Are Locost 7 allowed at the Challenge?

Are homebuilt Locost 7 allowed at the Challenge?  I think this means they are:

”If a tubular frame is used, then modification of exterior bodywork is allowed, provided the end result is substantially similar in general appearance to the original vehicle.”

I’m asking because the world’s rattiest Locost project has come up for sale locally.  Looks complete in a death-trap sort of way.  Link while it lasts:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/mississauga-peel-region/lotus-7-replica/1469490969?undefined

Asking c$1,750 so more like $1,200-1,300 USD for Challenge purposes. But it needs at least a roll bar and the “fuel cell” held in place with what appears to be bungee cords.  Fix those, put in an old Kirkey seat and harness, some miata wheels with sticky rubber and profit.  And make a new nose cone.

What could go wrong?

In the past locosts have been exhibition because neither the frame or bodywork is production anything.  

If you can get a legit Lotus nose cone, would that be enough, or do you need fenders doors hood etc?

Orrrr just do the inverse of the miata rat rod, and find a way to hang miata sheetmetal on it.

The rules aren't up right now so this is me paraphrasing and going off my memory.

Body on frame car you use the production frame rails which can be shorten for wheelbase then you have unlimited body mods.

Unibody frame if you keep the unibody you are good.

Tube frame cars must use production body and it's must not be modified.

Patrick said:

In the past locosts have been exhibition because neither the frame or bodywork is production anything.  

I thought in the distant past a BMW m10 powered one did quite well. Was it exhibition?

In reply to Robbie :

They had a separate class for them waaay back. 

in reply to Pete:

I remember that separate class, i don’t think anyone made it out the first year.  Building a Locost isn’t easy, doubly so under a Challenge budget!  

Not a RHD car. Explain this booster/master on the RH side

Stampie said:

The rules aren't up right now so this is me paraphrasing and going off my memory.

Body on frame car you use the production frame rails which can be shorten for wheelbase then you have unlimited body mods.

Unibody frame if you keep the unibody you are good.

Tube frame cars must use production body and it's must not be modified.

By this logic, if locost with say, Volkswagen body, should be close?

exST165 said:

in reply to Pete:

I remember that separate class, i don’t think anyone made it out the first year.  Building a Locost isn’t easy, doubly so under a Challenge budget!  

I’m not sure there were ever any entrants other than the BMW-powered one?

In reply to NOHOME :

I'm more concerned about the heim joint that's been welded to. I have no idea what that's doing!

oh. I think they used it as a pillow block for a bell crank that actuates the brake master. That car is a mess based on that one photo. 

In reply to Pete Gossett :

There was at least one other one. Around 2007, IIRC

In reply to dculberson :

Yeah...I saw that ...That thing is a mess based on ALL of the photos. 

Pete Gossett said:

exST165 said:

in reply to Pete:

I remember that separate class, i don’t think anyone made it out the first year.  Building a Locost isn’t easy, doubly so under a Challenge budget!  

I’m not sure there were ever any entrants other than the BMW-powered one?

There's the infamous Zamboni too. 

Mndsm said:

Stampie said:

The rules aren't up right now so this is me paraphrasing and going off my memory.

Body on frame car you use the production frame rails which can be shorten for wheelbase then you have unlimited body mods.

Unibody frame if you keep the unibody you are good.

Tube frame cars must use production body and it's must not be modified.

By this logic, if locost with say, Volkswagen body, should be close?

Look at Joe's Subaru van. Tube chassis with a skinned body on it. And if I were doing that I'd go real light. Say a skinned Bradley GT. 

I am going to go out on  limb and suggest that this is another abuse of heim joints. Is that actually a tie rod end? 

Can anybody explain the upright to me? 

In reply to NOHOME :

Macstrut conversions

I understand wanting to learn how to weld, and not being very good at it at first. I am not good at it and can't do a great looking weld. But I also am not practicing on the critical safety systems of a home built car. This thing gives me the creeps. Nobody should drive this.

I thought I saw in the rules or one of the rules threads it specifically stated that Locost were not eligible challenge cars.

In reply to bigben :

That used to be stated specifically but I think there new frame rail/unibody/tube frame rule makes a locost moot unless you can find an original Lotus 7 body for Challenge money. 

I thought the bodywork could be modified “provided the end result is substantially similar in general appearance to the original vehicle.”  But that was based on the idea that the Lotus 7 was a production vehicle which Wikipedia isn’t helping me prove.  Yes Lotus sold about 2,500 of them, but as kits to avoid punitive taxes. No idea how many Lotus or Caterham ever delivered ask fully assembled cars.  Glad I asked first!

i had seen the issue with the brake master cylinder being on the passenger side.  The fuel cell is a real treat.

sellor bought it from the builder an doesn’t know anything anything about how or why anything was done the way it was.

thomas

In reply to exST165 :

You're skipping over these parts.

Eligible Vehicles:
Any four-wheeled, production-based vehicle that was originally sold as a passenger vehicle is allowed.

if the vehicle uses a tubular frame, must retain the production exterior bodywork.

While i agree that a Locost 7 is probably ineligible because Lotus 7 were sold as kit cars and not production vehicles (according to Wikipedia) i think that the rules around tube frames are a bit more vague when you include the second sentence:

.. if the vehicle uses a tubular frame, must retain the production exterior bodywork. If a tubular frame is used, then modification of exterior bodywork is allowed, provided the end result is substantially similar in general appearance to the original vehicle.

I agree that the first statement implies genuine bodywork is required for a tubular frame vehicle, but i think that the second implies that the bodywork just has to resemble the original, and that would allow copies.  Just not of a 7 as that wasn’t ever a production vehicle.

Agree?  Disagree?

In reply to exST165 :

You can modify the original body "provided the end result is substantially similar in general appearance"

Stampie said:

Mndsm said:

Stampie said:

The rules aren't up right now so this is me paraphrasing and going off my memory.

Body on frame car you use the production frame rails which can be shorten for wheelbase then you have unlimited body mods.

Unibody frame if you keep the unibody you are good.

Tube frame cars must use production body and it's must not be modified.

By this logic, if locost with say, Volkswagen body, should be close?

Look at Joe's Subaru van. Tube chassis with a skinned body on it. And if I were doing that I'd go real light. Say a skinned Bradley GT. 

When I asked along those lines I was told that the cost of making the mold of a body part  was exempt 

Therefore if you made a mold of a lotus 7 nose and took a part from that mold only the material cost of that part would count.  But since the nose is really the only real identifying part of a Lotus 7. ( maybe the fenders? ) but are fenders required?