TheGecko
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| posted on 20/4/04 at 02:53 PM |
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Finally some progress
Hi all,
Finally, after a LOOOOONG period of inactivity, I'm making active progress on the car. I've made a start on an updated website and the
first progress photo (such as it is) can be seen there now on the build diary. Web address is now http://www.diysportscar.com/ - note .com
not the old .org address (although that will be redirected to it very soon).
Anyway, not much to see yet but glad to be making progress.
Dominic
Brisbane, Australia
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pbura
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| posted on 20/4/04 at 03:28 PM |
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Interesting to see how you have come up with very simple and elegant solutions to problems with struts and bodywork, and the car's looking very
good!
Pete
P.S. I hope to be able to make a similar declaration of progress within the next couple of months.
Pete
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Geoff011
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| posted on 20/4/04 at 10:34 PM |
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Bravo!
Well done, Dominic!
The dream is finally moving into reality!
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sgraber
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| posted on 21/4/04 at 01:31 AM |
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Yahooo! 
Dominic, We have known each other (virtually) for over 2 years. I am so very happy to see that your project is finally starting to take physical form.
Considering all the research time you have into your project, I'm willing to place my bet right now that you will end up with a fine car!
Congratulations!
Graber
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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Alan B
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| posted on 21/4/04 at 11:55 AM |
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I'll echo all Steve has said.....
It's gonna be a good one...
It should progress pretty quickly now...
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TheGecko
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| posted on 22/4/04 at 01:39 PM |
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Thanks everyone for the support. I hope Steve and Alan are right and that all the pre-planning etc will be worth it. That said, I found myself
making ad hoc decisions as I was cutting a few tubes. It was strangely liberating to just say "what the hell, I'll make it that size and
deal with any consequences later"
Who was it who said "It isn't the work, it's the decisions" ? They were very right.
We have a three day weekend both this one and the next so some more slightly accelerated progress is probable. I'm going to add a Components
page to the web site too to show all of the major bits I've sourced so far. I suppose I'll need an Introduction video as well 
Thanks again all. I really don't think I would be at this stage without the genuine support and assistance I've received, both online and
off.
Dominic (with welding burns on his hands and damned happy )
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Alan B
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| posted on 22/4/04 at 03:18 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by TheGecko
Who was it who said "It isn't the work, it's the decisions" ?
Allan Staniforth in High Speed Low Cost
Yes, soooooooo true..
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sgraber
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| posted on 22/4/04 at 03:51 PM |
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You're absolutely right. It is the decisions.
The reason your planning phase will be so handy is this;
Without planning - when you come to a decision fork, there is a high likelyhood to make the wrong decision.
With planning - you are almost certainly going to make the right decision. Even though you may not be aware at the time why you made the choice you
did!
You've probably built 10 cars virtually in your mind. Yours should be a piece of cake!
Graber
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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TheGecko
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| posted on 23/4/04 at 01:25 AM |
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quote:
You've probably built 10 cars virtually in your mind. Yours should be a piece of cake!
If only it were as few as 10!! I always carry a sketch book and I'm continually jotting down ideas that occur to me. My dear, sweet,
tolerant wife is now used to me sitting in bed with my sketch book, muttering to myself and scribbling new arrangements of suspension mounts.
That said, due to this sort of continuous redesign, my rear suspension is now simplified to the point that, to make it any simpler, I'd need to
bolt the wheels straight to the chassis Single transverse arm (50x25x2 tube, ~400 long) with factory ball joint at outer end and 5/8" rose
joint at inner (too big really but I got them basically for free). Single ~500mm trailing arm with simple poly bushes at each end. Toe arm made from
standard tie rod and an undecided inner joint - I might buy some 3/8" rose joints or maybe even use standard tie rod ends and get a taper bush
machined for the chassis mount. Only three mounts needed on the chassis each side - less things to get wrong Shortened strut on top and all done.
Top chassis pickup is a short piece of ~100mm tube with a plate on the end of it, slotted for camber adjustment. This design is probably 60% of the
complexity of my first draft strut plan and 25% of the work that would have been needed for the de Dion (which looks simple but isn't
really).
More soon. Thanks again guys.
Dominic
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Geoff011
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| posted on 23/4/04 at 05:19 AM |
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Dominic,
Where are you locating the inner mount for the transverse arm? I assume behind the axle line? I guess that the engine and box compromise the locations
somewhat?
I'm very interested in your solution - it sounds almost perfect!
Regarding the front, you could almost re-use the ends of the standard Gemini lower arms and then weld your tubes to this, thereby enabling the use of
the standard ball joint. Although this will probably look pretty ordinary, and, as I type, I realise that you will use your proposed 3mm plate mount
as your shock mount as well?
Cheers!
Geoff.
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sgraber
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| posted on 23/4/04 at 11:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by TheGecko
... my rear suspension is now simplified to the point that, to make it any simpler, I'd need to bolt the wheels straight to the chassis
Single transverse arm (50x25x2 tube, ~400 long) with factory ball joint at outer end and 5/8" rose joint at inner (too big really but I got them
basically for free). Single ~500mm trailing arm with simple poly bushes at each end. Toe arm made from standard tie rod and an undecided inner joint
- I might buy some 3/8" rose joints or maybe even use standard tie rod ends and get a taper bush machined for the chassis mount. Only three
mounts needed on the chassis each side - less things to get wrong Shortened strut on top and all done. Top chassis pickup is a short piece of
~100mm tube with a plate on the end of it, slotted for camber adjustment.
Dominic
I am trying to solve this in my mind... It's a thicket of thorns in there mind you so bear with me!
As I see it, you are replicating the existing MR2 rear suspension design. That's certainly not a bad thing mind you. Certainly keeps it
simple. I am really looking forward to seeing how you build it and above all, how it works out in the handling department. It's neat how
You, Me (I?) and Alan have each come up with a different solution for the rear suspension.
Graber
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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TheGecko
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| posted on 24/4/04 at 12:42 AM |
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Geoff and Steve,
Here's a quick sketch of the proposed rear suspension. The inner location point is indeed behind the axle line because of clearance issues. The
final result is very similar to the AW11 MR2 rear.
 
Quick sketch of rear suspensio
My main concern is using plain poly bushes at each end of the trailing arm. I'm hopeful that the amount of twist they'll see will be
limited by the length of the arm and the limited suspension travel. Time will tell
Dominic
[Edited on 24/4/2004 by TheGecko]
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sgraber
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| posted on 24/4/04 at 08:50 PM |
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The AW11 uses a rubber sandwich T/C rod down on the lower control arm. I am confident that your poly bushings will have much less flex than the
original Toyota factory solution.
Graber
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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Geoff011
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| posted on 25/4/04 at 05:56 AM |
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I like it!
I can feel a bout of plagarism coming on...
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pbura
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| posted on 25/4/04 at 12:20 PM |
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A very firm material (e.g., acetal) on the wheel end of the tie rod would firm things up greatly.
Very SLICK, Dominic! 
Pete
Pete
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