Nocones $2020 challenge build thread

Wow. It's better than I anticipated, and that's really saying something. Nice work.

This is SOOOOO amazing! 

you might run it by 'the Challenge powers that be'...  but, I'd suggest that there's value in:

finish weld. 
assemble. 
mount the tub/frunk/engine.cover. 
add a minimal floorpan, and extend the doors to the base of the frame.  
not worry about the aero. 
take it to GRM Challenge 2021... or, at least some shakedowns while the season is active this year.

I also have other aero thoughts... but I gotten sharpen my pencil first

This is incredible! You've done amazing work and should be proud! 

I would love to see the bare minimum version at this year's Challenge too, but I know that involves a lot of cut corners you'll have to fix later. I did that with Datsaniti in 2018. It was ugly, but a fun time. 

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

The thought of no fender running has crossed my mind.  The Aero and Fenders are really a separate thing from it running.  It looks silly in a good way as an open wheel car.  It also runs over your ankles like a good open wheel car does when you push it around. 

We will see how far I manage to get.

Anyone want to come thrash on it at "LMP Summer Camp"?

That thing is incredibly cool!  Nice work!

wow, just amazing work right there.  I honestly thought you were smoking crack when I first saw this post along with your paper renderings...  Now, I realize you weren't smoking crack... you were doing magic LSD and are very skilled with a welder. 

I thank you for being you, sir. 

giggity

In reply to nocones :

Do you have any date(s) in mind? I'm a E36 M3ty mechanic & even worse fabricator, but there's a chance we'll be up in IL at some point this summer. 

this is absolutely amazing, what an achievement

In the Aero thread a little while back, I posted this:

And then I got a new feeling for things with the "naked chassis and body" pictures.  I think that building the aero in "3.5 sections" has some benefits, and I think there's a tweak to the original rendering that may be helpful, especially from an "initial production"/"challenge and fettling" setup.  And that's to extend the flat floor forward up to the wheel centerline.  "We"ll have to figure out how to support the 'far cantilevered corner' at the outside by the backside of the front tire, until the fenders are mounted.  While the center still has the "boat prow" shape, just laid in on top of the 'forward flat floor' and helping to tie it into the structure.  There may/may-not be a need for a combination flow-turning/structural-flyingbuttress member to help with things...

the benefit to this, is we can make the front "splitter"/flap into an independent element... both physically and aerodynamically.  it'll creat front downforce, and it'll feed flow into the rear diffuser via the flat floor panel.  plus, the excess front downforce exit flow can get exhausted efficiently to the upper side of that floor panel... and we can figure out how to best utilize it, at a later date.  In a lot of ways, this is the same/similar to what they did with the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo.  Lots of people think the radiators feed exhaust flow into the tunnels that ran along the sides of the car... but it was actually part of the front splitter/flap exhaust flow.

I'm not sure if your rear suspension/drive-shaft arrangement will necessarily allow that.  but, we can cross that bridge later.

nocones said:

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

The thought of no fender running has crossed my mind.  The Aero and Fenders are really a separate thing from it running.  It looks silly in a good way as an open wheel car.  It also runs over your ankles like a good open wheel car does when you push it around. 

We will see how far I manage to get.

Anyone want to come thrash on it at "LMP Summer Camp"?

Lmp summer camp sounds like something I'd be interested in!

Knowing from the Midget build where your skill levels were, I was prepared to see this go well.

But I had no idea how high up you were planning to set the bar  on this project and then clear it by a mile.

Do carry on.

Thank you everyone so much for the kind encouraging words.  This build is pushing the edge of what I am capable of and I am so pleased with how it is turning out.  To hear people who I respect compliment the car and work I've done means a lot.  Knowing that people are following and enjoying the process as much as I am helps push me when I'm getting down on the process.  

Most weekends I am around until the challenge if anyone seriously wants to come help.  Karplus2 comes over most Tuesdays in the evening around 6 pm. I typically work on the car in the evenings but if anyone wants to come down or by I can work to schedule a whole weekend day.  I think I'm actually getting to a part where helping hands will be able to be busy.    I will be out of town toward the end of July first week of August but other then that nothing major is going on until the challenge.  

Thanks again everyone.  

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

Your ideas are very similar to what I had planned after the feedback from Robbie's thread.  I realized I never directly posted the results of that feedback.  It was hidden in the $$ Saver livery back on page 30.  I will post a few pictures of the details tonight when I am at my computer with SketchUp.

In reply to nocones :

yeah, I definitely got distracted by all the $$$... didn't notice the aero update changes

This is bad in sooo many good ways!!!

Love the realization of what started out as a crazy concept!

This is such a humbling thread to read.  So. Much. Talent.  I’ll third the thought of get it running and main body on as a “sea trial” if you will.  Have fun, take notes and then improve where needed.   Your vision and execution are amazing.  

Ok the promised but 1 day late updated Aero Vision.  For those who didn't happen to follow/notice this in the Aero Thread about F-DAT there had been some discussion about what to do for this car.  This is simply what I am working towards.  Like every aspect of this as reality or things with physical mass get in the way the plan will change.  Support of the actual fenders /headlights is going to be a challenge but we will cross that bridge whenever I get there.  Many people have made the comment to do "cycle type" fenders that just are mounted to the uprights.  I'm sure it would look neat but it's not the vision I have for the car.  The Aero has borrowed HEAVILY from the Praga R1 a car of near Identical dimensions and incorporated feedback from at least 1 round of comments from Sleepyhead.  

Absolutely incredible. Truly. 

I wish I could come out there and help with one of the working days but it's just not in the cards this summer. I hope to be at/see this at the Challenge this year!

Last night Karplus2 came over and we shuffled cars around to get ready for the next phase.  Part of that was moving the new donor outback to the garage for teardown.  There was a moment where they where side by side and it pretty well captures the size difference.  

The 360 cabin is about the size of the hood area on the outback..  

If anyone needs any Outback parts..  ..

Cool! Does the Outback supply a 6-cylinder for the project? 

In reply to edwardh80 :

Nope just a 2.5L, still a 30hp jump in power.  It will also replace the WRX front uprights/brakes which will be -$100 in the budget.  I paid $200 for it and the Junkyard is giving me $150 so $50 engine!!

Heavens to betsy this is amazing. 

Spent about 2 hours this week taking the car back appart to be able to finish weld and add missing bracing.  

I busted out my more accurate scale and reweighed the car.  The other scales were not the best..   Current weight is 1100lbs.    Weight balance empty is 35/65 F/R.  With me in the car weight is 1350 (yes I need the driver weight loss mod) and balance moves to 40/60.  

I also weighed the chassis only.  At this point minus finish welding and braces the chassis weighs 265 lbs.  That seems heavy but it is a full NHRA/NASA legal cage.  The MG chassis is about 300lbs and some Locost guys report chassis as light as 150lbs.  I can live with that.  I suspect even completely finished I will be under 300lbs as I just don't have that much to add.  

Once the chassis is back on the table I will get a weight of the ready to run Subaru drivetrain.