DeanD3W

Scott, Thanks for the welcome to Texas. My kids are having the best Summer ever and their upcoming Fall, Winter and Spring will be better yet I believe. Regarding wheel mounting, it sounds like we agree... The only way centering rings could shield the lugs from stress is if they were fit so closely to the hubs that there was no clearance at all, which is really a press-fit and then the wheels would need to be similarly press-fit onto the rings. Then there's the point you're making about static friction between the hub and wheel face preventing any movement once the lugs have been tightened and located everything with their tapered mating faces. Center-lock or spindle mount wheels need precise centering features, of course, but if tapered lugs are used a centering ring will only partially influence centering. The way I'm seeing it, if a design uses tapered lugs, they should be left to their job with no other features interfering. Dean

Maybe I should have posted this earlier, but with a bunch of small kids and a business to run, and a 2000 mile family move to Austin, I have haven't been lurking around much. Maybe there is a hub & wheel expert out there that will tell me that I'm wrong, but I would say that there is never a reason for "hub-centric" fitting of wheels on hubs. I'm a life long car nut, former FSAE team member, mechanical engineer, and I teach "Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing" (GD&T) in industry, which is all about parts fitting together. With hub-centric, all I can see is a ring fighting the lugs for centering, with neither winning in an absolute sense. The plastic rings for an assembly aid make sense though. Best Regards, Dean

Donkervoort, Irmscher, HKT, and I hadn't yet heard of RCB... All very nice. Thank you BusaNostra. Not to say that there aren't many other nice 7s, but the those four seem quite well refined in appearance at least. Dean

Any more information about this car (the one in the pictures that BusaNostra posted)? It looks like a modified Dax Rush..? Dean

I think it's an HKT 7 http://www.hkt-7.de/index.html In their picture gallery there are pictures from the rear. This car, and the Irmscher 7, http://lotusenthusiast.net/2009/04/irmscher-7-turbo-unveiled.html are pretty nice, IMO. I think they're both also really expensive, similar to a Donkervoort. Dean

Looks like it may be interesting anyway. No affiliation. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1961-Lotus-Seven-Series-2-/170932259390?forcev4exp=true and also on http://bringatrailer.com/

Surprised to find on foxnews web site... http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/slideshow/2012/09/28/hottest-new-cars/?intcmp=features#slide=1 Found under "Features and Faces" towards the bottom of foxnews.com I'm not sure what motorcycle they're referring to that would be heavier than 1100 pounds..? Maybe a deluxe Boss Hoss. Dean

I hope this isn't duplicating another post. I thought others may enjoy this locost hillclimb video as much as I did. Apparently Miata powered & turbocharged. I believe the driver is Heikki Rinta-Koski from the Atlanta area. I like the "squeaky toy" comment in the background. #171-Locost on Vimeo Dean

Also found http://www.commandelectronics.com/led-tail-lights.html No affiliation and I haven't ever purchased anything from them. Their selection looks interesting. Dean

smeaton1, oldcarsmell, and mk2mark all did a nice and polite job of pointing in their comments that push-rod suspensions do not reduce unsprung weight. They have other advantages, but higher unsprung weight is a disadvantage of using push-rods or pull-rods. Very pretty components, but aren't those control arms too short to really be considered part of an excellent suspension design? Dean

Hello Notakit, Your build sounds very interesting. I must be missing something... Is there a link to your photo album provided somewhere? Dean

JeffC - Kurt is building http://www.midlana.com/Diaries/Current/

Since I think your car has the best looking nose and hood that I've ever seen on a sevenesque car I think it would be good to leave it untouched... I think the Honda F20 is too tall, even with a dry sump, and as you and others have mentioned, the transmission is large too. A Duratec might fit better, but it has right side exhaust, so to meet your objectives in the cleanest way it seems like a Ford Zetec, with its left side exhaust and right side intake, would be a good choice..? Probably with a dry sump to avoid the too common, too low oil pan in these cars. Dean

OK - I just found those pictures and all the videos too, posted at the link a couple of posts down on the Alantic Region board... Here's the link http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii132/GavinR2007/?action=view&current=DSC04702.jpg I also remember now that the way I contacted him a while back was using PM within the locostusa forum.

