Rotus Project Build

[re japi]

Looks awesome! Good job mate 

[Jamie R]

Thanks Kaveri

Shape wise it's come out a lot better than I originally thought.

CAD only tells you so much, but it's a nice guide. We made some real life alterations from the model, and the roof of the diffuser follows the underside of the rear quarter nicely like as if we planned it lol.

We can see what else we can add around the rear wheels to channel the turbulent air away from the diffuser that's come from down the sides of the car and out of the wheel wells.

It's getting heavy now all that steel. Can't wait to lift it off and get it on a table.

[Jamie R]

Terrible night on the car!

Everything I touched turned to dog turd! grrrrr.

Gonna make a jig today and chuck the diffuser at it. Its not working building it on the car, bits move from welding, crap floating in mid air and hoping for the best.

I will not be beaten, I shall have my revenge on you.....mwhahaha   

[boosted]

The guy from Torque Technique died mate...i found out today.....

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[Jamie R]

 

I had a phone call today to say the mother of my ex wife (who I still got on well with) died this morning while on holiday in Tenerife.

No warning, no illness, nothing. Big shock. Bailey is very subdued.

Only went to her husbands funeral earlier this year.

It's all going on mate

[Jamie R]

Sad news.............

I knew this day would come........ the Rotus is up for sale!

Joking!!!!

Nope, I made a right hash of the diffuser pattern. Too much weight, panels under tension, stuff moving, nothing straight.

Well when I say its a hash, its not as accurate as Id like, so its in the scrap pile for the gypos...... the steel, welding gas, wire was all free.

Just dont like wasting time.......... so its back to spending money and glueing polystyrene slabs together and carving out the shape.

I guess Ive got the dimensions from the previous one to replicate.

Oh well................... could be worse.

[clive]

Would the metal diffuser not clean up enough to get a mould off it.

I once made a mould off the type of thing you are showing for a  bonnet and back end of a V8 Sprint car.
Another little money maker along the way, NOT !   

p.s like the paper weight.

[Jamie R]

Hi Clive,

That was the intention with the metal one, it was a pattern to take a mould off, but it wasn’t to my standard, things moving from cooling contraction on the tacks. I wasn’t happy with it so it would bug me if it wasn’t right.

I’ll just carve it out of polystyrene and lay up some grp for a mould. It’s not a major setback.

Yeah an old motorbike engine always comes in handy.

[Jamie R]

Roughed out............. time for some clag !

Id still be straightening the steel one by now.

[Jamie R]

So....... Maybe a question for someone who has driven an 8 in "anger" round a track..... Clive, Malcolm, Jon, cant think of anyone else....but please pitch in.

You take all the mechanicals off an RX8 and you graft them onto a car that will be half the weight, lets say from 1400Kgs down to 700 -750 Kgs

Ignoring the lack of ABS, fitting of bias pedal box, master cylinder bore sizes...... Also ignoring the unsprung weight factor

Do you think the stock discs and calipers from the RX8 will be man enough to haul up the Rotus?? Or invest in upgrade regardless? Maybe its a suck it n see......

[clive]

Because you are stopping so little weight compared to stock, just make sure the discs are in good condition and fit a decent set of pads.

[Jamie R]

Thanks Clive,

That's good to hear. In addition to this I purchased some 17" inch steels to keep the car look more "period" (better not make the diffuser out of carbon fibre then lol )

The 17" steels fit over the stock set up quite nicely with ample clearance. Maybe because the wall of the steels are thinner than the alloy wheels

I was concerned bigger calipers would hinder that.

I remember my old Mk1 escort with 2.8i Capri bilsteins converted to coil overs fitted with Austin Princess 4 pot calipers of all things.

I had to relieve the calipers with an angle grinder to get the 5.5J mexico steels to fit....... not an ideal situation

[clive]

"Austin Princess 4 pot calipers" Wow, there's a blast from the past. Blimey, how old did you say you was 

[Jamie R]

cough 43 cough

They bolt directly on to capri struts with 257mm vented discs lol

Theres a guy in our town who still has his princess, bought it when it was 12 months old, I saw it yesterday actually.

Hearing aid beige with a brown vinyl roof

Im going to assume its an auto because I know the owner has a prosthetic arm.....

It still looks in good nick for a piece of Leyland crap lol

[Jamie R]

Dammit Google Maps let me down

The princess lives on the highlighted drive, but the stills go either side of the drive and I cant get a nosey..... lol