Bob's Locost - a short write up by Bob about his car.
Bob's Gallery - some pictures of his car.
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Note: The design is Bob's. Any errors are mine.
The drawings as images:
The drawings in Turbocad 5 and Document eXchange Format:
I constructed the car with very few changes from the design shown in the original book. I added 4" to the cockpit area ( between B1 and B2 ) to accommodate either of my two son's who are 6ft. tall. I dropped the 2 cockpit top side rails ( N1 andN2) down at the rear to more closely resemble the original Lotus 7. I also lowered the scuttle height by approx. 1 1/2" for the same reason. The only other major change was to the front suspension which has been changed from the externally mounted coil-overs to a strut and rocker arm assembly with the coil-overs mounted internally. I also included an adjustable swing arm assembly supporting the bottom of the coil-overs to allow for easy adjustment of the front ride height without touching the spring pre load .This strut / rocker arm system was added without any modifications to the original frame or front suspension members . I used the same shocks and spring rates as originally suggested for the externally mounted coil-overs. I also added a 1/2" homemade front sway bar to reduce body roll in corners. I have found that this suspension works far better in controlling wheel movement and maintaining tire contact in rough road conditions. The general ride characteristics are greatly improved on regular city streets.
For a variety of reasons I wanted to see how much of this project I could build by myself with the tools at hand out of materials that where readily available locally. Other than the used mechanical parts noted above the only vehicle specific parts purchased where the fiber glass fenders and nose cone and all required extensive modification to fit properly. All other fiber glass parts (hood , seats , trunk liner ) where molded by myself. All metal work , welding , wiring , hydraulics , upholstery , carpeting and painting where completed by myself. Total cost amounted to approx. $ 7500 Can. and this includes engine/ transmission ( $1000), wheels & tires ($1100),SDS engine management system ($2000) Total construction time was about three and a half years.
This has been a very rewarding project and I am extremely pleased with the final product . The car is a thrill to drive and is the center of attention where ever it goes.
Bob MacLeod
