Board logo

mr2 mid engined 7!
ned - 10/8/04 at 09:02 AM

in case you missed it, under the locost related section:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=16251

Ned.


marktigere1 - 10/8/04 at 09:22 AM

Are we not seeing the future?

All kit cars must embrace front wheel drive donors eventually as Sierra's run out? Fancied a Mojo myself until I added up the eventual cost?? (2 kids wife etc etc)


mangogrooveworkshop - 10/8/04 at 09:24 AM

Robin Hood did the same thing with mini metro donar. A few years back now but never put it to market. Project was for sale with the KIAG thing. They sold to that to some punter under the banner "Own your own kit car biz."


mangogrooveworkshop - 10/8/04 at 09:27 AM

quote:
Originally posted by marktigere1
Are we not seeing the future?

All kit cars must embrace front wheel drive donors eventually as Sierra's run out? Fancied a Mojo myself until I added up the eventual cost?? (2 kids wife etc etc)
Just move onto BMW rear wheel drive and freelander diffs with bec power!


marktigere1 - 10/8/04 at 09:39 AM

Nice!!!


DaveFJ - 10/8/04 at 10:48 AM

quote:
Originally posted by marktigere1
Are we not seeing the future?

All kit cars must embrace front wheel drive donors eventually as Sierra's run out? Fancied a Mojo myself until I added up the eventual cost?? (2 kids wife etc etc)




EH??

The MR2 donor is mid engined rear wheel drive ??

as is the resultant car


liam.mccaffrey - 10/8/04 at 11:05 AM

i am building something similar but with the engine from a daewoo nubira(FWD), nice to see it though ugly as it is

where's the fuel tank?


locoboy - 10/8/04 at 11:06 AM

just incase you missed my reply in the other section


FUGLY IMHO

Wouldnt be seen to be making it let alone driving the horror.


TheGecko - 10/8/04 at 01:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by marktigere1
All kit cars must embrace front wheel drive
donors eventually as Sierra's run out?
Originally posted by protofj
EH??

The MR2 donor is mid engined rear wheel drive ?? as is the resultant car

I think the point that marktigere1 is making is that transverse FWD donors are the future. The MR2 is just Corolla running gear mounted behind the cabin instead of infront. In the same way, the X1/9 is 128 drivetrain and the MGF/Mk1 Elise Metro. The latest Elise is, of course, back to Corolla/Celica running gear (Toyota 2ZZ-GE/6-spd package).

I'm building a mid-engined clubman with Corolla drivetrain. I agree with the comments that the example illustrated above is not aesthetically perfect I spent a VERY long time sketching and modelling to get something close to acceptable proportions. I still won't really know until it's built but the model seems OK - here's the nearly finished 1:10 model to give some idea of where I'm going.


Dominic
Brisbane, Australia
http://www.DIYSportsCar.org

[Edited on 10/8/2004 by TheGecko]

[Edited on 10/8/2004 by TheGecko]


sgraber - 10/8/04 at 03:18 PM

It's gonna go this way... Mid-engine that is... You can already see the mindset shifting as we definitely are seeing a spate of scratch built middies and even the established kit makers are researching and designing. It may take a while till someone gets a shape that is acceptable, at a cost that is acceptable, with weight and performance that is comparable to a seven style. But it WILL happen sooner than later. And I'm hoping that it's ME and ALAN that get there! Right Alan?! (In the USA that is.)

Dominic, have you had a chance to build your body as a model in 3D yet so we can rotate it around and get a virtual feel for the proportions? To me it looks very close to that image that was posted. Which BTW the guy did a great job of packaging. But you can certainly tell that the line is not the same. Problem is that the Seven contingent is fixated on the original shape.

Funny how some of you say it looks f-ugly when the opinion of most people on the planet is that the original 7 looks fooking ugly too! I happen to love the form follows function of the little 7!

