rockville

LOL

Actually I'm not, in principle, against a car like this. I'm not sure I'm in favor of one so aesthetically challenged. I like the idea of a car that makes for a very pure road going experience. What I have trouble understanding is why people adjust cars to the point where they are useless for the road yet for the same money they are inferior track weapons. As a better "nice day canyon carver", not to mention the satisfaction of having a hand in the making, than the average Miata I can be enthused about the car... now the question is how do I drive it without looking at it...

luder_5555

The locost is probably a better chassis design since they generally set the engine further back, but this is the only kit that I know of that used both front and rear subframe, so no real modification is needed. It is the cheapest, and closest to what I would call plug and play. Sure there are better options, but this one makes the most sense for someone who wants to do it, but doesn't have the fabrication skills.

I'd agree with that. This is just a cool-ish idea that someone came up with that would allow more people to get into something like this. (and I believe that these can be made street legal.)

This car? Probably not, nut some of the Locost kits based off of Miata are serious cars. They generally do better on lower speed courses due to low power and poor aero, but done right these kits can be quite good.

I'v done karts and shifters, and while they are amazingly fun, I find cars/vehicles with suspension to be more fun. It adds more setup, gives you more option to tune for different tracks, offers different driving styles, and I just enjoy it more for some reason. The biggest factor in fun in any type of racing is to get a good sized field of drivers at or near the same level of car prep, and driving skill.

Mr.E.G.

Yeah, you and I have had this conversation before. Lulz. I know that any single seater would make a better track car but there is just something awesome about taking a road car and modifying the heck out of it. If all road cars were slow then I would probably want a single seater racecar, but as long as they keep making Corvettes and Ferraris I will always like modifying cars.

Duke Togo

One of my friends just sold his miata with high miles for 1200, glad I didnt see these conversions then.

And yeah shifter carts are fun till you crack a rib, then not so fun.

XtC-604

Sooooo....if you went through all the troubles of buying this kit, and the trouble of taking off the body panels and stuff... why don't i just take the front and rear subframes and make a tube chassis?

CG

I pretty much agreed with you until I spent a day on the track in a Formula Atlantic that had major mods. It was converted to V8 power. I've never looked back at street cars. I do however sometimes wonder if I'm insane though. The speed and handling of downforce formula cars sometimes scare the crap out of me after I've taken a turn at speeds that don't seem posible. I think back and go, "Holy shit, why the hell did I even try that!"

Mr.E.G.

I'm definitely jealous!

luder_5555

That is what this is... So is a "Locost". From what I have read, the preferred method for people building their own chassis is to not use the front subframe. This allows them to set the engine further back, improving weight distribution.

rockville

Not to mention the Miata A-arms look horrid compared to reasonable set of fabricated A-arms.

Mr.E.G.

Oh no! The A arms aren't pretty. What are we going to do?