Previous episode.

Seats mounts are finally finished, a project half started years ago at this point. With those in place the 5pt harness can be measured out and fitted. 350z Clutch masters reservoir is remote so it's fixed in place after the usual runaround, similarly my wiring mess is better sorted (bare-bones engine wiring 80% complete)

Door Hinges are ironed out, which was a real PITA considering how the panel gaps interact through the hinge arc. Basically trial and error of hinge spacing off the door skin, and fore/aft from the gaps until the panels "rest" reasonably close together but don't touch as they open.

The Cage A-pillar mounts to 1/8" plates welded to the sills rather then the frame for...reasons, long story short this door hinge bulkhead will help tie the firewall down to those mount plates. In effect, building a unibody around a spaceframe for maximum heft.

Thoughts about safety and weight led to remaking part of the sill exterior with these dimple die'd slabs. The idea here is to fix some mistakes making it look cleaner while providing better reinforcement of the rears unsupported section.
( Also a dashbar for the cage would make for better steering column mounts so I redid that for the third time, dosent look much different in photos but the old design was not elegant)

This forward panel has been built to distribute load across more of the frame in side impact along with even more tie ins to the Cage. No idea on how effective any of this will really be in an accident or to structural rigidity but I want to have tried.

This is a similar locost spaceframe to give you an idea of the basic frame structure and why all the worry about side impacts

The projects really gotten to the hard part of figuring out how things will mount efficiently, how to make a 300lb frame safe with 2500lbs of car, does this seating position actually feel good?, congratulations on making that part now do it exactly the same for the other side, is xyz actually square, and thanking 20 year old me for signing up to such a massive timesink project.
More to come as always, Thanks for stopping by!

Previous Episode!

The C pillars ended up being six seperate panels, I shudder to think how much welding this bodys going to require.

Using the English wheel to tip edges isn't exactly kosher but it works well enough, just less sharp or precise then a beadroller.

Once again without the correct tools the Z shaped flanges were made by folding the edges over with a hammer and vice. The surface is rumpled in places however nothing hammer/dolly can't smooth out, Using 18ga steel also give some leeway to grind material flat.

With the flange in place and the drip rail taking shape! The panels overlap in places as the VW roof is incredibly thin, butt welds arnt really an option.

Both C pillars are tacked together and the hatch template is taking shape, most of it will be the plexiglass window though I'm not sure how to bend the plastic evenly yet. The obligatory shots of the body now that I've added another tiny section!


Behind the scenes I've been working on the Engines wiring harness in prep to get the car running again. Along with that little things like brackets to hold the intake in place and plumbing the radiator in a permanent fashion.

As always thanks for stopping by!

Previously I spoke of the new BRZ being a good replacement for the na Miata, after some soul searching, advice, and a few insurance quotes I shelved that idea.

However I'm too stupid to quit and found something that matchs all my criteria anyways.

Behold the 2016 Miata Club, its has no bells and whistles such as heated seats or navigation but the important boxes are ticked, Manual and Limited slip diff.

Got a ride from my brother, we drove 300 miles each way to pick it up, initial rose tinted impressions are; its fantastic.

Previous Update
Formed the lowermost section on both rear quarters with some Dodge bedside.
Using a laser level to mark where the panel gaps should be.
Helps with panel strength and symmetry.
Trunks complete minus an inset section on either side
Main section of the C pillar has been formed, matching the other side is going to be a bear. A Z shaped panel will weld onto one end as the hatch sealing area while a thin strip will mimic the rain gutter.

That's all for now!

Previously on The Locost

Used 1/2" square tube as a structure for the hatch skin, turns out this small square tube bends nicely, similar to forming 3/16" solid rod.
With the steel hatch in place its starting to look good. I've yet to decide how or where to place hinges, hood pins wpuld be the simplest to implement but I'd really rather have a traditional hinge/ latch.

Took some time to really sort out the Engines wiring harness, its now properly fused with relays and connectors to make the loom removable in sections. Along with that a bunch of little details such as mounts for the turbos air filters and bolting down the intake, nothing fun to photograph but progress none the less.

After welding the door all together, The latch/ striker install has begun! The process was to latch both parts together, set them in the sill then make a template to marry them to the door. With some screwing around the Driver's door is sorted, exterior handle isn't bolted down yet however modification is minimal only needing to Shorten one operating rod.

