Locost - Build Your Own Sports Car

Ron Champion

The name 'LoCost' refers to a 2-seater sports car, based on the design outlined in the book "Build yourself a sports car for as little as £250", written by Ron Champion. This lens aims to provide a source of information to those who are contemplating or have already started such a project.

A common question people ask is if it's really possible to build a Locost for £250. Most build seems to end up at ten times the amount even if some have succeded in making very inexpensive builds. The Locost book design uses a mk1 or mk2 Ford Escort. Those are hard to find and thus expensive. The cost also does not include all the tools you need for the build. The book gives some hints and tips on how to cut the costs for the build that many builders choose to ignore, some examples are

build the chassis from scrap metal instead of buying new

make your own fibreglass nosecone and wheel arches instead of buying them

use the rear seat from the donor or one from the junkyard instead of buying new race seats

use the donor gauges, steering wheel and rims instead of buying new

buy wrongly mixed paint at a discount and paint the car yourself

find some aluminium sheet metal at the scrapper(for instance from the side of a van) to use for the bonnet

THE BOOK

Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!, 2nd Ed.

by: Ron Champion

The first edition of this bestseller inspired so many people to build their own sports car that there now exists a thriving Locost Car Club, and an MSA-approved race series for Locosts run by the 750 Motor Club. This second edition - in full colour - is updated and expanded, with a new chapter on all aspects of racing a Locost, information on how to get through the Single Vehicle Approval test, and builders' own stories.
'a great book designed to get people involved' Motoring News
'an inspiring read' Cars & Car Conversions

Amazon Price: (as of 11/21/2008)

Build Your Own Off-Road Buggy for as little as 100

by: Ron Champion

Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 11/21/2008)

Locost 7 - a small home built sports car

Image:AlfaLocost-rear.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

Fun

Build your own sports car in two and a half minutes

A quick slide show of the Lethal Locost build, 2-1/2 years, $5700CDN. 1986 Toyota Corolla GT-S donor vehicle, twin cam 4cyl, 5speed. Build is detailed at http://www.geocities.com/g_wellwood/automotive/locost.html

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Dave Osborne's Locost Build Diary: The book, inspiration, Stuart Taylor Ltd., photo galleries, finished car, links, insurance quotes and SVA.
Glen's Locost Car: Photo and build diary, cost and links.
Locost Builders: General construction discussion, specific forums, inspired, completed cars and chat.
Locost7-Online: Build gallery, links, books, CC engine services, tools required, costs, contact, Craven Motor Club, donor and sponsor.
Simon's Locost Clubman: History, status, the dream, building a project in Australia, donor parts, engines, Damien's car, tools and equipment, specifications, photos, links and contact.
The LoCost Car: Design, problems and costs.
Rob Lane's Locost 7 Car: Build story, photos, data, axles, wheels, gearboxes, rust, growing up, links, suppliers and contact.
Chris Gibb's Locost: Links, tips, build story, specifications, news, Pinto information, photos, GRP guide and SVA.
Building a Sports Car: Introduction, 3D models, drawings, powertrain, assembly, budget, builders and contact.
Mark's Locost Build: Diary, costs, donor, CAD files and links.
Gibbons Sports 7: Build story, modifications, picture gallery, links, test, shows, meets and MK Indy SVA.
LocostCars.co.uk: Builders and cars, cd rom, overview, contact, build photos, parts and links.
DIYSportsCar.org: The design of a mid-engined Locost.
Richard Marsden's Locost Page: A Honda Fireblade powered vehicle using a chassis from Stuart Taylor Motorsport. Pictures and build diary.
Alex Roebuck's Loco Ninja: Dated photos and diary of the build, article, costs, links and contact.
RonChampion.net: The book, car, about the author, Buggy, book shop, build tips and links.
Alan's Locost: Author's car, specifications, costs, photos, SVA test fail and pass information, racing, Stoneleigh 2001, links and registration.
Locost Racing Holland: Information about the book.
Dick Lukoszek Building the Clubman: Photos and build diary.
Eddy McClements' Locost Page: Build diary and photos of a project using a Toyota 4AGE.
Project Locost: About the car and builder, updates, contact, specifications, diary, costs, books, links and glossary.
Gordon Hynes Locost Build.: Donor, chassis, welder, painting the engine, fitting the car out, seats, finished car, racing, winter rebuild and new dashboard.
Ron's Locost Seven: Pictures and diary of a build using a Mazda rotary engine.
A Texas Locost: Background, build diary, Quad and progress photos, links and some thoughts.
Greg's Locost Clubman: The car, current build, technical reference, links and contact.
John's Locost Build: Offers information on Locost Build in Northern Ireland. Also on The Ulster Kit Car Club.
Craig Chamberlain's Locost: Background, objectives, fundamental design choices and diary.
The Morgan Locost Pages: The story, links, contact, disclaimer, donor, preparation and making fibreglass parts.

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Roadster: How, and Especially Why, a Mechanical Novice Built a Car from a Kit

by: Chris Goodrich

Feeling overspecialized and compartmentalized in his career, and suffering a mid-life crisis in his mid-30s, Goodrich (Anarchy and Elegance) decided to take a break from 15 years of reporting, book reviewing and editing by building a car. In this offbeat, captivating auto-biographical memoir, reminiscent of John McPhee's writing in its graceful precision and inquisitive openness to experience, he tells how?over 14 months of agonizing frustrations, unnerving delays, rages and heady adrenaline rushes?he assembled a "latter-day Model T" from a do-it-yourself kit for roughly $18,500. For Goodrich, the car he built?the Caterham Super Seven, a roadster based on a 1957 British Lotus?represented a visceral declaration of independence, a return to basics. He imagined himself following a learn-by-doing path blazed by Thoreau and recharted by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

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The Car Builder's Handbook: Tips and Techniques for Builders of Kit Cars and Street Rods

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our budget and mechanical skills should dictate the sort of car you build, but of course, your taste in automobiles will have the greatest influence..."

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Lotus Seven

The Lotus Seven is a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car from Lotus, which has been called "a motorcycle on four wheels". It is the most successful inexpensive exotic sports car.[citation needed] It is characterised by extremely high acceleration (0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds) and a mid-range top speed (up to 155 mph, depending on engine). The drag coefficient is around 0.7, mostly because of the flat windscreen and the wheel arches.

The original Lotus Seven was launched in 1957, powered by a 40 bhp Ford Sidevalve 1172cc engine. The Lotus Seven Series 2 (S2) followed in 1960, and the Series 3 (S3) in 1968. In 1970, Lotus radically changed the shape of the car to create the Series 4 (S4), which was not widely accepted.[citation needed] The Series 1 was mainly intended for club racing, but the Series 2 and subsequent models were production cars intended for public roads.

An S2 Lotus 7 driven by star Patrick McGoohan was featured in the opening credits of the 1967-1968 television series The Prisoner.

How to Build a Cheap Sports Car

Image:AlfaLocost-front.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

How to Build a Cheap Sports Car (Motorbooks Workshop)

by: Keith Tanner

Nobody should buy any single book and expect it to answer every question they have. People planning to build a Locost should expect that they are going to be swimming on their own once in a while. Yes, this book doesn't show you how to build a chassis from scratch. It doesn't show you plans for mounting a Miata dif. It doesn't tell you a lot of things that you'll want to know. Champion's book is missing a lot of useful detail as well. No book is going to answer all your questions, which is why there are so many different books available for sale! Keith's book answers a lot of questions for me and gives me plenty of ideas that I'll use on my own build. I wish other builders would publish similar books - I'd buy them in a heartbeat!

Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 11/21/2008)