the reason i ask is i am building a triumph spitfire
its a complete body off restoration with a few mods ( well lots of mods)
from the outside it going to look standard apart from 15" wheels
spec
2.0 zetec with zx9r carbs ( will eventually be injected)
mt75 gearbox
scooby diff
mx5 rear uprights with custom wishbones coilovers (getting rid of transverse leaf spring)
mx5 rear disc brakes
mx5 front hubs
clio cup 185mm front discs with brembo 4 pots
15" rh cup alloys
rover 25 leather seats with custom subframes
wallnut dash
everything retrimed with black leather
registered 1972 so free road tax
all the parts have been sourced & build is going to start after christmas ( got to finish house or wife will castrate me)
plan is to finish it by april 2013 the travell around europe
does this qualify as a locost build
To me LOCOST on this forum is a home built 7 type car
i think of your car more like a retro rider car like on Retro Riders forum
That's only my opinion
Jacko
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi
[Edited on 16/11/11 by jacko]
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
To me LOCOST on this forum is a home built 7 type car
i think of your car more like a retro rider car like on Retro Riders forum
That's only my opinion
Jacko
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi
[Edited on 16/11/11 by jacko]
The Non Locoster debate came out recently - I dont know what the problem is.....
The home car building game is constantly evolving, as people build and experiment. This is a really good site, with lots of answers.
For me its better off having loads of subscribers, who can generally come up with a quick answer, than having to wait four days for an answer.
However I hear where your coming from..
- Its just the sites popularity growing imho
A locost in my opinion is a 7 style car as cheap as you can possibly build it to you own spec. The only reason i say this is because not all of us have all of the skills to build from scratch.
locost is relative. builder is the only important thing to me, don't let them put you off!
Blast....... looks like I've got to go to retrorides.
Bye All 
LOCUST is what symbolises a cheaper end '7' type for me. Locost, just means either DIY or to a budget. For example, i like to make most of the things i need as best i can, improvising where possible. Buying a kit and assempling it or getting someone else to do it isnt really in the spirit of kit car building IMO.
It does in my book.
Not a lot of difference between a MX5 Ferrari Look alike, Sierra Cobra look alike or Zetec Spitfire look alike.
Penny wise may spend more on my build than you will and I bet there are some 7's that have a load more invested in them.
IMHO Its about the amateur build, knowledge share and mad mad fun 
To be honest who gives a sh*t! Its a great forum, with great people and masses of knowledge. AND ITS FREE! Thats good enough for me.
As above a Locust is a DIY variant on a the lotus 7 of mid late 60's
IMO a frankenstein Spitfire is not, by any stretch.
Curiously, why are you going that route? A 'restored' Spit has some eventual resale value probably even a significant one.
A Mods 'special' won't even approximate the price of it's parts.
If you want to "tour" buy an MX 5. A Better machine, from the outset, than the 'altered' spit could ever be.
As bonus SWMBO won't feel the need to chase you with a cleaver :-).
If this site was just for Locost 7 style cars then why is it advertised in ppc mag which has alsorts in it. locost was a name given by Ron Champion to
a 7 style scratch built car but this site in my opinion is for anything with an engine in or engineered and built or modified by the owner so making
it low cost as opposed to paying someone to build it for you.
Ive now started getting ppc instead of kit car mags because Im bored of just looking at kit cars.
So stay mate and keep involved.
Russ
[Edited on 16/11/11 by fazerruss]
I've never built a Locost or even owned a se7en. I suppose I'd better go and find somewhere else to loiter...
Incidentally, with all those mods, the Spitfire won't be tax free anymore once it's been registered correctly....
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
To me LOCOST on this forum is a home built 7 type car
i think of your car more like a retro rider car like on Retro Riders forum
That's only my opinion
Jacko
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi
[Edited on 16/11/11 by jacko]
So all the people on the 3 wheeler, mid engine sections aren't welcome?
