Thursday, July 29, 2010

Need tiny seats? Look in a Midget!

I made a big step this week to increase the British content of my locost by purchasing a pair of 1972 MG Midget seats.

The previous owner had them leftover after restoring his Midget, which he graciously let me sit in.

These seats are small (about 17-18" across) and relatively light (24 lbs. each). Plus they will really make the interior look "period correct".

My plan is to recover them once the car is done in MG's Autumn Leaf vinyl. I figure with a matching tonnau cover, tranny tunnel cover and dashboard it'll really look awesome against my off-white and navy blue paint.

Putting them side by side in my garage at their approximate spacing really drives home how small the passenger compartment will be. Awesome!

Now that I have my seats, I have every critical piece I need to design the car. I've been waffling on doing a detailed design phase and I'm pretty sure it is going to be a go. It will keep me busy while I finish renovations to my garage (including building a garden shed to clear out all my lawn stuff) and prevent costly mistakes later.

So long, my muse!

I recently had to say goodbye to the car that started it all, my 1997 Mazda Miata.

This was the car that really showed me what a willing engine, rear wheel drive and a light weight body could do. It is 100% accurate to say that this was the spark that got me interested in making a locost. My Miata also cemented my belief that round headlights automatically make a car 100x cooler.

My Miata was the best car I've ever owned, but I need the room in the garage for the Spartan. My car did go to a good home, and I'm happy she'll see regular top-down use.

In its place, I purchased a 1999 Honda CR-V. I've been driving it for a year now and it is an absolutely wonderful daily driver (admittedly far better than the Miata).

In addition to carting my kids around its primary function is to serve as my official project support vehicle. The trunk area has already come in handy for hauling my new seats home.