Locost
A Locost is a self-made copy of the Lotus Seven . The car has a spaceframe chassis , which is usually welded together from rectangular tubes 25 mm × 25 mm. The front wheels are usually suspended from double wishbones and coil springs. The driven rear axle is traditionally rigid, but there are also versions with independent suspension or De-Dion axle . The body consists of a front and fenders made of GRP and side panels made of aluminum . Each of these cars is individually adapted to the possibilities and needs of each builder.
Originally, the Locost was to be built entirely from semi-finished products. In the meantime, however, it has become so popular that some manufacturers offer the chassis as a kit . There are also GRP body parts, parts of the wheel suspension and other parts specific to the Locost from various manufacturers.
Ron Champions Locost
The Locost idea comes from a publication of the Haynes Manual , a book called Build your own sports car for as little as £ 250 , written by Ron Champion . This construction is mainly based on that of the Lotus Seven. It was equipped with a driven rigid axle at the rear. The De Dion axle was used on factory racing cars and some Caterham models.
Both Colin Chapman and Ron Champion had experience at the 750 Motor Club (a British car racing club) and the Locost is based on a Clubman's Race Car from 1963 designed by Ron Champion. The rear is of course "influenced by the Lotus Seven".
Haynes Roadster
Ron Champion's original book was followed by a book by Chris Gibbs called Build Your Own Sports Car: On a Budget . The car described there differs essentially from the original in its independent rear suspension. In addition, the car was designed with the help of a CAD program, which avoided the dimensional errors of the original. Other differences are the instructions for making a stabilizer and for using injection engines.
A Ford Sierra is suggested as the donor vehicle . There are also suggestions for the use of other donor vehicles, such as the BMW 3 Series E36 or the Mazda MX-5 . Motorcycle engines can also be used.
Modern roadsters are becoming increasingly popular as donor vehicles for the Locost, as they have more extensive technical details and better wheel suspensions. By April 2010, around 10 cars had been completed and approved for road traffic.
Other variations
The Locost must not be confused with the similar sounding Locust , which is also based on the Lotus Seven. In contrast to the spaceframe, the Locust has a ladder frame and the body is made of aluminum-clad plywood.
McSorley Locost
The Champion Locost and the Haynes Roadster have the same chassis dimensions as the original Lotus Seven. Locost manufacturer Jim McSorley redesigned Ron Champion's design so that wider drive units, rear axles and seats can be used. The construction of the McSorley 442 was presented in detail in Car and Driver Magazine from August 2006.
"Australian modifications"
In Australia , kit cars must go through a strength test before they can be used on the road. This resulted in a number of improvements to Ron Champion's construction, such as reinforcements around the front of the vehicle and around the passengers. The changes also improve the bending and torsional rigidity of the chassis and are now also being used by Locosts in other countries.
There have been various attempts to check the stiffness of the Locost with an FEM analysis . They usually show that the original Locost is not taking full advantage of the possibilities.
building-costs
The title of Ron Champions book claims it offers a way to build a car for £ 250, but most Locosts cost up to ten times as much or more.
The £ 250 does not include tooling costs, which can be as much or even more than the cost of the car. The book also assumes that you are buying a Ford Escort that no longer receives a MOT sticker (in the UK, Ireland and Malta: MOT). Champion reckoned such cars would sell for around £ 50. Ford Escorts of the 1st and 2nd series (with rear-wheel drive) are hard to come by today because they have already advanced to become classics themselves and are used or collected in classic rallying.
The book gives a number of tips on how the construction costs can be limited:
- Build the chassis from scrap instead of new parts.
- Laminate the fiberglass nose and fenders yourself instead of buying them ready-made.
- Use the back seat of a donor or battle vehicle instead of buying new sports seats.
- Use the instruments, steering wheel, and dashboard from the donor vehicle instead of buying all of these parts new.
- Buy wrongly mixed colors at a special price and paint the car yourself.
- Get the aluminum sheets for the bonnet from the junkyard (e.g. from the superstructure of an old van).
Some manufacturers had other ideas for cost savings:
- Use the tin roof of the donor vehicle as a chassis floor instead of buying new sheets.
- Use the tank of a Saab 96 or a Triumph Spitfire .
- Use the headlights and chrome rings from an older Volvo 240 and an IKEA stainless steel salad bowl with a diameter of 200 mm to make the headlights.
Even if the Locost costs ten times more than the £ 250, that's a lot less than what you would normally have to pay for a vehicle in this class.
Usual donor vehicles
The car described in Champion's book is made up of parts of the Ford Escort of the 1st and 2nd series and the front suspension of the Ford Cortina . Due to the decreasing supply of these donor vehicles, the Haynes Roadster was created based on the Ford Sierra. Some also use minibuses, such as the Mitsubishi L300 , the Mazda E1800 (same gearbox as the MX5) and the Holden Scurry (also Bedford Rascal, Suzuki Carry, Chevrolet Supercarry or Maruti Omni).
In the U.S., the Toyota Corolla and Mazda Miata are often used as donor vehicles. The Mazda RX-7 with rotary engine is also enjoying growing popularity.
Many manufacturers produce or sell parts for this car, for example MK Sportscars (who have further developed the design and now offer their own MK Indy based on the Ford Sierra) or Racetech with their Estfield based on the Lada .
Racing use
The Locost founded one of the most successful motor sport competitions in the UK, the Formula Locost . The competition is organized by the 750 Motor Club and approximately 35 starters compete on courses at Brands Hatch, Donnington, Oulton Park and Silverstone to name the main ones. Due to the strict rules that limit costs, the 750 Motor Club has created an inexpensive and interesting racing series for the amateur. While it is not possible to build a racing car for £ 250, as the title of Ron Champions book suggests, it is probably the cheapest form of motorsport in the UK. The cost is around £ 5000 per season if all the necessary parts such as racing suit, car trailer, etc. are in place.
Locost racing is not that popular in the United States, but they do take part in various amateur races. The $ 200X Challenge even has a special class for Locost and other kit cars.
literature
- George Nick Georgano (Editor-in-Chief): The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. Volume 2: G – O. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, ISBN 1-57958-293-1 , p. 917. (English)
- Steve Hole: AZ of Kit Cars. The definitive encyclopaedia of the UK's kit-car industry since 1949 . Haynes Publishing, Sparkford 2012, ISBN 978-1-84425-677-8 , pp. 147 (English).
Web links
- UK Locost Builders Forum
- Forum for Locost builders in the USA
- UK Haynes Roadster Builders Forum
- Forum for Locost Bauer and Bauer other Lotus Seven replicas in New Zealand
- Link catalog on Locost at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ )