V12 in a locost - well sort of!! I`ve finally completed my sign up

Hi Chaps,

I`ve been coming on this site for quite a while now but have only just got round to ringing up and confirming (slaps wrist).

I just wanted to say hi as before long I will be unvailing my build (well once the bodywork is done)....... while im on that subject does anyone know a good "cost effective" company that specialise in GRP nose cones - lemans/ultima style or a company that does similar custom jobs?...????

Obviously "uncle ron" inspired me to build a car hence me being on this forum. The car itself is a mid-mounted V12 in a space frame chassis (designed by me and built with some help by my welding friend (Station Motor Sport, Market harborough). It is all based on merc parts, the engine is an SL600 from a r129!

The gear box, slip diff, 5 link rear suspension all came from that doner aswell. The front end ususes double wishbones suspension (also designed from scratch by me) with amg 8 pots (yes i know overbraked and excess unsprung weight....but they were cheap.....and cheap is good!

Anyway I could go on for hours, but basically its an ultima on the cheap.

Take care chaps

Best Regards
Stuart

Welcome - sounds like a spectacular build - don't be shy with the photos, drawings etc.

I know many of us would love to hear more about your project.

Welcome to the Mad House. Sounds a fantastic project so never mind making us wait to see your baby fully clothed - we all want to see her naked!!

I'm sure you will find there is huge interest in seeing the chassis / suspension design etc.

Pics please - we insist!!

sounds lets see some piccys

Hi Stuart,
Sounds like a great project. I was planning to fat a jag V12 in my car but have decided against it after i worked out the weight distribution. Shouldnt be a problem in a mid engined car though. Keep us updated

Yeah it has been fun, ......."3 chassis`s later"

Labour of love etc........!!!!

Well the CAD is knocking about somewhere and I will post a screen shot. The chassis is a horseshoe with 2 dominant rails running half the elngth of the car and some outringers to hinge the "soon to be made side pods".

It has 2 tranny rads, mounted at 45 degrees (similar to our F1 friends).

Merc M class alloys 18 x 9" with stretched 245 tyres from a 911. The 4 wheels were new, boxed £160

Ex - F1 development front wing, rear wing im making from scratch with some ali sheet and end plates (Thick CF sheet) - also borrowed

The only real engineering problem came in the form of adapters to link the top wishbones to the merc hubs (strut type), so I had to get two clevis joints machined to suit. I borrowed some un-buyable offcuts from airbus; ali-li alloy, 8XXX series, lightest in the world

The submarine/dive board/ come bulk head/ come seat back/ is a 4mm thick Tianium sheet, which should stop a 310KG landing on me if......ok lets not think about that.

See I could go on for hours

Pics will be soon I PROMISE


Best Regards
Stuart

That's not an ultima on the cheap my friend, that's a zonda on the cheap.

Pics pics pics!!

Can i attach more than 1 picture at once?
Rescued attachment 03052006.jpg

OK im sure you are now getting the idea of scale here!

The 8 pots - so to speak, yes i know you can only see 4!

This is the hub, and how do I fit a ball joint in this....???? Questions on a post card to......mad as a hatter PO BOX V12

How about some gaffer tape??? - How about some glue??? How about a big block of aluminium?

Ok thats all the phots your getting for tonight! As that all I have in the house. The car is in the garage! 35 mins away!

ok 1 more, it`s a bit of a cheat to put in a googled picture but as people keep asking me, here`s the engine! Obviously mine isn`t that clean.

All very impressive but do you think you could make them a bit smaller - I can only get a bit of one photo on the screen

Use ms paint or similar.

Cheers

Mark

Welcome Stuart

If you do a search for AndyGTT you might find a kindred spirit He's scratch building a V12 middy too. Mine is just a humble V6 but it seems to have attracted a fair bit of interest in the Kit mags and exhibitions - my next one will have a 4.2 V8 if I can sell my old car first.

p.s. More pics!!

ok 1 more, its a bit of a cheat to put in a googled picture but here is the sl600 v12 in all its glory! Obviously mine isn`t that clean.

Sorry about the large pics guys!
Rescued attachment sl600 - large.jpg

Sounds fantastic, you have got to show us the chassis now.

Not a problem chap, will grab it off the other comp on friday

I know you are all deperate to see it

something about your clevis seems wrong....

what stops it rotating around the bolt? is it just the friction between the two clamped faces?

there looks to be a myriad of useful bolt holes on that upright that aren't used. if you were to make something out of steel plate, chances are you'd probably get it lighter than that chunk of aluminium too.

try a search for posts by chris g and miks15, iirc, regarding bmw uprights.

very interesting project though!
tom

edit: to correct my hideous unintentional typo of aluminium. it has 2 is!

[Edited on 17/4/08 by indykid]

No not just friction, the rear profile that you can`t see is an almost exact match to the profile of the hub. Should is start to wear and cause vibration etc I will look into other options, like pinning it into position. I`ve considered getting a casting made but that will be mega money, welding cast iron isn`t ideal either. I`ll check out the other link you suggested for inspiration.

The weight of the block is next to nothing due to it being Ali-li, but I too would rather have a solid welded structure in place. 2 of the 4 useful bolt holes are taken up by the caliper.

IF ANYONE CAN MAKE ANYTHING BETTER GET IN TOUCH (welder, fabricator etc) 07874005802

Cheers for the input...I might make this into a seperate thread

Best Regards

Stuart

Hi Stuart, and welcome to the mad house.

You may want to visit the mid-engined section here..that's where most of us really hard-core nutters hang out...

Yeah Ive had a look once or twice You guys up to other mad things then?? Are any of you guys based in the east mids???

My Mrs wants me to build her an actual locost next, oh the joy

Thought I would give a quick shout out to Matt at Casarva, really helpful chap, highly recommended.

We're not mad just, "Special".

Sounds good... How about posting your pics in your archive on this site (everyone has one).

Sounds great... Keep it up..

Where abouts are you in the east mid stuart?

I`m from windy loughborough

Don't know about windy loughborough but we'll be starting to think you're pretty windy if you don't let us see the chassis and drive train installation soon.

Cheers

Fred W B

quote:

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Originally posted by Fred W B
Don't know about windy loughborough but we'll be starting to think you're pretty windy if you don't let us see the chassis and drive train installation soon.

Cheers

Fred W B

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Ooo I like the use of psycology in an effort to hurry me up. Ha Ha

Just be patient, all good things etc, it will be worth the wait I can assure you of that

I`m off to see TrevD this weekend with some renderings for the nosecone, so I`ll post them and the chassis (CAD) next.

Hi Stuart

Take my comment any way you want. In your introduction post you said:

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The car itself is a mid-mounted V12 in a space frame chassis (designed by me and built with some help by my welding friend (Station Motor Sport, Market harborough).

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Yes, the chassis does exist in metal! I`m just waiting on a few final parts to have a complete rolling chassis! ....top wishbones, wheel bolts, odds and sodds...the usual.

As I said before the car lives 35 minutes away from me.

So believe what you want my friend, no skin off my nose!

I think the silence says it all.
Pluss the fact that that merc engine would surely blow his budget alone!!

Sounds interesting !

quote:

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Originally posted by Barry Ashcroft
Sounds interesting !

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