It's built with my 13b (rotary) engine, to standard book plans


computer generated locost

Compared to the real thing (from 2 months ago).


Overview

[Edited on 29/7/04 by derf]

nice one. looks somewhat familiar

I think you missed LB though.. or is it LA?

Nice engine model by the way.

Also.. how did you do the top rear bent round tube? it looks a bit.. funny. I did ours as a sweep.

[Edited on 29/7/04 by blueshift]

Hey, Fred, nice job!

I'm curious, though, as to why you're drawing it up at this stage of the game, seeing as you've got your chassis built already, and engine/tranny in. What's the reason?

Couple more questions:

1. The gearshift position looks fine, but if you had your druthers, would you put the engine forward a couple of inches? I'm asking because I would like to add a couple of inches of length in the footwell, which might put the lever slightly far away. If I have to extend the shifter, might as well add enough to place the engine for best use of the engine bay, if that would be a good idea.

2. Would it be possible to get dimensioned top and side view .dxfs of the engine and tranny from you?

Pete

Mine had a mazda rotary in it when I went to look at it. The previous owner had chopped the passenger side bulk head to allow for the starter motor.
I had thought of the rotory but we are in Scotland and getting a conventional engine fixed is a nightmare.....so something like a MAZ would be some thing else. So we have gone BEC and they are availible cause the bike boys keep on falling off on our not too straight roads. The height of the rotory also works well in the chassis thought the gearbox is a tad bulky.

There are a bunch of mistakes in it. To start, I am missing a bunch of chassis tubes, Mainly due to the fact thatI got boerd of adjusting tubes to the hundredthousandth of an inch and still not having it fit right. The engine sits a little low, and the lower tube is whole while the upper tube is sectioned. The engine sits 1 1/2 inches higher, and the shifter is too long.

The rear upper tube loos wierd because it is. I basically mad a flat 1 inch thick plane and cut out the center and rounded it off.

2 reasons I did this now instead of last february when I started to build, I wanted to build a more custom car next, and seing how much time it takes some people to design their cars I though I might start on it early, Then I got to thinking, since Ive been thinking about the design of the front suspension why not design it in 3d instead of building one lower wishbone, then getting the dimensions for the top by setting the spindle on the chassis, then repeat for the other side. I have been working on the front spindle graphic a while so far, but I made it more detailed than anything else, and havnt had it perfect to fit in the car yet.

Plus Ive only been playing with 3d modeling since saturday.

When I actually positioned the engine in, I sat down on a seat, where I believed it would be, and positioned the engine according to my arms relation to the shifter, the shifter is positioned that when I shift to 5th my arm is almost extended, in a comfortable way, I do have lots of room at the front of the engine bay, but since space on this car is a comodity, I am leaning towards a front mount battery (13 lb), and some other off-engine, engine components there (coils etc...), plus from the begining I have been planning a turbo, so I will need maximum room on the side by the exaust as I have been trying to keep it in the engine bay. (which still will most likely stick out a bit).

The footwell on the passenger side is large enough to fit 3 pedals and a small "almost" dead pedal, however because of the position of the starter the drivers side is a few inches smaller. The starter motor is rather long, and off hand without it in front of my I want to say that the engine will have to move up about 6 inches to clear it, not worth lack of space in the engine bay, especially when I'm only 5'6, and the pedals need to be mounted a bit ways back anyway. In the pedal box I have enough room to have all 3 pedals.

There's a guy near me (Jim Bolinger) who built with a 13B in a book-width chassis. He has a remote shifter, so must've put the engine forward. I've got to go look at that car! Your layout makes sense for a turbo.

Hope you're not gauging the length of time to design a custom chassis on MY screwing around. It should go much faster for you, especially with your experience.


Pete

quote:

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Originally posted by derf
There are a bunch of mistakes in it. To start, I am missing a bunch of chassis tubes, Mainly due to the fact thatI got boerd of adjusting tubes to the hundredthousandth of an inch and still not having it fit right.

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Could I also get a copy of the rotary/transmission file? Or a dimensioned drawing, looks like a lot of fun and I have been considering it as an alternative to a BEC. Cheers!

Ok, I will post a dimensioned drawing, later tonight or tommorrow, There are a few things in the engine tranny that I didnt build in which do make an impact on the chassis, especially things like the starter, tranny mount, and the output shaft. The engine depiction isnt perfect, bt as far as height, width, and length it is close to +/- 1 inch. The tranny isnt so curvatious either, there are alot more bumps and ridges and other protrusions that arn't shown.

quote:

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Originally posted by derf
Ok, I will post a dimensioned drawing, later tonight or tommorrow, There are a few things in the engine tranny that I didnt build in which do make an impact on the chassis, especially things like the starter, tranny mount, and the output shaft. The engine depiction isnt perfect, bt as far as height, width, and length it is close to +/- 1 inch. The tranny isnt so curvatious either, there are alot more bumps and ridges and other protrusions that arn't shown.

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I'll try to add some of the other big features, like the starter.

But if your going to build off the dimensions I give can I suggest not to, I just measured it with a tape measure & eyeballed what I thought were propper dimensions, If your gonna build using a 13b (good engine choice too) prop it over the chassis and build around it.

Yeah, I don't think it would be a good idea to build the central tubes without trial fitting first.

These really are neat engines. I got behind an RX-7 at a stoplight the other day, and it sounded sooooo nice pulling out. It was a great incentive.

The engine came out of my 3rd rx7, my 2 previous ones were 1st gens, neither of those were in great condition, but they both ran like all hell, one is doing drag duty now, the current owner swapped in a 3 rotor and is hitting low 11's, the other one I sold to some high school kid who wrapped it around a telephone pole shortly after, that engine (13b) wound up going into a mid engine s10 (conversion), and the chassi was scrapped. This being my 3rd rx7 was dissasembled to liv out the rest of it's life as a donor for my locost and some other parts are continuing on in other 2nd gens.