Hi People.
I really love the sexy curves of the Ariel Atom, and then saw this kit,
http://www.brimoto.co.uk/rocket-range/self-build
I will be building everything myself, including the chassis.
Being in the best "locost" spirit, would mean sourcing as much as possible from one single donor vehicle. One that was plentiful, which
also had a lot of parts that could be utilised in the build, go give as much "bang for your buck" as possible.
So, my question is, what donor and why? P.S. I would like the car to be scary in the "traffic light Grand Prix"
Rocket is a Ford Focus single donor iirc but you need two sets of front uprights. Mr2 would a reasonable shout aswell, mk3 in 190 format. Any fwd car
would do but again need two sets of front uprights.
If you truly want a single donor look at the Audi A4 range in Quattro form but swap the gearbox for a 2wd version. 1.8t is very tunable.
Or a Porsche Boxster.
The final one to look at is the sdr storm wr3 which is scooby Impreza based with the rear drive locked off.
A free things to think about there.
If your in the locost spirit has to be focus donor. Turbo the blacktop zetec and jobs a good'un.
quote:
Originally posted by VinceGledhill
I will be building everything myself, including the chassis.
Hmmm if you're making your own, fix that farm gate front end
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
quote:
Originally posted by VinceGledhill
I will be building everything myself, including the chassis.
I don't quite follow, how will you build the chassis? MEV designed the Rocket chassis and make them in house. Or are you sourcing the metal and copying their design?
It'll be interesting how you do the curves on the side rails.
quote:
Originally posted by VinceGledhill
I'll use a company like this one or this one I don't think it would be a lot of money to bend what is essentially four bits of tube.
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
quote:
Originally posted by VinceGledhill
I'll use a company like this one or this one I don't think it would be a lot of money to bend what is essentially four bits of tube.
Mmm, sounds like a good plan. Are you planning on keeping a build thread, I would be very interested to watch it come together.
Worth googling the asbo car build thread, basically what you are doing, think two, possibly three were made.
Do investigate the use of an MG TF or Toyota MR2 mk3 as a donor.
quote:
Originally posted by ettore bugatti
Do investigate the use of an MG TF or Toyota MR2 mk3 as a donor.
quote:
Originally posted by ettore bugatti
Do investigate the use of an MG TF or Toyota MR2 mk3 as a donor.
quote:
Originally posted by VinceGledhill
quote:
Originally posted by ettore bugatti
Do investigate the use of an MG TF or Toyota MR2 mk3 as a donor.
But not in the locost ethos, surely a donor will be over a grand?
quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
quote:
Originally posted by VinceGledhill
quote:
Originally posted by ettore bugatti
Do investigate the use of an MG TF or Toyota MR2 mk3 as a donor.
But not in the locost ethos, surely a donor will be over a grand?
MG TF's can be found for MX5 money, especially ones with tatty bodywork (which you won't be using). A Mark 3 MR2 might be a bit more expensive.
My suggestion is to be patient getting a donor. I spent several months waiting for a perfect donor, then one turned up five miles away for a handful of twenties. I've seen others panicking after a week of searching, and buying something that was overpriced and needing a fair bit of work.
Engine is already in the rear so you can use all of the bits in the right places rather than using the front end of the focus in the rear and then buying another front end for the steering etc. Therefore with a focus you actually need pretty much two front chops to make one aerialalike. And if you are clever you could do what Jeremy Philips did with the Sylvia vectis and use the full subframe front and rear keeping factory geometry etc.
Mk3 MR2 - mid-rear engined. Heavier engine (iron block, alu head, 175kg as a bare engine without turbo and manifolds/ancils), but turbo option out of
the box and up to 300hp with pretty much zero mods and it was designed that way round to begin with so all parts should be suitable. The problem I
found with this is it will make the car about 75:25 R:F weight balance, which could be a beast to deal with. There's a reason the Mk3 turbo was
known as a widowmaker/ditchhunter amongst new owners.
MGTF - not sure, not keen but at least mid-rear engined.
MX5 - not keen myself, lots to convert.
Ford - not keen on fords to start with but at least it's cheapish and easily available. Will need multiple front uprights.
[Edited on 27/6/16 by coyoteboy]
Thanks for that, but a quick search on Auto Trader didn't find me a donor for under a grand.
Spares or repairs ford focus, £300.00 or less. I can get a lot of cortina uprights and escort steering racks for the difference.
Fair enough, that's pretty much what MEV was doing.
Mind you, MEV completely switched to single donor MX5, because they recon for every part you change there are 9 areas impacted and need to change as
well.
Have you considered the costs and modifying engineering time of the following assemblies?
-cooling
-gear shift
-exhaust
With an MGF/TF you got the parts ready to bolt on, with the Focus donor you need to source and figure a way of getting it on the chassis and making
sure it will work.
In that view it is not too much money to pay quite a bit extra to save a lot of time.
quote:
Originally posted by ettore bugatti
Fair enough, that's pretty much what MEV was doing.
Mind you, MEV completely switched to single donor MX5, because they recon for every part you change there are 9 areas impacted and need to change as well.
Have you considered the costs and modifying engineering time of the following assemblies?
-cooling
-gear shift
-exhaust
With an MGF/TF you got the parts ready to bolt on, with the Focus donor you need to source and figure a way of getting it on the chassis and making sure it will work.
In that view it is not too much money to pay quite a bit extra to save a lot of time.
Looks all right too me
Vince - you have U2U!