To Heck With It...

[sqcomp]

...I'm going to build my own car...

I have an excuse, several actually. My wife is taking a job on the east coast for two years. I get to stay on the West coast. I'll be bored. I already have a donor engine and transmission. I have several connections that can assist me with this.

...The most important reason...

Derick is doing some cool stuff with his MB and I have to step up!

What am I taking about?



What you're seeing is a hand built chassis to house the engine and transmission of my SRT-4. This is going to take me a while, I'll have failures and successes. But at the end of the day, I'm going for something that I can drive to the local track, flog on, go like stank, and drive back home.

When it's all said and done, I'll only be into the project less than what I originally paid for the donor car that gives me the engine and transmission. The outcome? a 1500 lb (WET), 405+ WHP vehicle using a mid engine layout. After the car is up and running, I'll drive it for a while and then tune the engine to suit the chassis. You guys do the math.

[Astroman]

Booya!

[sqcomp]

When it's done in a few years, think I can bring this to a sub compact car meet? I mean...it's only a little longer than a Miata and about as long as a Yaris sedan. It's a little wider though...

[Slitwrist Smile]

I am jelly... I am sure you have some great talent, keep this thread updated with a monthly build. Good choice of a stout motor.

Question - are you going to build a single seater? Or you could maybe do a 3 seater - a la the McLaren? (one seat up front for the driver, in the middle, and 2 behind the driver?) I have always loved that 3 seater configuration in that hypercar.

[sqcomp]

First, speaking about talent...

Until I started, I had NEVER welded before in my life. Any "talent" is learned and definitely not professional.

Second, a single seater. That'll the beautiful thing. I can make this whatever I want. There is no power steering and no atmospheric controls in this. What's the point? It's so light it doesn't need power steering and it's an open cockpit (at this point). It will probably never see rain because...well, duh.

I want two seats right now to have an instructor with me during HPDE track days. At this point I'm not quite sure of my local registration laws regarding seat quantity to make it street legal. I will say this, the donor engine is already running Ethanol, so I'm no afraid of emissions testing.

I plan to flex my learning curve with fiberglass and composites with this project. Look for some neat aero parts for this over the next few years. I'll also put together a build lonwith costs. You guys wil be floored at how inexpensive this truly is...

[fnkngrv]

You finish this then you had best put it in the budget to bring it to the East Coast and to LTA for some Land Speed Run goodness otherwise I will unfriend you!

[sqcomp]

Here's the thing...I'm going to have to do some major aero work. Apparently over 150mph, the current body shape will run into the drag wall. I have some thoughts though, taken straight from seeing F1 and the LMS Prototype shapes...

I know the donor car, the SRT, will easily peg 160MPH on the speedometer as it sits and still have some left over. Perhaps I can make the front end and sides more efficient by taking cues from the Morgan Aero 8 and combining it with a mid body downforce body trick that will incorporate the radiator...

I can only imagine the potential of this when I get it running. Of course there will be GoPro footage of the first fire up and test drive without body work.

[derickveliz2]

Are you sure it's not going to go over 150mph?

Looks awesome, I still have this dream that some day I'll get to build my own car!

It looks more like a buggy than like a race car? what kind of car do you have in mind?

D.

[sqcomp]

This is an offshoot of a Lotus 7. While the traditional 7 chassis has a front mounted engine, I have the mid engine setup that I'm chasing.

I wanted the advantages of traction and handling while being able to use my SRT's engine and transmission.

As for going over 150...what I hear from the other drivers of chassis similar to this is that it will stomp the hell out of GT3 classed cars up until that 150mph mark. Then the power and aero of those cars, like the Corvette, Viper, and Porsche GT3 will take over.

It gives me a reason to imagine aerodynamic solutions and to play with carbon fiber...

[derickveliz2]

That is very clever, and interesting, like one of those new x-over SUV-Cars. There is a new MB that is basically a CLA HatchBack with more ground clearance GLA and also reminds me of a Peugeot rally car that had the engine mounted in the middle, very cool.

I'm sure you can come up with a very original design, I love aerodynamics (I'm still an Airplane guy)










D.

[sqcomp]

We'll have to collaborate on the aero design of the front end...

Take the Peugot 208 picture, notice the wide mouth, the radiator, and the hood vents.



Let's talk more about the air escaping through the radiator. I had thought of angling the radiator opposite "V" angle to open up the front of the vehicle up for more flow. I see it as letting the air flow over the radiator versus jamming through it. That coupled with an "open" hood vent that is angled to have the air coming through the front work it's way through and over the center of the car. Take note of the Caterham "Lotus 7-2" and the Lotus Exige hood structure and venting.

That being said, I understand the purpose for the Pugeot's radiator being like that. 875 turbocharged HP isn't a recipe for easy cooling. That might be what I need to do to keep the engine cool. I also know I probably won't be working over the engine to 875 WHP. At max, I'm thinking 500 WHP.

http://youtu.be/1g06ggJBPiI