New Locost Project

[78Z]

Well for quite a while I've wanted to build my own Locost (home built Lotus Seven clone) but have been distracted by other cars or not had the time. Well I've bought myself a welder and a donor car. I just need to get my garage wired to use the welder now!

Anyway the donor is a 1986 Hyundai Stellar which was sold in Canada but not the US. These are famous for rusting away so not too many left. I pick it up today. Interesting thing about these Stellars (up to 1986) is that they are basically a rebodied Ford Cortina MKIII with a Mitsu 4G32 engine (1.6L). So it will match up with "the book" quite well and it will have some sort of British blood in it. A bonus is its quite a simple car (manual choke, minimal emissions stuff) but I'll need to source a manual steering rack at some point. Anyway here's a picture of the beast

and what I hope to end up with in 2 or 3 years

 

[Sherlock]

So you decided to take the plunge finally... Looking forward to seeing the final result in three years /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif or six years /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif or...

 

[aeronca65t]

Excellent!
I had never heard of a Stellar (or their relationship to the Ford Cortina). That engine is pretty bulletproof..I raced a FWD Mitsu with that engine in the mid-eighties.
When it comes to welding, get some scrap and practice, practice, practice!
I'll assume that your donor has MacPherson struts. I have seen something somewhere (maybe at Grassroots?) that explains a process for converting front struts to be used for a Locost.
Otherwise, the front suspension of choice comes from a Spitfire.
G'luck!

 

[78Z]

nope - not struts - exact copy of the Cortina front suspension (spindles exactly as "the book") and rear axle. The 87+ Stellars had struts - you probably haven't heard of them as they weren't sold in the US and rusted away pretty quick in Canada. The engine is pretty basic and free from most emissions stuff.

 

[aeronca65t]

nope - not struts -

Oh I see...it's like the Mk 3 Cortina (the Mk 1 and 2 have struts). Cool. Sounds like the perfect donor.

 

[78Z]

yeah - perfect donor - that is why I jumped on it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

any hints from your Mitsu racing days for making the engine a little zippier?

 

[sammyb]

[ QUOTE ]
yeah - perfect donor - that is why I jumped on it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

any hints from your Mitsu racing days for making the engine a little zippier?

[/ QUOTE ]

Take it out and throw in a big block Chevy! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

(you know I'm just kidding!!!)

If it's anything like the Mitsu engines built for Chrysler, just letting it breathe better does wonders.

 

[R6MGS]

Wow that Hyundai brings back memories I remeber seeing those ugly things everywhere a while back...then they all just disapeared I haven't seen one in years, fortunatly most of them rusted away so we no longer have to look them

 

[78Z]

They are pretty ugly (styled by Ital Design - proving everyone can have an off day). It was an older couple I bought it off. They asked if I was going to restore it - I mumbled "something sorta like that".

Here's a strange thing (for me at least) - the thermostat housing is built into the intake manifold. How odd. It will be become annoying if I change the carb to side draughts.