ElanMark Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 A few more pics of items as they're finalized: This is one of the upright assemblies with hub, hat and rotor temporarily mounted to check fitment Here's a sample OZ wheel for us to approve the color and logo placement. How about a rapid prototype printed plastic caliper to check fitment..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASR AutoSport Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Mark, It looks like everything is coming along nicely. Great looking stuff. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 Had not thought about a tear off system yet, but it's something we can definitely do if there is enough interest. Interior/night lighting will be an option, but may not be available until later this Summer. The car is just about finished engineering wise, but once done we'll work on the options one at a time. We've allowed for them in the switch panel and car harness so they will mount and integrate easily, we just need to figure out the content of each option, specifically how and where they mount, and the harness to connect to the car. You mentioned the running lights. While the promotional brochure specifies headlights, we've made a decision not to include them. The car will still come with buckets in the front fenders, covers, plus LED brake/tail lights but not the headlight assemblies themselves and here are the reasons why: The lighting we were able to find at the price allowed in the program were not in keeping with the rest of the cars quality. If we cut/drilled holes for a standard headlights it would require repairs to mount proper more expensive lights for endurance events. The vast majority of owners will never need or use headlights so they just add weight and repair expense. In the end, we used the funds to upgrade the shock package which will pay big dividends to all owners in the car's performance. Hopefully most will agree it was a worthwhile trade off. There will be a proper, high quality LED headlight option for those who would like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 We hung a corner assembly on the chassis to verify clearances and it all fit as planned. Next will be a proper push rod and rocker. Here is a steering/dash mount that provides for a good bit of adjustment. The metal box in the background is the wiper motor mount and the vertical tube with three holes is the shifter bracket mount with two height locations. An aluminum panel will run from the shifter mount tube forward separating the footwell from the battery box area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calif_Kid Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 You mentioned the running lights. While the promotional brochure specifies headlights, we've made a decision not to include them. The car will still come with buckets in the front fenders, covers, plus LED brake/tail lights but not the headlight assemblies themselves and here are the reasons why:The lighting we were able to find at the price allowed in the program were not in keeping with the rest of the cars quality. If we cut/drilled holes for a standard headlights it would require repairs to mount proper more expensive lights for endurance events. The vast majority of owners will never need or use headlights so they just add weight and repair expense. In the end, we used the funds to upgrade the shock package which will pay big dividends to all owners in the car's performance. Hopefully most will agree it was a worthwhile trade off. There will be a proper, high quality LED headlight option for those who would like them. A question about not including front lights unless you paid for the option - in Norcal, basically all of the cars (other than Spec Miata, Spec E30, and Porsche Club cars) usually run in the same group, so we have INEX, PT, ST, SU, HC, AI/X, CMC, CMC2, FFR, , GTS, LEGENDS, SPEC-Z, SI all on track at the same time. Some of the SU cars are very fast, and the fastest one often flashes its lights when coming up on slower cars to try to help them know that he is approaching. If these new cars will run in the same run group, then some type of front lights for flash to pass would be nice even if the owner wasn't racing at night. I'm not sure how fast these new cars will be versus other cars, but just wondering... - Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 Good point. We bounced the decision around several guys before making it, all of which were racers and no one thought of this..... no matter how hard we try to cover all the bases we still miss things... maybe we can come up with something to fill the void between nothing and a proper lighting system. I'll give it another look. Making this car at this price point had been a difficult but great exercise. A lot of people have doubted we could.do it, but its happening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 25, 2015 Author Share Posted April 25, 2015 Thanks for the input! It is always welcome and very much appreciated. Jeremy from NASA and I started talking about the future early on in the program and have always been focused on a multi-year plan with advancement opportunities. We've invested a lot in this car with plans for a bright future. Unfortunately neither of us has an unlimited budget so we'll go forward in steps and announce plans as we can get them in place over the next year or so. We will definitely get there though! Jeremy intends an update this week but if we're able to get all the pieces in place we'd like to, there will be a lot more to talk about in the future. Thanks again for the comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 Here's a few drawings of the front fender pattern. The wheel arch sticking out looks a bit odd, but it's there to provide a lip so they can make a return flange around the wheel opening. The finished molded fender will have a return then goes around the entire wheel well as you'd expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 We received a bunch of new items late last week: Radiator/oil cooler/fan assembly Steering racks Dry sump pans ready for machining The first splitter out of the new mold Front View Rear View The cars will come standard with a pre-drilled stainless steel floor for ease of installation and durability Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Rear corner mounted to check clearances and geometry Nose mold ready for trimming, finish sanding and buffing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 Received the roof pattern today! It's great to see the shape and scale in person! We checked window fit and it was off to the trim shop for sanding and door molds. This pattern will go back to the mill once we have the door outers molded so they can machine the door returns and seal surfaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbutler1414 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 All chassis to be white? