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buil diary - Brazilian Locost
brum_gustavo - 15/9/14 at 05:13 AM

After a year's work my car is nearing completion, a modified book chassis (made to Caterham proportions), Chevette donor, entirely homemade (no kits or parts suppliers in Brazil)
With the exception of machined parts, everything else was built in my basement, including fiberglass parts. Here is the link to the build gallery:
http://gustavobrum.wordpress.com/galeria-de-fotos/http://gustavobrum.wordpress.com/galeria-de-fotos/
Feel free to criticize and comment.
Cheers

Gustavo

Ivan - 15/9/14 at 07:48 AM

It must have been hard to be a pioneer in your area.

Great job on the bodywork but I would be concerned about some of the critical structural welds for instance at the bottom of the brake pedal and on the suspension arms and brackets, unless of course you know that your welding is good.

Dick Axtell - 15/9/14 at 08:56 AM

Hi Gustavo,

Welcome to this world of dedicated (slightly obsessive, possibly knutty) Locost/Seven type builders. I'd guess you must fall into the "dedicated" category, since you built your Locost in your basement (??). One builder I knew built his car in the loft!! But you both faced the problem of how to get your finished car out. How did you achieve that?

Noticed that you used "homemade" coil-over damper units. Made from what source? Original Chevette units, maybe?

[Edited on 15/9/14 by Dick Axtell]

James - 15/9/14 at 12:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ivan
It must have been hard to be a pioneer in your area.

Great job on the bodywork but I would be concerned about some of the critical structural welds for instance at the bottom of the brake pedal and on the suspension arms and brackets, unless of course you know that your welding is good.



Hi Gustavo,

Congratulations on managing to build it with so little help in your area.

As Ivan has said above, I'm a little concerned about the welds and whether they are strong enough. Some look more like temporary tack welds rather than the final thing. This is particularly important around suspension and brake areas- but you don't want the chassis to fall apart either!

You would be surpised how much strain the suspension components go through when they're being pounded on the roads!

Perhaps you could get the chassis and suspension parts looked at by a professional local welder who could give you some advice or go over the welds for you.

Best Regards,
James

brum_gustavo - 15/9/14 at 01:47 PM

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

There are a handful of Locosts built here, most in professional shops and quite hi-cost!

quote:

Originally posted by Dick Axtell
Welcome to this world of dedicated (slightly obsessive, possibly knutty) Locost/Seven type builders. I'd guess you must fall into the "dedicated" category, since you built your Locost in your basement (??). One builder I knew built his car in the loft!! But you both faced the problem of how to get your finished car out. How did you achieve that?


Since my house sits on a sloped terrain there is a door out of the basement, but it is certainly far from the tidy home shops I see in the Locostbuilders photos.


quote:

Originally posted by Ivan
It must have been hard to be a pioneer in your area. Great job on the bodywork but I would be concerned about some of the critical structural welds for instance at the bottom of the brake pedal and on the suspension arms and brackets, unless of course you know that your welding is good.


I am rebuilding the front end and plan on remaking A-arm mounts. Some of the welds are pretty ugly as they were my first atempts in using a gasless MIG, now my welding has greatly improved, so I will recheck all the frame and suspension welds. Thanks for your concern and for the time to review my photos.

The coil-overs use VW Kombi (bus) rear shocks (these were built here until last year) for the front and Chevette front shocks for the rear. Front shocks were shortened 2inches, Spring plates are steel and sit on a threaded tube, which sits on the top of the shock body (no welds on shock tubes). Seems of. Springs are from a VW FWD car, 98mm outer diameter, cut to reach necessary natural frequency (visit Planet Spring to see the calculator I used).

Cheers