rag top needed or built for my locust (Lincolnshire)
Discussion
I have a locust super 7 and i wanna use it this winter instead of it being covered up for 6 months of the year. does anybody know of anyone around lincolnshire who could help me design a roof and sides for my car, my friend is a upholsterer (spell check?) so he can do all the soft work but im a bit stuck with how to attach and build a framework. i have a very large garage and more tools and equiptment than u would ever need so work space isnt a issue. if anyone can help please let me know..
thanks
thanks
There are suppliers to Caterham who offer these frames to the public. Robin Hood frames are available from Great British Sports Cars.
Alternatively several firms advertise such frames on Ebay etc.
You need a frame to fit the specific cockpit dimensions and screen height etc for your specific locust. They DO vary. For example the JC Locust takes a different frame to the majority of Locust builds I have seen in any detail
If you address your enquiry to the relevant specialist you may get an frame to fit the specific car.
Easier than building one that works yourself.
The geometry and support bar positions substantially affect the weather proofing, strength and durability of the hood.
Alternatively several firms advertise such frames on Ebay etc.
You need a frame to fit the specific cockpit dimensions and screen height etc for your specific locust. They DO vary. For example the JC Locust takes a different frame to the majority of Locust builds I have seen in any detail
If you address your enquiry to the relevant specialist you may get an frame to fit the specific car.
Easier than building one that works yourself.
The geometry and support bar positions substantially affect the weather proofing, strength and durability of the hood.
Paul Drawmer said:
As an aside - how does your car pass an MOT without wipers?
The majority of Kit Cars, particularly the Locost/locust/RH cheapies are finished without windscreen and wipers. If you fit any of this to a build car, everything has to be done to SVA standard. Heaters have to direct warm air to the screen etc etc etc.
Most builders avoid this additional work by SVA'ing the car without a screen.
A screen etc with wipers and bits is fitted later.
A screen without wipers could not pass the MOT, but I think most builders realise one must accompany the other. I have never seen a screen without wipers but no doubt somebody has left one unfinished at some time.
Presumably the owner uses the car on the track.
You may be able to check the MOT situation online: I think Checkmycar or similar may give the details.
As you rightly say the car would not pass the MOT without wipers.
Of course the owner may have removed the screen for MOT purposes.
There is no requirement in the MOT for a screen to be fitted.
You may be able to check the MOT situation online: I think Checkmycar or similar may give the details.
As you rightly say the car would not pass the MOT without wipers.
Of course the owner may have removed the screen for MOT purposes.
There is no requirement in the MOT for a screen to be fitted.
winter driving without heater, blower and wipers...interesting idea.....
a seven is not designed for winter use, especially driving on wet or icy surfaces those light rearwheel drive cars could be even dangerous...especially in today´s traffic where other road users dont take care about thos eissues involved in driving a car without any ABS, ASR etc...
surplus, the winter with its wet and salty roads will dramatically increase corrosion, wear etc.
locust=plywood body --> driving for months in the wet...are you sure the plywood likes that?
so its better to invest 200-300pound in a crappy winter car...imo.
a seven is not designed for winter use, especially driving on wet or icy surfaces those light rearwheel drive cars could be even dangerous...especially in today´s traffic where other road users dont take care about thos eissues involved in driving a car without any ABS, ASR etc...
surplus, the winter with its wet and salty roads will dramatically increase corrosion, wear etc.
locust=plywood body --> driving for months in the wet...are you sure the plywood likes that?
so its better to invest 200-300pound in a crappy winter car...imo.
Comadis said:
winter driving without heater, blower and wipers...interesting idea.....
a seven is not designed for winter use, especially driving on wet or icy surfaces those light rearwheel drive cars could be even dangerous...especially in today´s traffic where other road users dont take care about thos eissues involved in driving a car without any ABS, ASR etc...
surplus, the winter with its wet and salty roads will dramatically increase corrosion, wear etc.
locust=plywood body --> driving for months in the wet...are you sure the plywood likes that?
so its better to invest 200-300pound in a crappy winter car...imo.
