midtec chassis
Discussion
'only' a 2l engine in car that weighs....?
Bet it's fast enough to get you into trouble. For fun (and displacement therapy) here's quick analysis of Midtec Spyder
Overall it looks a little 'myopic', i.e. a collection of individual features that don't gel as a whole - as if they've been developed without reference to the entity as a whole. This is usually a rookie error or a result of working in confined space (such as a garage) and only being wheeled out at the end of the process.
(original image found in madabout-kitcars.com galleries)
At a macro level the volumes are simple, even crude: there's a central cigar body with wheelarch tunnels attached - almost like a cut'n'shut made from the rear ends of two sevens. The form might have worked if the crispness of the surfaces had been retained - if not beautiful, it could have had that 'sense-of-purpose' air found in heavy machinery and military equipment.
Whilst the surfacing is pretty well executed in terms of workmanship and standard of finish, it's poor in sculptural terms: the surfacing in the lower flanks is concave, esp. just ahead of the rear wheel - it's almost as bad as the Invicta S1. The 'door' opening is quite elegantly curved but doesn't relate to anything else so looks out of place. Unfortunately from certain angles the opposing concave lines of the sill and door cutout conspire to make the Midtec look like a piece of chewing gum being stretched too far.
The shape of the wings / wheelarches is a basic cylinder with little development or tension; the wheelarch edges are too deep and so look overscale which makes the wheels look smaller than they actually are. The headlight fairings are also very basic shape - being pretty much plain cylinders, and the lower fairings simple cones.
Whilst some of the edges, such as those around headlight & indicator fairings, are quite crisp a lot of the edges are too soft, i.e. the radius is too large, notably around the grille whose amorphous appearance is further emphasised by the relatively large radius at the lower front corner of the front wheelarches.
The constant plane through both the windscreen and bonnet doesn't give the eye anything to latch onto and foreshortens the nose, emphasising the uncertainly shaped grille opening. It also makes it look more cab forward than it is and the rear deck look ungainly: aside from the front overhang, the proportions are in fact pretty much the same as the Audi R8
The side intake is a pretty arbitrary shape with little attendant form, in some versions I've seen they look little more than holes let into the bodywork: a real feature could have been made of this.
Attached is a quick theme thumbnail trying to stay fairly close to the existing design. Headlights are '01-'06 Mini units and bonnet is black to extend windscreen graphic.
Bet it's fast enough to get you into trouble. For fun (and displacement therapy) here's quick analysis of Midtec Spyder
Overall it looks a little 'myopic', i.e. a collection of individual features that don't gel as a whole - as if they've been developed without reference to the entity as a whole. This is usually a rookie error or a result of working in confined space (such as a garage) and only being wheeled out at the end of the process.
(original image found in madabout-kitcars.com galleries)
At a macro level the volumes are simple, even crude: there's a central cigar body with wheelarch tunnels attached - almost like a cut'n'shut made from the rear ends of two sevens. The form might have worked if the crispness of the surfaces had been retained - if not beautiful, it could have had that 'sense-of-purpose' air found in heavy machinery and military equipment.
Whilst the surfacing is pretty well executed in terms of workmanship and standard of finish, it's poor in sculptural terms: the surfacing in the lower flanks is concave, esp. just ahead of the rear wheel - it's almost as bad as the Invicta S1. The 'door' opening is quite elegantly curved but doesn't relate to anything else so looks out of place. Unfortunately from certain angles the opposing concave lines of the sill and door cutout conspire to make the Midtec look like a piece of chewing gum being stretched too far.
The shape of the wings / wheelarches is a basic cylinder with little development or tension; the wheelarch edges are too deep and so look overscale which makes the wheels look smaller than they actually are. The headlight fairings are also very basic shape - being pretty much plain cylinders, and the lower fairings simple cones.
Whilst some of the edges, such as those around headlight & indicator fairings, are quite crisp a lot of the edges are too soft, i.e. the radius is too large, notably around the grille whose amorphous appearance is further emphasised by the relatively large radius at the lower front corner of the front wheelarches.
The constant plane through both the windscreen and bonnet doesn't give the eye anything to latch onto and foreshortens the nose, emphasising the uncertainly shaped grille opening. It also makes it look more cab forward than it is and the rear deck look ungainly: aside from the front overhang, the proportions are in fact pretty much the same as the Audi R8
The side intake is a pretty arbitrary shape with little attendant form, in some versions I've seen they look little more than holes let into the bodywork: a real feature could have been made of this.
Attached is a quick theme thumbnail trying to stay fairly close to the existing design. Headlights are '01-'06 Mini units and bonnet is black to extend windscreen graphic.
FlossyThePig said:
The windscreen used on the Midtec started life as a rear window on a Saab 96. I believe Friend Wood used one on his Tryane three wheeler.
