Mid engined 20vt locost
NEW PROJECT – 20vt Locost
Hi All,
My name is Rob, I would just like to start my new thread on what I have been planning over the last year, and recently (4months) started building.
I have always wanted to build a Caterham / Westfield style kit car. And for many years I have owned and read the “build a sports car for £250” book.
The two problems I see with this design in my opinion for this car are that:
1) It uses an engine layout which is now harder to find and would require steering towards more expensive donor options (BMW for example).
2) I feel performance wise I can get more “power” for my money using a FWD car for the donor, and handling wise should be better balanced.
What I started doing last winter, when the nights were cold and dark, was to come up with the line drawings for a Mid engined 7 style car, a locost.
From the drawings I have made a mock up in wood, this is 25mm square the same as the mild steel box section I will be using on the real car. The idea
of the mock up was to test the sizes and make sure the engine fitted….
The opportunity came up at work to buy a 97’ coupe 20valve Turbo from a mate who was going to trade it in, the only problem with the car was the
clutch was slightly slipping – but still drivable!
This I snapped up and since then have been breaking it and selling off some of the parts.
The next stage of the build is to get my garage done out, it currently is not boarded out and is very cold and some times damp.
I appreciate any comments, this has been a long time dream to build a kit car. I reluctantly recently sold my Celica GTfour ST205 in order to buy a
Toyota Auris. This is a nice – fairly ordinary car for every day driving. The Locost is designed to be used for filling that gap and I am hoping that
it will be a “lot” more fun that the GTfour.
The plan is to fit the engine in the back of my Locost transverse, so I can use all of the running gear as it was in the Fiat. I probably will put the
Brembo’s on the front and fit the rear callipers back on the engine assembly. Going to run ford up rights and hubs front and rear.
[img]http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l603/b14wrc/th_IMG_01251.jpg?t=1288962775[/img]
[img]http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l603/b14wrc/th_photo4.jpg?t=1288962775[/img]
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l603/b14wrc/th_IMG_0050.jpg?t=1288962775
The last one is my wooden mock up.....
Rob
[Edited on 6/11/10 by b14wrc]
[Edited on 6/11/10 by b14wrc]
Welcome to the madhouse bud. Lots of middy builders here me included!
Pine chassis, wooden work
BIgger pictures please.
One more question. What model of turbo do they have on 20vt?
welcome,
Matt
Ha ha! A lot more fun than an ST205? That's gonna take some doing as you can give a Four the beans on any road and in any conditions which makes
for fun all year long. Bear in mind that very light very powerful cars are a handful in the wet and on cold roads. A lot like a superbike! I have a
ST205 and have had it for years. I have not ever been left behind on real roads by any locost. I have been trounced on autobahns by things like a
Porka GT3 and I would lose to a decent driver in a fast locost on a track in the dry but that's about it to be honest!
It is a different thing to have a locost, the feeling of speed in a open car with your bum next to the tarmac on one of those rare sunny days is hard
to beat it must be said and likely to cost a lot less to run than the Four. You won't get the same usage though unless your balls are cast in
iron
Hi,
I sold my Celica mainly because of the weekly driving milage costing me an arm and a leg in super unleaded. I umported mine 3 years ago and loved it.
I was starting to get a few problems with it though.....
The Auris is the SR 180 which is ok, no where as good in the performance department, but it's new and easy to live with every day. The locost is
going to be a raw Tarmac monster.... I hope. Used in summer and track only.
I have a Cusco front upper strut brace for sale if your interested.... It's on eBay now, photos are not great, but let me know.
Rob
Nice to see a fresh project. Its true, there are many fwd cars that offer beter performance than a sierra for less cash
Hi matt,
Do you like my photos? The wood is easier to develop my design.
As for the turbo, it is standard. Seems ok, I don't think I want a big laggy one when weight is going to be so low. Have you a coupe??
Rob
quote:
Originally posted by b14wrc
Do you like my photos?
Fiat Coupe 2.0 litre 20valve turbo, running at 220bhp. Standard output, will be looking at tuning it further in the future.
Fiat Coupe 2.0 litre 20valve turbo, running at 220bhp. Standard output, will be looking at tuning it further in the future.
quote:
Originally posted by b14wrc
Hi matt,
Do you like my photos? The wood is easier to develop my design.
Rob