As I mentioned the other day the boss had a post years ago saying (and I'm paraphrasing since the post is gone now) pretty much that anyone
building a car was welcome.
A true locost only includes builds from the Ron Champion version of the book, so following the 'only a locost 7 route' we should not allow
anyone with an MK, MNR, Haynes Roadster etc join in?
The great thing about this forum is anyone who is building something interesting is welcome...
no it's not a 'Locost' but if your building something interesting from a variety of old car parts who cares! A. at least you're actually building something and B. it's definitely in the spirit of building an original Locost so you have as much right to be here as pretty much any of the rest of us
quote:
Originally posted by iank
So all the people on the 3 wheeler, mid engine sections aren't welcome?
As I mentioned the other day the boss had a post years ago saying (and I'm paraphrasing since the post is gone now) pretty much that anyone building a car was welcome.
A true locost only includes builds from the Ron Champion version of the book, so following the 'only a locost 7 route' we should not allow anyone with an MK, MNR, Haynes Roadster etc join in?
The great thing about this forum is anyone who is building something interesting is welcome...
By the way my car is NOT a locost its a MK indy with a chassis i bought 
so if we are going to what some of you are saying there will be lots leaving
NOT ME im here for ever
and i hope you all will too
Jacko
Some very strange responses amongst these
There also seems to be some confusion over Locost & Locust; for the record, Locost referred to the Ron
Champion build & Locust refers to a wood framed 7 style car no longer made, however, surely locost (without the capital "L" ) is just
that, anything which doesn't cost a fortune to build?
Is the Forum changing & suddenly making probably around 25% of its membership unwelcome???
I have always taken this to be an engineering forum! Yes, look at the logo & it's not hard to see where the general leanings of the forum are
going to be, but it's supposed to welcome anyone & everyone with great knowledge or very little, those of us with greater knowledge helping
out those with less.
Personally I've had loads of off topic Q's about household plumbing, electronics, computing etc. answered & have also been able to
answer many car, engine & engineering Q's where my knowledge lies.
I love the sound of the Spit as described, sounds like it should make a real Q car, & providing the mods don't involve modding the chassis
(which I'm sure with care they won't 
) then I can't see why it shoud affect its tax free status.
Good luck with it & enjoy your build!
Locostbuilder to me is about the mentality.
Tolerant of people going their own route.
Supportive of ideas that save a few quid.
Encouraging other people to DIY rather than just laying out cash.
I know this might not come across from all contributors, but mostly I like to think that they mean well
quote:
Originally posted by jacko
quote:
Originally posted by iank
So all the people on the 3 wheeler, mid engine sections aren't welcome?
As I mentioned the other day the boss had a post years ago saying (and I'm paraphrasing since the post is gone now) pretty much that anyone building a car was welcome.
A true locost only includes builds from the Ron Champion version of the book, so following the 'only a locost 7 route' we should not allow anyone with an MK, MNR, Haynes Roadster etc join in?
The great thing about this forum is anyone who is building something interesting is welcome...
Who said no one was welcome ? i have not found that, The question at the top of the page was what do you consider as locost i always thought it came from the book
Ron Champion build a locost for £250
or am i wrong ?
Jacko
[Edited on 16/11/11 by jacko]
[Edited on 16/11/11 by jacko]
especially as I'm still planning something very small L locost myself. The Locost site is also good for the odd debate as well......
None of the other sites I get on, can answer questions like this one can - Lets face it why go anywhere else, Plumbing, televisions,tax returns,
babies, Land Rovers, it does a bit of everything.
And we dont fall out often either -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locost
So it must be true
The OP's question was not "Am I welcome here?"
quote:
I love the sound of the Spit as described, sounds like it should make a real Q car, & providing the mods don't involve modding the chassis (which I'm sure with care they won't ) then I can't see why it shoud affect its tax free status.
quote:
I love the sound of the Spit as described, sounds like it should make a real Q car, & providing the mods don't involve modding the chassis (which I'm sure with care they won't ) then I can't see why it shoud affect its tax free status.
