I'm in the middle of a decision of wether to build a locost or not. I'm very tempted to but funds are tight, and if i did build one, i know i would get carried away. I could only live with a RWD car, (drive a capri at the moment) and i love the american engines, (got a Trans am stashed in my garage. but im only young (19) and in University.
What do i do??
can you have too many projects, My capri is constantly being modified, and the Trans am is in the middle of a front end resto, but when the girlfriend is working, and im waiting for parts or money i think to myself it would be great to have another project.
Would a locost be worth the build??
Your thoughts???

go for it mate

so much you can get started on with the locost on a limited budget anyway

as for age dont worry about it coz im planning on building my locost (altho probably a very hicost) with a chevy 5.7L V8 and im only 19 too

Yank in a locost, i like your style, were unusual in or age group arent we.
Im in the Yanky car scene, and know friends who have the odd small block lying around. I could throw one your way very cheaply indeed. Maybe not such a hicost after all.
Also no engine in the world, JAP, BIKE, or otherwise is as much fun as a Yanky Lump, Sounds grunt and vibration, isnt that what its about???

vroooom

im very much into my ford RS's too

owning a nice mkv 16v RS2000

Whats you insurance like on the RS at 19.
Im paying about 650 on the 2.0 Capri,
its well modded tho!!

not that much as its my 2nd car and i keep it in my mums name

Do you want a yank engine??

Hello, welcome etc etc...

My mate (the guy kissing my 'robot costume' actually - see left) just about managed to put his Locost together whilst at uni. Was a standard book build done on the cheap and it took most of second year, all of third year (but only working in holidays), and then about half of my fourth year (he graduated after three and finished the car).

So it can be done, especially if the project is at uni with you all the time, but that was with no other projects, no girlfriend to keep occupied, and lets just say he wasn't the most dilligent of students . I'm not discouraging you by any means, but building a whole car from scratch is a BIG undertaking and if you only do it "when the girlfriend is working, and im waiting for parts or money" it'll end up taking years - longer the more you deviate from the book and have to think about stuff yourself. It really ought to be not just another project - it'll be your biggest project ever. Having said that you seem to have a lot more car fettling experience than my mate did (er, what's an alt-er-nat-or?) so your mileage may differ. So why not go for it - visiting scrap yards is much better than lectures .

****

I graduated a year ago and started my build then (after spending my fourth year visiting scrap yards, doing research, learning what 'clutches' are and stuff, instead of attending lectures). My original plan was to have it done by this summer - HA HA HA HAAAA HA HA HAAAAA.

My problem was deviating so far from the book I may as well use it as a door stop - my locost is 4WD with an engine you probably wouldn't aprove of (Jap, and a pair of cylinders short of a V8) that dont fit my gearbox, etc etc. It takes a sh*t load longer if you have to design your own chassis, suspension etc etc. My mate almost saw my planning stages as his second project so he wanted to improve/develop the design every way possible. Plus I have to make mine a load better than his as a matter of principle - and I wanted 4WD.

Not that I'm frustrated I got myself into this at all. Every moment is really rewarding and I've learnt so much I've completely forgotten my degree .

Well that's enough from me - why can't I ever write a concise post? Best of luck and everything if you decide to go ahead.

Liam

Thanks for your post mate. I confess to liking some Jap V6's. i just dont like the little civic 4pots and so on. If i were to build a locust on a higher budget, one engine i would consider is a Mazda 2.5 V6 24V (from the probe). That engine is just so much fun.
Anyway, you make some good points, and i appreciate your opinion.

I agree - 4 cylinders is two short of a proper engine, and eight - well that's just two spare ones that dont do anything apart from drink petrol and degrade the noise...

On a more serious note, yup that Mazda V6 is an awesome engine - I remember finding a stupidly detailed technical article on it whilst doing my research, which I couldn't be arsed to read.

Oh I've just found it again:

http://rs-productions.com/RSP_Motors/tech/sae-920677/sae-920677.htm

But I couldn't find a cheap one. I'm using a Honda 2.7l 24V V6 which is pretty awesome too, and they cost about 10p when the Rover 800 has finished rotting around it! (in fact one was advertised free only the other day, but I've already got two).

Liam

I wish I hadn't scrapped my Rover 825 a few years ago! You're right it was a great engine.

BTW Liam, any idea how easy it is to fit the Honda V6 to a RWD gearbox - and which box/bellhousing?

Geoff,

The 2.7 is even better than the 2.5! How easy? Depends on how easy you think making an adaptor plate is - there is unfortunately no bolt-on RWD gearbox option available. I'm making an adaptor plate to fit the engine to my Ford Cossie 4x4 box.

I'm not alone cos there are a few more of these engines in RWD kit cars - all fitted with adaptor plates to a variety of Ford and Toyota boxes as far as I know. There's also the new Phantom GTR kit car that uses the whole Rover 827 FWD setup in a mid-engined coupe.

Liam

the rover 2.7 lump will bolt upto a sherpa/ldv van box i think