Locost progress . . .

[MacK]

Taking shape nicely, looks good Simon.

[campbell]

Simon,

Brilliant!

And yes, grand colour choice. Tango 2 takes shape eh

Did you clean/paint all the donor wishbones n stuff? Looking good

Campbell

[Stu160]

I built a 1.3 for my Fiesta Super Sport when I was 17,made 79TUT,s at the wheels on the rollers

Still have many parts for them,and now know a man who can build even better ones.

If you need one done,give me a shout.

Do they not have to be standard?

Stu

[ironside]

Oops, didn't spot these replies until now:

Did you clean/paint all the donor wishbones n stuff? Looking good

The wishbones, trailing arms and panhard rod are new bought ones. The book gives plans and instructions on how to make a set but I didn't think I could make two the same The rear axle is from the Escort (different diff though, a lower ratio one from an Escort mk2 van). The front uprights/stub axles/calipers are Cortina (which had double wishbone front suspension and not MacPherson struts).

Propshaft is new too, the Escort one is too long and has a centre bearing and as I'm using a 5 speed Sierra Type 9 gearbox instead of the Escort 4 speed it had to have a different number of splines at the gearbox end anyway.

I built a 1.3 for my Fiesta Super Sport when I was 17,made 79TUT,s at the wheels on the rollers
Do they not have to be standard?

79bhp at the wheels is fantastic - what did you do to it?

The Locost regs allow some blueprinting but that's it. My engine is finished now but it wasn't me that built it. The work done was along the lines of:

Rebored with +.090" pistons. I think this gives 1380cc.
1300 GT Head & Cam.
Block face decked to the lowest piston and the other 3 modified to match. Minimum thickness head gasket.
Mechanical cooling fan & fuel pump removed.
Lightened and balanced pistons, rods, crank, flywheel & clutch.
Twin choke carb and manifold with pipercross foam filter.
New oil & water pumps.
Shortened & baffled oil sump.

I think that's about it. Graeme was round at the weekend and we finished off the fuel plumbing (your sight gauge still hasn't leaked Graeme!) and fit some very low tech electrics to get the engine to run. The second or third run is on video below:

locost-engine-run-20080412.wmv

The video is the second start of the engine I think. I still don't have a header tank so the overflow hoses run into a plastic bucket (ex sherbet flying saucers - ideal for the purpose) half full of coolant. It did the trick, once the leaks were sorted, it blew some bubbles in there from the radiator once it had warmed up a bit.

It didn't run the first time, just a few pops and bangs and smoke through the air filter as it backfired. We checked the timing again and made sure it was on the right stroke. Gave myself a belt with HT too. Found the mistake eventually. I had assumed that the rotor arm spins clockwise and got the order of the plug leads wrong as a result. Fixed that and tried again and it started first time. We were absolutely stunned!

A few minutes after the video stops the exhaust headers were glowing cherry red so we turned it off again. Probably over advanced timing (I hadn't used the timing lamp yet) or maybe running lean. Or a bit of both. I checked and set the timing yesterday with the strobe and ran it again. No red exhaust this time so I think it's fine, I'll find out for sure on a rolling road.

Other than that the car rolls and steers. Brake pads need put in and the system filled with fluid. It also needs a clutch, throttle cable and the cooling system finished properly before it can be driven anywhere. Not long now I hope!

Simon

[graeme]

Awesome milestone!

Just like me to show up to help 20 months into a project when all the hard work is done, but I'm really glad I was there for the big moment!

[Matelotman]

Looks good - I seriously considered a Locost project but bottled it and got an Elise.

The main reason for bottling it was that my other project is my Fiesta Supersport which I've had for about 3 years now - all mechanicals are done but I can't be ar5ed with the body work so it has sat untouched for about 9 months (around the same time I got the Elise )

[campbell]

Simon,

Sounds great, not long now eh!

As for Fiesta Supersports, ah, nearly had one of those until I came across a Mk1 XR2...how different things might have been! Great wee cars.

[mwmackenzie]

I know a man with 2 chassis and various other parts he's no longer using since buying a westifield.. Just cluttering up his garage, call me if your interested and I'll put you in touch with him. don't think he'll want anything for them just some beer money????

Mark 07766762001

[ironside]

Thanks,

I'll drop you a PM with my contact details. I won't need the chassis, I've nowhere to store them anyway - maybe when I crash it - but I'd be interested in whatever else he may have laying around.

Cheers,
Simon

[ironside]

Long overdue for some progress pictures (they're all clickable) . . .

Here's a few of the bodywork:




The wiring:



And how it is more or less as it is just now:



It made 81bhp on Dastek's rollers. I was hoping for a little more but it's in the right ballpark for a blueprinted 1300GT Crossflow engine. I suppose without another car to compare with on the same road how would you know?

The last pictures were testing out the GPS lap timer, obviously whatever time was made had to be bettered hence all the mud.

The first race is on March 15th at Snetterton. I've put my entry in . . . so have to get it finished!

[Shug]

Awesome mate - can't wait to see it in the flesh

[Dominic]

Top effort! Loving your work!

Much to do to finish it?

[ironside]

Much to do to finish it?

Lots of little things and a wee bit more panelling where the regs allow/require underskinning.
Couple of essentials like fire extinguisher, handbrake, mirrors, harnesses and tidying up the rear wiring.

Corner weighting and front wheel alignment should then be all there is to it.

Hopefully nothing falls off.

[Rich H]

[campbell]

A fantastic result and an inspiration to us all!

A 1.6 X-flow should provide 84bhp so 81 out of a 1300 sounds great.

Are you road-registering it or will it be cossetted in trailers?!

Oh, and I'd always wondered how to make images clickable on here...can you explain (offline if need be!)

cheers

Campbell