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Have been planning on doing something like this for a while.
Was originally planning on building completely from scratch when I had this deal fall in my lap, for less $ than I could've bought just the steel to construct the chassis.
My [ambitious] goal, is to have it drivable within a year
Car is a Lotus 7/Caterham replica, commonly referred to as a Locost. This one is roughly 50-60% complete & is/will be powered by a dry sump 13B rotary.
Engine that is currently in it is toast [I believe] as it's been sitting for a few years, in humid S LA, with none of the ports covered, so I imagine the insides are pretty rough.
Component-wise, it seems pretty well set up.
Suspension is from a Shelby Series 1
FC RX7 transmission, driveshaft (shortened & balanced) & LSD
15x10 Basset wheels with Hoosier slicks (tires to be replaced, unsure on the wheels)
Wilwood brakes on all 4 corners, Wilwood pedal box
Haltech ECU w/ Innovate wideband O2 & Racepak digital dash
Kirkey race seats, which are more comfortable than I expected
Also has rear fenders & a nose cone [and some chopped up front fenders ]
R Rear suspension is not attached [it's currently a 3-wheeler], so the pickups/mounts need to be welded in, then she'll be a roller.
We loaded up my dad's Denali & made the 300 miles 1-way drive to Baton Rouge, LA on Saturday morning & back that afternoon. Woke up at 4:30am & had the car unloaded & in the garage at 8:00pm.
Started teardown yesterday, as it needs to be taken down to the frame to clean it up & paint, and check all the welds to see if/where any need to be finished/repaired. Planning on using Ospho rather than a grinder, as it's a fairly light surface rust with no pitting that I've found.
So far, I've gotten the wheels off [easiest part]
Under the hood, pulled the sump tank, catch can, coolant tank, electric water pump, radiator, oil cooler, electric fan & steering rack.
Still need to pull suspension from 3 corners, seats, drivetrain & everything on the dash. Then we can start cleaning up the frame.
Trailered at a pit stop on the way home to check straps & get some LA boudin.
Been fighting computer issues all morning & posting mostly from my phone until now.
Anyway, new toy is a 1975 MG Midget
Needs a bit of work, but runs decently
Picking it up this weekend. Tires on it are 10-12 years old & didn't want to chance one coming apart on the 65 mile drive home. Also has some minor fluid leaks, and without a trans dipstick, didn't want to risk a failure there either.
It'll be going up to my dad's for a while, so we can get it road-safe, then it'll come home. Has an indicated 68k on it, but only a 5-digit odometer, so could be 168k
Needs some brake work, took some effort on the brakes to get good braking effort.
Cold start is a bit rouge, choke needs adjustment, but runs pretty well once it warms up. Electrical has had some refreshing, so everything was working on our test drive except the reverse lights.
Also needs a paint job, seller disclosed that it was a cheap Maaco job that was done before he bought it.
Luckily, parts are still widely available for these, despite it being nearly 50 years old, and they're pretty cheap too.
Some photos from the listing & a couple I took while we were there
It'll stay rotary. I had thought in a pinch I could go 1st gen Miata, as the trans is compatible with a bellhousing swap, but after getting it home & starting to look over it, a dry sump 13B is about all that will fit. There's a crossmember under the 'oil pan' that would inhibit just about anything else.
I suppose I could cut & redirect that crossmember if it came down to it.
I ran into a guy a couple weeks ago at a show in Austin that was driving a 12A rotary [converted from carb to FI] Locost. His scaled at 1,250lbs & dyno'd 140hp.
IIRC, a stock N/A 13B in a FC is something like 165hp, and this will have no accessories sapping power. Only belts on the front will be for the alternator & oil pump.
FC 5MT & a freshly [when the prev owner got it] rebuilt FC LSD. I jumped in the seat & ran it through the gears a few times & the trans feels pretty good.
Hoosiers will obviously come off. Debating on if I want to run 15x10s on the street. Ideally, I want to find a set of 15" Minilights or Panasports & keep the Bassets for a auto-x/track setup.
Seems like a fantastic project.
And either that dude spend some serious coin on the parts he already procured or he works and some crazy cool wrecking yard. No idea what you bought it for, but it looks like a mint in an fittings alone.
There was a guy looking into doing an EV Locost, not sure how far it got.
Where to put the battery pack would be the challenge, depending on how it's packaged.
I think you'd just buy a fucktonne of 18650s off Alibaba and then stack them up where ever there is space. Put a flat sheet of aluminum on the underside of the frame and *bam* instant cubbies to put batteries into. What could ever go wrong?
The fuel cells are about hip to mid-back, behind the seats, so not much different I suppose.
Need to decide if I want to run the 2 4gal cells, or see about sourcing a larger tank to fit back there.
Cool project! How are you going to treat the rust/oxidation on the frame?
Wire brush/wheel & Ospho, then paint to stop any further rust/oxidation.
Luckily it all looks pretty light, so it shouldn't be too much work to clean up. Just need to strip it the rest of the way to the bare frame (pull seats, drivetrain, suspension, electronics).
Will probably put the frame up on a table close to standing height to clean it up, so I'm not hunched over for hours
Seats & steering column removed
Suspension setups removed from the 3 installed corners.
Just need to pull the pedal assembly, 'dash' electronics & the drivetrain, then I can start on rust remediation.
How is the Ospho applied? I've got some superficial rust poking through the powdercoated expanded metal on my roof rack and I've been looking for an easy treatment that I can paint over after with minimal prep.
Apply with a brush. Ace has it for about $26/gal
Did see a video of a guy using it in a spray bottle, but it must be an Ospho specific sprayer, as I've read it'll kill a normal sprayer really quickly.
How is the Ospho applied? I've got some superficial rust poking through the powdercoated expanded metal on my roof rack and I've been looking for an easy treatment that I can paint over after with minimal prep.
Look into rust converter if it's something limited like that. Other option is just steel wool and some elbow grease.
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approach.
