mark chandler
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| posted on 30/10/15 at 07:06 PM |
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Rebody of a Chapman Locost with fury bodywork
After struggling to keep up last year sprinting and on a couple of track days I have decided that better aero is required so picked up an old RGB
racing body in the summer and have now got around to fitting it 
https://picasaweb.google.com/102680160261680183167/FuryRebodyOfLocostChassis?feat=directlink#slideshow/6211509060650791618
The Locost chassis is 7" longer so faced with either fighting with fibre glass and extending the bonnet and pods or shortening the chassis I
have chopped 7" out the front.
With Sierra running gear and very wide front bones some big arches are required, and the big bulge in the bonnet can go.
Plenty of winter fun redoing the rads ahead of me once I have stiched it fully together.
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StevieB
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| posted on 30/10/15 at 07:28 PM |
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I reckon thAts going to look pretty damn good once finished - what are you thinking for wheel arch extensions?
I know it's a race machine so it's form over function, but some mk1 escort type bubble arches would look great
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mark chandler
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| posted on 30/10/15 at 09:27 PM |
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Rears easy enough (I think) just run a cut through what's there, open the gap and back fill, for the front I may let in a couple of wedges to
gain a few inches then copy the backs where possible.
I have been reading up on splitters so a big bit of ply is going up front.
It's all a bit unknown, last time I made some arches I just used hardboard to for the curve and used ordinary plaster to build up the shape and
an old ball to form the compound curves. The hard bit will be matching sides.
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jeffw
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| posted on 30/10/15 at 10:44 PM |
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Heresy !
How much width are going to have to add? I know the Locost is 7 or so inches longer than the Fury but I didn't realise it was that much wider.
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mark chandler
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| posted on 30/10/15 at 11:04 PM |
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The rears are nearly under the arches, it's the fronts that are the problem  Making it too wide will defeat the object of improving the aero
of the car so I may build a smaller set of bones to reduce the track.
Although a chapman'ish car it has a Sierra rear axle (slightly shorterned by a couple of inches) with matching track wide front, did not realise
that fury's has such narrow fronts!
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Dopdog
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| posted on 30/10/15 at 11:16 PM |
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Hi Mark, send me your email and I will send you some pictures of my fury with the 8x13s on it
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StevieB
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| posted on 31/10/15 at 08:28 PM |
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Have you got any details on your car generally Mark?
I left kit cars alone for a bit to mess with motorbikes, but am now planning to go back to cars and toying with the idea of making something for
track/competition. I keep bouncing between getting a cheap MX5 and developing it, building a single seater of some sort (might struggle to get on
some track days though) and starting with a basic locost and developing it over time. It's more about the journey of learning and improving to
me than having a winning machine from the off.
Always keen to get the views of others and what they've done themselves
Steve
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mark chandler
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| posted on 31/10/15 at 09:59 PM |
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I started out making it to the Chapman book maybe 10 years ago, although deviated as the floor is square tube, all other bits being round and I made
the rear IRS to what felt right to me, looking at 'factory' they just made up square boxes while mine is more integral to the frame after
the bulkhead.
Because I like to be comfy the drivers footwell is as large as I could make it within reason so inside it is not symmetrical.
After a couple of years I added a turbo, wider front bones and rose jointed all the suspension.
Started sprinting 2 years ago with it, only a few goes as I have another car I sprint on a regular basis so this has been left to one side.
Last outing (I do not believe I could have driven any quicker) 2 seconds off the front runner, albeit my car is pennies compared to the money invested
in the winning car so decided to try better aero, hence the £150 tatty Fury body Also despite the 2.2 turn rack I feel I am working to hard on the
wheel so shortening the wheelbase will improve turn in.
The slicks are old and hard, I could probally made up most of my 2 seconds with better rubber but where's the fun in that?
If I scratch built again I would use round tube throughout and pull the engine further back leaving very little room for passengers feet, the turbo
blade has plenty of poke (busa power for pennies), when this ones expires I would look for a more modern alternative if the £400 eBay specials dry up,
biggest one off expense was the lock up clutch as over 180bhp it slipped.
I like making things that work with my hands, budget is not my primary concern however I would rather make than purchase wherever possible so
purchased good tools as part of the overall build.
It may be the weight penalty costs me over the aero, I expect this will add another 30lb overall but it will look more purposeful.
Downside of all this is that I have to run as sports libra class which is thinly populated so FTD has to be my target.
So far this chop and change has not taken a lot of time, I will bin all the road going bits and reduce weight where I can which will compensate and
after reading about aero I am sure a few cheap tweaks will make the best of this old shell.
As an aside, I got rid of my sports bike after watching my mate fall off I front of me, I did consider the mx5 route but want the hands on making
stuff rather than just buying bits.
Performance, 3.14 diff, 205/60/13 rears and 3.14 diff and it can still hit the red line at brands halfway along the pit wall so is turning in maybe
135mph already.
