Questions and
Answers (Year 2001)
Questions sent in to the site which have
found answers. Hope they may be of some help.
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Questions and
Answers (Year 2001)
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Questions sent in to the site which have
found answers. Hope they may be of some help.
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| SIERRA SAPPHIRE DONOR - WARNING The Sapphire does not have coil-over shocks. Having been more curious when checking the two estates I had seen, both with the expected coil-overs, I had just accepted the Sapphire’s good body and underside at face value. This a real pain in the sitting place. The ‘Sierra Mods’ redesign of the rear chassis has a relatively simple three points to attach the donor’s IRS - now I have four! After much fretting and fuming and self recrimination I have come up with an (I hope) idiot proof system of correlating the relative positions of all the attachment points. I have simply cut out the chassis cross-member that the diff is mounted on cutting round behind the shock mount and going just forward of the coil spring mount on each side I now have a three dimensional template. It may even be possible to incorporate this ‘template’ as part of the chassis - sorry Ron but it is a thought! I’ll let you know how I get on once the construction recommences after the harvest panic abates and I can get back to it. (Mike Smith) |
| .Registration plates Original Message ----- From: EAM Ligthart To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2001 9:49 PM Subject: registration Hi, As an ex-pat here in the Netherlands, I along with a Dutch guy are about to embark on the adventure of building not one but two (one each) locosts. Because of the weird tax rules here we could end up paying quite a lot of our hard earned dosh to the taxman for no good reason if we're not cute about it. To cut a long story short, I need to know ; When does a rebuilt/selfbuilt car get 'Q' plates and when does it get the original registration? I've trawled the SVA manual but to no avail. Can anybody help me, it could save me thousands of guilders . Thanks in advance John Atkins Most self-built cars and kit cars will get a Q plate. The Q represents a vehicle of uncertain origin, that is, the car is made of a mixture of new and old parts or else a variety of old parts from different vehicles. Basically you will get a brand new plate only if your car is built entirely from brand new parts, and you will retain the original plate only if sufficiently large amounts of the finished car come from the original car - the entire chassis plus one of engine / suspension / gearbox / axle / steering, or the engine, suspension, gearbox, axle and steering without the chassis. I wouldn't worry about not getting a Q plate. Adam ----- |
| Ready - built Locosts ----- Original Message ----- From: Toby Flack To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 12:17 PM Hello!, After seeing a section on Locost cars on Anglia TV's Bumper to bumper, I noticed the girl shown on the T.V had the car made for her. I know I could build it myself, but is there anyone that actually makes the cars for you too? Toby Flack Not quite, at least I don't think so - but you can buy pretty well everything you need to make the car a kit car in all but name - try Ron Champion's shop or site. Adam |
| Floor-mounted pedals ----- Original Message ----- From: Geoff Coates Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 12:16 PM Subject: Floor Mounted Pedals > Are floor mounted pedals on a Locost acceptable under SVA? > Many thanks Geoff - I can see no reason why pedals should not be floor mounted, so long as they work effectively. The SVA manual does not say that they are not allowed. Adam |
| Insurance ----- Original Message ----- From: Richard J Packer To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 5:32 PM Subject: General question Having purchased your book some time ago, I m now contemplating purchasing a donor vehicle and making a start on the chassis.However, several people have informed me that insurance has become both difficult and expensive to arrange.I should be obliged if you could kindly advise me of the current situation.Is there perhaps, a sympathetic insurer who club members would normally use? I look forward to hearing from you. Regards John Mills Not my book, I'm afraid! But yes, you can insure your car reasonably: I paid £110 for the year with a limit of 3000 miles fully comprehensive. Contact either Adrian Flux Insurance on 08700692202 or Footman James on 0121 561 4196. Best of luck Adam |
| Exhaust ----- Original Message ----- From: Mech Workshop To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2001 5:11 PM Subject: For the message page. I’m just at the stage of making the templates for the engine side panels and thought that ideally, before cutting and fitting, I should get an idea of the exit point of the exhaust through the chassis. I am using a standard 1300 x-flow manifold, so, before I waste a lot of time cutting and welding bits of unsuitable pipe, could anyone suggest what down pipe to use and recommend a suitable SVA compliant silencer. Any help would be appreciated. Bevis Glover. E-mail address – Bevis.Glover@aber.ac.uk I can give you one idea: I used a Transit downpipe (2" outside diameter) and cut two bends out of it to make the pipe connecting my 1300GT manifold to a Chromerzone silencer from Demon Tweeks. The pictures are on the Help page of the site. Adam |
