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Loadsa members, how many builders
Jasper - 10/9/02 at 05:42 PM

Just a thought, we have well over 500 members now, but if seems to be the same dozen or so people posting all the time.

How many members are actually building?

Or is it that we are the only sad b***ards who spend all evening on the internet????

bob - 10/9/02 at 05:49 PM

Jasper
I was wondering this too,and how many are complete?

As for the next bit,we are sad and this has been confirmed by my darling wife.

Just to make things clear the wife is a darling cos she just paid for my shocks,what a good girl

stephen_gusterson - 10/9/02 at 05:53 PM

quote:
Just a thought, we have well over 500 members now, but if seems to be the same dozen or so people posting all the time.

How many members are actually building?

Or is it that we are the only sad b***ards who spend all evening on the internet????



Im guilty of all of that! Look at the members list - you can view by number of posts. Seems that there are a top 50 prolific posters. I always reconed that on TOL with 1200 members, there are only ever 50 active ones. its easy to join something only to return once or twice or not at all.

atb

steve

Macca - 10/9/02 at 06:03 PM

Hands up, still just a wanna be at the moment. Although I did manage my first purchase towards the final goal today, (pair of 'tina hubs and calipers 20 squid), but I don't think that counts?
Col.

locodude - 10/9/02 at 06:54 PM

Bob
There's no such thing as a 'complete' Locost. 25 months and still tinkering, even though it's 15 months since SVA and reg!! Not touched it for a fortnight though apart from jumping in and driving, hmmm I must be slipping! Good idea for a poll though.
Chris PTM

bob - 10/9/02 at 07:05 PM

Chris
Never finished but on the road,which is nice .
I've got nearly all the bits just a matter of finishing the decorating so i can get back in the garage.
Oh and that little matter of HGV test centre,its a lot of money just to set your brake bias and calibrate ya speedo that SVA.

Jon Ison - 10/9/02 at 07:12 PM

me tooooooo still tinkering.....

Peteff - 10/9/02 at 07:17 PM

Mine's parked in the shed not taxed or insured but I'll soon have enough bits to start on another one.

yours Pete

RoadkillUK - 10/9/02 at 07:46 PM

Me and UncleFista are still building, and we WILL get there one day

Not done a lot lately, need some more of that money stuff

Chazzy - 10/9/02 at 08:09 PM

Hi, done lots of reading, laughed alot, learned a little, built, on the Road and undergoing what the pro's call "continual product development" ie fixing bits that fall off!!

Dunc - 10/9/02 at 08:31 PM

one third the way through three, so does that count as one?

mad_skillz - 10/9/02 at 10:15 PM

havnt started yet, got to learn more, actually make a decision on what to do, then i can start. I realy am confused what to do?

scutter - 10/9/02 at 10:36 PM

Well on the way, just needing that old cash stuff and for work to stop F*****G me about.

wicket - 11/9/02 at 10:52 AM

Hoping to be finished major work earlier in the new year & on the road next spring.

James - 11/9/02 at 11:12 AM

Chassis 60/70% done (had to stop for three month whilst college on holiday ).
Donor stuff 90% cleaned and painted etc. Just gotta paint g'box and diff and remember how to reassemble the engine!

So, some progress is being made- pity I'm now thinking about starting my chassis again!
This time I'd like a non-warped one please!


James

Cheffy - 11/9/02 at 12:19 PM

Have tacked up bottom chassis rails and have just started stripping donor. I didn't want to go too far with the chassis until I had the donor parts handy so I could check measurements.

Haven't done many posts, but I check this site every day for updates. It's an excellent site, especially for novices like me. With a bit of searching I've found the answers to most of my questions hence haven't needed to do many posts.

What I would say is a big thanx to the regular 'posters' for the help, it would have been much more difficult otherwise.....keep up the good work guys!

I have set up a simple web site at http://mysite.freeserve.com/cheffy

Oh, and talking of web sites, thanks to Chris W especially for all the hard work which benefits all of us.

Cheers, Mart.

Findlay234 - 11/9/02 at 12:31 PM

well im a newbie.

ive had the book for a few weeks and only just started working. im taking a gap year b4 uni you see. so im getting some cash. im gonna start burning my cash.......... oops i mean start 'my build' next week after the donington show. to get some inspiration there. ive been doing D+T at school and im off to do a mech eng course at uni.so you see its not as tho everyone just isnt contributing. my number of posts is only this small because im brand new to the scene.

on another note, i greatly say thanks to all the experienced builders in the forum who help with the ideas and solutions to the majority of problems.

kingr - 11/9/02 at 01:32 PM

Been reading the site for a little while now, only made one post. Just trying to save up, find a donor, find somewhere to build it, learn to weld, etc etc etc.

Kingr

gjn200 - 11/9/02 at 02:01 PM

Well I'm off to buy my chassis from Tiger at their open day on the 22nd (anyone else going?) but theres a 2 month waiting list

Roeland Uitslager - 11/9/02 at 03:28 PM

Well to be honest I haven't started yet. It depends on finishing my current Morris Minor Van project (Well it's my brother in law actually), because then there is a 7x7m space with all the equipment, like welding gear, etc. availible.

Highcost builder - 11/9/02 at 10:28 PM

yes not mucking about chassis done engine in and running bodywork done wiring almost there just brakes and few other bits to do ready in 6 weeks ish started in may this year.

MrFluffy - 12/9/02 at 10:54 AM

Im rebuilding a kitcar (nova/sterling) based on a beetle chassis, and Ive decided that Its time to get rid of the bits I dont like (chassis, transaxle, steering etc) and fabricate my own square tube chassis with a renault transaxle.
Lots of ideas on here, about donors for uprights, chassis fabrication etc.
Im mainly lurking because lots of what Im doing isnt applicable to others..
Not everybody is doing a locost

Alan B - 12/9/02 at 02:59 PM

quote:
....what Im doing isnt applicable to others..
Not everybody is doing a locost


Yeah, me too
But, there is still plenty to learn here, and to contribute to.

My car is not a book locost, but like everyone here, I don't have a bottomless pit of cash So, there's always plenty of good money saving info.


http://www.desicodesign.com/meerkat/

David Jenkins - 12/9/02 at 06:26 PM

Still building...

Electrics next - waiting to see if I get to Donnington, and can get various switches and lights.

Look at the photo archive to see how far I've got!

David

bass - 12/9/02 at 08:44 PM

half way there on second one, got all the bits just got 4 adj coil overs with springs for £200 brand new. made sus, rear m/gaurds,front m/gaurds, nose cone, no rush drive about in my other one

Simon - 12/9/02 at 09:29 PM

Alan B

Jus thought you'd be interested to know that a Meerkat features on the front of this months National Geographic.

ATB

Simon

mark_rayfield - 12/9/02 at 10:53 PM

I feel kinda daft calling myself a builder at this stage, as I'm still turning my donor into a set of useful parts!

Nearly there tho - building should start in earnest soon, so expect a sudden tirade of 'can anyone help with.....' type posts.

Many thanks again to all who've helped me so far, and to all those whose fine creations have been an inspiration.

Simon - 16/9/02 at 02:32 PM

Chassis nearly done. See pics in archive.

Just had to modify part of rear end to allow coilovers to be fitted!!

Need to make top suspension brackets then rear end more or less done (aside of h/brake/plumbing/tank etc). Front needs top suspension bkts. Steering rack needs shortening further 2" then fitting. Car should then be on its wheels!!

Then I can take it home and (hopefully) start making some real progress (panels/wiring/plumbing etc etc etc)

Want it ready for spring '03. Would like to do Brighton Trials in it. Nice to think that my £1500 (ish) car (might) outperform some dodgy Italian "Supercars" (in the 1/4 mile sprint anyway).

ATB

Simon

Macca - 14/10/02 at 08:34 PM

Things finally got moving now as I am the new owner of an unfinished MK (so I was told)project.Some people will say it's the easy way out as the hard work is done.I just think I was lucky to find it.On the road in the summer? Who knows.There is a very rough photo in the archive, would anybody know how I could check if it is an MK!
Cheers Col.

