Cobia cars- a beginning

[Krait]

Originally Posted by Cobrakiller

Cars like Clubmans (Lotus 7 replicas) could not possibly meet these guidelines for the torsional tests, so they seem to have a different formula for testing based on power to weight.

Maybe in WA but certainly eastern states clubbies have comply with torsion requirements as per ADR's.

[mickieb49]

Bit more work on the chassis, pedal box is in, front end getting finalized, steering column mounting started, the body is also getting straightened before I remold it so every body out of the mold will be true and straight .
Regards mick

[David Hodgson]

Its coming together Mick. What actually is the target market, track or road car? I'm wondering how often would a passenger be carried, leg room seems a bit tight.

[deano59]

whats the steering rack out of ?

[mickieb49]

Originally Posted by David Hodgson

Its coming together Mick. What actually is the target market, track or road car? I'm wondering how often would a passenger be carried, leg room seems a bit tight.

Hi David,
This car will be fully registered here in NSW, so target market would mostly be guys who want something to drive on the road . Yes I know leg room for the passenger may be short, as would the time they would be in the seat, their legs will not be able to stretch out , rather have bent knees .

Originally Posted by deano59

whats the steering rack out of ?

Its from the Edge Products, used for offroad buggies, and yes I am going thru the hoops at the moment to get it thru the ADR's , so it can legally be used on the road registered car.

[Aussie Mike]

Just a thought but why not build it rear engine with an IRS rear suspension setup or even a DiDion rear axle setup. It looks like the boot area might be big enough. If you are using the bike engine you could use a chain and sprocket to or even a belt drive to drive the diff center.

Alternatively use the complete drive train assembly from a small front wheel drive car installed in the back. Suzuki swift or Toyota Yaris or something like that. That way you would also have reverse gear and an option for an auto trans.

I've often thought the drive train out of a Golf GTI would be a weapon in a mid mounted installation. DSG gearbox makes for lightning quick changes and paddle shift and no need for complex gear linkages or a clutch pedal. All of the pluses of a manual box and the convenience of an auto. I've got 2 VW's with DSG boxes and they are great fun. It even blips the throttle on down shifts and you have engine braking.

Cheers

[Aussie Mike]

Something like this would be an ideal donor

Damaged 2011 Volkswagen Golf VI GTI Hatch For Auction in Altona North, Melbourne, Victoria

Cheers

[mickieb49]

Mike, there is no boot area, it's all basically the diff and fuel tank.
Going to do a corvette next but use a Harley motor.
Did think of going the small car engine setup but for the size car , they really are too big and cumbersome.
The bike engine is much more compact, and has way more power.
200hp in this little car will be interesting..

[mickieb49]

Well , first off I must apologise for the lapse in updates, but a lot has been going on in the back ground.
Molds have started on the body ( had to redo it after so many changes)
Now have the windscreen sorted and will be getting delivered anytime, now have the tail shaft, steering shafts, wiring loom, indicators, brake lines.
So over the next few weeks you will see plenty of more progress and pics.

On another side note, I got contacted by a kit car mag to do a news article , and to my surprise it is now out ... Check out Completekitcar mag, September issue.

Take care guys

[mickieb49]

Screen shot

[750hp]

Any description starting with Crazy is never a bad thing..!

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by Aussie Mike

Alternatively use the complete drive train assembly from a small front wheel drive car installed in the back. Suzuki swift or Toyota Yaris or something like that. That way you would also have reverse gear and an option for an auto trans.

I've often thought the drive train out of a Golf GTI would be a weapon in a mid mounted installation.

Cheers

Mike, you MAY be the first other than me to think that engineering a small component car using the drivetrain from a front-wheel drive auto in a midship placement is a great idea. I own and drive a '89 Honda Accord and despite having almost 300K on the odometer, when I replace it I will keep the VTEC V-6/automatic transmission for exactly such a project...maybe a small size mid-engined sand rail (I have seen a tube-type beach buggy with a transverse mounted Ford 4-cylinder behind the driver)?

