Introductions

Introductions, posting rules, FAQ - What is a "Midlana"? Can I build one? How long does it take? How much does it cost?
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yorkee
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Re: Introductions

Post by yorkee » 04 Jan 2011, 07:32

Hi all,

I wasn't intending to look at home build car in the first place. I started off searching for classic minis last year and that lead me to the Kimini site. Spent the whole Dec last year reading the Kimini build log, which lead me to the Midlana build log, along with lot of things about Locost/Westfield/Lotus super7/Caterham etc... I just finish reading the the build logs on the Midlana site yesterday. It is very inspiring what you do. I have never dreamed of building a car from ground up but I can start dreaming now. Dreaming is good, right?

Maybe I will finish restoring the moped that's been sitting in the garage for 10 years before I seriously start thinking about a Midlana or a Locost. :lol:
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7ishNZ
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Re: Introductions

Post by 7ishNZ » 04 Jan 2011, 20:40

Hi all. What a great site Kurt is running here!

I have just completed building a Gibbs Haynes roadster..my build .. http://www.lotus7.co.nz/forum/viewtopic ... &start=160, so it is now time to build a middy...

I live in Christchurch,New Zealand. Looking forward to the book.
7ish
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RotariesAreCool
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Re: Introductions

Post by RotariesAreCool » 09 Jan 2011, 15:36

hello everyone,

i stumbled upon this site more or less by accident and have been lurking around for awhile finding this site to be nothing less than car porn. anyway i figured id finally bite the bullet and get addicted to the forums too.

im only 18 and live in oklahoma. as you can imagine being as young as i am, i do not have much in the way of hands on experience. however, i do like to think i am mechanically inclined and know a little bit about cars. i have recently been reviewing the kimini book list and will be spending the near future reading and soaking up as much knowledge as possible. i have more or less convinced myself that a build like this is something i eventually want to do but realize it will probably be a long way off.

on the plus side, i do have an almost sinful amount of free time, a good paying job, and very little in the way of expenses, so i do feel like a project on this scale is something i could achieve once i have the know how.
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Jagmandave
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Re: Introductions

Post by Jagmandave » 11 Jan 2011, 09:37

Welcome rotariesarecool, you know - the best way to gain that knowledge is to jump in and get building!

Age has very little to do with it!
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RotariesAreCool
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Re: Introductions

Post by RotariesAreCool » 11 Jan 2011, 20:45

Jagmandave wrote:Welcome rotariesarecool, you know - the best way to gain that knowledge is to jump in and get building!

Age has very little to do with it!
While this is true, I still need to learn how to weld and take other planning steps before I actually start the build. I don't want to be the guy who has a donor car and a bunch of scratch steel laying in his garage. Only to be standing around going, great! Now what?
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Jagmandave
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Re: Introductions

Post by Jagmandave » 12 Jan 2011, 08:57

Get yourself off to your local community college and take a welding course then - that skill will stand you in good stead your whole life.....then jump in and go. You don't need instructions from someone else to build your own car, you see it in your head and you do it. Along the way you learn how....

When I was 16 my best friend and I took the 4cyl flathead out of an Anglia and put in a small block Chevy. We found the block in a junk yard, rebuilt it - found some heads and a twin WCFB manifold and carbs in adds in the paper, bought the tranny from the junkyard - put in a Mustang rear end to handle the torque and so on....and it not only ran - it was faster'n shit! Of course, it still had the tiny stock drum brakes and front suspension, so it didn't stop or turn worth a damn! :mrgreen:

But hey, I was 16 years old!

Like I said, age has very little to do with it...
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Midlana1
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Re: Introductions

Post by Midlana1 » 12 Jan 2011, 09:15

The only catch is make sure (before you start the build) that once it's done it can be driven on the street legally, else it's doomed to be a trailer car for the track only.
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jerelw
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Re: Introductions

Post by jerelw » 12 Jan 2011, 15:09

Your DMV may have a list of what's required for a street legal car. You might want to check the locostusa site under license and title process to see if someone has already dealt with that issue in your state. Happy building!
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Gforcefd
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Re: Introductions

Post by Gforcefd » 21 Jan 2011, 05:23

Howdy All,

My name is Logan and I have been bouncing around with the idea of building a Locost for a long time. I actually have almost all the parts to do it, and I finally am selling my other car. Everything always depends on selling the other project first so I am hoping by next week to have the deposit and then I can finally move forward with my dreams. My wife is on board which is a plus. I have been hoping to start building for the last two years, but now that I have my own garage and house I think I finally will have the space to tinker.

Kurt sent me a PM over on the locost forum and reminded me about the car he was building. I love the basic design and I think it is the one for me. I just happen to have a 1995 Mazda 626 5 spd with a 2.5 v6. I am hoping the power-train will fit in the back of a Midlana, but I can't find the dimension needed to check this out? Can someone point me to a link to a post maybe that would have the required reading? I will keep looking around but I figured Kurt is keeping much of it a secret till his book comes out (which I definitely plan to buy). I am hoping maybe the book will come with a CD with the CAD drawing? If not very detail dimensions would be great. I have been modifying cars for a few years now and am ready to take the next steps.

Kurt your name is Kurt right :P?

Logan
Ithaca, NY

EDIT: I checked through the FAQ but I didn't see anything other than the cars dimensions, not the engine bay. Also trying to find the ground clearance and what size tires you are using? I would prefer to use a 15" tire but I have a feeling I would have no traction, or be too low to the ground because from your pics it looks like a 17" rim.

EDIT AGAIN: Anyone have any thoughts on a my drivetrain using a shifting rod instead of cables?
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Midlana1
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Re: Introductions

Post by Midlana1 » 21 Jan 2011, 09:43

Sorry, that info keeps getting buried but I'm more than happy to answer. A sticky is now at the top of the Engine forum, answering your question of how large an engine will fit.

Ground clearence is 3.75" at the front, 4" at the back, and is designed for 23.5" OD tires at the front and 25" OD tires at the back. Theses numbers can be bent a little. 15" sizes should be able to be found to match these specs no problem, though 17" tires in the above OD size might be a little harder to find, depending how wide a tire you want to run.
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