saahild
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| posted on 1/9/08 at 09:40 PM |
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Westfield MX5 Chassis?
What chassis does it use? Ron Champion chassis, haynes chassis, or their own chassis? Any idea where I can get the dimensions?
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 1/9/08 at 09:45 PM |
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"What chassis does it use? Ron Champion chassis."
ROFPMSL 
On a slightly more helpful note.
There is an English guy now living in America, that wrote a book about building a 7 using an MX5 as the donor.
Someone will be alomg in a minute or two to give you the name of the book and the author. Or, you could do a search on here.
HTH.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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dhutch
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| posted on 1/9/08 at 09:52 PM |
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S'far as i know its a westfeild deisgned chassis, on MX5 runing gear, isnt?
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Guinness
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| posted on 1/9/08 at 09:55 PM |
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Keith Tanner is the Brit, living in the States, who wrote a book based on the MX-5.
http://www.amazon.com/Build-Cheap-Sports-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760322872/ref=pd_sim_b_5
Linky to Amazon
Mike
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saahild
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| posted on 1/9/08 at 10:18 PM |
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Already have that book on order.. Just taking its time to get here and im getting impatient  . Even read through his website, and the westfield made
by flyin miata's build diary.
I am determined to use as much of the mx5 as possible whilst keeping cost as low as possibly possible.
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cryoman1965
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| posted on 1/9/08 at 10:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Keith Tanner is the Brit, living in the States, who wrote a book based on the MX-5.
http://www.amazon.com/Build-Cheap-Sports-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760322872/ref=pd_sim_b_5
Linky to Amazon
Mike
This book is more about how he built his kitcar. There are no plans, dimensions etc to help with the construction of chassis/componants etc.
Nige
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JAG
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| posted on 2/9/08 at 07:06 AM |
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I built my car using a std book chassis (from STM) and an MX5 engine and gearbox.
The running gear was Escort back axle and Cortina front uprights but if I can be of any help just ask.
There's also an Australian guy who's documented his MX5 Locost - Ben something. Do a search - Google is your friend etc...
Edited to add that Keith also used a std Ron Champion chassis as the basis for his car.
Edited again; I've just found the Aussies page, his name is Ben Chapman - however DON'T GO THERE! He appears to have a virus problem on
the site.
[Edited on 2/9/08 by JAG]
Justin
Who is this super hero? Sarge? ...No.
Rosemary, the telephone operator? ...No.
Penry, the mild-mannered janitor? ...Could be!
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mr henderson
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| posted on 2/9/08 at 07:52 AM |
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MNR do an MX5 based kit, I daresay you could buy just the chassis if you wanted.
http://www.mnrltd.co.uk/index2.html
Their kit does seem very comprehensive, and I doubt you could build a car for less total outlay than by using their stuff.
Best advice I can give is to start writing out a shopping list complete with prices. If you do that and then compare it with the cost of a kit like
theirs, then consider the time saving, it will become obvious that it's the right thing to do
I have no connection with them at all
John
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RK
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| posted on 2/9/08 at 12:29 PM |
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Except Keith is not a Brit. He's one of us. Our advantage is we can usually see the US and British point of view and adapt ourselves
accordingly. The Americans love our TV broadcasters and actors.
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mr henderson
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| posted on 2/9/08 at 01:04 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by RK
The Americans love our TV broadcasters and actors.
Yes, we've seen them on South Park
John
[Edited on 2/9/08 by mr henderson]
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Keith Tanner
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 01:17 AM |
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I know, resurrecting this thread from the dead. But someone told me about it. Since I've built a couple of the Westfield MX-5 chassis as well as
my own car, I figured I could answer the original question. I don't visit this forum much as you can probably tell - if there's something
I can help with directly, drop me an email at keith@miata.net.
The Westfield chassis is their own design, and very very similar to their normal widebody car. I've been trying to get exact details on what
they changed, but it basically looks like the bare minimum. New wishbones to mate to the MX-5 uprights, some brackets to mount the MX-5 diff where the
Sierra one usually goes and the like. They don't seem to have a lot of pride in the kit, and we've had to correct an error in the clutch
pedal design on every one. Still, the end result is pretty good and the fit and finish of the Westfield parts is far beyond what I've seen out
of Locost suppliers on this side of the pond. So's the price, of course.
My own car is based on a frame from Champion Motor Cars in the US. It's mostly a "book" design with an IRS added. It's true
that my book doesn't cover how to cut and weld your own frame up, but it does cover everything else - how brakes work, how to wire the car, how
to sort the handling, etc. Since every Locost builder seems to have their own idea, it didn't seem to make sense to write yet another
"cookbook" on how to make an exact copy.
And yes, I'm Canadian living in the US...
