eVox

'80's toyota celica and supra seats (which are 8 way adjustable) came with a pneumatic lumbar support with 3 separate chambers (which can be set individually). Inflation is via a bulb pump similar to those on blood pressure testing cuffs. I plan on adding this system to my kirkey aluminum driving seat. I can post pictures of the parts if you want an idea of how much work it might take. On an related note, in 1984 Car and Driver magazine rated the GTS/Supra driver's seat the best in the business. (http://www.celica-gts.com/mycar/technical_specs.html)

its looking like we will meet up before or during the Gatech Auto show. Saturday, March 28th. Are you going Rob?

Repost from locostusa forums- Its about time for another Atlanta area locost builders meetup. Weconway suggested doing it at my townhouse in downtown atlanta. I now have a completed car, and live with ival whom has just begun building his. We could meet up again for breakfast/lunch at the Varsity as we did last time, and then proceed to my garage for the requisite shop talk. As of right now everything is completely open to suggestions. If you are interested, please post a date that would work for you. I'm gonna throw out early lunch at the Varsity on the January 17th or 18th, as the Autorama custom car show is that weekend at the (nearby) Georgia dome. I dont know how warm it will be for driving, but at least now we can meet inside a garage.... People nearby that I know of- weconway, solder_guy, want2race, ival...

nice collection, and what a sharp looking 7!

Im waiting to see how a new radiator cap fairs for the final solutions. I pulled the hoses off, checked for rags (none to be found), switched to a 180degree t-stat, and flushed the system overnight with some 'radiator cleaner' by Prestone. I then flushed it 5 more times with distilled water (apparently I've been running distilled previously, not DI). The final radiator fill is 30% prestone, and a bottle of water wetter. At idle now the car won't overheat (temperature gauge fine, temperature peaks at 200degrees), but the overflow tube will begin to drip before the cooling fan kicks on. THe cooling fan's temperature sensor is not in the general water flow, but (along with the sender for the gauge) is off a bit. It lags behind the actual engine temperature and thus allows the temperature to climb the extra bit before the fan turns on. At idle now (with the fan on), the temperature will drop by about 20 degrees as read via infared pyrometer. Running the fan constantly alleviates all problems. I do have a 20psi moroso radiator cap (to replace the 16lb cap) ready to be installed. I was told by a respected 22RE engine builder that he has seen the engines 'overheat' up to 270degrees and then only some have mechanical issues (but i dont expect to run that hot!). I've gone on a few short trips to Georgia Tech campus and back. Lots of looks and traffic is scary. I was called 'rude' by a fellow motorist for replying 'This is a car, and please do not talk to me' to a bum lady. Meh. The car is running great, and pulls decently. I think I'm already itching for more power. Must. Get. Tracktime. Gah, why must it be winter?

It is quite true how every car feels like a luxury cruise liner after driving a seven!

The SPAL fan is on its own circuit. It has a temperature sensor (placed very close to the temperature gauge sender) that triggers a relay at 195degrees. Ill double check the belt tension with the engine running (goodbye fingers! :cry: ). It seems about right with the engine off.

