My Locohama R1 Project

[Locohama 0]

This project was the main reason I sold my old rally car and bought my Golf VR6, so that once the car was built I had a car that could tow it to different tracks and Hillclimbs. So here is the project so far...

Here are some pictures I have taken of my Westfield/Locost Chassis that I won on eBay for the amazing price of £204 !!!!! Got the chassis a few months ago and it is in storage just now until I get somewhere to store it and begin the build.

Plans are R1 engine, nice shortish ratio differential, some small 13inch Mini Lites about 7 inch wide and very very light weight. I'm going to be using it as mainly a track/hillclimb car and for something to use my Automotive Engineering "Skillz" on as I will be graduating in 6 months.

Already I have the chassis that came with a full double wishbone set-up front and rear with rear hubs, Westfield Steering wheel, Granada Cosworth Rear Differential (3.62:1) and driveshafts but its a bit heavy to be honest, Granada Cosworth rear brake set-up and a Cosworth Propshaft so I have a good amount of the mechanical parts. I also just got some front wings for her too.

The Best Shot

Drivers Side with beastly Door Bar

Front End

Door Bar again

Rear Suspension

Interior

Me and my mate Dave Driving

On eBay I saw a lovely Westfield steering wheel and also a Cosworth Propshaft.

Cosworth Propshaft

Westfield Small Steering Wheel

I then found some nice Sierra Front Hub units that had just been fitted with new bearings and came with trackrod ends and the mushroom inserts. I went to B&Q and bought a few wire brushes and paint to get them looking mint.

Rusty Sierra Hubs

Nice Cleaned up Alloy Mushroom Inserts

Nice Smooth Black Painted Hubs after a while with a wire brush and some white spirits.

I knew what type of dash unit I was wanting, however I couldnt find one cheaper than the retail price, until one day I was searching eBay and found the exact one I wanted, with hardly any bids because the guy had used a poor title. It is a Koso unit and this is what it looks like:-

I got it for just over £100 and comes with everything needed to fit, so theres a saving of about £50 that can be spent elsewhere. Here are the specs of it:-

- Speed Unit reads km/h or MPH

- Two trip odometers up to 999,9 km or miles

- Speed warning in the range from 30 to 180 km/h (20-110 MPH). Adjusting unit in 5 km/h or PH

- Memory of reached Top Speed (0-360 km/h or 0-223 MPH)

- Rev Counter up to 15.000 U/min. Unit 100 U/min

- Memory of highest revs

- Temperature gauge in °C oder °F from 0-120°C or 32-248°F. Unit 0,1°C/F

- Temperature gauge with bar chart from 20-120°C (68-248°F). Unit 10°

- Digital Oil temperature reading from 0-120°C (32-248°F). Unit 0,1°C/F

- Memory function of highest temperature

- Fuel gauge with bar chart. 10 bars each 10 fuel level

- Works with most common tank sensors. 100 Ohm or 510 Ohm

- Free setting of reserve warning between 10-50.

- Clock

- Acceleration Test 1, how long does it take to pass a given distance. Distance can be defined between 50-1000 m (1/32 - 20/32 Miles). Unit 50 m (1/32 Meile). Perfect to get used to sprint races

- Acceleration Test 2, how long does it take to reach a selected speed. Speed selection is possible from 30-360 km/h (20-220 mph)

- Top Speed Timer Testing, here you have info about your reached top speed, passed distance and max revs

From looking at lots of different peoples Locosts, I knew the wheels I wanted, Compomotive ML's in a 13inch wheel. SO, again, browsing eBay I found some, and they are wide boys at 8inch wide. I bid on them and lost However the guy then put up another set and got them for a bit cheaper than what I bidded upto last time, Bargain! So they arrived just a few days ago.

However, my dials still havent arrived, but I will get pictures up as soon as I get it.

I was up at my mate Daves flat (the lad in the pic) and we were bored, so I started making a list of things I have bought and rough prices of what I still need to get.

