The E-series Build.

[Ekh]

How can We talk Paul into putting a live camera feed on the progress of the two frames.

Nice idea but it's never going to happen. Em is in total control mode these days. Imperfections, or anything that they even think might change, does not see the light of day until it's done. They wouldn't even tell me the weight of the engine on the grounds that it might change.

 

[pistonboy]

 

[Coss]

You can already see some of the post-P5 changes. Note the extra L-shaped brackets and cross-brace providing additional support and rigidity in the engine compartment (starting from the base of the windshield). Note those braces are not in the P5.
View attachment 9427 View attachment 9428

They are in the P5, but not in that early picture; it's something that came about when they were fitting body panels.
There are a LOT of pictures of the P5 during construction, but they were spread out over time and the communication forms (blogs, Facebook, their website and even during the show and tell events) I have a collection of 143 pictures I've collected over time showing the P5 during construction and you can see little bits and pieces that changed during the build.

 

[Maurtis]

View attachment 9429

Is that the third in the upper left?

I was thinking that was a third frame, but zooming in the picture I think it might be body panels. Either way, still exciting

 

[Ekh]

Something else just caught my eye -- the forward-most (curved) frame member now mates to the longitudinal members via flanges, which appear to be drilled (at least in the diagram). The P5 frame was just welded at those points, I'm pretty sure. So -- do the flanges provide extra rigidity? Are they really bolted, or bolted plus welded? If just bolted, that would make repairing front-end damage a lot easier, but bolts do work lose ... what's your take, O Gearheads?

 

[Mel]

If just bolted, that would make repairing front-end damage a lot easier, but bolts do work lose ... what's your take, O Gearheads?

Properly installed bolts do not work loose.

 

[Jeff Bowlsby]

Studying the chassis drawing and builds, it looks pretty clear that the entire front suspension is one unitized assembly that can easily be installed, dropped/changed with only a few connections. This is a great design/engineering feature that facilitates economical initial assembly, maintenance and repairs and may save a good many wrecked Elios from salvage.

Hopefully they can figure out how to include the entire drivetrain in that removable cradle so it all comes out in one piece.

I also don't see any tubular steel as in the prototypes...I am seeing conventional stamped sheet metal members creating a welded unibody.

 

[Marshall]

Properly installed bolts do not work loose.

Do properly installed bolts used something like lock tight to prevent their loosening?

 

[Sethodine]

Do properly installed bolts used something like lock tight to prevent their loosening?

Could also be rivets, which can hold as good as steel (better sometimes, since they have some slight flex during heat expansion and won't snap like a weld might)

 

[Mel]

Do properly installed bolts used something like lock tight to prevent their loosening?

Lock-tite, locking nuts, locking washers, castellated nuts with cotter pins, safety wire,........... Lots of options. All torqued to proper specs of course.