The donor hunt begins

Now that we have mostly made it through the holidays it is time to start hunting for a donor.

The only thing I have decided on is to make this a Haynes Roadster.  I think the size will fit me well and it is a better sorted plan.  For a donor I am 90% sure I will go with a Miata.  I have owned Miatas in the past and they really are a great choice.  That leaves 10%.  I have always been a motorcycle guy and love the idea of a Bike Engine Car BEC.  I am following three Miatas right now and should know next week if I end up with one of them.  If I do get one the it's 100% Miata.  If I don't the the odds change to 75/25.

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Build your own Spors Car on a budget

My copy of Build your own Spors Car on a budget showed up today.  I can add it to my collection of locost books.

I have to say I find the design very appealing.  It works out to be 2in wider, 4in longer, and 1in taller than a "book" locost.  It has very nice lines and seems to be a very well sorted plan.  There are some modified version of this plan floating around the internet that accommodate Miata rear suspension.  I am leaning this way.

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Still planning

Putting everything in CAD shows  that the Miata rear suspension will fit very nicely.  The front not so much.  The front lower Miata control arms are too short to work with the locost 442e chassis.  The good news is there is lots of room for a front suspension every bit as good or better than the Miata suspension.  Time to start playing in Suspension Analyzer.  I will let you know what I find.

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First Post

First a bit about me.

As of this writing I am 33 years old.  Just to give you some perspective.  My parents own an automotive parts store and shop, so I grew up around cars.  To steal a phrase from one of my friends, I am a hobby addict.  I have been into boats, cars, racing, jeeps, motorcycles, brewing beer, cooking, computers… I could go on and on.  Any most of the things I am into I am still into but maybe with a bit less motivation.  My wife is a saint.

Since college I have dreamed of building a car and designing 100% of it.  While a locost doesn’t get me all the way to that goal I feel it is a good first step.  I am also a Colin Chapman fan.  So building a car inspired by one of his early works also seems like a good thing.

Next Steps

Plan.  I am not a small guy and this is a small car.  So I am going to base my chassis on the McSorley 442E.  The drawings for this chassis and others is available at http://www.sevenesque.com/plans/

I am working on drawing up the chassis in CAD now.  I would like to use a Miata as a good bit of the donor.  I plan to make the chassis have the same suspension pickup points as the Miata.  Once I get this drawing up I will post pictures here.

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