How To Build a Cheap Sports Car

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Item # MB-22872  ISBN: 0760322872




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Have you ever dreamed of building a sports car with your own hands? This book tells you how you can build a classic Lotus Seven-style replica for roughly 20 percent of the cost of a Caterham Seven (think $7,000).

Author Keith Tanner built his own sports car, using a junked Mazda MX-5 Miata, that is faster than just about anything else on the road. This book relates the trials and tribulations of turning a bare frame and a collection of parts into a lightweight street and track demon, while providing tons of valuable information that will help you build a car of your own,

How To Build a Cheap Sports Car provides specific answers to common questions that pop up at each stage of the planning and building of a homebuilt sports car. In addition, this book deals with many details of the build that are not covered elsewhere, particularly the post-build fine tuning of the car that is necessary to extract the car's full performance (and fun) potential.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments | Introduction

SECTION 1: The Starting Point
The drivetrain | Building a frame from scratch | Buying a kit | Tools and skills needed | Budget | The donor

SECTION 2: Putting It All Together
Steering rack modifications | Reconditioning parts | Quality, missing parts—What to do? | Bump steer | Steering rack mounting | Frame preservation | Riveting techniques | Tech info—Fasteners | Ergonomics | Finding seats | When to install your engine | Wiring system design | Wiring fundamentals | To crimp or to solder wiring? | Local legal regulations | Modifying seats | Steering column design | Steering tie rods | Fuel system design | Locating the differential | Driveshaft alignment | Understanding hydraulics | Specifying the brake system | Brake proportioning | Brake hard lines | Engine preparation | Installing the engine | Modifying the driveshaft | The cooling system | Wire troubleshooting | Seatbelts | The first test drive | Exhaust header theory | Exhaust header construction | Taking shortcuts | Body paint | Attaching body panels | Protecting fenders | Nut and bolt testing | Finishing touches | Upping the speed | Legal registration process | Wipers

SECTION 3: Finishing Touches
Corner weighting—An example

Epilogue

APPENDIX
Parts | Sources | References

How To Build a Cheap Sports Car