Agreed. a seven is not designed for winter use, especially driving on wet or icy surfaces those light rearwheel drive cars could be even dangerous...especially in today´s traffic where other road users dont take care about thos eissues involved in driving a car without any ABS, ASR etc...
surplus, the winter with its wet and salty roads will dramatically increase corrosion, wear etc.
locust=plywood body --> driving for months in the wet...are you sure the plywood likes that?
so its better to invest 200-300pound in a crappy winter car...imo.
The sheer luxury of an old 4X4 every winter is mine. Luxury? Am I mad? Probably.
But a Freelander or Discovery is a lot more drivable in ice and snow. Fact
Hi Guys Thanks for the reply on the roof, I've found a boat builder nearby who does rag tops for yachts and so forth so i'm off to see him regarding the roof.
To answer a few queries considering the MOT and my lack of wipers, I simply removed the windscreen and hey presto I dont need wipers and washers. I do use the car on the road and have never used it on a track although I would like to find a hillclimb event that I could have a go on.I do intend to fit a set of wipers and a heater inside the car as I want to run it when its cold and windy outside, I'm not intending to use the car when its icy outside as that would as most of you agree will end in disaster.
If anybody has any idea on what wipers and heater to use that would be useful because all I can think of is a mini set or a reliant set.
To answer a few queries considering the MOT and my lack of wipers, I simply removed the windscreen and hey presto I dont need wipers and washers. I do use the car on the road and have never used it on a track although I would like to find a hillclimb event that I could have a go on.I do intend to fit a set of wipers and a heater inside the car as I want to run it when its cold and windy outside, I'm not intending to use the car when its icy outside as that would as most of you agree will end in disaster.
If anybody has any idea on what wipers and heater to use that would be useful because all I can think of is a mini set or a reliant set.
kawasakisteve said:
To answer a few queries considering the MOT and my lack of wipers, I simply removed the windscreen and hey presto I dont need wipers and washers. I do use the car on the road and have never used it on a track although I would like to find a hillclimb event that I could have a go on.I do intend to fit a set of wipers and a heater inside the car as I want to run it when its cold and windy outside, I'm not intending to use the car when its icy outside as that would as most of you agree will end in disaster.
If anybody has any idea on what wipers and heater to use that would be useful because all I can think of is a mini set or a reliant set.
So I assume that you are un-aware that with the windscreen fitted your car is not road legal and therefore you are driving un-insured.If anybody has any idea on what wipers and heater to use that would be useful because all I can think of is a mini set or a reliant set.
I am afraid the post is correct about the illegality of the lack of Wipers, Washers, Heater etc all of which are required if you fit a screen. No way around this basic fitness for use on road stuff.
You cannot legally drive on public roads in the UK as in your photo.
And you are modifying the vehicle into an illegal form so the insurance could be invalid.
If you have been driving this car about you have been very lucky not to be pulled. I would suggest you never do this again until you sort the necessary bits out.
Mini wipers are the prime choice on Kit cars mini heaters are easily the easiest to fit. Classic mini of course.
You cannot legally drive on public roads in the UK as in your photo.
And you are modifying the vehicle into an illegal form so the insurance could be invalid.
If you have been driving this car about you have been very lucky not to be pulled. I would suggest you never do this again until you sort the necessary bits out.
Mini wipers are the prime choice on Kit cars mini heaters are easily the easiest to fit. Classic mini of course.
as the above comments this is half the reason why i want to fit wipers,washers,heater and a roof to make the car more useable and to think that it is illegal to drive round without wipers on a clear day i think is a bit strange condsidering that without the windscreen goggles aernt much better.
Anyway i bought the car about 6 months ago in a pretty sorry condition it was registered on a q in 98 i think and i got previous mot's with it. this is my first kit car and i am enjoying it but i dont just want to park it up till easter when the weather goes mild again, so fitting the roof etc i want to get done sooner rather than later. i dont use it everyday as i have my work van its just a weekend toy but im still wanting to play on cold days.
it is a rolling project as the handling is a bit off and its running a 1700 xflow engine with a early 4 spd box which i am thinking about either modenising the engine or fitting a 5 speed box because its a little undergeared and tends to be a bit racey on the rpm at 60mph. its no rocket ship and i dont really want it to be but it would be nice to cruise along at a more sensible rpm.
