Thought you guys might find this interesting. I'm building a car and using the powertrain and rear suspension from a 2005 rx8.




There are more pics on my photo build log at http://daeds.net/Locost/photolog.php

Finally got the electronics and wiring squared away and got it running. It is a brutal engine with no exhaust on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyhpNdq6rrY

It's pretty much in the last stages of being built now and hope to get it road legal by the end of the summer, just have to add a few body panels, exhaust, lights, and some paint.

 

Cool! What chassis are you using? This is going to be a cool car!
Your grin during the first start is epic

 

nice, what itake will you be runing

 

are you going to keep it auto trans

 

Looks like a great project! Be sure to update us when you get it on the road. Good luck with the rest of the build!

 

I built the frame from plans for what is called a Locost, which were designed based on a lotus 7.

After I attach the tube with the maf i will just be putting a big cone filter on it and yes, I am going to keep the auto tranny. The original plan was to use a manual, but a great deal on the donor came up and it was local so I had to go for it. Less whp won't be an issue really and I'm moving the paddle shift ability to a seperate small stick and putting it down by the gear select. Should be pretty cool.

 

I have never heard of those Locost chassis designs. I asked because i knew that there were some kits out there but didn't know the ones available to the us market.
Westfield sells a chassis to accept a NA miata as a donor car but that's another story

 

Yea, its basically the same thing as the westfield frame, or a caterham. The community of guys that builds their own just calls them Locost though. They have a few variations but the one I built is very very simlar to the miata based kit frames, except for the rear which I designed to accomodate the rx8 rear subframe.

 

Very cool.

 

I liked watching the flames from the exhaust ports, can see them through the wheel. Wicked little machine.

 

pure fun

 

Can't wait to see videos of this driving around. VERY nice.

 

It may only be a 4 port but in a car that light it should be tons of fun!

 

Good to see it progressing! Are you on the standard ECU?

 

cool . Is this just a fun car or do you plan to race it ?

 

very very cool project

 

Yea it should definitely be plenty of power, if not a little too much. With a target weight of 1200lbs, that should put my hp/weight right up there with or ahead of a lot of exotics and supercars. I am actually using heavier materials for stuff like the floorboards to get the weight up a bit to help tame it a little. Being that it's a rather torque-less engine should make it a little easier to keep on the road as well.

As far as racing it goes, its is more designed and purposed to be a street machine. I will definitely be taking it to some of the local race tracks and drag strips though when they have open track days, and maybe a few autocrosses as well. Nothing competitive planned though.


I am using the standard ECU. Had a lot of issues with the immobiliser system and was looking at alternatives but there really isn't anything. Most modded ecus are for manual trannsmissions only so I was kinda stuck with the stock ecu. It took me 7 weeks and about 15 visits to my local mazda dealer to talk the owner into programming me a couple keys, but I finally got him to do it. Brought my powered up wireing harness in in the back of my Jimmy and 10 minutes later I had 3 new keys.

 

To make things simpler you could mate the engine to a manual transmission and adopt another ecu later on the road
It's not really cost effective but you would simplify the wiring looms and enjoy a new DIY project!

 

Very cool! This forum needs more stuff like this!

Any pieces of the build that you are particularly proud of? A couple of years ago I toyed somewhat seriously with doing a Locost, but thought more about starting from a kit.

Power aside, you will pretty much have a street legal race car.

 

Nice! I saw your cost sheet - I suppose a year of work and $9,000 isn't too bad for this sort of thing, should be a lot of fun. Howd you untangle all those electric wires! Hope they were labeled!

 

This is pretty damn cool. Good luck on the build and keep us posted. Should be tons of fun to drive when it's done.

What are your plans for the exhaust? Are you going to run it out the side, or through the frame?

 

God! 1200lb and the rotary would make for one hell of a ride!

 

I actually considered it when trying to get around the immobilizer, the auto tranny is HUGE and while building the frame I had to accommodate for that. So there wouldn't even be room for a clutch pedal. If I did eventually go auto I would end up cutting out the entire tranny tunnel and probably having to move the engine up a little. So it would be a heck of a project.


The exhaust will come out and run down the side of the car. All 304 stainless steel, 1.75" into a 3" collector, then into a racing beat presilencer and then into their Rev30 Rotor Muffler, then a turn out.

 

Sweet keep us updated

 

very nice love to see the finished product