Discussion
Are they all that short in leg room as the one my mate has bought?
I tried and failed to get into a position where I could actually drive the car.
I'm 6' 2" and 17 stone but have built and driven two Tigers without a problem and currently drive an Elise.
In September we are doing a trip through France and Spain and although he's quit a bit smaller than me I fear he may need corrective surgery when we get back.
I tried and failed to get into a position where I could actually drive the car.
I'm 6' 2" and 17 stone but have built and driven two Tigers without a problem and currently drive an Elise.
In September we are doing a trip through France and Spain and although he's quit a bit smaller than me I fear he may need corrective surgery when we get back.
Comadis said:
i´m 173cm and a locUst (with U) fitted like a glove...188cm (6"2) is much too large (not only for a locust...you will even struggle with an older westfield se, tiger, sylva, ginetta)
See above, I've built and run two Tigers without a problem, squab seat only mind you. As for the others, I've not tried so don't know.I'm sticking with Lotus for the time being and don't think I'll be tempted back to a kit car for a long time, if ever.
Driven a lot of kit cars over the years (I am ancient) starting with a Falcon in 1963.
The vast majority are very tight on cabin space. Robin Hoods, Locosts, Locusts, any kit car with a narrow body width etc etc very tight and as others have said so are many Ginetta's, Early Westfields etc.
Worst kit car I had for limited access and egress was an Avante kit car.
About 20 years ago lovely looking car but daft height (from memory less than 3 feet tall overall) and a coupe to boot. Based on a VW chassis shortened with Alfa Sud engine and drive train in the back.
Went very well. handled very well, looked superb real eye catcher, but I needed a funnel to get me in and two helpers to get me out. I sold it. I would DEFINITELY have needed reconstructive surgery if I had kept it.
There are modern kit cars that are much more roomy such as the Vindicator Sprint. The Vindicator Family is actually a FOUR SEATER drop head and Vindicator have supplied two cars to drivers OVER 6'8 and 20 stone each and they can get in and out easily.
Finding a really drivable comfortable Kit Car can be done but avoid the narrow bodied kit cars they are just too tight for normal blokes.
And fatties like me.
The vast majority are very tight on cabin space. Robin Hoods, Locosts, Locusts, any kit car with a narrow body width etc etc very tight and as others have said so are many Ginetta's, Early Westfields etc.
Worst kit car I had for limited access and egress was an Avante kit car.
About 20 years ago lovely looking car but daft height (from memory less than 3 feet tall overall) and a coupe to boot. Based on a VW chassis shortened with Alfa Sud engine and drive train in the back.
Went very well. handled very well, looked superb real eye catcher, but I needed a funnel to get me in and two helpers to get me out. I sold it. I would DEFINITELY have needed reconstructive surgery if I had kept it.
There are modern kit cars that are much more roomy such as the Vindicator Sprint. The Vindicator Family is actually a FOUR SEATER drop head and Vindicator have supplied two cars to drivers OVER 6'8 and 20 stone each and they can get in and out easily.
Finding a really drivable comfortable Kit Car can be done but avoid the narrow bodied kit cars they are just too tight for normal blokes.
And fatties like me.
With the greatest respect...
Proper seven's should be as small and light as possible. Once you start stretching them they lose the whole ethos. Thinner seats cure a height problem. My mate is 6'3", most of which is his legs and he fits his standard 'book' Locost chassis. If the car's not wide enough....shed some pounds.
Proper seven's should be as small and light as possible. Once you start stretching them they lose the whole ethos. Thinner seats cure a height problem. My mate is 6'3", most of which is his legs and he fits his standard 'book' Locost chassis. If the car's not wide enough....shed some pounds.
Ferg said:
With the greatest respect...
If the car's not wide enough....shed some pounds.
Firstly, who said anything about the car not being wide enough? That's wasn't the problem, it's the leg room, or lack of it I was refering to.If the car's not wide enough....shed some pounds.
This was a general enquiry as there seems plenty of room in the engine to set the pedal box the pedal box further forward.
To be honest I not bothered one way or the other as the car is not mine.
As for the "shed some pounds" comment, what you say in the notes section of your profile sums thing up nicely.
Comadis said:
@grumpy: the cortina suspension looks realy ugly on a seven, also it does not do its job well for a seven.
2.5k is a tyical price for a Locust, sold inbetween UK-residents. so not a real bargain.
Absolutely right.2.5k is a tyical price for a Locust, sold inbetween UK-residents. so not a real bargain.
The later better sierra suspension and similar more modern components are far more suited to the Locost/Locust but better still are the various specialist set ups for the cars. These really do make the cars handle.
On the subject of values I have bought and sold several Robin Hoods and Locosts/Locusts over the years for very little money. Poorly finished cars with flexing chassis etc (common with locost/locust builds) are really worth little more than £1500. Several cars have been only tack welded and on the road in this state.
And that assumes correct registration.
Several of the Locusts/Locosts I have seen have been still showing as the original donor cars not even shown as convertibles on the V5.
I have also seen outstanding cars beautifully finished and impeccably engineered which are far better buys but do rightly fetch a LOT more money.
But these are the ones I try to find it is both frustrating and expensive to try and fettle a car and to discover the absolute basics like chassis geometry and structural welding are not right at all.
Comadis said:
@grumpy: the cortina suspension looks realy ugly on a seven, also it does not do its job well for a seven.
2.5k is a tyical price for a Locust, sold inbetween UK-residents. so not a real bargain.
I agree with the suspension comment, I was being sarcastic in my earlier post.2.5k is a tyical price for a Locust, sold inbetween UK-residents. so not a real bargain.
The car itself seems well put together, the interior is very well done and the seats are first class. Looking at the car today I think this is why the leg room is "tight". Simple squab seats would give about another 4" in that department.
Also as I said earlier, I've built two Tigers and even they make the Locust look dated in design and build method.
As for how well it goes, I'll let you know when I can get him to come out for a run with me. The Elise isn't a bad yard stick when it come to finding out how good other cars are in the twisty bits.
grumpy said:
HBV ***Q
Ah, mine was Q395 WET. If anyone knows of it?I'm sure you will enjoy the car though, they are such good fun, and definitely one of the best looking 7 inspired cars around, apart from the Caterham of course.
If you come across any problems then feel free to PM me as I worked on my old car plenty, and its amazing how many different cars things were made from, and not necessarily in the areas you'd think. Like the MK2 escort track rod end, used to hold the body to the chassis and rear suspension at the rear! Weird but wonderful!
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