| Bosch ignition / ballasted coil ----- Original Message ----- From: myke@talkgas.net To: Adam Streatfeild-James Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2001 9:11 PM Subject: Converting X Flows to electronic ignition Adam May I once again use the services of the Locost site for some information. I am currently converting my 1300 X Flow to electronic ignition using the distributor from a Valencia engine as detailed in the book 'Rebuilding and Tuning Ford X Flow and Pinto Engines'. Rewiring the three cables from the distributor as detailed in the book is OK, green to + coil, black to - coil and brown to earth. However it states " change the ballasted lead which fed the old coil (electronic coil now fitted to match new distributor) for a plain lead running from the ignition switch to the + terminal on the coil". My existing coil has a black/yellow lead from the + coil to the starter solenoid. Do I remove it, junk it and fit a new lead from the ignition switch to the coil + and if so from what terminal on the ignition switch. Do I leave it in place and fit the lead from the switch to the coil as well? Or WHAT!!!! Any experts around who can help would be most appreciated. Myke. Myke: I presume you had (or have) an inertia starter on your car with a separate solenoid. If you have had the loom between the solenoid and the coil unwrapped, then if there was a pink lead in parallel with the black and yellow one, this was the ballast wire. If there wasn't, your donor car was not fitted with a ballast resistor coil. You could check the resistance of the existing wire with the ohms function of a mulitmeter and compare it with the resistance of a similar length of the same thickness of wire. If there is no difference (use the most sensitive settings) then you don't need to change anything. If there is, then junk the existing wire and put in a new one. Run the new one from the solenoid. Fingers crossed. Adam |
| Suspension ----- Original Message ----- From: Hans Aulin To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2001 10:40 AM Subject: springs? Hi! My name is Hans Aulin. It is an very interesting hompage you have. Me and my brother are also building a locost, but we havn´t made it so far yet. We have just finished our chassis, with all the wishbones. The engine we are going to use is a Ford X-flow 1600. Racing is mostly our intentions with the car. We have decided to use AVO Pro Race shocks : 12" long x 1.9" dia on the front 13" long x 1.9" dia on the rear So here comes the question... What kind of springs should we use? wich length? wich stiffness? what kind of market? I would realy aprociate your help! Best Regards / Hans (From sweden..... there might be some spelling errors!) I have 14 inch AVO units on my car with 150lb/inch springs on the rear and 180 on the front - they work very well on the road. The Champion company (Ron Champion) have been known to recommend anything up to 400lb/inch on the front for racing. Adam |
| Ground Clearance ----- Original Message ----- From: REKO To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 10:30 PM Subject: help Hi can you or any one help. I am building a sierra based car (single donor) 1800 CVH What I need to know is how low are you allowed to drop the engine down through the frame. Is there a minimum ground clearance / SVA rule e.t.c. I read somewhere of a guy making the sump shallower.Help Best Regards Reko Reko - the only limitation is common sense and ground clearance, as far as I know. There wasn't any mention of it in the SVA manual. Adam |
| Kent engine number ----- Original Message ----- From: David Canham To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 10:07 PM Subject: Location of X-flow engine numbers Adam.One for the message board please unless you know the answer. I have recently bought a 1300 X-Flow and whilst I can clearly see the casting numbers on the block I don't know where to look for the engine number. I have been told these are stamped on to the block but as yet I haven't found anything. Any clues as to where I should be looking would be graetly appreciated. Thanks Dave David: easy: the number is on a lug about two inches long sticking out from the nearside front of the engine where the block meets the cylinder head. Hope this helps. Adam |
| Zetec to Type 9 ----- Original Message ----- From: ashley richards To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 10:11 PM Subject: zetec to type 9 Hi Rory, Appreciate it if you could put this message(plea for help) on the site: Does anyone know how to mate a Zetec to a Sierra type 9 box? Which clutch, bellhousing etc? I know it's possible because Tiger do it in their Six I'd be very grateful fo any help, please mail back Sorry, Ashley - I think I must have been in a hurry when I answered your question (or failed to answer it). No, not personally, but I know a man who has: If you contact Martin Keenan, whose site is on the Links list under Locost suppliers, I do know that he has built a Zetec car. Another chance is Ian Harwood (also on the Links page) who helped me with the clutch for my crossflow - to Sierra type 9 conversion. Regards, Adam |
| Bosch Ignition From: myke@talkgas.net To: Adam Streatfeild-James Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 10:08 PM Subject: Crossflow engines, the continuing story!!! Adam: Thanks for your message ref. 781M code being a Valencia prefix. I have a book, Rebuilding and Tuning Ford X-Flow and Pinto Engines (ISBN 1 899814 21 3) which refers to converting a X-Flow to Bosch electronic ignition by using the distributor and coil from a Mk4 1300 Escort fitted with the Valencia engine which is of course transverse engined. I don't know when the Mk4 came in but presume that the Fiesta was also fitted with the same engine. If this is the case then it is good news for crossflow engine users if some Valencia engines from transverse engined cars can be used in-line as mine appears to be as they will not be quite as old and the supply situation will be a little better than with Mk2 Escorts. Could also be of interest to racers if they are allowed to use them. I have a feeling that the engine mounting castings for inline application were deleted at some stage as I went to look at a Fiesta engine once having been told that it would fit and they were missing from the block. However some further research needs to be done to exactly identify years and cars. Hope this is of further use. It may be worth putting this on the site to get any comments, (or not as the case may be) Regards Myke. |
| Hood building ----- Original Message ----- From:
user1@pboyes.freeserve.co.uk To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Monday, May
14, 2001 9:23 PM Subject: Weather Equipment. Can you help. I am
involved with a Charity, OWL, in Cambridge, that is helping learning
disabled adults to re-enter the community and one of our projects is
the building of a Locost. We are nearing completion but need some help
on weather equipment. I have been on your site and seen the pictures of
Derek Manders red locost with full weather equipment. Can you or Derek
tell us where we can source such equipment. Is it purpose built and
trimmed or is there a kit that can be bought? With Thanks Peter Boyes.
