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Locost - Build Your Own Sports Car - Photos - Links - Videos

Ranked #33 in Cars, #3,197 overall

If you want a sports car, but don't fancy any of the current offerings, why not build your own?

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

Build Your Own Sports Car: On a Budget

Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!,

how to build the frame

The book (a second edition with some additions) details the build of the Locost (Low Cost) replica of the Lotus Super 7.

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

by: Ron Champion

Amazon Price: $156.09 (as of 02/15/2012)

What a concept! Building your own car! With this book Ron Champion outlines a plan for building your own Lotus Seven/Westfield clone. Some sections may be not as detailed as some people would prefer but overall it is excellent and informative. There are lots of builders and discussion groups that readers could join and learn from. The most valuable part of this book, in my opinion, is how to build the frame. The frame is built from square section steel tubing and welding equipment is required.

Locost 7 - a small home built sports car

How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars

Great overview of a overlooked segment of racing

How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars (Speedpro) [Paperback]

How to Build Motorcycle-engined Racing Cars (Speedpro)

by: Tony Pashley

Amazon Price: $27.33 (as of 02/15/2012)

Beginners to suspension design and tuning will find it fairly easy to understand as this section is well presented though basic. The other sections all do a decent job of covering engines trannys etc.

This book is aimed primarily at hill-climb and sprint car and helps to build one from a budget. It begins with choosing the right engine and works through to design and construction. There is an extensive amount of pictures and diagrams, which does help as there is a lot to read and it breaks up the text well. It describes the subjects that will affect this kind of build in good detail and would be very helpful for people looking into this area.

Fun

Your Kit Car Assembly Manual

Your Kit Car Assembly Manual [CD-ROM]

This is the most complete text on the subject of building and modifying 7-type cars I have ever found. There are hundreds of detailed, zoomable pictures that make the descriptions even more understandable than what is explained in the text. This book has information on things I had never even thought of. Gary Brizendine clearly has a complete, if not absolute, knowledge of how to build a winner for the track, street, and show. This book should be the #1 resource in your library if you are considering, in the process of, or have a finished 7-type car. You will be impressed.

Locost: Build your own sports car in two and a half minutes: by gwellwood | video info

144 ratings | 106,954 views

curated content from YouTube

Locost Links

Locost Builders

by exfordy

Locost Builders: General construction discussion, specific forums, inspired, completed cars and chat.

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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.

How to Build a Traditional Ford Hot Rod, Revised Ed. by Mike Bishop, Vern Tardel, Steve Amos

Build your own flathead roadster just as it would more...0 points

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Lotus Seven - lotus 7 for sale

Lotus LOTUS 7 for Sale on Car and Classic UK

Lotus For Sale

lotus 7 for sale £3500 - YouTube

Used Lotus Seven cars for sale - Carsales.com

Lotus Seven S2 For Sale, classic cars for sale uk (Car: advert ...

SimpleSevens: Authentic Lotus Sevens and Related Information

Lotus 7 For Sale - Yakaz Cars

[SOLD] '79 Caterham Seven For Sale - LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars ...

Lotus Seven Register - Home Page

ForSale

drive small super 7 by Cave_Design

Design custom stickers using zazzle.com

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.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Watt_Dabney

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Auctions Of Interest

Build Your Own Sports Car: On a Budget

All you need are tools, patience, time, money and a lot of hard work.

Chris Gibbs has taken the 'Locost' concept a step further. As this new book has CAD drawings (I believe done on Solidworks), it probably does not have any dimension errors that crept into the Ron Champion book. The book takes you through drawings and instructions so you can end up with a Ford Sierra (Merkur) based roadster. All you need are tools, patience, time, money and a lot of hard work. The single donor vehicle concept helps but only if the abovementioned vehicle is available (and affordable!) in your country.

by VK-Sportsman

Build Your Own Sports Car: On a Budget

by: Mr. Chris Gibbs

Amazon Price: $17.75 (as of 02/15/2012)

If you have questions there's even an official Haynes Roadster Forum to help you! Author Chris Gibbs participates in this official Haynes forum and posts updates to the book, corrections (yes even this book needs a few), advice and guidance.

Locost for sale

Locost for sale | buy and sell Caterham, Westfield ... - Kit Car Trader

Locost race car for sale

R1 engined locost for sale

2009 Road Reg'd Fireblade Locost - For Sale - £4899!

Locost Kit Car project F/S

750Mc locost race car for sale.