[Edited on 13/5/09 by Keith Tanner]
www.slowcarfast.com
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chrisg
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 01:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Keith Tanner
I know, resurrecting this thread from the dead. But someone told me about it. Since I've built a couple of the Westfield MX-5 chassis as well as
my own car, I figured I could answer the original question. I don't visit this forum much as you can probably tell - if there's something
I can help with directly, drop me an email at keith@miata.net.
The Westfield chassis is their own design, and very very similar to their normal widebody car. I've been trying to get exact details on what
they changed, but it basically looks like the bare minimum. New wishbones to mate to the MX-5 uprights, some brackets to mount the MX-5 diff where the
Sierra one usually goes and the like. They don't seem to have a lot of pride in the kit, and we've had to correct an error in the clutch
pedal design on every one. Still, the end result is pretty good and the fit and finish of the Westfield parts is far beyond what I've seen out
of Locost suppliers on this side of the pond. So's the price, of course.
My own car is based on a frame from Champion Motor Cars in the US. It's mostly a "book" design with an IRS added. It's true
that my book doesn't cover how to cut and weld your own frame up, but it does cover everything else - how brakes work, how to wire the car, how
to sort the handling, etc. Since every Locost builder seems to have their own idea, it didn't seem to make sense to write yet another
"cookbook" on how to make an exact copy.
And yes, I'm Canadian living in the US...
[Edited on 13/5/09 by Keith Tanner]
Plus it's at least 50 times more work, eh Keith?
Cheers
Chris 
Note to all: I really don't know when to leave well alone. I tried to get clever with the mods, then when they gave me a lifeline to see the
error of my ways, I tried to incite more trouble via u2u. So now I'm banned, never to return again. They should have done it years ago!
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Keith Tanner
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 05:35 PM |
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I dunno about that. More diagrams, but instead of explaining how things work you can simply say "Do this because I said so!"
Every Locost builder I speak to seems to have a different idea of what they want to do - a different powerplant, a larger/smaller chassis, a need for
a pushrod suspension or the ability to use the shocks off their donor - so I didn't figure putting chassis plans in would actually be all that
much help.
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chrisg
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 05:55 PM |
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I'll never do it again when the single seater book is finished, it's just too much work.
You have to combine the jobs of designer, builder, draughtsman, photographer, author and editor. The new book has over 900 diagrams, every one needs
doing in three different formats and in 2d and 3d modelling. The pressure of keeping all the balls in the air has sent me loopy..... well a little
more loopy
By the way I'm certainly not knocking your book - I love it , I think there's room for both types of book, variety is the spice of
life.
Cheers
Chris
Note to all: I really don't know when to leave well alone. I tried to get clever with the mods, then when they gave me a lifeline to see the
error of my ways, I tried to incite more trouble via u2u. So now I'm banned, never to return again. They should have done it years ago!
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Keith Tanner
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 05:58 PM |
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I feel the exact same way when I'm in the middle of a book - I'll never do it again! I've said that three times now and I'll
say it when the latest one is done as well! Good luck with your new one.
The biggest complaint I've heard about my Locost book is that it's got a misleading title - people expect a cookbook. I agree, and the
title was not my choice. But most people seem to find it useful, so I take solace in that.
And no, my latest book isn't Locost-related.
[Edited on 13/5/09 by Keith Tanner]
www.slowcarfast.com
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chrisg
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 07:22 PM |
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I'm going to keep writing but I'm not doing a detailed "how to" book again.
I'm writing a novel at the moment, a friend of mine writes Mills and Boon type slush which has bought him a Tuscan villa and a very nice Aston
Martin.
One downside is that he has to write under a womans name because, apparently, women like their low level smut to be written by a female!
"Frogmella was powerless to resist as his muscular.........etc" - money for old rope!
Cheers
Chris
Note to all: I really don't know when to leave well alone. I tried to get clever with the mods, then when they gave me a lifeline to see the
error of my ways, I tried to incite more trouble via u2u. So now I'm banned, never to return again. They should have done it years ago!
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mr henderson
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 07:33 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by chrisg
I'm writing a novel at the moment,
Write one about a young woman who takes a job in a kit car workshop and who develops an uncontrollable 'pash' for her older employer who
is happily married.......
John
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chrisg
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 07:41 PM |
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Who would play you in the movie adaptation?
Brad Pitt?
or Danny DeVito?
Note to all: I really don't know when to leave well alone. I tried to get clever with the mods, then when they gave me a lifeline to see the
error of my ways, I tried to incite more trouble via u2u. So now I'm banned, never to return again. They should have done it years ago!
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Keith Tanner
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| posted on 13/5/09 at 09:17 PM |
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Yes, the key to retiring as a writer is to pen the sort of books that are sold in airports. I'm not smart enough to do that.
I dunno, I'd be willing to play the lead in the story. The real question is who do I get for a love interest?
www.slowcarfast.com
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