Liam - 14/10/02 at 09:37 PM

Graduated from uni last summer and decided I was actually gonna do it. Having never done anything like this at all, I decided to make it stupidly difficult for myself and make a 4WD one with an engine and box that dont fit together and complicated suspension. Doh! Well I figured I will only do this once so I want it to be everything I wanted first time round.

Spent ages researching available 4WD gubbins, learning a bit about suspension, designing the chassis and solving many other design headaches. Everything's all planned in my head/autocad/on bits of paper, I've finally moved house and have enough space to work in, donor car bought and striped (butchered), various other parts sourced, bought enough tools, and I'm FINALLY GETTING ON WITH IT!!

Chassis is nearly completely tacked together, then I get to make some suspension.

Need to: Fix my lathe (new belt - but from where), make an adaptor plate for my engine/box , find someone who can weld ally to fettle my bellhousing slightly, have more money. Apart from that I'll be OK.

Liam

Stu16v - 14/10/02 at 10:13 PM

I am on the last 10% of the build (you know, the bit that takes 90% of your time...and money)
I am at the rolling chassis with engine installed stage, just the expensive bits to get!
I also flicked through 'The book' thought "ahhh I can do better" and went off on a tangent. Its now three inches shorter (shortarse), four inches wider (fatarse too) with a VX16v and Dedion. Hopefully spring 2003.....

David Jenkins - 15/10/02 at 08:03 AM

quote:


Need to: Fix my lathe (new belt - but from where)


Liam,

Try here:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/

If they don't have it, it ain't available in the UK!

They sell off-the-shelf and made-to-order drive belts. Fairly cheap, too.
David

StuartA - 15/10/02 at 11:16 AM

Rolling chassis, engine in bits in the garage, trying to get hold of some engine mounts and keep looking at that 'cost so far' list... I guess I qualify as a builder?!

Mi167 - 16/10/02 at 04:04 PM

YOu will find a few like me who have totally forgotton their user name and have had to re-register

Mi167 - 16/10/02 at 04:05 PM

but i could be wrong

steve faunch - 19/10/02 at 10:05 PM

been on the road for 8 weeks and getting a real thrashing although weather may soon take over the novelty

DEAN C. - 20/10/02 at 05:33 PM

Hi ,my Toyota engined MK is about 80% finished and I'm hoping to get to a few sprints & hillclimbs in the springtime.
Made things twice as hard by shoving the engine and box as far back as possible for maximum handling.Ended up chopping the footwells,altering the engine bay diagonals,adding top rail and other stiffeners,and because I had no room to fit a clutch slave I had to adapt an internal slave from a Saab copying the Aussie lads.Oh yeah! had to add anextra joint into the steering shaft to get round the alternator.
Apart from that is was a doddle!
Just got to buy the clocks and fit the dash and wire everything including the ecu and fit the lights,and a few dozen other finshing jobs yet to be found.
Dean...

Spyderman - 21/10/02 at 02:03 PM

Like MrFluffy, I too am using a VW based kit and rebuilding a new chassis for mid engine.
Mine is a GP Spyder (Porsche RS60 replica).
Had enough of VW running gear. Wanted something more in keeping with style of car.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/terry.hill/

Terry

sting - 22/10/02 at 02:21 PM

finally up and running builder.
Floorpan on, but how my palms hurt(uhh err)
after using ordinary pop riveter,now swopping to one of those easy tong riveters so should be easier now


sting

Roeland Uitslager - 4/11/02 at 09:55 PM

Sorry guys, I've stopped dreaming and decided that becoming a motorbike driver is much more of an realistic option to me. In the Netherlands getting your kit on the road legally means a lot of paperwork and money.

So, it's goodbye Locost and hello Moto Guzzi. I will keep on reading and posting.

chrisg - 4/11/02 at 11:04 PM

That's a shame Roeland,

You can't fall off a Locost you know!

Maybe you'll do it one day.

Cheers

Chris