ive been to my workshop today and added some positive caster to the front end as it was not self righting on the steering and added about 1 degree of caster and it has made a little difference but is still a bit wallowy in a straight line. being a motorcycle mechanic im not incredibly knolegable on 4 wheels lol. i build trikes and chops but never got into 4 wheel setups so any advise would be nice
Anyway i bought the car about 6 months ago in a pretty sorry condition it was registered on a q in 98 i think and i got previous mot's with it. this is my first kit car and i am enjoying it but i dont just want to park it up till easter when the weather goes mild again, so fitting the roof etc i want to get done sooner rather than later. i dont use it everyday as i have my work van its just a weekend toy but im still wanting to play on cold days.
it is a rolling project as the handling is a bit off and its running a 1700 xflow engine with a early 4 spd box which i am thinking about either modenising the engine or fitting a 5 speed box because its a little undergeared and tends to be a bit racey on the rpm at 60mph. its no rocket ship and i dont really want it to be but it would be nice to cruise along at a more sensible rpm.
ive been to my workshop today and added some positive caster to the front end as it was not self righting on the steering and added about 1 degree of caster and it has made a little difference but is still a bit wallowy in a straight line. being a motorcycle mechanic im not incredibly knolegable on 4 wheels lol. i build trikes and chops but never got into 4 wheel setups so any advise would be nice
If its a car you have bought in I would start with basics.
Get a decent tape measure and check all the chassis dimensions: does everything line up? Distance between wheel centres the same both sides? Does the car really look straight?
Stand or kneel behind with the wheels dead ahead. Is it crabbing?
Then onto the suspension front and rear is everything looking correctly put together.
Test the shock absorbers and spring return. Does it all feel ok. Is the car bouncing too long. If so shocks are out.
Secondhand kit cars need a lot of checking.
Remember there is NO quality control in kit building.
The wallowing and lack of self righting suggests front suspension faults/errors but could be worn components from the donor car.
Best of luck.
What is the actual make of car?
I do not recognise the type it could be a locost I am not sure without more detail.
Get a decent tape measure and check all the chassis dimensions: does everything line up? Distance between wheel centres the same both sides? Does the car really look straight?
Stand or kneel behind with the wheels dead ahead. Is it crabbing?
Then onto the suspension front and rear is everything looking correctly put together.
Test the shock absorbers and spring return. Does it all feel ok. Is the car bouncing too long. If so shocks are out.
Secondhand kit cars need a lot of checking.
Remember there is NO quality control in kit building.
The wallowing and lack of self righting suggests front suspension faults/errors but could be worn components from the donor car.
Best of luck.
What is the actual make of car?
I do not recognise the type it could be a locost I am not sure without more detail.
hi Stefan.
Thanks for the info, the car is registered as a sellers special mk1 which ive done quite alot of searching on the net and found nothing on that marque but after a bit more digging i came to the conclusion that it could be a early locust although i may be wrong.
i beleive the running gear is triumph dolomite 1500, the rear axle is definatly off a dolly 1500 beacuse one of the half shafts was bent so i got a replacement along with a set of seals and bearings and replaced all suspect components. also the panhard rod was buckled indicating that it had been kerbed at some point so i took the rod off and trued it up measured both sides of the rear and that is now straight. that really improved things on the rear end. its running a set of spax ajustable shocks all the way round which the rears were way to stiff as the axle was hitting the frame on full extension giving the rear end compression but no droop so i spent a day softening the rear end up, after that i can feel that the panhard rod is causing the rear end to compress at different rates so i may spend some time on redesigning the rod setup so it is equal both sides. just to inform you the rod attaches to the frame on the offside then couples to the axle on the other and i think a more semetrical design may help this..
The front end i had setup on a laser tracker and set the tracking to .5 toe in after talking to someone about the lack of feel and the steering not self righting if i go round a bend and let go of the wheel the car just keeps turning and will not straighten itself up which is quite scary to be honest.
thats when i decided to give the front end some caster, ive moved the lower arm forward 5mm and the top arm back 5mm which has given it about 1.5 degrees positive and after playing with the caster and rear suspension the handling has improved it doesnt feel like being on a knifes edge with it anymore but still doesnt feel perfect.
i think sorting the rear suspension not compressing at the same rate is next weekends task but am gonna have to put pen to paper and figure out how to rejig the panhard rod as im sure its that causing this issue.