OWL Sponsor. Here is Derek's reply: Adam The hood frame I made myself out of 3/4 stainless steel tube, it is a detachable one which takes apart as opposed to a folding type which would be a pig to make. The side screens are copied from Lotus 7 ones but made bigger to suit my car, the frame I made myself and the hood maker covered them. The hood was made for me by a local boat canopy maker, I had to leave the car with him for a week. He has made a super job of it though considering that it is the first one that he has made. He is Chris Potts of Marine and Industrial Covers, Unit 7, Old Park, Ingleby, LINCOLN, LN1 2PQ 01427 787987 If it will help I can lend out some photos of my frame and hood in bits etc. I also have a Caterham hood and some Lotus 7 side screens which I bought with a view to altering to fit my car, but decided against using. If they are interested they can have these for a reasonable price, but the hood will need enlarging for a Locost though. I will be at Newark hopefully on both days if they want to send out scouts to see my hood, will you be there? Regards DEREK |
| Which parts to use? ----- Original Message ----- From: Gerard Lande To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2001 2:21 AM Subject: Questions Questions......... but few answers..............Could do with some advice Ok..... So I'm interested in building a Locost, have bought the book and the choices envolved are enourmous. Should I go by the book, and settle for old technology? Go radical and fit a bike engine to a low weight chassis for that minimal race feel? Or something between both extremes. I've around the block on this several times and am leaning towards an approach of performance with modern mechanics. The car will really only be used for pleasure on public roads, and I want a car with a good handling, drivability, relability, performance and a high standard of finish. Front hubs selection, the cortina units look ideal but within a few years parts & braking accesories could become difficult to source. Added to that the the potential performance of a Locost7 braking effectiveness is a mojor considderation, what other hubs could be selected? The engine of choice would be a 2.0 Zetec, because it is modern and comes with electronic ignition & fuel injection. It delivers 130BHP as standard, can deliver a lot more if tuned. This would be mated to a Serria MT7 gearbox and driving a Serria Diff 3.9:1. I'm not sure about the difficulties of mating the Zetec to an MT7, I've only seen the Zetec mated to an MT7-X in the Mondeo tranverse installation. Any advice on this point? I plan to re-design the rear end of the chassis to accomidate Serria hubs & Diff with upper & lower wishbones. Do you know of anyone who has taken this appraoch? ......Really need help & advice here. To accomidate the differences between the track width of the Escort & Serria the chassis may have to be widened 180mm. Providing more space for passangers, and in the engine bay. The alternative being to reduce the width of the drive shafts and stick with a standard width chassis. Depending on the approach taken the steering rack selection may could change - possibily to a Serria unit for the wide chassis. What advice would you give on this subject? I've not seen any discussion of anti roll bars, in the case of a standard Locost7 would the front suspension handling not benefit from an anti roll bar? In my case with IRS I also have the option of fitting an anti roll bar to the rear. Any advice? Many Thanks Gerard Gerard - for what my opinions are worth, here goes: Parts first of all: front hubs and discs may in the long run be a problem, but don't forget that Hyundai used the same units on the Stellar and that braking parts for very elderly classics are generally not a problem, let alone things produced in the numbers of the Cortina. No one I know of has used any other units on the Locost. You can use Sierra hubs with a conversion kit from Procomp Ltd, and this allows you to use ventilated Sierra discs. You can also use Escort competition discs on the rear with an Escort axle (if you can find them) but then if you are wanting a Sierra axle you have more choice. Engine: lots of different ones have been used with success, among them the Zetec (Martin Keenan, who built Ron Champion's Fireblade car). Also CVH, Pinto, Rover V8, BL A series, Fiat 2.0 DOHC, Ford V6, even turbocharged engines, and reputedly Rover K series. I imagine the Zetec fits the Sierra gearbox although you would have to ask further about this. One comment is, that with a car designed to weigh 320 kg you don't want too much power (same applies to the brakes). Tall OHC engines will give you problems with the bonnet line and sump clearance. Rear end: yes, Stephen Curle in Glasgow has done his own independent setup with a Sierra axle and published the details including plans in the November 1998 Newsletter - unfortunately my copy is too faint to reproduce, but if you've joined up you might be able to get a back copy