jonabonospen
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 11:35 AM |
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What are your top tips when doing a build?
I am hopefully going to be getting my chassis and first few modules of my Mac#1 Worx in the next few weeks and am doing more bits of preparation
homework before it arrives so I can hit the ground running, and was just trying to find peoples tips on drilling and cutting bodywork, when I wondered
what people best tips were in general for a build.
So what are your best tips / snippets of advice / nuggets of wisdom, for when building a kit?
MAC#1 ZX10R WORX BUILD BLOG: http://mac1-zx10r-worx-build-blog.tumblr.com/
MY PERSONAL BLOG: http://jonabonospen.tumblr.com/
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 12:13 PM |
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don't forget/neglect the wife (or girlfriend etc) they won't appreciate you vanishing for hours on end
Well...maybe they would you never know 
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loggyboy
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 12:16 PM |
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Have a bank account twice as big as you thought it needed to be.
Mistral Motorsport
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Hellfire
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 12:25 PM |
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Measure twice, cut once.......
Phil
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RK
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 12:26 PM |
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Use lots of cardboard templates. Don't toss all those cardboard boxes the missus is on your case about getting rid of. You'll need the
stuff.
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scudderfish
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 12:36 PM |
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If in doubt, you probably need more tools.
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roadrunner
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 12:38 PM |
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Have lots of pencils. It doesn't matter how organised you are, you will put one down, and it will be lost in seconds and you loose hours looking
for it.
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ali f27
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 01:06 PM |
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Put body panels on after you wired and pumbed stuff makes it easier to get at things
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steve m
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 01:09 PM |
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The tool gremlins will move your tools around while you are asleep, but if every tool is placed back in its respective place
at bedtime/close of play, it seems the gremlins dont go there
Measure twice, cut once....... is by far the most important rule!
A tidy, clean, bright, workshop, makes for a pleasent build
You can never have enough power points or extension leads
Being organised with the spare parts, keep them in labeled boxs, (i use those foldaway stackers)
At close of play for the day, jot a couple of things down that you wanted to do, but ran out of time, as the following day while trying to find your
favorite 10mm spanner, you will of forgotten what was the next job
making a to do list and scribbling the item off, is soooooooooooo satisfying !
must be more,
steve
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 01:22 PM |
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before you shut the garage door at night make sure everything is switched off
I was very lucky, I shut the door and as I walked away heard a faint whirring noise, turned out as I left the hot air gun had fallen over, switched on
and was blowing against some news paper!
oh and have plenty of fire extinguishers, 3 times I’ve had to use them
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nick205
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 01:35 PM |
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Take your budget and add 1/3 to 1/2 again
Take lots of photos (for IVA and for potential buyers in the future)
Take every opportunity to sit in it and think how great it will be when finished
Be prepared to have to explain to people what you're doing
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sdh2903
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 01:40 PM |
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Bit hard to explain, but when buying components/parts if you are torn between buying cheaper and more expensive/better, bite the bullet and buy the
more expensive firsttime round, it works out cheaper in the end and you end up with superior bit's.
I didn't do this and ended up doing several jobs 2 or 3 times over.
Fire extinguisher a must as previously stated.
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Daddylonglegs
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 01:52 PM |
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All of the above, plus lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of patience!
You will be tested to the max many times, you will feel like setting fire to the whole damn thing!! But when those times hit, take a step back, grab a
few beers (or spirits if that's your bag) and get yourself on here for some divine intervention.
You will find many many moments of desperation on here (me included) where it seems like it's never going to happen. The collective will pull
you through, and you WILL finish it 
Now I've filled you with doubt and gloom, just enjoy the experience. I always wanted to build a kit but ended up doing a complete scratch-build
Locost, and am so glad I did, it's another tick on my bucket list and the best feeling in the world (well almost  )
Good luck, lots of pictures, and remember, the keyboard is never very far away......
JB
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
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Dick Axtell
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 02:33 PM |
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Don't build your project in a lock-up, without light, power, warmth or a loo!!
Make sure all the factors above are there, even if you have to park yer missus' motor on the drive.
Working in the aforementioned lock-up ain't no fun - which is why I'm here at home, and not sorting out the re-rest items!!
Work-in-Progress: Changed to Zetec + T9. Still trying!!
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Slimy38
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 02:35 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Daddylonglegs
plus lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of patience!
I'm going to have something like this printed out in huge letters and pinned on the wall. And I'm still torn between whether I should look
at a schedule and a deadline, or whether I should just work on it when I can. If I do the former I can imagine my patience wearing very thing, if I do
the latter I would half expect to never finish it.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 02:35 PM |
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as above - proper big fire extinguishers of a suitable type
chances are you'll not need it, but sods law says: "if you don't have one, then you'll need it" and you don't want
to be in that situation 
it happened to one of the dax builders a few years back - a little fuel leaked onto a hot exhaust manifold and the little in car extinguisher
didn't work (one of the ones favoured by the Max Power lot) - he lost the car, the garage and nearly the whole house with it
also be very careful if your using hole saws in metal !