Thanks for your input on this matter as i am a bit of a newbie on kit cars and do have alot to learn. i will have to get my tape measure out next week and double check all the wheels,frame etc from the naked eye everything looks straight and just for a bit more info the car weighs 875kg's.
I do need to set the carbs up on the engine at some point but at the minute there running well enough not to worry too much about them but thats another subject..
Thanks for the info, the car is registered as a sellers special mk1 which ive done quite alot of searching on the net and found nothing on that marque but after a bit more digging i came to the conclusion that it could be a early locust although i may be wrong.
i beleive the running gear is triumph dolomite 1500, the rear axle is definatly off a dolly 1500 beacuse one of the half shafts was bent so i got a replacement along with a set of seals and bearings and replaced all suspect components. also the panhard rod was buckled indicating that it had been kerbed at some point so i took the rod off and trued it up measured both sides of the rear and that is now straight. that really improved things on the rear end. its running a set of spax ajustable shocks all the way round which the rears were way to stiff as the axle was hitting the frame on full extension giving the rear end compression but no droop so i spent a day softening the rear end up, after that i can feel that the panhard rod is causing the rear end to compress at different rates so i may spend some time on redesigning the rod setup so it is equal both sides. just to inform you the rod attaches to the frame on the offside then couples to the axle on the other and i think a more semetrical design may help this..
The front end i had setup on a laser tracker and set the tracking to .5 toe in after talking to someone about the lack of feel and the steering not self righting if i go round a bend and let go of the wheel the car just keeps turning and will not straighten itself up which is quite scary to be honest.
thats when i decided to give the front end some caster, ive moved the lower arm forward 5mm and the top arm back 5mm which has given it about 1.5 degrees positive and after playing with the caster and rear suspension the handling has improved it doesnt feel like being on a knifes edge with it anymore but still doesnt feel perfect.
i think sorting the rear suspension not compressing at the same rate is next weekends task but am gonna have to put pen to paper and figure out how to rejig the panhard rod as im sure its that causing this issue.
Thanks for your input on this matter as i am a bit of a newbie on kit cars and do have alot to learn. i will have to get my tape measure out next week and double check all the wheels,frame etc from the naked eye everything looks straight and just for a bit more info the car weighs 875kg's.
I do need to set the carbs up on the engine at some point but at the minute there running well enough not to worry too much about them but thats another subject..
kawasakisteve said:
as the above comments this is half the reason why i want to fit wipers,washers,heater and a roof to make the car more useable and to think that it is illegal to drive round without wipers on a clear day i think is a bit strange condsidering that without the windscreen goggles aernt much better.
You can easily wipe goggles with your glove (if needed - which it rarely is as the wind blast forces most of the water off). Unless you're Mr Tickle, you might find it easier than wiping a 'screen. 
Sounds an interesting car to me presumably the original builder registered it in his name.
Clearly some Triumph gear used I wonder if it is a Robin Hood which has has engine and drivetrain changes over time. If you post photos of the front suspension and chassis set up I will ask around the RH owners.
I have two myself currently. Had umpteen in the past there is a LOT of variety in RH cars.
Clearly some Triumph gear used I wonder if it is a Robin Hood which has has engine and drivetrain changes over time. If you post photos of the front suspension and chassis set up I will ask around the RH owners.
I have two myself currently. Had umpteen in the past there is a LOT of variety in RH cars.
now i´m confused...@kawasaki: in your first posting you said "I have a locust super 7"
so a locust has a ladder frame, the body is made of plywood or mdf, covered with alloy, front suspension normally cortina, a few ones been converted to "proper" wishbones.
when i heard that you said something about changing the castor this would indicate that your car is not a locust...sounds more than a locost with a typical seven tubular spaceframe chassis?
could you confirm....mabye an enginebay and front suspension picture would help to identify what you have.
so a locust has a ladder frame, the body is made of plywood or mdf, covered with alloy, front suspension normally cortina, a few ones been converted to "proper" wishbones.
when i heard that you said something about changing the castor this would indicate that your car is not a locust...sounds more than a locost with a typical seven tubular spaceframe chassis?
could you confirm....mabye an enginebay and front suspension picture would help to identify what you have.
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