What I've bought so far...

Chassis - £204

Steering Wheel - £25

Front Arches - £20

Cosworth LSD Diff, Driveshafts, Rear Calipers - £112

Front Sierra Hubs - £45

Koso Dials - £102

Compomotive ML1380's - £300

Cosworth Prop - £10

Total So Far = £818

What is still needed (Probably Forgotten some stuff)

Engine with everything needed - £900

Seats - £200

Harnesses - £150

Tyres - £400

Brakes - £200

Switches - £10

Nose Cone - £50

Rear Arches - £50

Lights - £100

Suspension - £350

Alloy for Panels - £100

Sprocket Adapter for Gearbox/Prop - £50

Fuel Tank - £100

Air Filter - £40

Lubricants and Fluid - £50

Gear Change Kit - £50

Exhaust Manifold - £250

Backbox - £300

Braided Hoses - £50

Still Needing To Spend = £3400

So a Rough Total Cost for the Build = £4500 approx.

So I have bought about 20% of the parts I need, cost wise Still a lot to buy.

Well thats how she is so far, still a lot to get but the next main part will be the engine I am getting off a good mate and that is the biggest expense of the whole project, but will be worth it

Any comments, please leave them as I'm always interested in other peoples opinions and ideas.

Cheers Mark

Moderator edit by: SankysVR6

[Phat VR6 3]

Mate thats wicked, Why dont you put a hyabusa engine in it instead? I want to build a caterham one day and slap my self a hyabusa in it, Love the wheels as well,

Can I ask if its indepentant rear or soild axal? and if you use the bike gearbox or have use some bell housing adapter to mate it to a car gearbox?

That thing should be silly rapid and fair play for starting an intresting thread, Good luck with the build tom

[Phat VR6 3]

AH just seen its indepentant

[Locohama 0]

I have looked into Hayabusa engines but they are just So overpriced. Your looking at about £2000 for a hayabusa engine most of the time, where as I am getting a full R1 engine with everything, basically the whole bike bar the chassis and wheels to convert into running it in the car for £900. Will make life a lot easier just lengthening some wires etc.

Going to use the bike gearbox as it is small and light, so will have 6 gears, forst gear taking me upto about 50-55mph, and 6th gear about 115-120 depending on the final tyre size I go for, so its going to be very quick off the mark. Will be looking at about 0-60 in about3.5-4 seconds if not faster

[SankysVR6 1]

Just resized you pictures for you mate

[Phat VR6 3]

Oh fair play, Didn't relise there was a big difference in price, Thats why I want one because they are soooo fast for little power and money.

Donno if you've seen Ghost rider on you tube but he rides a hyabusa turbo which is ment to be 500bhp, So if you ever get bored of 0-60 in 3.5 secs you can always bank a turbo on there ha ha

What rally car did you have before? And what you doing for a reverse??

[Locohama 0]

I had a Peugeot 106 Rallye and spent a lot of money getting it ready for Trackdays and Hillclimbs but fancied a change so opted for a kit car after driving my friends Tiger Super 6 a few times. Everything just feels so right driving that type of car and it is just such a buzz.

As for reverse, I'm not going to have one. It uses valuable power from the engine as they constantly turn so giving the engine more things to turn so less gets to the back wheels. I wont be needing one anyways with hopes of under 500kg and only being used for trackdays and hillclimbs, but if I get the cash I might put it on the road for shits and giggles

[Locohama 0]

Well another update aswell, I bought some Tiger Super Six rear light units for a bargain of £10, only used to get the car through SVA then removed for some carbon fibre units.

I also bought a new rear diff, the shortest ratio available in the Sierra range, a 3.92:1 allowing for these top speeds in the gears:-

1st: 47.7mph

2nd: 64.7mph

3rd: 79.5mph

4th: 89.5mph

5th: 99.4mph

6th: 106.9mph

So she should be quite quick round a track and great for hillclimbs

Ill get pictures up ASAP when everything arrives.

Cheers Mark