Hugh
thanks for that bit of infoHugh
was wondering what it was off,got a bit of delamination (i think thats what its called) in the corner
can have a look about now
FOR SALE!!!!!!!!!!
hi everyone, talked to my engineer (father in law) and my bank manager(wife) and have decided cannot build, therefore my chassis and suspention etc. are up for sale! anyone interested post a message and i will post some info and photos.will also advertise in kitcar mag(next issue).
thanks for your comments and posts, loved every minute.
steve.
hi everyone, talked to my engineer (father in law) and my bank manager(wife) and have decided cannot build, therefore my chassis and suspention etc. are up for sale! anyone interested post a message and i will post some info and photos.will also advertise in kitcar mag(next issue).
thanks for your comments and posts, loved every minute.
steve.
Hi all,
I once considered taking on a Midtec and changing the bodywork (I think it badly needs changing!). I'm no computer wizard but here are some images showing what I was trying to do. In the end I didn't trust my skills enough to take on all the body work, so ended up trying to build an MK Indy.
I tried to move away from the bug eye headlamps and put them inside the bodywork
Of course the back end is an even bigger challenge. After some attempts to clear up the lines, I ended up pasting the back end of a Sylva Mojo on it (no idea if this would actually fit!)and added some fairings behind the headrests to break up that long deck.
Anyway , those were just my ideas. Had some fun with MS Paint, tough.
Michael
I once considered taking on a Midtec and changing the bodywork (I think it badly needs changing!). I'm no computer wizard but here are some images showing what I was trying to do. In the end I didn't trust my skills enough to take on all the body work, so ended up trying to build an MK Indy.
I tried to move away from the bug eye headlamps and put them inside the bodywork
Of course the back end is an even bigger challenge. After some attempts to clear up the lines, I ended up pasting the back end of a Sylva Mojo on it (no idea if this would actually fit!)and added some fairings behind the headrests to break up that long deck.
Anyway , those were just my ideas. Had some fun with MS Paint, tough.
Michael
That body needs all the help it can get! I honestly believe that the Brits have produced both the prettiest (eg. Aston Martin DBR) and the ugliest cars (this one is a fine example) in the world. The chassis looks quite good as it has a truss configuration. It amazes me that anyone who had a hand in the Ultima, could have been involved in the design of this bucket on wheels :-(
I looked into buying one once. They were nice and cheap and would take the Lancia twin cam I had in the garage at the time.
On the demonstrator test drive I was impressed with the handling, but the wind buffeting my head behind that little screen was bonkers and not something I could live with.
Perhaps you could turn one into a replica MR2
On the demonstrator test drive I was impressed with the handling, but the wind buffeting my head behind that little screen was bonkers and not something I could live with.
Perhaps you could turn one into a replica MR2
duke1198s said:
FOR SALE!!!!!!!!!!
hi everyone, talked to my engineer (father in law) and my bank manager(wife) and have decided cannot build, therefore my chassis and suspention etc. are up for sale! anyone interested post a message and i will post some info and photos.will also advertise in kitcar mag(next issue).
thanks for your comments and posts, loved every minute.
steve.
How much are you thinking of (roughly)?hi everyone, talked to my engineer (father in law) and my bank manager(wife) and have decided cannot build, therefore my chassis and suspention etc. are up for sale! anyone interested post a message and i will post some info and photos.will also advertise in kitcar mag(next issue).
thanks for your comments and posts, loved every minute.
steve.
THE CHASSIS IS LOCATED IN MANCHESTER AND IS FOR SALE IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF KITCAR MAGAZINE AT £800 ONO.
THE CHASSIS COCKPIT AREA IS METAL PANELLED, SIDES AND FLOOR WITH A FIBREGLASS FOOTWELL. THERE IS A GEAR SHIFT AND ACTIVATION ARM TO REAR OF ENGINE BAY, A FULL SET OF WISHBONES AND ADJUSTERS PLUS REAR UPRIGHTS WITH NEW NUTS, BOLTS, WASHERS AND BUSHES.ALSO INCLUDE IS A PHOTOCOPIED PART MANUEL TO BUILD UP THE CHASSIS AND SET SUSPENTION.
THE CHASSIS RETAINS 90% OF IT ORIGINAL BLACK ON THE RAILS BUT HAS LIGHT SURFACE RUST IN SOME AREAS OF THE RAILS AND MAINLY IT COCKPIT FLOOR.
SHOWN IN PHOTOS RATHER THAN TRIED TO BOTCH OR HIDE, NOTHING THAT CANNOT BE SORTED IN A DAY WITH POWER TOOLS AND A TIN OF HAMMERITE. BUSHES AND BOLT NEW
SUSPENTION PARTS VERY GOOD CONDITION.
PLUS THE CHASSIS A BIT DUSTY.
|http://thumbsnap.com/v/p6bPtWcH.
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