Im not sure if this has been posted on here before (sorry if it has) but it was bought to my attention on another forum and i just had to share.

Here

Its something a little different and that work that has gone into it is

Not totally sure a about the chasis stiffness, although im hardly chasis guru.

But the quality and sheer amount of work that has gone into the ali fabrication is if it had been me (not that i would want to undertake something like this project at the moment) i would have been lazy and gone with GRP. But its great to see someone use ali for bodywork (and just about everything else i can see )

The only thing i would say is....... Is it just me or does it seem a shame that its just using a honda i4, i mean yes it is a good engine but lots of other things spring to mind twin bike engines (mmmmm), alfa v6, v8 of some sort or even maybe a ferrari v8 out of something like a 308 (now were talking )

Has been posted before, indeed the guy is a member of this very site.
Check out Here

[Edited on 8/12/06 by Marcus]

Ah sorry should have looked a little harder....

Very impressive build though!!

Duncan,

I fully agree with you and everyone else that Dick's work is awesome.
However, I do take some offence at " i would have been lazy and gone with GRP"

Trust me, and ask others, GRP is absolutely NOT a lazy way out. I'll admit that sheet metalwork involves more skill, but the two methods must be comparable in terms of sheer time and effort.

Alan

The Didication and craftmanship of the builders. Awsome

regards

Agriv8

I agree with Alan. If only one car is being built, composite is a lot more work then aluminum.

It's great.

Only one problem.... wrong bloody Mclaren!

Cheers,
James

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan B
Duncan,

I fully agree with you and everyone else that Dick's work is awesome.
However, I do take some offence at " i would have been lazy and gone with GRP"

Trust me, and ask others, GRP is absolutely NOT a lazy way out. I'll admit that sheet metalwork involves more skill, but the two methods must be comparable in terms of sheer time and effort.

Alan

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ah, it's probably not that difficult if you have all the tools top effort though!

must be enough to write a book about it!

wish I had the time/inclination to do something like that.

Duncan,

I'm pretty sure I had an idea what you meant...that's why I only said "some" offence..

More than anything I'm just trying to keep the debate going......slow day at work here...LOL

In fact someone called me a mass debater.....at least that's what it sounded like...

Alan

quote:

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Originally posted by James
It's great.

Only one problem.... wrong bloody Mclaren!

Cheers,
James

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I suspect James means this particular model......

lol.....

I think some of the abysmal F1 replicas that there are floating around would put me off that idea.

But TBH i think that i would take a Lola T70 over an F1...... might have to factor in a new Gf as well after i moved it into the living room so that i could drool over more easily.

"mass-debater" ! LOL THat was funny!

Whether making one or 100, the difficulty cost and skill required to make the GRP molds does not change. It is a huuge undertaking and I would be willing to challenge the notion that metalworking a body is more difficult. HOWEVER - never having made a body out of aluminum I am unqualified to make that statement.

OTOH: since I have successfully made a car body out of GRP - of my own design - not a copy of anything - from the ground up - I am telling you that it is one of the most difficult things a layperson could endeavour to do. (I am not talking about craftsmen who are experts in their respective fields) and I struggle to believe that making one out of aluminum, given the proper tools and time to learn the material properties would be any more difficult or more expensive than making molds and laying up glass.

Edit - Note to the metalworkers (Mr. Bear you here?): I am in NO WAY talking trash about metalworking! It's probably also one of the most difficult things a layperson could learn to do well.

[Edited on 12/8/06 by sgraber]

I suspected you may join in this thread Steve...LOL

Agreed, that "real" sheet metal work with compound curves (as opposed to just cut and fold) is amazingly difficult and skilled.

However, this does not mean the GRP (from scratch) is easy....not even close to easy.....

Still it's all interesting ........I just love learning new things and making stuff...

I would love to learn metalshaping. It's one of those old-world skills that seems so rare these days. I just think about those bodies made by Pinninfarina back in the 50s and how beautiful the craftsmanship was. It's artistry really.

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan B
I suspect James means this particular model......

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It's amazing to see one on the street like that. I have only seen it on a pedestal like this at the Michelin Stand at SEMA:

The McLaren F1 is composite bodied, isn't it? Better for small volume production, and also has the 'carbon' appeal.

As a bit of trivia, the new Aston Martin composite panels are being made just a few blocks down the road from me. I'm just waiting to get my hands into the waste skip!

Cheers,
Syd.

The Mclaren F1 is the most stunning supercar ever made...

But this guy has done a superb job of recreating a can-am masterpiece...

A supercharger is all it needs to give it the power to weight it deserves...

Yummy

Hey Guys,

No doubt about it, the ability to produce a vehicle in either method can be impressive and as a beginning metal shaper who has done only limited work with fabric I stand in awe when I view the work accomplished by Steve and others who have tackled the fabric method so successfully.

My only experience with glass was when I was in my teens. I had decided to ‘build a boat’ using fiberglass in the basement. I constructed a male mold using wood, mesh wire and plaster. Painted the plaster, applied some wax to the form for separation and laid-on the glass…. The year was 1958 and there were no manuals available to me nor was there the Internet with great sites like this one to draw upon for advice. The result of my novice activity was a 2-alarm fire in our basement. javascript:icon(''

It seems my mixture of resin was on the hot side of correct and as it cured the heat it generated ignited some rags that I’d used and innocently neglected to discard of properly. The house was saved and there were no reported casualties however, the charred remains of my ‘boat’ never set-sail and my parents immediately placed a ‘No fiberglass construction moratorium’ on my activities as long as I was a resident in their home.javascript:icon(''

If I am able to complete the McBearen’s body to the degree of excellence I hope to accomplish, future body shells of the modified McLaren M8B will be made of glass drawn from molds made from the aluminum body and tub.

Cheers,

Dick Bear

very nice project , there sure is some clever ppl on these forums