kaBOOM's, uh, project?

InfernalVortex said:
If you can keep the car light, then a powerful engine isnt needed. IF the car is on the heavy side, we all know how cheap smallblock chevys are! :D
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And you don't know how much dislain some Australians have for "that yank V8" If I was ever going to use a V8, it would be a HEC one....

The idea of a flat 4 behind the driver isn't new, Its the same layout as my boss's race car, except he uses a Alfa Romeo Boxer engine. I would much prefer to use the Alfa Romeo motor, however current ICV emmision standards in force in Australia won't let me. I need a 2004/2004 Compliant engine. So its a **** Subaru engine :(

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And the new engine for it....

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1.6 Litre Alfa Romeo Boxer, 22PSI boost @ 900rpm, Toyota Blower, AC Delco 808 EFI computer.....a mish mash in true Australian tradition...

Sorry Updates won't come as fast as you all hope.....I have to work and make money you know (Damn customers cars)

And I think somebody asked how my Uni is setup, its two degrees with the design degree leading into the Engineering one.
 
(My main design area, besides the chassis is instruments and driver interface ergonomics.....)

Did a little bit of work, its the instrument cluster mechanical prototype -- More to get things like servo motors in the correct position, instument needles don't clash and there is line of sight to cluster lights.

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The faces are VERY temporary, and nor will they be white. They are simply there for spacing. Now that this is done, I can start working on a printed circuit board design.

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The black box, is a engine simulator, I can make everything work so see if it, uh, works....and looks good.....uh yeah.....:blink: I need to make up a gearbox simulator for the speed sensor, and gearbox position display (1,2,3,4,5,N and R).

One thing you'll notice (and probably have a go at me for) is the use of CAT5 network cable for the instrument cluster. There are some very good reasons for this: 1) This is waaay more complicated than a normal cluster in what I'm used to working on 2) Its very low current and 3) it saves a hell of a lot of time.

The servo main instrument servo motors are found in Australian made VDO instruments --> Found in Australian built cars like the Nissan R31 Skyline, XF Falcon, VL Commodore etc. The only exception are the temp and fuel level motors that come from a early 90's Magna (Flexidrive). Sadly my desire for digital bar graphs was shot down, since I have to accept the world has moved on from the 80's....:cry:

I won't do much work over Christmas....need a break....
 
Just a few things....

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/motor/design/adr_online.aspx

First off the rules...yes the car making rules. These are the Australian ones, which are basically the same as the ECC rules. Australia is a signituary to the UN convention on vehical standards harmonization.....hrm....I wonder which country still hasn't? :p :rolleyes:

This is what I have to comply to, it makes my life (or now lack there of!) just a little bit difficult. However you have to admit most of the rules are logical and do make common sense.

A good example is my instrument cluster layout, you have lots of fun with angles of vision from the drivers eyes......

As far as visuals go, all I can do is show you a video of the kind of, uh theme we are after....well I may get over-ruled on this :?

[YOUTUBE]jA5qmSmYCFc[/YOUTUBE]
 
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Very cool that you're building your own car. I can't wait to see this get built up :)
 
A little more, been quite hot here, so not that much progress. More on design and putting things I've already made into CAD (the worst part of car design) :( The other thing I'm on the hunt for is a heater/Aircon unit that is small (and light) enough to fit into my dashboard area. I tried a (very good) Commodore one, and its saldy too large. Any idea's anybody?

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Test instrument Mount. More to work out angles of vision in relation to the adjustable steering colum.

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The mechanical test cluster. Things like the instrument graphics need to be done later. This one does work, abiet basically through my test box.

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Inner front guard "estimating" I'll get them folded up out of galv and pluh weld them to the chassis.

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See where the spare goes? The fuel tank sits below and behind that. Where the tunnel joints the front bulkhead, in the (theoretically) the safest part of the whole vehicle. If you can guess what the spare came from, I'd be impressed.....lol.....no its no the wheels I'm using (God no!) just a place holder....

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Pedal box, mark 4......needs another plate welded into it, but you get the idea. I kinda stuffed up on the location of it, the whole steering colum/pedal assembly is 25mm tooooooo far forward. Bugger. I'll have to redesign the dash mount bar now :(

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Proof the CAD is a useless design medium --> Those who can, do (build), those who can't use CAD....well you can say it a bit of a operator stuff up. I honestly didn't take into account the full travel of the brake pedal, also the location of the steering colum pickup on the chassis was a little wrong...:whistle:

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The next drama, rear subframe design....this is the hard one. Trying to work out the suspension arm pickup in relation to where a) engine sits b) my desired rear track c) the stub axel offset and d) ride height. The problem with Mid mounted flat 4 powered cars (non VW) is all the torsional (and beam) loads need to go around the engine.....uh. You can design a nice rear frame, but it would be impossible to get the engine out.....:S Still working on this.