For pictures of the whole car, do a search on youtube for "Roworth Outrage". There was an article on the car in one of the Kit Car magazines about 2 years ago (Kit Car Builder, I think). Gavin Roworth is the builder. A few pictures here http://www.armsinc.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=53909&sid=1007fab63114fabde352ea3ca64de237 I've seen some more detailed pictures that he sent me or directed me to when I tracked him down via email about a year ago... His fiberglass work appears to be outstanding in those more detailed pictures. I'll try to find the email and get some better info. The car is built with a Mustang 5.0 donor approach. Dean

DaveW, who is a member here too, posted a reply to Reason's parallel thread on the LocostUSA forum suggesting a Dax Rush... It sounds like he may be a dealer for Dax..? I like the Dax well enough to post replies on both forums. It's a good looking car with some interesting options. The MK Indy is priced lower, but the Dax is well worth considering. I especially like the non-bike-engined Dax Rush in the picture on the left... It took me a couple of months of looking at it before I realized that the rear fenders especially are definitely Dax Rush. Dean

Bought when thinking seriously of a Raw Striker kit build - Would be useful for a Haynes Roadster build also, I believe. I found a good deal on a 2006 Solstice 2.4L drive train and have since decided to go a different route. For sale - All from one 1986 Merkur XR4TI: Rear suspension assembly, includes subframe, differential, axles, control arms, shocks, and rear brakes (drum). Front suspension assembly, includes front crossmember, steering, struts/uprights, lower control arms, hubs, and brakes. Steering column, includes steering shaft all the way to the rack, and the Merkur ignition key. Driveshaft. $300 for all. Please send me a PM if you're interested. Thank you. Dean

That's the nose, tilted forward, hanging down.

One very nice thing about this car is the fact that there is no oil pan sump hanging below the frame. I'm working towards building Se7en of a sort. I plan to make sure that the sump isn't hanging down there looking like it's saying "hit me". It will be 2.4L Ecotec (Solstice) powered, which has a nice compact looking sump and fairly low overall height. I hope the hood doesn't look too high, but I must have the sump more protected. I suppose one could always roll over a big enough rock to still damage a pan, but maybe the car will be so light that even that would be OK :-).

This is sad to hear. I visited Brunton Auto about two years ago when construction on these cars was underway. The business owner and his son were there learning from Dennis and his two employees how to best handle the sheetmetal panels on at least one car (maybe all three). After the intial work at Dennis' shop, they intended to return home to VA to complete the cars, I believe. I found Dennis helpful and likeable and the two guys from Virginia building these cars to be very nice too.

Closer to the performance Hot Rod I have in mind: http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0905_1932_ford_coupe/quick_inspection.html

Regarding Factory Five's new "33 Hot Rod"... I don't see much room for windshield wipers below either windshield offered. It wouldn't make sense for such a street focused car to have no provision for wipers, so I'm waiting to see a picture of one that includes them. I'm not interested in building one (too heavy and, for me, too expensive), so I haven't taken the time to ask Factory Five about this. I think their car goes about 30% of the way towards the car I'd like to build... Lighter and more minimal is my preference.

I think some of the best hot/street rods are 4 cylinder track roadster or speedster type cars. Poorly handling V8 cars do dominate though. Their build quality is often really nice, but looks seems to overrule function in general. There will always be different preferences, of course. I was thinking of building a Raw Striker, but now that I have a Pontiac 2.4L drive train in my garage I'm feeling drawn towards building what I really want... A cross between a Se7en and a hot rod. I think some cross-over cars would be a good thing. I think a Seven is a hot rod. A car viewed by most as a hot rod that performs as well as a seven would be fun too. Cars prior to about the mid-20's were just about as simple as a Seven.

If the Ecotec Stalker owner is using a Solstice/Sky transmission, does the shifter end up nicely located? Based upon the layout of a Solstice and the way the shifter appears to be placed far aft in pictures of the engine & trans outside a car, I'm hoping it will come out just right, but I need to wait about 10 days until I have the drivetrain in my garage, then two or three months longer to get the point that I can order the Raw Striker kit, then even more for the lead time from Raw... Long wait to see how it will come out.

Yes, you're right - I forgot to mention that the drive-by-wire throttle assy is included with the conversion package.