My Elio Alternate Project Is Underway.

[84mpg]

There would have to be policemen on the streets patrolling for that to happen. There's none. There are no highway patrol cars here at all or suburban traffic patrol cops otherwise, zero, none, nilch..

Even if there was, you would just drive between 12 and 1pm, because everyone stops for lunch, police, bad guys etc lol! Reminds me of Ralph and Sam, and the time clock ..

LOL!! Been years since I’ve seen that clip. Thanks for the chuckle. As a whole, how do most folks drive over there, regarding traffic laws?

And on another note, how do you think locals will react and think about the BEX when they see it?

 

[Mark BEX]

LOL!! Been years since I’ve seen that clip. Thanks for the chuckle. As a whole, how do most folks drive over there, regarding traffic laws?

Pretty haphazard, but that's fine, because everyone does their thing slowly. If someone changes lanes for example they will just meander across slowly, no sudden movements.

Biggest pains are people on their phones driving at 20 mph .....

Traffic lights are taken seriously, red light runner is 6 points from your yearly 12. Speeding varies from 1 to 3 points depending on how much over you are, but you got to be pretty stupid to get speeding fine because the speeding cameras on the freeways for example, are mounted on huge overhead gantries with bright lights about every 5 to 10 miles. However you can get distracted I guess because plenty still get caught - again I mention there is NO highway patrol cars at all. Parking fines are a pain in the butt, because you have to go pay them in person.

Oh and the fines are registered to the car, when you go to get your yearly car registration check, first you have to pay your year's fines, or no car registration, simple and it works. Also if you lose 12 points, i.e. lose your licence, you have to go for it all over again like it's your first time, including 'X' hours in driving school.

Oh and the fines are next to nothing, run a red light would be $50.

And on another note, how do you think locals will react and think about the BEX when they see it?

The bare chassis or a completed car with body?

Chassis they will have a giggle, full car they will want to know where to buy one., likely for their parents.

 

[Mark BEX]

Today bolting things up tight, checking a few things, adding the radiator (have to find a new top hose tomorrow).

I cut the exhaust header pipe and turned it almost 90 degrees pointing out the side (arrow) so it doesn't poison me when I get to drive it.

Besides a top hose and water in the radiator, along with more checking, it's almost ready to do a few test runs up and down the driveway.

 

[Made in USA]

Will the offset radiator be centered in the final version or will the body inlet to the radiator be blocked on that side?
For some reason I'm picturing an "after" market funnel for the air intake.

 

[Mark BEX]

Will the offset radiator be centered in the final version or will the body inlet to the radiator be blocked on that side?
For some reason I'm picturing an "after" market funnel for the air intake.

Radiator to the side is quite common for transverse engines, where the weight of the engine typically falls more to one side than the other. The battery, washer bottle, fuse boxes etc are also often on the opposite side of the engine to counter the weight.

No reason to block the flow to the exhaust manifold on the right side, the radiator will get enough, and anyway, airflow requires 2 parameters, high pressure to move to low pressure, so what's behind the radiator, or rather what isn't, is critical, and there is a lot of space around the small gearbox behind the radiator.

Oh, and the radiator is actually more centered than it was on the donor car, hence why I need a new, and longer top hose.

You can see the radiator to the left in the video at 2.44 to 2.50

 

[3wheelin]

Today bolting things up tight, checking a few things, adding the radiator (have to find a new top hose tomorrow).

I cut the exhaust header pipe and turned it almost 90 degrees pointing out the side (arrow) so it doesn't poison me when I get to drive it.

View attachment 25619


Besides a top hose and water in the radiator, along with more checking, it's almost ready to do a few test runs up and down the driveway.

It's already lookin' good naked with all the right proportions....can't wait to see it all dressed up! But first, let's see the run around video shall we?

 

[Mark BEX]

It's already lookin' good naked with all the right proportions....

That was an intentional change in the design in case there is a "naked" market available.

Acrimoto of course help to realise that potential, and good luck to them, but they only have electric version.

You see here the older prototype more rounded shape with 7 bends per main roll over tube (that was always going to be difficult to consistently re-produce), to the later 3 bends only, sharper look ...

 

[Mark BEX]

It's been raining for 3 days straight, which foiled my plans to go for some runs out on the street on Thursday, so I am revamping the steering at the moment, mainly reviewing the steering ackermann angles.

For those unfamiliar with ackermann, in general terms, the steering mechanism must turn the inside wheel exponentially more, the more the wheels are turned. I was unhappy with the ackermann amount I had.

 

[84mpg]

It's been raining for 3 days straight, which foiled my plans to go for some runs out on the street on Thursday, so I am revamping the steering at the moment, mainly reviewing the steering ackermann angles.



View attachment 25625


For those unfamiliar with ackermann, in general terms, the steering mechanism must turn the inside wheel exponentially more, the more the wheels are turned. I was unhappy with the ackermann amount I had.


View attachment 25626

So the scrubbing noise of my truck tires turning on the asphalt (slow, sharp turns) is an indication that the Ackermann angles are probably off?

 

[JEBar]

how do you a just the angle ?