Progress has been a little slow lately as I've been very busy with jobs, but I'm finding at least one day a week to get work done! Commissioned a 3d model and print which im hoping to use for aero testing soon, stay tuned.

It's been a few months without Locost content, rest assured I've been working on it. Lately the jobs just arnt anything that's easy to photograph or share but lets give it a shot.

Where we last left off the doors inner structure was being built and the mounting was situated.

C-pillars profile has been figured, there are several panels primarily because making the shape in one piece requires tools that are locked away at work (my bead roller specifically). There is still material needed to create the rain gutter and hatch seam.

Firewall panels have all been cut and welded in place, forward sealing surface of the door is in place, trans tunnel is entirely covered, throttle pedal spaced off the footwell 3" for better placement (required bracketry), and a throttle cable mount made for the intake.

Motor out to replace the starter, finished welding misc in the area, stripped everything for a quick paint job, fixed fuel/brake lines in place and reassembled.


Terrible photo but got alot done on the hood today, welded in the extensions up to the doors set in a few vast swaths of steel up top (decided how the fenders integrate into the hood/ side barrel shapes)

Alots gotten done however most of it wasnt fun or noteworthy, just fiddly stuff that needs to happen. Still hard at work dealing with all the details, hopefully back onto the body soon but who knows.

Everything's jimmied together juuuuust enough to make it happen; my wirings valid and the motors good enough to deal with at a later date. If the rad was hooked up and with a clutch line, it'd actually drive!

Excellent way to end the Year!

Previous Episode
Rebuilt the rear ends wireframe for the umpteenth time to incorporate an sc400 Wing, a fun tribute to the cars origin (C pillar can't continue until the rear fenders are complete, this project was a bit of a bottleneck)

With that settled some dodge bedside is bent up, tacked in place, and the spoiler vaguely mounted!
Tacked the inner C pillar down to the fenders, got a little ways into completing the rear window structure, trimmed unnecessary VW from the B pillars, and relocated/ tacked in place the lower most section of the front fenders.

Today we are shaping the side Barrels

CAD here will provide a profile to the wheelwell aswell as basic measurements on where to focus bends.

Transfer
Double check marks, this metals $5 per square foot!
Couple minutes on the English wheel then mark areas to clearance
Bend, clearance, check, repeat 4-5 times

Making the opposing side:

These basic shapes will provide the skin for all the doors, rear portion of the fender, and mating surface of the hood. Making it in one sheet means all the panels will have matching curves instead of trying to copy various arcs along oblique angles.

Making panel edges/gaps, 18ga steel stips will be folded into a 1x1" 90° then matched to each surface with the shinker and stretcher, from there it can be welded to the panels. Doing it this way is more welding, cutting, and grinding but it provides good control over panel gaps. You can make the edges on a bench, easily verifying left to right symmetry.

Tacoma Hood after initial trimming, then tack welded to the wireframe and further whittled down.

Didn't like the hoodscoop on first pass but after moving it lower its the ideal ram air for the intake.
Charge pipe is made However I cannot stress enough that this is for testing. Actual plan is a small water to air intercooler for each turbo and much more graceful 2-1 union, That's all a little put of budget for the time being.


Exhaust is made, there's some more welding to do along with hangers. It's 2.5" out of the turbos immediately up to 3" stainless, and a small Flowmaster FX. It's probably absurdly loud!

Ecu is repaired and back in my possession though I don't want to test start it again until the wiring and fuel system are sorted enough for a test drive.

Up next is fitting an E brake, maybe electrical then more body panels.

(This turned into a long ramble that I refuse to edit down into anything compelling)

Where we last left off the motor mounts had been rebuilt on the engine side but lacked the mounting plates on the chassis, sill panels were being formed and tacked into place, and a section of LH fender had been formed using a Chevy bedside.
Motor mounts are finished, just need to locate the transmission then they can be welded down. The part was simple to produce but I had a hard time getting the materials needed, eventually liberating some scraps from work. Left and Right hand sills are welded in, still more work to do making a third cell that'll extend down the weakest section of frame (between passenger compartment and front suspension). Also haven't welded the top surface and door jamb together, as I want more details ironed out before committing.

Met with @Rusty-Vandura a few weeks ago and bought a LSD equipped 8.8 axle destined for his Crown Vic, that was sadly stolen. We both traveled a ways to meet up, had a good conversation, and made the exchange.
As a direct result of that conversation I picked up a custom shift knob from @CobraJoe . Driven with it on the F250 for a week and love it, really nice fit and finish.

