2006-Present Body Recap

The original Lotus Super 7’s body was made out of aluminum, including the hand made nose cone, scuttle, and hood.  Today that would cost thousands of dollars if paying some one to do it or it would take many many hours of practice to get right.  Most locost builders aren’t looking to spend months trying to master the art of aluminum molding and they certainly aren’t interested in making a “hicost.”  There is good news, many companies make fibreglass body components that work great, look fantastic, and are very easy on the wallet.  One such company is called Kinetic Vehicles.  I ordered my body pieces through them and was floored by the quality and service offered by the company.  I have seen body pieces pop up on ebay and have heard of other companies that make body parts, I can not vouch for them though.  If you want it done right the first time, I would recommend going through Kinetic. 

Look at spending about 190 dollars for the nose cone and 190 dollars for the scuttle.  Here is a good picture of the nosecone and scuttle mounted:

As you can see the body of the locost is really not a big concern when building the car.  Its really an afterthought.  Focus on building the frame and getting all the components to work together and then worry about covering it all up.  I will be using sheet steel and tacking it in place down the frame.  Some people use aluminum and rivet it, but I want a bit more rigidity since I am using a heavier engine/tranny combo than most.

~ by subyman on March 18, 2008.