Cross posting here to gather more insight as you guys seem to know quite a bit about 'cars' as well :jester: - The engine has begun overheating, and with some strange occurrences. Ill give a timeline and as many details as possible. All temperatures in Fahrenheit. Last summer, the car was test driven in ~60-70degree weather. It was driven hard and for extended periods of time without overheating, or the temperature gauge showing anything but middle of the range. The car was without major body work. The radiator was filled with straight DI water, and filled from the thermostat housing (as the radiator fill cap is below this point). The car could idle indefinately without overheating. The engine/car then sat while it was finished. A new timing chain went on. The throttle body was cleaned. The cooling system was filled with 50/50 Prestone. The car is allowed to run for 4-5minutes from cold, but temperature gauge usually isnt centered by this point. Last wed, we took the car to the police station 1 mile away. It overheated on the way there, and puked a little coolant out the overflow tube. The temperature gauge wasn't reading at redline, but was a high. I fixed some idle stuff (removed the TPS idle point) and got it registered. Drank a bunch, celebrated, idled the car for 10-15 minutes while i played with the idle, no heat problems. Last friday, we took the car on a journy to radioshack. It made it about 1.5miles before starting to run quite bad (we had left with one injector wire unknowingly off, and a 2nd fell off at ~1.5miles). We pulled off the road and the radiator overflow tube was fully flowing coolant. The temperature gauge was not reading anything crazy high. Towed the car home. Drained/filled the system with mostly DI and a few glugs of 50/50 prestone. Took a few laps around the block. After a hard pull and sitting at a light the temp gauge climbed, killed the engine down the next hill, limped it home. No puking. We then found we could add about 3/8gal more fluid (more fluid than previous tests/how it was run last summer) by holding the radiator up in the air, and so we added DI water. 2nd lap around the block, temp gauge climbs, killed the engine, let it cool for 30 sec, start it back up, temp drops then begins climbing again. Gauge doesnt peg though. No puking. Got it home, let it sit. Fired it up to triple check the timing (~5degrees @ ~1000rpm), while doing this, I check the temp gauge after a few minutes of running and it is pegged. Killed it and let it cool. Took the thermostat out to make sure it is facing the correct direction (it is). It is a 195degree unit. Bought a 185 degree unit and threw them both in some water and boiled them. Old and new seem to work fine. Spark plugs look fine. Timing looked fine. The cooling system is covered in brown stuff (probably from running straight DI water), most likely rust. The latest hypothesis is that the rust is insulating the Aluminium radiator and it cant cool the fluid properly. Tomorrow the system will be throughly flushed with a cooling system cleaner and filled with waterwetter, DI water, and probably 10% antifreeze. The strange things (to me at least) of note are: There were absolutely no problems with the car last summer, when it was hotter out (by at least 15degrees ambient). The temperature gauge is now reading up to being pegged, but the radiator is not overflowing. -maybe the temp gauge is reading incorrectly? About the system: The radiator is a honda civic unit, that a lot of locosts run with a variety of bigger engines. The radiator cap is a 1.1bar unit. The car does not have an idle air valve, EGR, or O2 sensor. The TPS is set to never read 'idle'. Idle has been around 1000-1500rpm(with timing set near 1000rpm). The only CEL code thrown is 'no O2 sensor'. The heater lines have block off plates. The fan is a SPAL unit, with a 180degree temp sensor (and the fan has been working great). The gauge temperature sender AND ECU temp sender both have resistances within normal limits as per the toyota factory manual (

I am hoping with all my might that the wipers make the 'boop' noises as they change direction.

Picked up a little piece of metal from the georgia DMV. It says historic on it (Ha). And so ends the 19 month journey of building a locost-I guess now it is call 'modifying' instead of 'building'. http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/75436/locostUSAforums/finished/IMAG0555.jpg http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/75436/locostUSAforums/finished/IMAG0556.jpg http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/75436/locostUSAforums/finished/IMAG0559.jpg http://dl-client.getdropbox.com/u/75436/locostUSAforums/finished/IMAG0563.jpg Many thanks Rob (solder_guy) for his advice/assistance/help/support/gifts. I followed his path to get the tag. It was not hard at all. I finally feel like my account on this forum is finally truely valid. I cannot wait to go on some blats! Some stats: Locost frame 2.4L 22RE engine 4.10:1 LSD supra diff 5 speed w58 toyota trans QA1 proma star single adjustable shocks Toyo 225/50/R14 R888 tires It still has some work to be truely 'streetable' but it runs, drives, and is legal!

A friend of mine is setting up a mountain run this for this weekend. All are welcome to come. Bundle up too! let me know if any of you are interested.

Awesome... I feel cool and refreshed just looking at it.

Does your grease come in a container like this? http://hardwareaisle.thisoldhouse.com/images/2008/06/18/loctite_pressure_pack.jpg

CORVETTES ARE RUBBISH AND CANT TURN :reddevil:

do you know the connection that put offenhauser on the valve cover? I am only about 20 pages into my offenhauser book...

just received my backoffXP from SDC. you should make commission on these rob!

just received my backoffXP from SDC. you should make commission on these rob!

congrats keith! I think I have a new life goal after watching that video.

Looking great Rob!

Welcome Par! where in CT are you located? I havnt done the 7 thing there, but am natively from Orange (near new haven).

went out to test the new LSD 4.10:1 diff. Two officers talking, already in the parking lot I test in. Asked permission to do some test running. Got the standard question of if I were affiliated with the formula SAE team (as they test at that lot, with cones/fire extinguishers/spotters). I am part of wreck racing, but this is my personal car, hand built, 15 months, yada yada yada They soon moved their cars to give me a better area to run in. One accomplished this with a little wheelspin They tell me to be safe and stay away from the parked cars... but they wont hop in for a ride ^_^ LSD diffs and Tech Cops are AWESOME. I'm trying not to overstay my welcome while testing in that lot, but it is sooo tempting to hop in my unregistered/unbodied locost and run over there at night. Shame it isnt quite big enough to safely hold an auto-x event...

ME FIRST! You'll have a pm shortly!

great pictures!

man that is a SWEET looking car! :leaving:

Except on sundays :[ silly anti-fun laws...