Locost 7 Kit Car for sale | Locost 7 Kit Car buy and sell Caterham ...

Low Cost Car Sales Ltd - Welcome

Ford Locost 750mc For Sale, classic cars for sale uk (Car: advert ...

Locost Links

Race Cars For Sale : GT/Sports Cars : Locost Race car (750 Motor ...

For Sale WESTFIELD/LOCOST kit car with engine sell or swap for ...

Locost kit car parts for sale on Madabout-Kitcars.com

Kit Cars : 2 ltr Locost for sale.

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How to Build a Cheap Sports Car

As another reviewer has mentioned, this is more of a companion book to Ron Champion's book. That statement shouldn't discourage anyone from purchasing this book though.

Champion's book was more of a how-to cookbook, whereas Tanner's is a variation of the recipe. It is quite interesting to see another build, especially a US-based build (Champion's being basically a UK build).

How to Build a Cheap Sports Car (Motorbooks Workshop)

by: Keith Tanner

Amazon Price: $863.47 (as of 02/15/2012)

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!

Caterham Superlight R500

cc licensed flickr photo shared by exfordy

Locost 7 by evolutionx

Browse Lotus T-Shirts

by kylegordon

Lotus Seven & the Independents [Hardcover]

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Tells even those owners without technical knowledge nor previous car restoration experience how to completely restore their Volkswagen Beetle's bodywork, interior, mechanical and electrical components. All you need to know - in step-by-step detail - to make your Beetle like new again. An essential guide for millions of VW Beetle owners around the world.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Ricky Flores

How to Restore Volkswagen Beetle (Enthusiast's Restoration Manual)

by: Jim Tyler

Amazon Price: $32.95 (as of 02/15/2012)

Nicely detailed book with loads of clear pictures. Most procedures are well described and thus far proved to be very useful.

Perfect for someone restoring a bus

This book documents and celebrates the many different camping conversions built on the Volkswagen Transporter and Microbus platform across five decades.

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VW Camper - The Inside Story: A Guide to VW Camping Conversions and Interiors 1951-2005

by: David Eccles

Amazon Price: $22.82 (as of 02/15/2012)

I bought this as a present for my boyfriend, who is planning on buying and restoring a early 1970s VW bus soon. He absolutely loved this book. It has a wealth of information - and lots of great photos - about the interior of every type of bus made. This type of information is difficult to find (most information available is about the engine, body, etc). It has information about the interiors of both stock and custom buses, which is a great source of creative inspiration since he is planning to customize his own bus.

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First published in 1969, this classic manual of automotive repair equips VW owners with the knowledge to handle every situation they will come across with any air-cooled Volkswagen built through 1978, including Bugs, Karmann Ghias, vans, and campers. With easy-to-understand, fun-to-read information -- for novice and veteran mechanics alike -- anecdotal descriptions, and clear language, this book takes the mystery out of diagnostic, maintenance, and repair procedures, and offers some chuckles along the way. This edition features new information on troubleshooting, new photos, and an updated resource list.

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How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive 19 Ed: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot

by: John Muir, Tosh Gregg

Amazon Price: $15.05 (as of 02/15/2012)

John Muir is regarded as the expert in the field as far as aircooled VW's. This book is extremely easy to read. It makes capable mechanics out of "compleat idiot"s with its easy going style.

For a complete collection, buy the VW service manual by Robert Bentley to complement the Muir book. With these two references, available through amazon.com, you have everything you need to perform any and all repairs on your aircooled VW.

Dune Buggy Handbook

cc licensed flickr photo shared by JaseMan

Dune Buggy Handbook: The A-Z of VW-Based Buggies Since 1964 (Reference)

by: James Hale

Amazon Price: $70.00 (as of 02/15/2012)

James Hale hits a home run with this book. It is the first of my knowledge to ever attempt to organize and sort out all of the dune buggy makers. We have waited a long time in the VW hobby for the 'glass buggy to recieve recognition. You get to see everything from the original Meyers Manx buggies that started the fiberglass dune buggy revolution, to the hundreds of clones that were later spawned. Hale does a great job of mixing in facts and photos. This is also a pretty complete look at the rise and later fall of the buggy industry.

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How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive 19 Ed: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot

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