Hi all,

Although it's a way off yet, I would appreciate some input on how best to finish the car when ready.

it is a +442 and I wondered what would be best, GRP or Aluminium? I gather the nose cone is the same dimensions as the standard Locost, but I know the scuttle is wider.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

personally, I would use ceconite fabric and butyrate dope. You'd need a wire frame for the nose cone, bonnet and scuttle but the side panels and rear panel would go straight on to the chassis. Much lighter than either GRP or aluminum and strong enough to skin light aircaft, including the wings.

The finished weight would be arround 0.5kg per square meter, the same as 0.2mm thick aluminium.

[Edited on 11-8-2008 by smart51]

That sounds like a lot of hard work!

I would've said that if you've built a +442 you're clearly not that bothered about weight saving so make life easy! It's not as if 1.2mm ali weighs a huge amount in the grand scheme of the car!

Do you know what you're doing with GRP? I've not done it before and at my build rate I reckon I could have spent 6mths making them myself! If not, buy nose, wings and a +4" scuttle in the colour you like and make the bonnet and sides.

Or, if you're painting the car anyway, buy some 2nd hand GRP or random colours and skin in ali, and have it any colour you want.

I think my new 6 piece GRP set was about £300.

HTH,
James

Thanks for the input guys.

James, your absolutley right, I'm not bothered too much about the weight, after all even a 'heavy' car is going to be reasonably nippy for my needs. This is my first project and I intend to use it as a learning curve.

When I referred to using GRP, I was talking about buying some second hand panels rather than making them. I was thinking pretty much along the lines you suggest of buying the nose, scuttle and rear wings (I already have the front wings), then using ali for the bonnet and sides.

Any ideas for where's best to get the nose etc if I can't source reasonable second-hand?

JB