Graber

"Plastics, the future is plastics"


derf - 10/8/04 at 04:37 PM

Personally I was never a fan of the 7 shape, but the performance figures dont lie, it's a quick and nimble car, and for the price it's costing me to build (so far) I love the way it looks (especially with a full wallet). That being said yes the one in the other thread is a bit "off" in its dimensions, but for being a test figure and not knowing what research he did prior to building it...

Plus what does he care, as long as the owner is happe thats all that matters.

Steve, I hope my mid engine car is done before the kit car manufacturers catch up, and I havnt even styarted on it yet, or finished the current build.


TheGecko - 11/8/04 at 12:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by sgraber
Dominic, have you had a chance to build your body as a model in 3D yet so we can rotate it around and get a virtual feel for the proportions? To me it looks very close to that image that was posted. Which BTW the guy did a great job of packaging. But you can certainly tell that the line is not the same.


Steve,

I have neither the time or the resources (read that as 'ability' ) to create a 3D computer model. I haven't finished the 1:10 physical model either - instead I'm just building at 1:1 and hoping for the best

I think that my car resembles the posted one but only because it must due to the shared intent and layout. I feel the builder has made a couple of significant errors that affect the looks for the worse. Primarily, he's left not one, but two descending style lines - the belt line under the ugly little louvre panel; and the line around the engine cover area. Lines that dip to the rear like that do not evoke a sporty look. I went to a fair bit of effort to keep those sort of lines either rising or level, particularly the engine cover with its recessed louvered sides to help hide its height.

I'm a long way from being finished (to put it mildly) but once I've got the basic chassis close to complete I'll probably give it some temporary panels (hardboard or even cardboard) and squirt a coat of paint over it to check the looks.

Dominic
PS Hope your back is feeling better. I know what you mean about getting old I turned 40 on Monday 2nd and sometimes lately I feel much, much older


liam.mccaffrey - 11/8/04 at 01:32 PM

i agree with gecko those downlines are not good, i don't like the font though either it doesn't seem to know what its doing either have a full 7 type nose (like i will) or have a front a bit like the dragon F1 car pictured a few weeks ago. it looks to me like its trying to be a bit of both.

also the paint job lets it down.

i don't want to slag this car off as i quite like it, its just it could be so much more just by changing a few details and getting a tidy paint job.

P.S.
this is the closest pic i have seen to what my car is like in my mind


kb58 - 11/8/04 at 03:31 PM

I read this whole thread before looking at the car under discussion. It doesn't look bad to me and keeps to the intent of Colin Chapman. Yes the engine cover could be done a little better but I give him full points for actually finishing. He's out there driving while we, a bunch of arm-chair critics, point out his "failings." Maybe if we spent more time building we'd actually be driving too.

How are we going to answer the pointy question, "Why'd you do it this way? It looks all wrong, I wouldn't have do it like that." We answer this way, "When you build your car you can do whatever you want!"

He's done and we aren't. And once we finish ours, you can bet there's going to be plenty of negative comments about them too!


[Edited on 11/8/04 by kb58]


derf - 11/8/04 at 03:40 PM

I thought I was plenty positive, "if it makes him happy, blah blah blah"


Alan B - 11/8/04 at 03:50 PM

KB...great post...

You are dead right.


liam.mccaffrey - 11/8/04 at 03:56 PM

i didn't think this thread was at all negative, i regret if my own reply was taken as such.

the discusion was about design points there is nothing wrong with that.

as for arm-chair critics i have the utmost repect for anyone building especially people doing their own thing and even more for people who have finished, i don't see the problem with swapping opinions on other peoples work.


i know sometimes written responses can be taken differently to the way they are meant, i just want anyone who reads this to know it was written in good spirits and with a smile


kb58 - 11/8/04 at 04:04 PM

Huh? No, not you specifically, it's just the overall slant of the discussion. I try to resist (not always successfully) not putting down other people's cars because I know the same thing is going to come my way.


