Alan B
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 02:36 PM |
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Recap and updates?
OK, the progress on some of our middie projects is well documented, but let's post brief updates to see where we are all at.......
Me..
I'm currently working on body work issues...mounting the body, hinging the rear end, scratching my head over the headlights and then moving
towards painting the thing.....
Anyone else?
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TheGecko
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 02:54 PM |
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OK, I'll go next 
I'm (hopefully) coming out of the end of 12 months of serious personal, health & financial problems for both me and my immediate family. It
has honestly been the worst year of my life. However, one of the things that has kept me vertical has been the desire to get back to work on my car.
Lack of finances has prevented any real work but I have been working on a finalised chassis layout (as attached below).
Our second annual national clubman roundup is on in a few weeks and I hope to return from that re-invigorated and ready to launch back into
construction.
 
Chassis model 3 - incomplete
Next?
Dominic
[Edited on 10/10/2005 by TheGecko]
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suparuss
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 05:16 PM |
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great stuff!
im still messing with my chassis. ive got me engine mounted now- still got the gearbox mount to sort out but i want to get the wishbones sorted first
(if i can find a supplier that actually wants to sell me some) so i can be sure the box is in the right place.
 
engine mounted
[Edited on 10/10/05 by suparuss]
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Fred W B
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 06:10 PM |
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Nice idea for a thread Alan, sort of a roll call of all who are currently on here and planning / building middengined cars.
Okay, I've just finished getting together every single thing I need to run the engine.
Once I have got some damn builders, painters and plumbers out from underfoot (usual story, every thing that is supposed to take a week actually takes
three), I can get back into the garage and bolt it all into the proto chassis, and actually start it!
The Guy who is converting the scanned body info into a set of templates for the buck has been told, today, that I want to start buck constuction this
year yet!
Cheers
Fred WB
[Edited on 10/10/05 by Fred W B]
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kb58
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 07:48 PM |
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My turn,
The doors, passenger compartment, and engine cover of Kimini have been painted, only the nose remains. After that's done it needs a complete
going-over to ensure everything's tight then it'll be on the road!
Of course "done" is relative as there's a million details, one being the fuel pumps some bonehead (me) mounted on the paneling; when
inside the car they're rediculously loud - they have to move. Then there's the side and rear windows, but they can come later.
It's been a very long road.
[Edited on 10/10/05 by kb58]
Mid-engine Locost - http://www.midlana.com
And the book - http://www.lulu.com/shop/kurt-bilinski/midlana/paperback/product-21330662.html
Kimini - a tube-frame, carbon shell, Honda Prelude VTEC mid-engine Mini: http://www.kimini.com
And its book -
http://www.lulu.com/shop/kurt-bilinski/kimini-how-to-design-and-build-a-mid-engine-sports-car-from-scratch/paperback/product-4858803.html
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robinbastd
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 08:48 PM |
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Nothing much car related to report sadly.
2005 has been the busiest year I've ever had,which is a good thing I suppose.
By the end of the year I'll be living in the countryside with a huge garage.
2006 will be my year of the car! I've got most of the bits,all I need is the big bracket to hang them off!
Ian
Only a dead fish swims with the tide.
http://smuttygifts.com/
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Triton
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 09:16 PM |
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Tubular art sounds better than bracket
My Daughter has taken over production of the damn fine Triton race seats and her contact email is emmatrs@live.co.uk.
www.tritonraceseats.com
www.hairyhedgehog.com
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robinbastd
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 09:51 PM |
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I stand corrected.
All I need is the "tubular art" to hang the stuff from.
Happy?
Ian
Only a dead fish swims with the tide.
http://smuttygifts.com/
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sgraber
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| posted on 10/10/05 at 10:20 PM |
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Here I am, late to the party as usual... 
It's been a long, hot, busy summer for me. Never mind that building the plug has been the hardest part of the entire project. x10.... Work,
family and life in general have me by the short and curlies, the car (my girlfriend as my wife refers to it) is a distant third place right now.
Shaping and reshaping is completed. The car is on a rolling stand and I'm on my 2nd coat of Laminex (a hi-fill primer used for plug finishing)
and expect to need 2 more coats with a whole bunch of sanding and such in between coats.
I'm actually seriously considering hiring a local company or person to finish the job for me since I can't seem to get more than 2 hours
per week to work on it.
But aside from that, I am still making progress and I still enjoy the process. I dig it.
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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andygtt
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| posted on 11/10/05 at 08:22 AM |
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Are some of you guys building prototype cars for later production?
I'm really not looking forward to making the buck and moulds, seems a huge amount of work for a 1 off to me..... but I don't think there
is any other option
Andy
please redefine your limits.
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Alan B
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| posted on 11/10/05 at 12:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by andygtt
Are some of you guys building prototype cars for later production?
I'm really not looking forward to making the buck and moulds, seems a huge amount of work for a 1 off to me..... but I don't think there
is any other option
For me, yes, future production would be nice. However, I'd still do it this way if I was certain I was only doing one...easy spare panels etc.
