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pics of mid-engine chassis?
86barettaguy - 4/3/05 at 06:24 PM

looking for pics of chassi-designs for various mid-engined (or front-engined for that matter if the design is particularly interesting) cars. Preferably pics of the chassis by itself along with various stages of building, but anything is welcome.

Also, I would be interested in dimensions (or even better, CAD models) for any engine used in a FWD car that might be a good choice for a middie.

JonBowden - 4/3/05 at 06:51 PM

I find Google's image search facility is good for this sort of thing. Try searching for lotus 23, lotus 18, etc. This will bring up loads of interesting pictures.
You could also try http://www.atspeedimages.com/
This guy has built up a fantastic collection of pictures of cars.

cymtriks - 4/3/05 at 08:55 PM

The Lotus chassis are good. I've done some FE analysis of a Lotus spaceframe replica chassis.

Try looking in my photos section for Locost book chassis modifications and a proposal for a mid engined chassis with the basic FE analysis. The mid engined proposal is not a finished design and details will need to be added. If you search under my name you will find the results for the book chassis of my FE analysis.

Most kit car spaceframes have less stiffness than simple X braced ladder frames of the same weight.

Some kit car chassis are not very stiff at all so be carefull what you copy!

Ferg - 5/3/05 at 02:54 PM

Here's a mid-engined chassis. As you can see it has been fully crash tested and largely survived at what one might call "quite high speed".
Chassis
Chassis

Incidentally, when new it has a Torsional stiffness = 14000 Nm/deg (windscreen fitted)

stevebubs - 5/3/05 at 03:25 PM

That looks scarily like the Libra in your avatar...what happened?

zilspeed - 5/3/05 at 03:39 PM

Tell me it isn't so

Ferg - 5/3/05 at 04:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
That looks scarily like the Libra in your avatar...what happened?


Not mine. Actually the original Libra demonstrator. It was sold and fitted with an ex-Caterham engine and met with some Armco in the South of France whilst being driven by a friend of the owner. Both occupants walked away.
The owner of the car has now bought himself a V6.



Zilspeed U2U......

[Edited on 5/3/05 by Ferg]

Rorty - 5/7/05 at 04:47 AM

quote:
Originally posted by 86barettaguy
looking for pics of chassi-designs for various mid-engined (or front-engined for that matter if the design is particularly interesting) cars. Preferably pics of the chassis by itself along with various stages of building, but anything is welcome.

Also, I would be interested in dimensions (or even better, CAD models) for any engine used in a FWD car that might be a good choice for a middie.

Here's a mid-engine Beetle being built with an Audi V8. LINK.

andkilde - 5/7/05 at 12:45 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Rorty
Here's a mid-engine Beetle being built with an Audi V8. LINK.


At the risk of sounding like a sideways-baseball-cap-wearing-american-teenage-slacker -- That is bad-ass Rorty!

Have you built one for yourself yet?

Cheers, Ted

Rorty - 5/7/05 at 01:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by andkilde
Have you built one for yourself yet?

Cheers, Ted

I've built five mid-engined Beetles, but not all to that square tube design. I built one like that for myself about eight or ten years ago (to meet the Australian ADRs) and sold it to someone who wanted the chassis to put under a fibreglass super car body. I believe the current owner is returning it to a Beetle again shortly.