(search the old posts on this site and you'll see what I mean )
on a more positive note:
these are great when your fitting panels:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=cleco+&_sacat=0&_odkw=cleco+pins&_osacat=0
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
take lots of photos (for IVA and for potential buyers in the future)
and post them up here too so we can see how your getting on
they'll also help you get lots of suggestions/motivation when/if you get a bit stuck
if you recon all the donor bits it could add quite allot of £££ to the budget and takes a bit of time, but its quite satisfying and means you'll
end up with whats basically a new car
also you can paint all the bits to keep them looking nice and new while your at it 
[Edited on 29/11/2012 by mcerd1]
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mcerd1
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 03:03 PM |
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one last thing form me - there is a disease called 'upgraditus', I'm speaking here as a chronic sufferer...
it affects you brain and makes you swap all the donor bits and standard parts of the kit for shinny aftermarket ones made from aluminium, titanium,
carbon fibre or in my case bits with 'cosworth' written on them
this disease can set your IVA date back by years and will have a devastating impact on you bank balance
watch out for the early signs and seek treatment if you think its starting
(treatment will normally involve a much more sensible builder telling you: "you don't need that, just get it on the road first ! "
)
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jonabonospen
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 03:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
one last thing form me - there is a disease called 'upgraditus', I'm speaking here as a chronic sufferer...
it affects you brain and makes you swap all the donor bits and standard parts of the kit for shinny aftermarket ones made from aluminium, titanium,
carbon fibre or in my case bits with 'cosworth' written on them
this disease can set your IVA date back by years and will have a devastating impact on you bank balance
watch out for the early signs and seek treatment if you think its starting
(treatment will normally involve a much more sensible builder telling you: "you don't need that, just get it on the road first ! "
)
I think I am suffering from this infliction already. It has already gone from NA ZX10R to Turbo ZX10R and I haven't even started the actual
build yet
MAC#1 ZX10R WORX BUILD BLOG: http://mac1-zx10r-worx-build-blog.tumblr.com/
MY PERSONAL BLOG: http://jonabonospen.tumblr.com/
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 03:52 PM |
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yeah try and stick to the Philosophy of the old book, there was a time when these cars actually were locost but most seem to have lost sight of that
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TAZZMAXX
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 04:20 PM |
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Don't be disheartened if you're a year in and still have only a bare chassis to look at. When I joined this forum I laughed at how long
these guys were taking to build a car. 6 months from start to finish I told myself but I am still looking at an incomplete chassis. I'm now
distracted by additional projects and work so time for my Haynes is minimal but I have promised myself I'll resume it after Christmas. I just
need to decide which year
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renetom
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 05:31 PM |
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IVA
Hi
If you intend to use it on the road , before you start assembly
Get the latest IVA manual, and make sure you adhere to it at
Every stage of the build , will save you a heap of time & money.
Much better to build it right the first time.
Having given you these words of wisdom , still failed the IVA first time.
Good luck
Rene.
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stevegough
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 05:42 PM |
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Get some insurance for whilst you are building it - it costs next to nothing, (£60 a year for me) and if things get nicked or burnt you'll at
least have some compensation.
Luego Locost C20XE.
Build start: October 6th 2008.
IVA passed Jan 28th 2011.
First drive Feb 10th 2011.
First show: Stoneleigh 1st/2nd May 2011.
'Used up' first engine may 3rd 2011!
Back on the road with 2nd engine may 24th
First PASA mad drive 26/7/11
Sold to Mike in Methyr Tydvil 19/03/14
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Hellfire
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 06:41 PM |
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Fix a large whiteboard to your garage wall. You'll find it invaluable.........
Phil
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StevieB
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 07:14 PM |
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Start and finish each session in the garage with a couple of simple, easy things to do - you'll get an immediate sense of achievement to drive
you through the rest of the day and finish on a little high, so you're happy to go back for more at the next opportunity.
And if, like I did, you have a new born baby, have a decent stock of paper overalls and latex gloves - I found that I was missing our on garage time
because of the amount of time I was getting shouted back into the house to assist with various things. Once I cottoned on to having the paper
overalls and gloves, I could be in the house, with non oily hands and clothes in seconds on demand.
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Jimfin
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| posted on 29/11/12 at 07:25 PM |
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Three tips for you -
If its not right, dont bodge it or try to find a work around. take it apart and do it right otherwise it will become a problem later.
Keep it simple for the IVA, stick to basic specs to avoid load of grief with emmissions and noise. You can can upgrade to your hearts content later
but just start simple.
Always found a magnet on a telescopic stick was handy for the bits (or tools) that got dropped - they always roll just out of reach! And if they are
not magnetic, just add a dod of blue tack
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