Actually, I would prefer one of the Dino 246 replicas of old (Kelmark GT, Karma/Magnum 500, etc) with my Accord FWD powertrain behind the driver.

My apologies to the OP for the thread drift...I was just TOO excited to see that someone else has had the same idea for a mid-engined project using a FWD powertrain!!

Cheers!

Dugly

[Wazza]

Hey Dugly,
I see that's a small town there....love looking at this sort of thing on Google maps.
What happened on the corner of Main and 4th ???.....
Looks nasty !!

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place...!4d-101.884896

Plenty of room out that way for some fast driving ??
Cheers,
Warren

[boxhead]

Originally Posted by Wazza

Hey Dugly,
I see that's a small town there....love looking at this sort of thing on Google maps.
What happened on the corner of Main and 4th ???.....
Looks nasty !!

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place...!4d-101.884896

Plenty of room out that way for some fast driving ??
Cheers,
Warren

Hahahaha, you stalker.

[Wazza]

Yeah...a little bit...lol

But go to that google map link...and check out all of the massive circular crops...looks awesome.
Cheers

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by Wazza

Hey Dugly,
What happened on the corner of Main and 4th ???.....
Looks nasty !!

Plenty of room out that way for some fast driving ??
Cheers,
Warren

I took a look at Main & 4th in your link, Warren....that photo must be 10 years old, maybe 15 . That old building with all those junk cars is now GONE...burned down about 5 years ago and it took the town leadership 4 years to force the owner to clean up all the junk vehicles and the fire debris...and when they started they found about 500 rifles among the rubble, seems the guy was a gun collector. It is now just a flat piece of ground, but maintaining its' "nasty" status by growing head-high weeds. Some people you just can't count on to keep their property picked up, I guess!

As for the fast driving, yes, it is a great place to just wind the ol' 302 out! In fact, the distance between two towns just across the Colorado state border (about 10 miles west) is 127 miles...no gas stations in between those two towns, no restaurants, nothing but mile after mile of open road and antelope. One time I kept count of the other vehicles I saw on that 127 mile long road...six vehicles, two of which were just farmers on motorcycles going out to check on their cattle. This is incredibly flat land with a 2-lane blacktop ribbon stretching from horizon to horizon and virtually NO traffic...and in all my years of living in this remote area, I have never seen any form of law-enforcement vehicle on those roads. It's just a great driving area if you like flat-out, straight line touring...not so great if you like curves.

Cheers!

Doug

[mickieb49]

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

Mike, you MAY be the first other than me to think that engineering a small component car using the drivetrain from a front-wheel drive auto in a midship placement is a great idea. I own and drive a '89 Honda Accord and despite having almost 300K on the odometer, when I replace it I will keep the VTEC V-6/automatic transmission for exactly such a project...maybe a small size mid-engined sand rail (I have seen a tube-type beach buggy with a transverse mounted Ford 4-cylinder behind the driver)?



Dugly

To be honest, these engines are too big or this scale mate, maybe when I do a corvette, GT40 and a Monaro I may look more into the little car engine idea. The bike motors are compact and give way more ponies that the appropriate sized car donks.
regards mick

[Rob. Smith]

I can't see any pics....amI doing something wrong ?

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by Wazza

But go to that google map link...and check out all of the massive circular crops...looks awesome.
Cheers

Those crop circles have nothing to do with aliens ....they are center-pivot irrigation systems the farmers use in this arid environment to increase their yields. Irrigated land will easily produce twice what dry-land crops yield. The irrigation systems are very expensive and because the water table is dropping so rapidly in our aquifer they are not permitting many these days. When I was in high school (1967) water was about 150 feet down...these days it is 600 feet down. Farmers cannot afford to drill that deep for water for irrigation unless they are large producers, and forget putting that kind of $$ into a farm home...too expensive, so most of the farmers are moving into towns that have municipal water wells and can afford the maintenance.

This IS, however, the "breadbasket" of the United States...

Cheers!

Doug

[Wazza]

Yeah Doug,
I knew what they were...but there's SO many of them...
It looks awesome.
Back to the cars I suppose.
Cheers,
Warren