Ummm do I need the Book?

[danilo]

New Guy here
I have Champions' book only, the Haynes one needs shipping from the UK, as I'm in Canada and it's seemingly not locally available.
Is there enough information contained in these forums to be adequate to needs for assembling the Roadster chassis? Do I really need the Book?
Also a donor question: No Sierra was ever sold here. So my choices are either MX5 or BMW.. presumably both are adaptable, with the Miata being the more popular choice ? Just wanting a bit of reassurance.

Cheers.

[MarkB]

Originally Posted by danilo

New Guy here
I have Champions' book only, the Haynes one needs shipping from the UK, as I'm in Canada and it's seemingly not locally available.
Is there enough information contained in these forums to be adequate to needs for assembling the Roadster chassis? Do I really need the Book?
Also a donor question: No Sierra was ever sold here. So my choices are either MX5 or BMW.. presumably both are adaptable, with the Miata being the more popular choice ? Just wanting a bit of reassurance.

Cheers.

www.vodouautokits.co.uk have full CAD designed chassis for free download to enable using the Mazda MX5.

[Spikehaus]

It would be a bit silly to build a Haynes Roadster without buying the book? Why not build the Ron Champion Car?

[Cyberbeej]

How do you intend on welding the jigsaw called the chassis without the book guiding you unless you intend on purchasing a pre built chassis?

Does anybody make a complete chassis over there?

Probably best to invest in a book. If you are having difficulty in getting 1 then i'm sure someone here can help in purchasing and postage.

[shaun]

Hi Danilo, I would get the book, it is a mine of information. Check your pm's.

Cheers
Shaun

[PorkChop]

Originally Posted by Cyberbeej

How do you intend on welding the jigsaw called the chassis without the book guiding you unless you intend on purchasing a pre built chassis?

Even if you did have a pre built chassis, the book would still be very useful.

You may be able to find a Merkur XR - that's the North American version of the Sierra.

One site you need to visit is locostusa - there're plenty of people who have adapted the locost to take MX5 running gear. There's also bound to be people who can advise on you getting your car road legal in your state too.

[danilo]

thanks for the help.. I had downloaded and studied the Vodoa dwgs..previously ( they seem very complete..thanks :-)
I have owned and studied, for a few years now, Ron's book in detail and have even spotted the erm.. errors... on my own.
The Haynes version seems a more evolved design, a bit more elegant in execution. Ron's, is in all honesty, kinda crude.
Was only wondering if I can manage sans the official Haynes guide book.
Given trhat there is a LOT of info/experience in this forum. You guys have broken a wide trail. You can teach a newbie volumes.
No.. there are No Sierras, not even a single Escort and the half dozen XRi's that did sell here, had their wheels rust off, way too many years ago.
Miatas OR Bmw's (lots of Both) are the only viable possibles.

Yess I just ordered the book :-) Maybe? I don't need it, but printed info is at least instant access too :-)
It will be a very small part of the project's cost I'm guessing.. cheap insurance at worst.
cheers.

[Wynand]

For whats its worth, I had built my car having no book or access to one, using only bits of info and plans available on the net.

The best part of having gone this way was the fact that I could used the best bits here and there and inter-marry it all in one chassis having the best of all worlds....
The chassis is a McSorley 442E, modified by incorporating additional stiffening after reading a detailed stress analysis of the book chassis and the recommendations. The rear IRS is loosely based on Rorty design but fine tuned / stiffened for Sierra (and 185kw 3SGTE motor used) bits and the suspension all round my own design to the parameters I set out. Again my tutor being the goldmine of information available on the web - the secret however is to find the useful stuff as there are also a lot of misinformation out there.

My car nearly completed and still I need to see the inside of a seven type design/build book

Good luck with your build.

[danilo]

Received MY copy of the 'book' thursday. Read/studied it at least once.
Yes Lots of Info .
Seems a cook book with clear instructions.
Did I really need it? In truth probably not.
But No Regrets whatsoever in buying it.
IMO there's No such thing as too much info Or help.
Cheers