from the Secretary (his address is on the Club application form in the site). Wider chassis - it has been done and is increasingly popular. The nosecone may cause problems unless you are prepared to make your own. The Sierra rack has been recommended as a substitute in this case. Anti-roll bar: the Caterham has this integrated into the front suspension, and I know one very experienced Locost builder / racer (Mick Banks, whose address is on the Links page) who has fitted a front bar to his son's race car. He says it is great in the dry and lethal in the wet. You really need to talk to someone who has professional experience of suspension design before you do this. In general, I would say that you ought to build your car as you want it to be - no two Locosts are the same and there is no reason to hold back on innovations. I would be careful of linking vast amounts of power to driveability, all the same. Do take the warnings about engine manufacture date into account - there isn't much room in a Locost for a catalytic converter, and it sounds as if you are going to need one to pass the SVA. Good luck - hope the above helps. Adam |
| Morris Minor donor ----- Original Message ----- From: Philip Arthey To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Monday, April 16, 2001 12:09 PM Subject: A series locost Sirs: I have read in a magazine article about a locost built with Morris Minor running gear and an A series engine. Do you know if this is true? I would like to build a seven style car but would prefer to build one in the spirit of the series 1 car so would like to fit a 1098 or 1275 A series engine andif I can fit the corresponding axle then that would be good. Looking at the design of the locost, I believe that this wouldn't be too difficult but front suspension?? has anyone ever used anything other than Cortina/Sierra uprights??? Regards Phil Arthey Dear Phil, I don't see any reason to doubt that the car you describe has been built - if you look at the first edition of Ron's book there is certainly an A-series (or possibly a Triumph) engine in one of the cars shown. I would expect the rear axle is fine, as to the front suspension, that would be a bit more of a problem, but if the Minor had something similar (I know it didn't have struts, and if I remember correctly it had something along the lines of a lower wishbone, the upper one being formed by the shock absorber??) then I don't see why it shouldn't be adapted. To keep things simple, on the other hand, why not stick to the cortina system? Regards, Adam |
| Fiesta crossflow ----- Original Message ----- From: Anthony Dent To: acwsj@ukonline.co.uk Sent: Friday, April 13, 2001 6:10 PM Subject: Fiesta Does anyone have any information about using a Fiesta crossflow.ie Does it need a new sump ,will it fit straight onto any ford box,I am particularly in using a 5 speed. Any information would be brilliant. Is the club gathering at newark again this year? Anthony: I would expect that you can fit the Fiesta engine without major hassles although I have not done this and can not say for certain. To fit my (Escort) crossflow to a Sierra 5 speed box all I had to do was to fit a new clutch plate - it has a different number of splines, but the clutch cover was fine - and to modify the Sierra engine backplate since the starter holes on the crossflow backplate did not line up. I think your fastest expert opinion - and a source of a new clutch plate if you need it - would be from Ian Harlow Ltd, who specialise in crossflow engines. Their address and phone number are on the Links page, and I have always found them very helpful. I have also put your message on the messages page on the site. I am not sure whether the usual club meeting is on for Newark, but I will ask. Regards, Adam |
| What is a crossflow? ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Crawford To: acwsj@lineone.net Sent: Monday, February 12, 2001 7:17 PM Subject: Ford X-Flow & Pinto? Could you please help enlighten me as to what is a X-Flow engine and what is a Pinto engine? I have asked so many people, even experienced motor mechanics and none of the answers are the same. My engine is from a Sierra (1990, I think) 1600cc, OHC and a 5 speed box. Any help would be appreciated Jim Crawford They are right. A crossflow engine is simply one where the intake is on the opposite side to the exhaust (unlike many older BL engines for example). The Ford Crossflow however was the common name for the Ford Kent engine which was fitted to the old Anglia, the Escorts 1 and 2 and to basic Capris, even lasting as long as the Fiesta. It is a 4 cylinder overhead valve engine with the camshaft in the engine block. The Pinto is also known as the OHC (which doesn't help much) and was fitted to the Mk3 and 4 Cortina as well as most Sierras and a lot of Transits. The CVH engine from Ford went into the majority of Escorts from Mk 3 onwards and into some Sierras. It is an overhead cam design, rather more recent than the Pinto. Hope this helps. Adam |