First kit car - bike engine
Discussion
Hi
I'm a petrol head. Have a bit of cash now and I am going to install a bike engine into a kitcar.
I'd like to purchase a lotus 7 style or similar full bodied kit car to install my motorcycle engine into. I have a specific engine to fit, so I would like to get a bike engined car already. This makes installation of the power plant the main subject rather than building the entire vehicle.
I've found a decent looking locOst kit car on eBay with a fire blade engine. It's a ropey engine install but the rest looks fine. Ideal. So the question is:- are locOst kit cars ok? What failures are common with this chassis? What modifications are normal? I've seen some document stating that the front wishbones deflect under braking!
I'm fairly handy with spanners and am a design engineer so technical speak is welcomed.
Cheers
Craig
I'm a petrol head. Have a bit of cash now and I am going to install a bike engine into a kitcar.
I'd like to purchase a lotus 7 style or similar full bodied kit car to install my motorcycle engine into. I have a specific engine to fit, so I would like to get a bike engined car already. This makes installation of the power plant the main subject rather than building the entire vehicle.
I've found a decent looking locOst kit car on eBay with a fire blade engine. It's a ropey engine install but the rest looks fine. Ideal. So the question is:- are locOst kit cars ok? What failures are common with this chassis? What modifications are normal? I've seen some document stating that the front wishbones deflect under braking!
I'm fairly handy with spanners and am a design engineer so technical speak is welcomed.
Cheers
Craig
Why does the install look ropey out of interest? What engine do you plan to fit? A "Locost" can vary qite dramatically, generally they are just that, low cost, and ask yourself do you want to do 0-60 in 4 secs in something built by someone else on a tight budget? You need to know the suspension, brakes , manufacturer etc. if you want any useful advice. Stuart Taylor built some nice Loco cars but others built some horrors.
Edited by Furyblade_Lee on Friday 25th July 22:18
A well built Locost can be a fantastic car, a poorly built car can be a slow death trap, so it all comes to how well it has been put together, and whether the original builder took the required time (and spent the required money and skill) to make it good build. You need to consider if the chassis has been welded up by an amateur - you can buy a premade Locost chassis (which may nor may not be truly straight and well welded), but plenty choose to cut the steel and weld the chassis themselves. I have seen some shocking welds, but generally anyone learning would not choose to do so on a chassis!
There is nothing wrong with the Fireblade, and if this is your first bkie engined car (or lightweight special), then it will still be faster than just about anything when the road gets twisty (remember, these are not for drag racing!). I built using a Triumph Daytona bike engine (about the same power as a 'blade) and it was brilliant, and plenty fast enough to scare me and others! I now have a ZX12 engine in my car, and frankly, it goes like a scladed cat! I have a Stuart Taylor chassis (very similar to a Locost) - they are widely considered to be one of the best chassis designs, with a very good record in racing for being fast cars.
There is nothing wrong with the Fireblade, and if this is your first bkie engined car (or lightweight special), then it will still be faster than just about anything when the road gets twisty (remember, these are not for drag racing!). I built using a Triumph Daytona bike engine (about the same power as a 'blade) and it was brilliant, and plenty fast enough to scare me and others! I now have a ZX12 engine in my car, and frankly, it goes like a scladed cat! I have a Stuart Taylor chassis (very similar to a Locost) - they are widely considered to be one of the best chassis designs, with a very good record in racing for being fast cars.
Thanks for the responses chaps.
Interesting to learn that the chassis can be fabricated by an amateur-that's news to me. Are there any telltale signs of factory welded vs amateur other than the obvious? Like a marking or frame number somewhere?
Are the wishbones welded or part of a doner vehicle?
Interesting to learn that the chassis can be fabricated by an amateur-that's news to me. Are there any telltale signs of factory welded vs amateur other than the obvious? Like a marking or frame number somewhere?
Are the wishbones welded or part of a doner vehicle?
Wishbones on a locost will be fabricated both front and back (if rear is IRS).
As for chassis numbers these are more difficult to decypher as it may have one that relates to the manufacturer but also may be made up by the builder irrespective as to whether it is a self or supplier fabrication. So long as the number conformed to a set IVA/SVA standard (alpha numberic 16 digits IIRC) it could be almost anything e.g. mylocostcar0001 or if you are lucky STMCBELW00000001 (Stuart Taylor Motor Company Bike Engine Light Weight 1). Not much help I'm afraid.
As for chassis numbers these are more difficult to decypher as it may have one that relates to the manufacturer but also may be made up by the builder irrespective as to whether it is a self or supplier fabrication. So long as the number conformed to a set IVA/SVA standard (alpha numberic 16 digits IIRC) it could be almost anything e.g. mylocostcar0001 or if you are lucky STMCBELW00000001 (Stuart Taylor Motor Company Bike Engine Light Weight 1). Not much help I'm afraid.
Locosts normally come from the Ron Champion book, although most have updated the design a bit.;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Sports-Little-P...
Either way 'locost' is typically shorthand for amateur built chassis. Not necessarily a problem but it is another variable in the build you need to be aware of.
That car linked on eBay is far from finished and, if I read your post correctly, you're going to bin the engine off so I'd suggest it wasn't ideal. There are much better options for the money. In the questions the seller indicates he'd take £2500 for this, for example;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STM-Phoenix-with-ZX10r-E...
Barely started kit, but probably not more effort to build up than that locost would be.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Sports-Little-P...
Either way 'locost' is typically shorthand for amateur built chassis. Not necessarily a problem but it is another variable in the build you need to be aware of.
That car linked on eBay is far from finished and, if I read your post correctly, you're going to bin the engine off so I'd suggest it wasn't ideal. There are much better options for the money. In the questions the seller indicates he'd take £2500 for this, for example;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STM-Phoenix-with-ZX10r-E...
Barely started kit, but probably not more effort to build up than that locost would be.
My mate Tim has a Stuart Taylor with a ZX1200 engine in it and it's a f
king hoot! He had a 1000cc Triumph engine when it was first on the road but decided it wasn't really powerful enough, now produces circa 180BHP at the wheels from memory.
He's not on PH but on Locost, there's a wealth of knowledge there.
ETA, just seen he's posted above, signed up specially to reply!
king hoot! He had a 1000cc Triumph engine when it was first on the road but decided it wasn't really powerful enough, now produces circa 180BHP at the wheels from memory.He's not on PH but on Locost, there's a wealth of knowledge there.
ETA, just seen he's posted above, signed up specially to reply!
Edited by rehab71 on Sunday 3rd August 21:11
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