Hi guys and girls!
Today i started fabricating CFRP.
This is a plate for my Locost hand-built car, where the steering column passes. I have made some parts out of fiberglass (woven) and my first view is that carbon is WAY more difficult to lay-up correctly!
I think that a vacuum pump will soon be added to my shopping cart! :rolleyes:
The part is not yet ready buy i will show some pics of the item on its FRP mold.
hello Echidna, I`m locost builder to.
You should use vaccum.
P.S. I`m using Chris Gibs plans.
Hi Adam. I am building a Haynes Roadster too!
I am going to buy a full vacuum kit. Thanks!
The same part, now vacuum bagged. It turned up nice. A few flaws here and there mainly due to PVA which i sprayed on the mold.
What do you think?
echindna you re from greece right? where will you be racing this project?
Cool stuff. Try to make great use of composites on that vehicle instead of metal parts where possible.
What kind of metal tubing are you using? Looks like cheap square stuff to me. I usually see those made with quality high strength round tubing.
Mainly for my own pleasure, in trackdays etc. until we will achieve to persuade them to allow kitcars into racing… :rolleyes:
It will be powered by a bike engine and it will be quite light. Next days i hope i will buy the engine package and start making the suspension study and fabrication. I hope to have it ready soon! 
For the body, you need one of these (only 45 lbs):
:eek:
Thanks TET.
Yes, the chassis is made out of plain rectangular tubing. This is exactly the same as used by Westfield to build their expensive kits to the world market. Don’t forget that this build started as a “Locost” one, although on the way the cost got a bit high. To make a chassis out of round tubes is very labor intensive and i will certainly do it for my next project. For now i prefer to strengthen my chassis by using FEA software rather that go to the heck of using round tubes and buying an expensive hydraulic tube bender!
Here is a pair of pictures of a Westfield tubular chassis.
Looks cool, almost like the underbody of a Caterham in the first steps. I am a resident of the US, but would like to see more of these cars out here on the tracks, I have yet to actually see one in person.
http://www.caterham.co.uk/
Awesome cars
i was planning a very similar project, although powered by a 3sgte. but then the law changed and forbid the use of trailers, for trailering cars. So even if i can go to a track and race the damn thing i built,i have no means to.
I prefer building my car than following rules. 
After all, rules are made to be beaten!
haha, so long as its safe I am down with that 
What kind of engine is that. LOOKS like a motorcycle engine really…but I don’t know much about cars/race cars/kit cars, etc
it`s hayabusa(suzuki) engine
WOW! A busa engine! how is the drivetrain going to be setup?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_GV8qoJ-L8
high-revving bike engines in car chassis get a thumbs up from me.
lol
Well, this is not exactly the philosophy of Locost Lotus7 replica builds (i mean doughnuts, you know) but anyway!
I just don’t understand how a trans would bolt up? Would you just use the sprocket and gear setup off the bike and make your own rwd shaft? Air shifter? 
The engine and transmission and clutch are housed inside the same case… unless some serious modification has been done.
T-rex or a similar company makes a 3 wheel car that uses a Kawasaki ZX12 and ZX14 engine/trans.
The only bad thing about using a bike engine is keeping the weight down to abosolute minimum as the trans and clutch are made to power a motorcycle sized package.
Some other car builder took a hayabusa engine, machined their own block/case and made it a 8 cylinder - two head hayabusa.