I've been looking into Robin Hood and have now discovered locost. I have no welding ability and a small garage, I've just looked at the MK web-site to look at there packages which seem good as well. Anybody else gone into this extensively? Can anybody recommend a good route to take for somebody who needs a kit to start? Both options seem to look like they will end up costing >£2k.

Sorry if this is basic stuff - but I'm just starting out...
Jasp

Personally, I feel you can't beat building your own car from scratch purely for satisfaction reasons if nothing else.

I've seen the 2B Robin Hood on the website and personally didn't think it looked that great compared with a lot of Locosts. Although I'm sure it's possible to improve on the web site 2B.

If you don't think you can handle the welding etc. then buy the excellent MKEngineering ( http://www.m-keenan.freeserve.co.uk/ ) chassis and parts.

If you want to build the chassis then go on a welding evening class. I've just finished the first course with Brooklands College and it's excellent. Courses like this give you loads of access to tools and facilities that'd cost thousands and take up acres otherwise.

Go on, build a Locost!


James

Thanks, really appreciated, I'll get in touch with MK and start saving.

I've been doing car maintenance at night school which has been great, but they don't do welding or anything more advanced, so it looks like I'll be posting lots of questions in the future....

I had to hunt around loads of colleges to find a course that wasn't either a year long (I wanna build it now dammit) or on a night I already did something.
Finally found the brilliant 10 week Practical Welding course at Brooklands college in Weybridge which has a brilliant ex-welder instructor who spends most of his holidays etc. topping up his teaching salary by working as a welder- ie. he really knows what he's talking about.
Now that course is over, they've even agreed to let me sign up for another session so I can build the chassis there.

I walked into the workshop on the first day and first thing I spot is a completed chassis sitting up on a cupboard- this is the place for me I thought!


Go to evening classes- it's worth it!

James

Locost, nuff said ?

go locost, the guys on this site will help you out with where and what to get. i would build one if i had the garage space....

Gotta be a Locost!
We also got our chassis from MK and all the guy's there were a great help.
But if you are intending to dabble with a bit of welding there's a good book called the welder's handbook you can find this book here www.locost-racing.co.uk

Jasper
Where are you in the UK,if near london you can come and have a butchers hook (look) at my MK chassis.
If not get yourself to one of the kit shows in the midlands/north as they are the only ones worth going too.
Southern shows are garbage i'm sorry to say.

Cheers for all the feedback - next question, Sierra engine or bike engine? I love the idea of the extra hp and the straight shifting with the gears, but how much harder are they to fit, and what about reverse? (I'm into bikes as well so it does appeal)The guy at MK seemed to think it was just as easy...

Are there any meets planned for the South East?I would love to see a few finished cars and have a good yack about them.

huray, another bike lover.... I think the bike engined cars are great, but i would do a car engined one, as i think they are a little easier, not that i am an expert, in fact i don't know much at all, i am gona stop now, before i forget.....um.....oh dear........never mind, BUILD A LOCOST!!!!!!

I wouldnt know if it is as simple to fit a bike engine as it is to fit a sierra one, but i can tell you i have had the pleasure of driving MK's Fireblade Locost and all i can say is WOW...
Go for the bike engine and have hours of fun beasting all the little boy racer's out there!

www.locost-racing.co.uk

I know MK make the cradle to hold the engine for your spec.
It's a few miles for you but really worth throwing a tent in the car and visiting one of the big shows.eg Stoneliegh or newark.

Do you have the details, dates etc for the shows??? Haven't been in a tent since the mud of Glastonbury a few years back, vowed to never do the canvas thing again....unless Radiohead are headlining - no chance of that I suppose...?

Stafford is this weekend 9/10th march.
Limelight exhibitions 01737 225857

Detling,Kent county showground
6/7th April 01233 713878

National kit car show,Stoneleigh
5/6th May 01775 712100

British sportscar day & kit show
1st/2nd June,Brooklands Museum,Weybridge
01737 225857

Newark-on-trent,Newark & Notts showground
15/16th June 01526 320721

National kit and performance show
plus track day sunday
14/15th Sept Donnington park cicuit
01737 225857

The great western kit and sports show
Exeter-Westpoint exhibition centre
16/17 Nov 01233 713878

BOB!!! you are w wealth of information, i think you should be the show meeting arranger!!!

Great stuff, are you commision???
Jasper

Kent is definitely closest, but do you know if it's any good
Jasper

your right Kent is nearer no matter where you live.
went last year,mid sized not much to buy
plenty cars to see nice weather

Jasper, I've just read the Locost / RH debate and all I can say is build a Locost from scratch. We (myself and Roland) had no idea about welding when we got 'the book'. We bought a Mig had a couple of days practice on a load of scrap, making nice shapes and then went for it! We are now the proud owners of 1 complete and registered Locost and 1 complete chassis for number 2. See www.lumby.freeserve.co.uk for details.
Just do it - you know it makes sense!

Thanks for the feedback, I've just put my name down for a summer term welding course at Crawley College. The guy who runs the course is into the idea of building the chassis, but he's got to try to find somewhere to store it. I'm now waiting for 'The Book' to arrive from Amazon......