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kb58
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| posted on 11/10/05 at 01:59 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by andygtt
I'm really not looking forward to making the buck and moulds, seems a huge amount of work for a 1 off to me..... but I don't think there
is any other option
There are always options. Aren't you designing an Ultima/GT40-shaped type of car? Why can't you buy an existing shell? That would save
you literally 100s of hours.
Mid-engine Locost - http://www.midlana.com
And the book - http://www.lulu.com/shop/kurt-bilinski/midlana/paperback/product-21330662.html
Kimini - a tube-frame, carbon shell, Honda Prelude VTEC mid-engine Mini: http://www.kimini.com
And its book -
http://www.lulu.com/shop/kurt-bilinski/kimini-how-to-design-and-build-a-mid-engine-sports-car-from-scratch/paperback/product-4858803.html
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JC
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| posted on 11/10/05 at 03:25 PM |
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New donor engine propped in chassis on blocks. Made rear suspension top mounts last night and will start work on the engine mounts tomorrow - have
been delayed for a month by the decision to change donor cars!!!!!
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Garbrand
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 07:20 AM |
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Oh guys, am I itching to start building... Just bought a house with a double size garage (and conveniently my neighbour is a racing engineer ) now
my head is in the books (chassis engineering, competition car suspension) building up my knowledge. Got a new CAD station and the first batch of
prototyping tools.
Garagistes!
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Alan B
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 05:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Fred W B
Nice idea for a thread Alan, sort of a roll call of all who are currently on here and planning / building middengined cars.......
Thanks Fred, that was the plan...I think we need to do it every so often.
Just added a few more pics on my site,
http://www.desicodesign.com/meerkat/Bodywork%204.htm#bottom
If anyone is interested.
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Fred W B
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 06:07 PM |
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Ja Alan. I remember a picture on your site of you in your shop that you titled something like
"loneliness of a scratch builder".
Helps to know somebody understands what we are doing!
Cheers
Fred WB
[Edited on 12/10/05 by Fred W B]
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andygtt
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 06:13 PM |
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I have also updated my site with some more uptodate pics of the chassis.
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/andycanam/page4.html
to answer kimini, your on the right lines as I do have some body bits that will be used as a point of departure.... but my car is 6'6"
wide so I don't have any choice but to DIY.
Andy
please redefine your limits.
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iank
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 06:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by andygtt
I have also updated my site with some more uptodate pics of the chassis.
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/andycanam/page4.html
Have you thought about lower profile tyres?
You can almost see the rubber around the edge of the wheel on those ones you've fitted! 
On a more serious note it's already looking very fast just sitting on the chassis table - well done that man (and everyone brave enough to
scratch build)
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sgraber
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 06:31 PM |
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Yeah Andy, that's looking very tidy. That is one impressive block! Any estimates for finished weight?
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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andygtt
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 06:41 PM |
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Thanks
I'm actually going to increase the sidewall quite a bit on the rear as they are 25 profile at the moment
The current target/estimate of weight is 1100kgs wet (85litre tank planned) which is same weight as an Ultima GTR with a heavy SBC...... The biggest
variable on weight will be how light I can make the body.
Andy
please redefine your limits.
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kb58
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 07:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by andygtt
to answer kimini, your on the right lines as I do have some body bits that will be used as a point of departure.... but my car is 6'6"
wide so I don't have any choice but to DIY.
How about buying a body, cutting it straight down the center, and widening it? Still tons easier then starting from scratch.
Mid-engine Locost - http://www.midlana.com
And the book - http://www.lulu.com/shop/kurt-bilinski/midlana/paperback/product-21330662.html
Kimini - a tube-frame, carbon shell, Honda Prelude VTEC mid-engine Mini: http://www.kimini.com
And its book -
http://www.lulu.com/shop/kurt-bilinski/kimini-how-to-design-and-build-a-mid-engine-sports-car-from-scratch/paperback/product-4858803.html
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Alan B
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| posted on 12/10/05 at 08:52 PM |
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Yep, from my experience it is much easier making a new plug from an existing (though heavily modified) body than completely from scratch.
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turbo time
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| posted on 14/10/05 at 02:29 PM |
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...meh, don't know what's going on with the ole' car these days. Hope my old man hasn't buried it under too much crap.
The Projects: www.absurdcars.com
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RallyHarry
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| posted on 14/10/05 at 09:01 PM |
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Going back to the original topic,
I've finished my "ride height laser" and just about to figure out how to use that information to control the servos that's
controling the valves in the suspension.
In other words, doing the electronics while sourcing parts ... and building a greenhouse for the wife
Cheers
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Rorty
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| posted on 15/10/05 at 03:34 AM |
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Two of my cars have bitten the dust, but hopefully only temporarily. The fabricators in Alice Springs did the dirty on me and broke their side of the
agreement which I suppose is a possibility when they're hundreds of kilometres away from me. They are ideally located in some of
Australia's historic off-road racing territory, so it's a big disapointment.
I would still like to see the designs come to fruition as there's quite a bit of international interest in them, so I hope to get someone else
to pick up the fabricating and testing of the two cars.
Meanwhile, another of my cars is being built and tested by a Canadian company, beginning next week. Although I have largely completed my involvement
in the project, it's always good to follow the developments.
Unfortunately I don't get my hands dirty anymore so I have no interesting pics for show & tell.
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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