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 The chassis will be light grey. By the way, any of you that are going to be in the Atlanta area are more than welcome to stop by and check out the NP01 in person. Also, right now our plan is to display the car at the upcoming NASA Road Atlanta event the first weekend of June. The body work patterns are taking longer than we'd hoped so there is a chance it will not be 100% complete at that point, but we're doing all we can to get it there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share Posted May 12, 2015 Pulled the first production NP01 door from the mold today. They're made from pre preg fiberglass and core with an overall weight of just 2.8 pounds! Darth Vader would be proud...... Also, the chassis came back from powder coat this morning and they're already started fitting things! We've started working on the assembly/parts manual too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 All the upright castings arrived today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 NP01 Aluminum suspension pushrods Nice new fuel cell! The MCS double adjustable shocks are here and ready to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 The roof section now has the door return lands milled and is just about ready to be molded Left front fender pattern is here too. This thing is going to look mean!! If you look, you can see where the side pod, nose, splitter and light covers will fasten to the fender. Fastener locations will be molded into the body work so there is no guess work on how to assemble it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Here is an updated 3 view drawing of the car that includes all the minor changes and updates such as headlight buckets, narrower cockpit, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 They started installing the aluminum trip panels this week.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Our prototype is chassis #000 which was used to verify fit and design so it required an extra bit of fabrication. It all paid off though as we officially started production on Monday this week with chassis #001 on the plate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 There are several things that might be interesting in this view: Notice how much room there is between the outside edge of the side pod and the chassis side impact bars Switch panel and shifter location The two holes to the left of the steering wheel are for the brake bias and reverse lock-out cable Side impact box which will actually be full of foam or composite core, but you can see he shape Side pod/front fender shape The blue see-through box to the right of the seat that looks a bit like water represents the optional cool suit box Also, we're not sure what steering wheel will come with the car so the one pictured is just there as a place holder for the design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 23, 2015 Author Share Posted May 23, 2015 Yes, the overall car dimensions did not change. We narrowed the top front of the cockpit a little, rehaped the engine cover to blend better, added headlight buckets, changed the nose the allow more room for shocks and a couple of other small changes. Unfortunately I don't know the front and rear track dims off the top of my head but will post them om Tuesday when we get back in. As for other engine options, we have some ideas but will have to.see what future development brings.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 Good questions. Yes, the side windows do extend rearward beyond what most helmets would allow for peripheral vision. While i can't claim a specific degree of visibility, the typical helmet will restrict side vision before the car will. We've discussed making a rear view camera option available which would help a ton, but it will be a few weeks before we get around to packaging one. FWIW, in response to your comment on US designed P cars, I think you'd find the greenhouse size has been dictated by the rules package or some other constraint and not a personal preference. Any engineer in a position to design a car at that level understands how significant greenhouse size and shape is and would not make it larger than absolutely necessary. The rear wing will be a single element, made of extruded aluminum, adjustable for angle only and includes a replaceable wicker. It will be mounted on two uprights mounted to the gearbox. The shark fin is mounted to the engine cover and is there for safety as well as looks. The front splitter is non-adjustable and there are no tuning vanes associated with the splitter, side pod entry or exits or the suspension. Air going over the splitter is directed in two directions, into the sidepods or out to the exits at the back side of the front fenders. We made a conscious decision to eliminate tuning vanes as their size and location are difficult to police and can confuse those new to aero tuning. The whole idea behind the series was to keep it simple and as even as possible. We'll verify the design in testing soon, but the rear wing should provide a more than sufficient level of aero balance control. There are no vents on the top or insides of the front fenders. While they do add downforce, they also damage very easily, are difficult to make inexpensively and they weaken the fender. We opted to go without them to keep costs down and maximize the strength of the fender to reduce replacement/repair costs. Hope these answers help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Here is the pattern for the interior closure panel/side impact box. These will glue and rivet to the chassis and side impact bars and are the same piece on each side of the car just trimmed a bit different. The large box in the center is the crash attenuation structure, and the 1/2 box like section below it is to accommodate the cool suit box on the floor to the right of the seat. The same space to the left of the seat can be used for a radio, cup holder, CD storage...whatever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElanMark Posted May 27, 2015 Author Share Posted May 27, 2015 Ever see a twelve foot long aluminum wing? The test set of wing extrusions showed up yesterday! They look fantastic, are light but super durable and come in 12 foot lengths that we cut and finish to shape. The replacement cost for these will be about half the cost of a typical wing Check out the cast in shape for holding the slide-in wicker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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