Anybody built or building a Sierra IRS chassis from scratch? Bigdaddy's 'Brighton Fabications' site seems to have downloadable plans.

I'm also keen to use a Blade engine, any ideas who has plans for engine mountings, or should I get some pictures of somebody elses.

Am I making my life overly complicated????
Cheers Jasper

Jasper
Remember to take your camera when you visit the shows,you will get most if not all the info you need.
A tape measure is always handy as well

As a lover of sports bikes I was originally keen to go bike power being accustomed to revving happily away at 8000+ rpm and thinking nothing of it. trouble is that reverse gearbox is going to set you back a few hundred quid and likely getting the donor engine will not be as cost effective as using your car donors lump. I think you have to consider budget and knowledge when deciding which way to go also support how many others have done a bike build themselves and can offer their tips and triumphs. difficult cos the brain tends to go awol when you start imagining blatting through the sequential box with a screaming feather weight at your mercy. Has anyone actually managed to download that irs chassis file from my website? http://locostbuild.tripod.com

Bigdaddyadd,

I've had no luck with the IRS link. All the other files work and are downloadable but this just appears as a page of random ascii.
:-(

James

Love to try the downloadable plans, but I can't read autocad files, any chance of re-saving them as PDF's or something readable by the average PC? Have downloaded the plans from the guy in the US who's name escapes me...

Thanks again for the feedback. Know what you mean about awol brains...it's all so very tempting....

Ahhhh ... and I thought it was just my old PC

Hi Jasper -
I bought an MK live-axle chassis, which will shortly undergo trial build. Re your comments about welding; this chassis still needs some additional bracketry e.g. for front brake hoses, exhaust & pedal box attachment, so there will be some welding involved.

Have just returned from the Stafford show (definitely brass monkeys weather up there - nearly blown orff me feet!). RH now produce their own version of a Locost chassis, as well as their new IRS model. Looks a distinct improvement over existing RH range.

I'd still recommend MK - I'll never be able to weld that well.

Cheers
Dick Axtell

I *finally* persuaded the Tripod server to let me have the file. I've now mirrored it on here (hope that's OK Ad?)

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/New_Sierra_irs.dwg

You will still need AutoCAD to view it though.

ChrisW

Hi bigdaddyadd
the file downloads fine if you right click on it and "save as" , maybe it would be easier if it was ziped ,as it would then download normaly.

If you go for the MK sierra based indy,there is no welding at all.Even the floor mounted pedal box is in.
Its just drilling and rivnuts.

Thanks for all the feedback, I've signed up for a welding night-school this summer term (with my Grandfather-in-law who's an 80 year old petrol head and total dude)as if I've got save to buy a chassis for the next 6 months I way as well get on and make my own.

The next decision is to go by the book, live axle and use on old Cortina/Escort, or bring it into the 20th Century and go for the IRS sierra. I'm planning to go the bike engine route as I crave the horses, so would like to know what advantages there are using a Sierra donor, buildiing an IRS chassis from scratch but not using the engine. Am I better just using a live axle chassis with the bike engine? And what's the difference between an Escort & Cortina donor?

yours in ignorance
Jasper

the cortina axle is wider than the escort, but the cortina comes with uprights attached, your call.

Does that mean you have to cut down the axle, or just have a wide back end?

Having a wide back end is a must for many Locosters so I've heard....

Wide back end !!!!!!!!!!!! you saying i got a big arse ???????? lmao

Two ways, wider back end or wider arch's, i got wider arch's with 205 tyres, a lot of people sya 205 is a bit wide but i think its ok on rear, fills the arch's up anyway, don't like the caravan look you get with thinner wheels, like i said , your call

Personally I preferred the sierra as the donor because they are cheap with readily available parts. Cortinas and older escorts are a bit harder to come by these days. The good thing about a sierra is the IRS and the ease with which it can be converted to double wishbones. It also allows the transmission tunnel to be narrower.

God, I'm so confused, I've heard that if I go the SierraIRS route then I still need to use need Cortina uprights in the front - is this true? Is the build more expensive/more difficult going the IRS way? Does it makes things harder to get bodywork if you build an IRS chassis?

And I have been looking around for Cortina's, and they are in short supply around here, only found one, Y reg and the guy want £500!!!

Check the photo archive here for pictures of the Sierra uprights and the bushes you'll need to use with them.

Basically, the Cortina fronts look a bit nicer and can be used as they come. Whilst the Sierra ones are a bit bigger (and presumably heavier) and because they have a hole and pinch clamp for a macpherson strut also need an insert (bush) made of steel/ali to narrow the top whole enough for the Transit top joint.

I'm planning on using the Sierra fronts as they're free with the donor and I'll be making the inserts at college. But these can be bought from Dunc here or from MK and a few other places.

Regarding the IRS chassis- yes, it is more complicated because you will have to design your own mods to the book chassis so you can fit IRS- or copy someone else's ie. MK's one.
Check the pictures here (the blue chassis ones are quite clear) and look at MK's Indy chassis.

Good luck,

James

You can use any front upright you want. It is even possible to make your own if you are really bored. Although the sierra hub is heavier and doesn't look as pretty it does come, in most cases, with vented discs. You can also get them off the donor and are easier to find in scrappies these days.