Historic vehicle points system;
1= engine.
5= chassis.
2= transmission.
2= steering.
2= suspension.
2= axles.
8 points required for historic vehicle status.
To me Locost is an ethos, using your ingenuity and skill to make your project as good as you can with as much of your own or collective input as you
are able. It's gone beyond making a 7 lookalike from a book with plans ( ) and vague measurements in it.
The question was "What do you consider locost?"
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
To me Locost is an ethos, using your ingenuity and skill to make your project as good as you can with as much of your own or collective input as you are able. It's gone beyond making a 7 lookalike from a book with plans (
Aye it appears to have transcended the single make idea and we've made it encompass what (I suppose) is the opposite of paying someone else to make you a custom build sports car.
Being a Locostbuilder involves using your ingenuity as much as possible and your wallet as little as possible to produce an individual car.
quote:
Originally posted by phelpsa
Being a Locostbuilder involves using your ingenuity as much as possible and your wallet as little as possible to produce an individual car.
quote:
Originally posted by phelpsa
Being a Locostbuilder involves using your ingenuity as much as possible and your wallet as little as possible to produce an individual car.
quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Knock it!!
quote:
Originally posted by DixieTheKid
A locost in my opinion is a 7 style car as cheap as you can possibly build it to you own spec. The only reason i say this is because not all of us have all of the skills to build from scratch.
...if you know so much about astro-navigation, how come you ended up in Spain?
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
...if you know so much about astro-navigation, how come you ended up in Spain?
locost is building a sportcar for £250 not like anyone has done that since the late 80's or early 90's
quote:
Originally posted by Neville Jones
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
...if you know so much about astro-navigation, how come you ended up in Spain?
If you've ever tried to look at a star through a sextant, yet alone even find one and keep it steady, you'd know the reason. Does your head in real quick.
Cheers,
Nev.
For every star sight I've taken, I took a thousand of the sun.
quote:
Originally posted by bobinspain
I'd've built it myself and saved money in the process. Just because we aren't 'hands-on' with the tools, should we be denied access to the site, community,-------car?
Respect and regards, Bob.
sorry i seem to have opened a can of worms here
the reason i chose this site is it has a mine of information, no one constantley taking the pi** ( ever been on the landy zone)
and some great looking cars
looking at the points value spiderman posted for historic tax i should be ok
chassis 5
steering 2
front suspension 1
i spoke to the local tax office & they say i shoud be ok
quote:
Originally posted by geordielad
looking at the points value spiderman posted for historic tax i should be ok
chassis 5
steering 2
front suspension 1
i spoke to the local tax office & they say i shoud be ok
and let us ALL know how you are getting on Also if in doubt ASK here first quote:
Originally posted by geordielad
looking at the points value spiderman posted for historic tax i should be ok
chassis 5
steering 2
front suspension 1
i spoke to the local tax office & they say i shoud be ok
quote:
Originally posted by geordielad
sorry i seem to have opened a can of worms here
the reason i chose this site is it has a mine of information, no one constantley taking the pi** ( ever been on the landy zone)
and some great looking cars
I´m halfway through the reading of the thread, but I don´t want Alzheimer to kick in before I have the chane to read it all..
I will add: To help those with lesser knowledge to build SAFELY!! (Including ME!!!)
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
...if you know so much about astro-navigation, how come you ended up in Spain?
For me, Locostbuilders.co.uk was originly designed to cater for what was a new era of car building, ie us "Build a sportscar for £250"
and i was one, it cost about £3000. mot'd taxed and insured on the road!!
However now, i doubt few if any are still being made, and as such, if this site only remained for the original team, this forum would be extinct
So we have over the years managed to attract lots of varients of other builders, and i believe MK was the first non Locost
I think now we have a good cross section of experience, in a variety of different fields, with some very clever knowledgable individule's
and some utter twits, hopefully i can remain somewhere in the middle!!
Steve