Formed the RH fender slab using a Tundra bedside, it was a good test of how easy will it be to maintain symmetry. So far so good.

Got to work on the top section of fender, normally you'd try and form the largest section possible but in this case it's a patchwork because I have to work around the metal I can find. In the long run the whole cars getting skim Coated in filler because I feel the car won't get done if I try and make everything perfect in metal.

Started extending the dash out to the steering wheel, to do that I've got a strip off the Sprinter window and made the necessary cutouts for the defrost. The challenge here is keeping everything straight so when I weld the two together the dash isn't cocked over weird. It's nearly ready to go just havnt decided if I'll save a bunch of time and overlap one over the other or try and trim them straight for a butt weld.(probably dosent matter since it'll be wrapped in leather)

This morning was pulling the Locosts axle out in the hopes of swapping the 7.5" s197 mustang brakes onto the Vic 8.8 Axle. No joy, and surprisingly the internet was wrong and the Vic axle is actually wider then my current one (wanted a thinner rear track with the 8.8 upgrade). Either way today I'll finish stripping the Axle off its flanges, chip off some rust and get it ready to weld on my own. Should drop back in with no problems but I'm seeing the driveshaft is slightly offset, havnt measured it yet as I don't really want to know.

That's about up to speed, work continues though I now do this exact kind or thing at work for 9-10 hour a day and it's harder to keep at it.

Bonus digression?

Work project is a making a completely bare 60's f100 fit a custom frame designed for a car, then make it run and drive within a few months. It's also an 800hp edelbrock lt4. So far I've cut and relocated the frame front and rear, plated those areas, located and mounted the body to the chassis making all the mounts from scratch, extended the rear rails, shortened the front bumper, built a removable core support, made an LS radiator fit, removable crossmember, smoothed firew blah blah blah...
As an Apprentice every step is a new challenge and it takes alot out of you trying to design and built things on a professional level within a reasonable time.
Everything I know about fabrication is from the Locost and starting this project a couple years ago I knew nothing, its pretty much fastracked my way into a career that's so far been satisfying if not stressful, time consuming, and Apprentice wages.

I don't necessarily enjoy working on the car, though I often look forward to it. It's more along the lines of showing up for class and putting your time into the course work.

@Demon-Xanth In house financing with ridiculous interest and your business would really start cookin

@MybirdIStheword Porsche parts are too boujiee for this one but I want that too, or Macan lamps

@RallyWrench Absolutely, no doubt we will both be at some stage of broken down

@RallyWrench @davesaddiction Idk how long this'll take but eventually the cars got to head to the bay area for BAR, might be a good time for a trip down hwy 1 if it proves reliable.

@Shop-Teacher There's no rush Looks like that rollers designed for Hvac ducting, though im sure with a little more sweat it'll bend thicker steel just fine!

Previously on The Locost

Used 1/2" square tube as a structure for the hatch skin, turns out this small square tube bends nicely, similar to forming 3/16" solid rod.
With the steel hatch in place its starting to look good. I've yet to decide how or where to place hinges, hood pins wpuld be the simplest to implement but I'd really rather have a traditional hinge/ latch.

Took some time to really sort out the Engines wiring harness, its now properly fused with relays and connectors to make the loom removable in sections. Along with that a bunch of little details such as mounts for the turbos air filters and bolting down the intake, nothing fun to photograph but progress none the less.

After welding the door all together, The latch/ striker install has begun! The process was to latch both parts together, set them in the sill then make a template to marry them to the door. With some screwing around the Driver's door is sorted, exterior handle isn't bolted down yet however modification is minimal only needing to Shorten one operating rod.

Progress has been a little slow lately as I've been very busy with jobs, but I'm finding at least one day a week to get work done! Commissioned a 3d model and print which im hoping to use for aero testing soon, stay tuned.

@phenotyp 356 to cleanse the pallette

@way2blu With the 1.8s Hydraulic lifters the only adjustment is to replace the shims, checking lash is simple enough but adjustment requires the correct shims. The tick is more associated with oil pressure and viscosity, a fresh oil change may help. (My old 1.6 would start ticking every few thousand miles after a change)

Why run the stronger springs? From my understanding of the miata tick, a stronger valve spring will make it worse

@Chariotoflove especially because of the plastic cladding

@Mr-Ontop I don't think anyone ever needs to replace him in the Hoonicorn, it's tied up in his legend not someone elses