanting to dive in but haven't got a huge deal of experience.


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“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you.”
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My Miata/Vodou build
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=19352
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RandyBMC
PostPosted: April 13, 2018, 3:21 am 
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Joined: February 29, 2008, 7:15 pm
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Location: Denver, Colorado
Nice work! Welcome - glad to see another build at the same time as mine. I went Saturn and looked hard at Voudoo as well. I like some of their design ideas, but the Saturn kept closer to the Haynes book, so that's why I chose that route. I do have the drawings they came up with (both Voudoo and Saturn). Let me know if you need any.

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My Haynes/Miata build: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3774
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pringa
PostPosted: April 13, 2018, 7:54 am 
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RandyBMC wrote:
Nice work! Welcome - glad to see another build at the same time as mine. I went Saturn and looked hard at Voudoo as well. I like some of their design ideas, but the Saturn kept closer to the Haynes book, so that's why I chose that route. I do have the drawings they came up with (both Voudoo and Saturn). Let me know if you need any.


If you could send a set of the Saturn plans that would be great, the more information the better. Seems the guys drawing up the vodou plans were going with the minimalist approach with dimensions relating to placement of the framing members.

I like the design of your back end, I'm at the stage where I have to sort that out so its great someone else is on the same journey! I'm seeing a mini and the use of the word 'bonnet', not from the UK are you?

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“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you.”
― Jeremy Clarkson

My Miata/Vodou build
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=19352
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Lonnie-S
PostPosted: April 13, 2018, 9:28 am 
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Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
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Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
You're off to an excellent start. The storage under the build top will pay off a hundred times during your build. There's noting wrong will all the blocks. However, you may have to pare them back a little after you start welding. I found the chassis would move tiny amounts (like 1/32", about a mm) after welding was started. I had to delete a few blocks after that to get the chassis on and off the table top.

Good luck with your build.

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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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RandyBMC
PostPosted: April 13, 2018, 10:42 am 
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Location: Denver, Colorado
pringa wrote:
RandyBMC wrote:
Nice work! Welcome - glad to see another build at the same time as mine. I went Saturn and looked hard at Voudoo as well. I like some of their design ideas, but the Saturn kept closer to the Haynes book, so that's why I chose that route. I do have the drawings they came up with (both Voudoo and Saturn). Let me know if you need any.


If you could send a set of the Saturn plans that would be great, the more information the better. Seems the guys drawing up the vodou plans were going with the minimalist approach with dimensions relating to placement of the framing members.

I like the design of your back end, I'm at the stage where I have to sort that out so its great someone else is on the same journey! I'm seeing a mini and the use of the word 'bonnet', not from the UK are you?


Ha - with a name like Randy!? I would've been incessantly mocked growing up in the UK! I had an exclusively Mini/Lotus shop for years, and I lived overseas for several years with mostly Brits, so that's where that comes from. I have several English terms as part of my vernacular now (I say "straight away" all the time for example - meaning right away in American).

Here is a link to both versions still floating around from the Saturn days:

http://www.roadster-builders.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=674

One of the things you'll notice when directly comparing the Voudoo to the Haynes book are that the tubes are a complete redesign, so you have to lean heavily on their plans (which as you noticed have some gaps here and there). I think their ideas are solid, and in most design areas better, but you are left to make your own measurements in some cases. The nice thing about a scratch build is that you can make it what you want! You can always take parts of the Voudoo, Saturn, Haynes, and McSorely and throw them all together to suit your needs!

Good luck!

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My Haynes/Miata build: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3774
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pringa
PostPosted: April 13, 2018, 12:15 pm 
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RandyBMC wrote:
Ha - with a name like Randy!? I would've been incessantly mocked growing up in the UK! I had an exclusively Mini/Lotus shop for years, and I lived overseas for several years with mostly Brits, so that's where that comes from. I have several English terms as part of my vernacular now (I say "straight away" all the time for example - meaning right away in American).

Here is a link to both versions still floating around from the Saturn days:

http://www.roadster-builders.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=674

One of the things you'll notice when directly comparing the Voudoo to the Haynes book are that the tubes are a complete redesign, so you have to lean heavily on their plans (which as you noticed have some gaps here and there). I think their ideas are solid, and in most design areas better, but you are left to make your own measurements in some cases. The nice thing about a scratch build is that you can make it what you want! You can always take parts of the Voudoo, Saturn, Haynes, and McSorely and throw them all together to suit your needs!

Good luck!


Lol, yeah not too many Randy's on the other side of the pond. I'm still yet to order a coke on the first try, I think they think i'm trying to order cake... though I am in the south...

Wow, those Saturn plans are about a billion times more details than the Vodou plans, lots of questioned answered that I didn't know I had yet! I'll definitely be incorporating that, the back end looks more simple - I like simple. The great thing about these plans are they're METRIC!! Having grown up with the metric system, its definitely a shock to the system having to transfer to imperial units. Just come over to the dark side already :twisted:

Thanks for the link :cheers:


And Lonnie, thanks for the encouragement, i'll be needing all I can get - especially when I get to the wiring which i have next to no clues about (though i'm reading plenty about it but I'm more of a hands on guy for sure)

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“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you.”
― Jeremy Clarkson

My Miata/Vodou build
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=19352
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jinca
PostPosted: April 24, 2018, 2:39 pm 
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Joined: May 1, 2016, 2:59 pm
Posts: 22
Location: Alberta
Hi Pringa,

Great start! I have to say I'm totally jealous of your shop, very clean, very spacious and very not mine!

I'm just about to start my build, a 442e with a Ford 302 and 8.8 rear. Just got my chassis table finished :D

Jinca

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Jinca

More.....more.....more.....too much take it away.
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cheapracer
PostPosted: April 25, 2018, 10:59 pm 
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Joined: November 12, 2008, 6:29 am
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Gedindoit Mate, you'll gedthere.

Ex-Brissy myself, a bit further North now, little place called China.
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RandyBMC
PostPosted: April 26, 2018, 2:22 pm 
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Location: Denver, Colorado
I learned cars/bikes using the metric system as well. Who likes dealing with fractions!!?

Keep it up! Nice work so far.

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My Haynes/Miata build: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3774
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