liam.mccaffrey - 11/8/04 at 04:08 PM

you are right, i would be reluctant to put my own work up for scrutiny for the same reason. but i will probably bite the bullet and do it when the time comes.

at the end of the day as kb rightly said each to their own and build what you like some will like it other won't


Cita - 11/8/04 at 04:54 PM

I think the guy has done a great job and as i said in the other thread,the look of the locost 7 is not all that different from what the guy has created.
I'm sure that with a little stretching here and there the difference in body style will be completely according the 7 lines.
This is the way things will go in the future,no doubt about that(rear engine i mean)


spunky - 12/8/04 at 08:03 AM

As i have finished building a Middy I may as well comment.
I too reckon more MECs will begin to appear as th doners run out, we are a resourceful bunch and the lack of RWD doners wont stop us.
As for asthetics. I've always believed the ME format is very difficult to to get the proportions right, its very difficult to get away from the 'big arse' on a small car. Even the big boys get it wrong, MGF for example (IMHO).
The subject of this post is essentially a Seven with driver and engine redistributed, as a result has the same appeal of a Seven (you likes 'em or you dont) Personally I feel its a natural development and Mr Chapman would approve.
Alan and Steve are certainly leading the way, and are producing two beautiful and different cars.
Mine on the other hand suffers greatly with 'Fat Arse' syndrome but it is a very small car, but I like the front. Rescued attachment spider 09.jpg
Rescued attachment spider 09.jpg


liam.mccaffrey - 12/8/04 at 12:32 PM

i really like the back of yours


TheGecko - 12/8/04 at 01:51 PM

I must agree that the car in question is better than mine and many others by simple fact of actually being finished

quote:
As for asthetics. I've always believed the ME format is very difficult to to get the proportions right, its very difficult to get away from the 'big arse' on a small car.
[snip]
Mine on the other hand suffers greatly with 'Fat Arse' syndrome but it is a very small car, but I like the front.
Spunky,
Fat Arse syndrome is the curse of the small middy. I battled with it for a LONG time. I think what I've come up with works pretty well but only time and final construction will really tell. Here's a pic of the 1:10 models backside to give some idea.


Dominic


spunky - 12/8/04 at 02:39 PM

I would agree Dominic, the model looks good. proportions are right. It is, I assume a seven inspired middy, therefore options are limited unless you go full bodied/make the car bigger, which misses the whole point. Good work I say, also you have my respect as you are scratch building, I had no input into body design of mine, that was A certain Lee Noble. He did go on to design truly beautiful cars though.

Thanks Liam but I dont like the back, I really think it needs a descreet spoiler to break up the 'slab'
This shows it better. Rescued attachment spider 07.jpg
Rescued attachment spider 07.jpg


sgraber - 12/8/04 at 03:32 PM

Spunky, what tail lights are those? And what are the dimensions? If you don't mind my asking?

Can you also give me a dimension from the axle centerline to the bulkhead just in front of the engine?

BTW- (Ass ends are big on my mind lately) I look at all of them. Cars and womens that is...

[Edited on 8/12/04 by sgraber]


ned - 12/8/04 at 03:42 PM

spunky,

either a spoiler or a nice hamper or a spare wheel would break up that back panel nicely

Ned.


spunky - 12/8/04 at 09:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ned
spunky,

either a spoiler or a nice hamper or a spare wheel would break up that back panel nicely

Ned.




You may laugh Ned, but I have actually been on the lookout for one of those small suction fit boot racks I have no shame you know and even less luggage space

Steve, I got the lights from Europa, but they are a fairly common 'sports' light fitting. About 4" diameter.
I'll give you exact centre line to bulkhead measurement when when I get to the car, got a leg in plaster at the mo and the car is kept elsewhere. There are some bad pictures in my archive with a tape measure to scale the engine bay that may give you a clue.

john

Just had a look at photo, it shows the diff but not the bulkhead. I would guess at 700mm.

[Edited on 12/8/04 by spunky]