Mr. Rogers' 13x24 Locost Factory

mattrogers · Oct 22, 2011

Hey Gang,

I've gained enough knowledge by reading threads here that it's time to stop being a lurker and share what I've done with all that information so far. And it'd also be cool to document the progression as my garage gets more functionality and more organized.

My house has a non-detached (meaning it's attached, structurally, but there is no door to the house) single car garage.

Shortly after buying the house, I started building a Lotus 7 replica, the details of which are being documented over on LocostUSA.com.

Current projects that I want to tackle: better work surfaces, replace the terrible shelves on the right side, and install an air-management system for compressed air.

info2x · Oct 22, 2011

Awesome build

930dreamer · Oct 22, 2011

I have a few pics, going on a joy ride in my BIL Fathers Super 7. I think it was Christmas time in Kansas City.

sports.racer · Oct 23, 2011

Locost, very cool. It's on my to-do list. Very nice.

vortex · Oct 23, 2011

Looks great! A Clubman style kitcar is high on my list of cars to build, I'll be following this thread and your other one!

mattrogers · Oct 26, 2011

Insert appropriate compressed-air tool man-grunt here. I ordered a hose reel a month ago and it showed up yesterday. It's a Coxreels EZ-Coil. The EZ-Coil feature slows down the retraction speed a bunch but still retracts fully, which I think will be nice so I don't have to worry about the hose whipping around and scratching/breaking stuff.

mattrogers · Nov 28, 2011

Phew, I finally got my compressed air system complete! I got a Norgren regulator/filter and a Motorguard M60 submicron filter to keep the water out of my tools. I also have a couple drains, and my taps come off the top of the mainline. I really hope this keeps the water out.

I ended up going through about 130ft of copper, and a 30-odd copper fittings. All but two of the joints were done clamped in my vise. One of the in-place solders was in free space, and one was right up against wood, so I used the fireproof fabric to make sure my garage stayed intact.

After I pressurized the system, the only leak I had was in the galvanized steel ****** connecting the two filters together. Silly pipe threads! It's been re-doped and hopefully it'll hold this time.

Next up: I need to get my workbench up so I can get some horizontal workspace (i.e. a place for junk to accumulate).

Boosted1 · Nov 28, 2011

Nice work. No insulation in the garage? Doesn't Oregon get cold?

i8tokyo · Nov 28, 2011

very cool, good luck to you.

blatterjr · Nov 28, 2011

Nice compact garage... but I agree, doesn't it get cold in there? Regardless, some shelf and workbench upgrades will make a huge difference. Good to see I'm not the only one with a few bikes to store. =)

49tandc · Nov 28, 2011

Nice build. I had a '64 Series 2 Super 7. I miss it. What a fun car!!! I'll be watching your build. I pulled a turbo charger off a mid 80-s T-bird coupe and thought it would go well on another super 7. Think about it...

49T&C

Jagmandave · Nov 28, 2011

I had a '62 Series 1 (I think) Super 7, I ran a 1275 Sprite motor and I used to autocross it regularly.......the only car that could beat me was another Lotus, a twin cam Elan!

That was the car that taught me why the English call the front fenders "wings"! Above about 80 mph the steering was more of a suggestion, the front end was so light!

Congrats on getting your man cave started, you already have a clean, organized workspace, that's always the first step. Now you can start on making it cool! (or warm! - I agree with adding insulation and wall covering of some sort)

mattrogers · Dec 10, 2011

Yeah. It does get cold out there. Some time in the next few weeks, I'll start speccing out insulation and wall coverings. I think I'm going to go with OSB to cover the walls once the insulation is in there. Also, the shelves on the left hand side are directly attached to the studs. I'm debating whether it's worth taking them down to do wall coverings, or just to cut out panels from the OSB to fill in behind each shelf--that way they could be considered "built ins"!

I got my Christmas lights up today, finally. Who would've thunk that I would need to use my multimeter* and air die grinder** to get them to work?

*LED light strands are connected in parallel series, so if one goes, it knocks out 25. Gotta figure out which one is dead.
**Had to run an extension cord to where I was testing, and I needed to trim one of the plug's prongs.

sbhockey · Dec 11, 2011

Looking good, always like seeing what people can accomplish in a small space. I'm in a 13x20 myself.

jackylcrackyl · Dec 14, 2011

Looking good so far! :thumbup:

I agree with others about the cold. Trust me, I'm in MN, so I know about working in the cold. It just ends up keeping you out of the garage. Make insulation a priority and you'll be able to make a good dent in that Lotus replica this winter. Sure looks like a fun project!

mattrogers · Aug 3, 2012

It's been a while since I posted in here. I haven't really done much to my garage since I last posted here, but I was able to hit a big milestone in my Locost project: I got to start my engine and have it sort of run for the first time!

If you care to read way too much backstory on what I've done up to this point, here's the last page of my build thread over on LocostUSA: http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=9117&start=270

Mr. Rogers' 13x24 Locost Factory

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