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If we aren't posting......
Alan B - 29/1/03 at 02:33 PM

Then I guess we are busy building?

So there must some progress around the globe.......anything signifcant to report anyone?

I should be laying up my body this weekend, been preparing the moulds this week.

Oh, and while I'm rambling, from now on I'm just going to add peoples links to my site....I can always remove them if they aren't happy.

So, back to it......


BasOlij - 29/1/03 at 06:03 PM

Hey Alan,

Afraid that for me work is getting in the way and I have things planned to do on my Delorean first:-)


Alan B - 29/1/03 at 06:20 PM

Ok, you are excused.....what about the rest of you though?


MattWatson - 29/1/03 at 07:28 PM

Well I am wading through exams right now, but the engine is now almost totally appart, I have picked up a new head, and confirmed that my transmission is a 4 speed (Grrrrr.... )

Other than that, nothing.

Sometime mabye in the next couple weeks I will get started on the fron buck.


MattWatson - 29/1/03 at 07:34 PM

... with regard to the front buck, I think I am going to go with a connector for the fenders something like this:






Alan B - 29/1/03 at 08:08 PM

WOW, very striking...not seen that one before...

Looks better from the front 3/4 than full front though IMO.....

thanks for the update.......

now where's the rest of you slackers???


robinbastd - 29/1/03 at 10:14 PM

Well.........apart from running my own business, being dad to my beautiful 5 month old daughter.....I keep finding and missing donors. Tonight I was offered a 1969 Escort 2 door,with a 4age engine- which is all well and good,but it aint a lot of good for a midi! Am off to see it tomorrow............
Ian


Alan B - 29/1/03 at 10:32 PM

Yeah, I know what you mean about the business bit...lucky for me mine is based here in front of the computer at home...

Agreed, donors are a pain....but once you get that sorted you are off and running....


Rorty - 30/1/03 at 02:09 AM

Well, I've been house-bound for over a year, and am going into hospital again on Sunday for another operation (9 in the last 2 years).
Hopefully it won't be too long before I'm out in the workshop building the vehicles I've been dreaming of/designing. When that happens, expect loads of updates from me.


Alan B - 30/1/03 at 02:57 AM

Sorry to hear that mate....
That's why you are online so much....
Thought you were just a skivving slacker like me..:-)

All this talk must have you itching to back out there....

Hope it goes well on Sunday.


BasOlij - 30/1/03 at 03:00 PM

Auch Rorty, that does not sound to good:-( Hope your back on your feet and at it soon enough!


MattWatson - 30/1/03 at 06:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Alan B
WOW, very striking...not seen that one before...

Looks better from the front 3/4 than full front though IMO.....

thanks for the update.......

now where's the rest of you slackers???


My bigest problem is finding a windshield that will work for how small I am making the cabin... (think locost width +4inch) I might need to just build it out of plexiglass..... Which I don't think I could get through inspection.


Alan B - 30/1/03 at 07:34 PM

Matt, I'd forget plexiglass....too brittle....I cracked one of my headlight covers just making it...and I WAS careful........

(a picture is on my site)

Lexan is the way to go if you don't use glass.......and it isn't much more expensive.


chrisg - 30/1/03 at 08:17 PM

Matt,

Much as it pains me to say so, there was a thread on TOL recently about standard narrow windscreens, thought Alan might have mentioned it!! I think a website was found with the widths on, do a search on there.

And Rorty - Good luck mate, goose a nurse for me!!

Cheers

Chris

[Edited on 30/1/03 by chrisg]


Alan B - 30/1/03 at 09:19 PM

Chris, just 'cos I'm a moderator there doesn't mean I read it all

Oh, no.....I just ban people who wee me off.....their posting content is irrelevant...

Good to see you in these parts....

Not a closet middy guy are you?


robinbastd - 30/1/03 at 09:31 PM

Got the donor!!!!!!!!!!!!
Funny how things turn out,the Escort I was going to see had been taken in lieu of a debt by a guy who just happened to have a Toyota Corolla GTI (4age) fwd RESULT!!
Forgot to mention previously that I have a basic McSorley chassis as a starting point. All I need now is a roof for the workshop,as it has gone off to live in the neighbours garden!
Regards,
Ian
and good luck to you Rorty

[Edited on 30/1/03 by robinbastd]


chrisg - 30/1/03 at 10:19 PM

I do (sometimes) have impure mid-engined thoughts, but I'm fighting it!!

Cheers

Chris


Alan B - 30/1/03 at 10:29 PM

Ian, good news. I'll be interested to see how much is common to the MR2...sounds a good donor to me for a middy.

When I said once you have a donor you are off and and running....well that's not quite true..........you also need.......

A website.......


Chris, don't fight it. We'll help you get through it.


MattWatson - 30/1/03 at 10:59 PM

Ok, excuse my ignorance, but what is TOL? and where can such a place be found?


Alan B - 30/1/03 at 11:14 PM

TOL = the other list....aka

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/locost/

It went very petty and and lot of the best discussion moved over here.

