My Elio Alternate Project Is Underway.

[JK]

Can't wait to get one of these in my garage.

 

[Mark BEX]

Can't wait to get one of these in my garage.

Me too!

Wait, what?

 

[Interested]

Happy New Year Y'all. Question for Mark. Looking at the recent posts on the rear wheel framework, will these be welded so there are no areas to trap water and rust? Even with plating to slow rust, how long a life are you shooting for with the BEX? (I live in an area where they use salt in the wintertime).

 

[AriLea]

Looking at the recent posts on the rear wheel framework, will these be welded so there are no areas to trap water and rust? Even with plating to slow rust, how long a life are you shooting for with the BEX? (I live in an area where they use salt in the wintertime).

The worst, maybe, is western Washington state. Wet all the time, and most places salt the winter roads as well. So a sealed space without a drain, or just a cupped dip, will gather up moisture and rust a hole in the bottom out of it. In that place it's sometimes more important to have a drain that won't plug up than poorly sealing it. And all the tree-fall works vigerusly to plug up any drains that exists.

But if it is absolutely sealed from any air, then you have a chance.

So here in Arizona, I was leaving my car outside in the summer. BUT, apparently at night, like around 2-3am, Arizona valley weather will drop some water. But my doors are very well sealed at the bottom. So soon, I had a bug swiming pool in the passenger doors, until I pulled the drain plugs out. Because more water came in at night than evaporated during the 110f (43c) days.

I will point out, that most places where it maters, you can get an undercoating. In the case of a Bex built, he can do what Boeing (whom I worked for in washington, and for whom rivots are King), you can dip the chassis and most of this issue will go away. Boeing will dip or deeply spray thier rivoted assemblies.

 

[Mark BEX]

Happy New Year Y'all. Question for Mark. Looking at the recent posts on the rear wheel framework, will these be welded so there are no areas to trap water and rust? Even with plating to slow rust, how long a life are you shooting for with the BEX? (I live in an area where they use salt in the wintertime).

There is a bonus to me not having million dollar stamping dies, and that is I have to use thicker steel because I can't stamp in strengthening ribs and compound curves, and yes there is a slight weight penalty, but offset by what should be a longer life if corrosion starts.

As Ari mentioned, dipping is an option I am looking at as there are 2 major galvanisers within an hour with huge tanks.

You will note I have experimented with a fiberglass floor, and that is still an open option for the floor, and this current floor has been crafted with 80 degree bends (rather than 90) with fiberglass molding in mind (ease of mold release), but the 80 degree folds not being of concern if it remains in steel.

The bodyshell will be fiberglass (with likely OEM steel doors), that is a given, as you can't afford me to go pressing steel bodyshells

 

[Sonoran Sam]

In my youth, I lived in an area that had snow/ice and the Dept. of Transportation put salt on the roads. My father and I would save our used motor oil, strain it, thin it and spray it on the undercarriage/frame/etc. to prevent rust.
Also, once vehicle the developed a small oil leak, it would self-spray itself with engine oil.
Both methods seemed to stave off rust, until the rest of the car/truck wore out.
I have seen youtube video(s) where the presenter used chainsaw bar/chain oil (thinned) and sprayed on (the undercarriage/frame) to prevent rust.

Personally, I like the idea of a steel floor (if you are taking votes/opinions)...

 

[Interested]

Thanks Mark. Any vehicle I buy I hope to have the rest of my driving life. (I'm 68). Don't want something that won't last. I think your approach is reasonable.

 

[Mark BEX]

Thanks Mark. Any vehicle I buy I hope to have the rest of my driving life. (I'm 68). Don't want something that won't last. I think your approach is reasonable.

Just need to get it all to come together now, too many changes, but I feel they were worth it for where I am now, but have to move forward with it now, no more "2 steps backwards, 1 step forward".

Changing to the staggered seating is one thing I will never regret, only regret why I didn't go for it earlier, trying too hard to stick to the Elio ideal. I cringe whenever I see a tandem seating arrangement now.

 

[Mark BEX]

Been a busy week.

My factory rent is due this month, I have 350 square meters, but a lot isn't used, just storage, so I asked the landlord if I could cut about 100 square meters, and he agreed, so been shifting everything for a few days to make way for a new dividing wall, and a few New Year lunches with friends and business clients through the week.

 

[Mark BEX]

Out with the old, in with the new ... I was a little despondent cutting up the fiberglass floor and putting it in the rubbish.

With these builds you need to plan 10 steps ahead, what you design today, might not be right 10 steps later, and I have hit roadblocks a few times, but believed this was it ... I should have planned 11 steps ahead ...

Was a cruel blow to be so confident, make a pattern, then the mold, then the part, of course this took time and money, now all 3 are rubbish due to one single thing I didn't foresee ...

But anyway, moving forward again, but I will complete this one, which I do believe is the absolute final one, entirely in steel, in case I did miss another 11th step because I don't want to go through the pattern/mold/part process and have it fail all over again.

The pictures are, fiberglass floor cut up, piggybacks for tow hitch on, and front engine rails on.