CAR CONSTRUCTION
INFORMATION
These pages are designed
to give potential constructors a better understanding of how the car is
assembled as well as donor parts
used and the alternatives.
Since the launch of
this web site it has become clear that more information
is required by
potential constructors. With this in mind I am starting with
the sub
frames.
The car uses two sub
frames made up of welded 1" (25mm) square tube. These
frames are then bonded into the monocoque structure, carrying the suspension,
steering and motor train.
The sub frames can be
designed to carry other types of suspension as an
alternative to that
used in the prototype. I appreciate the parts I have used will
not in
many cases be available in some parts of the world where the car is
being constructed. All I ask of potential constructors is that they find
parts as near as possible to that which I have specified and to send me
the dimensions and
geometry and I will try and design the sub frame
around it.
Photograph above shows
the construction of the front sub frame.
Photograph above shows
the construction of the rear sub frame.
The photograph below shows the car bodywork assembled
and ready for
finishing.
The photograph above shows the finished
fiberglass mouldings
ready
for rubbing down and painting. The whole of the plywood bodywork
has had
two coats of fiberglass and epoxy resin.
The above photo shows the bodywork
completed, painted and
ready for final assembly.
DONOR PARTS
I have had many questions
about donor parts, I have even had people buying complete vehicles
for the
parts. An electric car is very simple in its construction and only
requires a few donor
parts - wheels, seats, front uprights, hubs and
possibly brake calipers, steering column and
wheel and steering rack.
Nearly everything else can be manufactured or bought new.
On the prototype I used the
running gear from a Triumph Spitfire, Minilight wheels and the
seats from
a Vauxhall Rascal van.
The photographs above show
some of the donor parts as I received them.
|