Of course it is great now


Rorty - 31/1/03 at 01:23 AM

Thanks for all the kind wishes guys. Now just don't go doing too much for the next few weeks, as I don't want to miss anything, and I can't abide dredging through archives.






MattWatson - 11/2/03 at 01:55 AM

Ding! You've got update! Not very many pics though

click www below.


TheGecko - 11/2/03 at 03:54 AM

Matt,

In your update you said:

quote:

Anyone know what they use on the butterflies to keep them from rusting? Or do they just use alli for them as well?


A Locost builder here in Australia made his own throttle bodies. He machined the bodies from ali but used SU carburettor butterflies, bought new as spare parts, rather than making his own. Most of the butterflies I've seen were some brassy coloured metal. I suppose ali would work too.

Hope this helps,

Dominic


kingr - 11/2/03 at 01:23 PM

Matt W - Didn't know the head swap thing about VW engines, I drive a Polo 16v so it was particularly interesting for me. The 1.6 8v also came in a 100Bhp variant, although what was done to achieve that, I don't know, and I would suspect that there aren't all that many around since the 1.4 16v also produced 100bhp, weighed less, and came with sports seats, lower suspension and a better exhaust.

Another thing that might be worth looking at is supercharging, there are G40 1.3 polos out there which you might be able to steel the S/C from although there weren't all that many made, or of course if you want to go really mental, how about the G60 from the Corrado, bound to be plenty of them crashed to bits. Thinking about it, I think there was a 1.6 16v turbo released, but only in Germany called something like the polo R6, must go like an absolute missile.

20v turbo heads are going to be expensive, because the engines are fairly new and in demand, although, there's quite a few of them being produced - it features in amongst others, Golf GTI 1.8, Audi A3, A4 and possibly A6 1.8T, Passat and Bora 1.8T, Seat Ibiza (I think) and Leon Cupra. In rather less standard form, it also features in the Audi TT and S3. Currently conversion to these for a Polo are reaching £7000, but that's probably more aimed at clueless boy races.

CCC recently did an article on tuning it which to it to something ridiculous like 300bhp. If you want it, I can scan it and send it over.

Hope this sermon into small dub engines has been helpful

Kingr


MattWatson - 11/2/03 at 07:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by kingr
Matt W - Didn't know the head swap thing about VW engines, I drive a Polo 16v so it was particularly interesting for me. The 1.6 8v also came in a 100Bhp variant, although what was done to achieve that, I don't know, and I would suspect that there aren't all that many around since the 1.4 16v also produced 100bhp, weighed less, and came with sports seats, lower suspension and a better exhaust.

Another thing that might be worth looking at is supercharging, there are G40 1.3 polos out there which you might be able to steel the S/C from although there weren't all that many made, or of course if you want to go really mental, how about the G60 from the Corrado, bound to be plenty of them crashed to bits. Thinking about it, I think there was a 1.6 16v turbo released, but only in Germany called something like the polo R6, must go like an absolute missile.

20v turbo heads are going to be expensive, because the engines are fairly new and in demand, although, there's quite a few of them being produced - it features in amongst others, Golf GTI 1.8, Audi A3, A4 and possibly A6 1.8T, Passat and Bora 1.8T, Seat Ibiza (I think) and Leon Cupra. In rather less standard form, it also features in the Audi TT and S3. Currently conversion to these for a Polo are reaching £7000, but that's probably more aimed at clueless boy races.

CCC recently did an article on tuning it which to it to something ridiculous like 300bhp. If you want it, I can scan it and send it over.

Hope this sermon into small dub engines has been helpful

Kingr


Actually, I have abandoned the 20V and 16V ideas as I can't find any heads! I managed to get an almost brand new 8V German head that is in great condition.

Now here is the real question. Did the 8 valve heads come with dual valve springs? If not I have a feeling that someone was hotrodding this engine before I picked it up.

The reason that I am turbocharging rather than supercharging, is I can get a turbo for free as it sits. However, if the turbo deal falls through, than I may look at a supercharger. And I would go for a G-60 off a Corrado, as nothing else here was supercharged (other than the Passat synchro, but those are RARE here)

I *think* that the 100HP variant of the 1.6 was for the GTI's. (Although from what I have heard, most if not all fall under 1.8 territory.) All they had were uprated camshaft (G-Grind) and ported heads.

I am currently looking at camshafts to use, but havn't decided if I want to outlay the cash as a full rebuild gasket set is going to run around 150-200 including new headbolts.


kingr - 13/2/03 at 12:32 PM

Don't know about the valve springs, can I suggest a Haynes manual, that would probably say.

Certainly in this country, the Polo Gti was a 16v 1.6 producing 125hp, and they're extortionate because they were only produced for one quite short mark (3 years IIRC), there's not exactly millions of them around, and they're still newish. I suspect there's probably not many write offs at all, because for the most part they're driven by 30 something middle class women, and any that are would probably have their engines bought by people like me who quite fancy shoving an extra 25 hp into their cars.

Kingr