Note my race car in the background...well not all mine, that one is group owned....

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...and I'm not going to repeat the mistake Aston Martin did. I've installed a puppy....:lol: 8) She's 8 weeks old now, and spends quite a bit of time sleeping in the drivers seat....

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On a related topic (I think....if I'm wrong abuse me) someone was shooting their mouth off about RB26's having special yellow hoses on their wastegates for "extra powah!" I said it was BS at the time, so I shot around to my mates Jap wreckers up the road and had a look for myself.....

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ZMOG! Its a conspiracy!!!11!!!1!!!....not......:rolleyes: Why do people who don't see things like this day to day make stuff like this up?
 
Gee, thanks for making my project look like folding a paper airplane. :roll:





I keed. That's some stellar work, my hat's off to you for having the guts to start it. Let's just hope you'll have the guts to finish it. :cheers:
 
man that's crazy

good luck on the project...hope to see in its entirety sooon
 
Great work man. It sounds like it will be quite a car.
 
kaBOOMn said:
And you don't know how much dislain some Australians have for "that yank V8" If I was ever going to use a V8, it would be a HEC one....
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:(

b....but its the greatest motor series in world history!

*cry*
 
kaBOOMn said:
On a related topic (I think....if I'm wrong abuse me) someone was shooting their mouth off about RB26's having special yellow hoses on their wastegates for "extra powah!" I said it was BS at the time, so I shot around to my mates Jap wreckers up the road and had a look for myself.....
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I dont remember anyone shooting their mouth off. I think from what was posted, you have to remove the hose, the restrictor is inside and is yellow. I havent seen one myself, just going on what Ive read. Would there be any way of knowing whether or not that car had it removed already? You would have to know the complete history of the car. Another poster has said it exists and the Wiki gives a source (auto magazine) that says it exists.

Anyway, thats OT.

Good work on the car. Any chance you could post up some of your CAD drawings? I wouldnt mind seeing your vision of what it will look like and see how you designed the chassis.

And is there any reason why youre putting an air-con in it? I thought it was going to be open and a race car. Cant you put a heater in it and leave out the air-con?
 
Well problems....of the proportion side....

..

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....I'm 90cm too large in the wheelbase....

:censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:

After all the ****'n effort I went too.....Argh! Its the story of my life, I always have 90mm too much.....Actually I could use that in another way :wicked: (O.K that was lame)

Sigh, the problem is I wanted enough access to get to the front of the motor to change a timing belt WITH the engine in the car. Sorry I'm a mechanic. Practicality and being able to fix it does take quit a high priority!

So instead of the wheelbase being 2380, its 2470.....doesn't sound like much, but it puts the whole car out of wack. Think of it as a late version MR2: all out of shape

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100mm is a Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge distance to more a rear wheel backwards......

You can compensate normally by re-sizing the door and change the A-pillar angle....sadly the door and the B-pillar mounts are done, so that idea is up the S**t. The A-pillar mount we can work with, so I'll have to slope it up a bit and make the roof higher....*sigh*

(and no you not seeing any renderings)

Sorry guys, just needed to have a winge, have a sook and have a f**king cry about it.....:cry:
 
Nice project, i admire your ambition. Problems are bound to arise with something like this.
You work at Start i take?

Re. RB26 : the wastegate lines are always black with a thin white or yellow band indicating where the restrictor is located within the hose. A quick squeeze with a pair of pliars will tell if the restrictor is in there or not. Removing the restrictor will increase boost, but neither the lines or restrictor itself are yellow. I should know, i work on these things for a living.
 
O.K where to start?

Lots of stuff done, lots of (terrible) design issues.....life is great....

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Bits of the rear subframe + the rear hub and half shaft. Rear hub and brakes are from a Subaru Forester, with the drive shaft a hybrid between a MY99 WRX front (inner) and a Forester turbo rear

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Arse of the car atm....one FWD only subaru gearbox. Not shown is the wonderful mechanism I used to make a Toyota AE82 Corolla shifter to drive a subaru gearbox....

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Starting to put in triangulation tubes.....the twin angled tubes house a window so you can see the harmonic ballancer from the cabin....

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Rear frame....ignore the nasy tack welds....dont worry I'll clean them off and re-do them!

Sorry not enough time to post everything!
 
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This will definitely be something I'll follow. I've got a dedicated bank account that's slowly growing and will eventually blossom into a Cobra kit.

You seem to be doing very well, keep up the good work and good luck.
 
kaBOOMn said:
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...and I'm not going to repeat the mistake Aston Martin did. I've installed a puppy....:lol: 8) She's 8 weeks old now, and spends quite a bit of time sleeping in the drivers seat....
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Awww, more pictures of the puppy.
 
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