Another take on "locost" motoring.
Delinquent - 28/7/08 at 08:12 PM
Many moons ago, before I'd even taken my driving test, my Dad one day announced he'd decided to design and build his own car.
Dad's tastes are somewhat different to most here - high speed wasn't really a requirement, but a more classic line was.
2 years and much headscratching (oh for the internet to have been around then!), not to mention blood sweat and tears later, and this is what rolled
out the garage:
at a cost less than some spend on their "locost" wheels!
The chassis is a particularly over-engineered ladder variety, the bodywork is a mixture of handformed ally & fibreglass. Running gear came from a
Renault 5 front end, Renault 18 rear end, keeping it FWD allowed the interior to remain appropriately proportioned but give more generous space as
it's very much a daily driver - in fact it was Dad's only car for 15 odd years!
The hardtop was moulded by sacrilegiously chopping the top off a Fiat 500 and re-working, the rear end using a stitched rolled panel technique and
bits laying around - like parts of a washing up bowel and my spare beetle bonnet!
That was the best part of 2 decades ago - the car is currently back in the workshop, having a few bits redesigned, a few bodywork tweaks and the
interior retrimmed in red leather & burr walnut - but all still on a budget that some would use just filling their petrol tanks. Hopefully a set
of "proper" wire wheels will be added as well!
Hope you like, will update once the revamp is finished!
clairetoo - 28/7/08 at 08:23 PM
Thats pretty neat 
David Jenkins - 28/7/08 at 08:39 PM
That's a very respectable effort - can't comment on the mechanicals, but the body proportions seem pretty good.
Better than I could manage...
owelly - 28/7/08 at 11:15 PM
It looks like so many cars but not like them also!!!
Delinquent - 29/7/08 at 07:58 AM
quote:
Originally posted by owelly
It looks like so many cars but not like them also!!!
indeed, the design was inspired by many period cars - though the original decision to build something actually came from the headlights! We had a
Bristol 401 languishing in the back garden, sadly beyond repair (the Bristol is made of a steelwork "frame" clad in an aluminium body - you
can picture the results!) but Dad was determined to salvage something from it - the large headlights were about it!
Ironically, over the course of the build it came to light that we wouldn't be able to use the headlights either as they wouldn't meet regs!
Mr Whippy - 29/7/08 at 10:14 AM
thats very nice indeed
mr henderson - 29/7/08 at 11:12 AM
To produce something like that in two years is nothing short of amazing.
I think it would be easily marketable as a kit, although it would need a donor with an engine behind the front axle.
John
Delinquent - 29/7/08 at 11:20 AM
quote:
Originally posted by mr henderson
To produce something like that in two years is nothing short of amazing.
I think it would be easily marketable as a kit, although it would need a donor with an engine behind the front axle.
John
Thanks, even better then when you consider he also spent 7 months of those 2 years helping me restore a beetle... that was fun, trying to do both cars
at once in a standard double garage!!
One of the main advantages (and reasons for choosing the older Renault 5 unit) is that the engine is behind the front axle - it's a
longitudinally mounted setup, with the gearbox (a very compact unit) out front.
Made getting the gear change mechanism right quite interesting 
Soon after completion he was offered a not inconsiderable sum of money to produce another, however it just didn't interest him - the project was
more of a goal, a test of willpower almost!
Personally I think to make it marketable it would likely need a more traditional drive train setup to appeal, which would also make it a bit pointless
as a driving factor was to couple the style with something practical and useable - he used to do the weekly family shop in it! large boot, space
behind the rear seats (even with the soft-top stowed) and full size armchair like seats.
mr henderson - 29/7/08 at 11:30 AM
It's interesting to speculate how the engine behind gearbox front wheeldrive thing could be made to happen using more modern components.
If an Audi gearbox could be turned upside down, that would do it. Something like a V6 from an A4 automatic, then one could have a thirties styled
coupe with all the extra interior space that your father's has.
Interesting. I'll have to thnk about it. One thing is for sure, if such a kit could be offered then it wouldn't necessarily sell quickly,
but it would sell. Stranger and less obviously desirable kits have sold in their hundereds
John
Delinquent - 29/7/08 at 10:46 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mr henderson
It's interesting to speculate how the engine behind gearbox front wheeldrive thing could be made to happen using more modern components.
If an Audi gearbox could be turned upside down, that would do it. Something like a V6 from an A4 automatic, then one could have a thirties styled
coupe with all the extra interior space that your father's has.
Interesting. I'll have to thnk about it. One thing is for sure, if such a kit could be offered then it wouldn't necessarily sell quickly,
but it would sell. Stranger and less obviously desirable kits have sold in their hundereds
John
thought about that myself, having a V6 auto Audi for the daily commute
It certainly does make an enormous difference to the cabin space - in reality although a lot taller than a seven, the actual cockpit area external
dimensions aren't that much larger - but with no prop and diff to house... it even has a "proper" sized petrol tank. That extra
space can also incorporate some structure so the full size doors can be incorporated without compromising chassis rigidity.
02GF74 - 30/7/08 at 09:16 AM
9/10 good effort indeed.