Car owes me around £3000, which included tools originally, I could make from scratch with careful purchases for around £2000 tops to the current
spec.
Regards Mark
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StevieB
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| posted on 1/11/15 at 01:03 PM |
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Cheers for that - a few bits of good for thought.
I'd often thought building a book based chassis, using round tubes and a bit more cross braving would be a good start, but I always get caught
up in details like fixing Ali panels to round tubes (when square is easier).
Maybe I need to do less thinking of minor issues and tackle them when I get there!
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mark chandler
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| posted on 1/11/15 at 01:31 PM |
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That's why I went for a flat bottom, in the end it makes little difference to riveting, however cutting the Ali neatly is much harder so all
returns need to be hidden
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mark chandler
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| posted on 22/11/15 at 06:15 PM |
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Busy weekend, the front track would have defeated the object by not improving aero so I have reduced each side by 4", I had a very wide track so
maybe wider than an inch now from the original book.
This saves making massive arches and means the wheels turn inside the body, just need to shorterned the track rod extensions then it's
bodywork.
https://plus.google.com/photos/102680160261680183167/albums/6211509055011442177/6220036992070230818
https://plus.google.com/photos/102680160261680183167/albums/6211509055011442177/6220036989957734482
[Edited on 23/11/15 by mark chandler]
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mark chandler
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| posted on 5/12/15 at 06:20 PM |
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https://picasaweb.google.com/102680160261680183167/5December2015?feat=directlink#slideshow/6224865267922225522
Frame for the radiator and intercooler, I,m going to take the intercooler pipes over the top of the rad so need to change the pipe entry.
[Edited on 5/12/15 by mark chandler]
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mark chandler
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| posted on 7/2/16 at 06:13 PM |
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Bodywork nearly finished now, all arches stretched by a couple of inches
Rears I cut off the original arch, spaced out then glassed the gap.
https://picasaweb.google.com/102680160261680183167/FuryRebodyOfLocostChassis#6248611360243625346
Front was created using squirty foam and tile plastic trim which formed the lip
https://picasaweb.google.com/102680160261680183167/FuryRebodyOfLocostChassis#6248611357766615266
This is then blended into a splitter
https://picasaweb.google.com/102680160261680183167/FuryRebodyOfLocostChassis#6248611432723671634
Once the fibreglass has gone off I will pull off the gaffer tape and tidy up the edges.
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Cyana82
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 07:32 PM |
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Hi Mark,
I did a similar exercise on a phoenix body a few years ago to accommodate the standard sierra driveshafts. below is a link taken at Mallory at the end
of last season. can fitted as a body kit if your interested.
[img]http://www.750mc.co.uk/formulae/sports-specials/gallery/photos,2015-sport-specials-mallory-park_215.htm[/img]
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mark chandler
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 10:48 PM |
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What number is your car?
Lots of pictures in that URL
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Cyana82
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| posted on 11/2/16 at 11:30 PM |
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Number 82, would have liked to of sent some better images, but unsure how to upload them from my gallery.
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mark chandler
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| posted on 14/2/16 at 04:19 PM |
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Front splitter now almost done, now I just need to tidy a few bits then sand down the whole car and paint
https://picasaweb.google.com/102680160261680183167/14February2016#slideshow/6251180649766970210
Then water lines to fit, tidy wiring obtain some 7" lights then off for its first event in this new guise.
I,ll need to talk to the scrutineers about a new photo on the log book as well.
[Edited on 14/2/16 by mark chandler]
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gaz_gaz
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| posted on 14/2/16 at 06:17 PM |
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Links not working Mark
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mark chandler
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| posted on 14/2/16 at 06:22 PM |
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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z-RYiZtxasQ/VsCnrkgn42I/AAAAAAAAGx4/Q49ZOacHsAI/s2048-Ic42/image.jpeg
Or this
https://picasaweb.google.com/102680160261680183167/FuryRebodyOfLocostChassis#slideshow/6251180649766970210
Maybe these will work?
[Edited on 14/2/16 by mark chandler]
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gaz_gaz
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| posted on 14/2/16 at 06:38 PM |
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Yup. That works. Splitter looks superb.. good job
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mark chandler
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| posted on 13/3/16 at 10:05 PM |
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Brakes and most of the plumbing done now so took advantage of the warmer weather to put some paint on the tub and nose.
https://plus.google.com/photos/102680160261680183167/photo/6261660041582304290?banner=pwa&iem=4&gpawv=1&hl=en-GB
[Edited on 13/3/16 by mark chandler]
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mark chandler
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| posted on 27/3/16 at 05:57 PM |
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On the home straight now, first event is 26th April.
Chassis all chopped and welded up and the body is finally on
 
Fury_rebodied
I need to finish off the wiring then run it up.
[Edited on 27/3/16 by mark chandler]
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CRAIGR
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| posted on 27/3/16 at 06:32 PM |
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That's looking great Mark well done 
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