Is it possible to build a SLC and have it water tight for a daily driver. The car is really appealing from what I have seen on the internet, but I am not interested in a track car at all. So as a replacement for my vette is it possible to build it water tight as it will be driven in the rain?
Daily driver
- Thread starter Buddy D.
- Start date
Buddy....
all it takes is attention to detail.....but it is time consuming...not expensive just labor intensive
all it takes is attention to detail.....but it is time consuming...not expensive just labor intensive
This is what I want to do however, I fear the biggest obstacle for it to be a daily drive is.... insurance.
What areas are likely to let water in?
What areas are likely to let water in?
Yup, you can seal them up fairly tight from the weather. To put it in perspective, you can make them tighter than a traditional English sports car (MG, Triumph, etc). They were guaranteed to keep "most" of the rain out.
There is a reason why component cars weigh 1000lbs less than comparable production cars. They are less robust, so they will require more maintenance to keep body panels aligned, keeping the interior in good nick, etc. The upside is that the powertrain pulls far less weight, so that should last a long time. That's what makes them so much fun to drive!
I think component cars make a good "occasional" daily driver to work, errands etc. For me, the question is whether the car is robust, reliable and comfortable enough to take on 1000 mile journey. For example, I’ve driven my FFR ’33 Hot Rod from Charlotte, NC to Carlisle PA (1000 miles round trip) several times without incident. I know of replica Cobras that have been driven all over North America and have big miles on their odometer. It has a lot to do with how radical you build it, how thorough you are at building the reliability into it, and how you drive it.
There is a reason why component cars weigh 1000lbs less than comparable production cars. They are less robust, so they will require more maintenance to keep body panels aligned, keeping the interior in good nick, etc. The upside is that the powertrain pulls far less weight, so that should last a long time. That's what makes them so much fun to drive!
I think component cars make a good "occasional" daily driver to work, errands etc. For me, the question is whether the car is robust, reliable and comfortable enough to take on 1000 mile journey. For example, I’ve driven my FFR ’33 Hot Rod from Charlotte, NC to Carlisle PA (1000 miles round trip) several times without incident. I know of replica Cobras that have been driven all over North America and have big miles on their odometer. It has a lot to do with how radical you build it, how thorough you are at building the reliability into it, and how you drive it.
Bill, very well said.
A stock LS3 motor would drive like butter. The big issue I would see as a daily driver would be ground clearance. Get the front shock lift kit and keep a close eye on angle approaches to/from parking lots, gas stations etc. Your insurance company would likely have a yearly mileage limit also. And, I wouldn't want to drive in stop and go traffic with my clutch setup (stage 2) - it takes a fair amount of effort....as compared to a late model Miata or something. I drove a 2008 Miata for a weekend - the clutch was so effortless I thought it was broke at first.
A stock LS3 motor would drive like butter. The big issue I would see as a daily driver would be ground clearance. Get the front shock lift kit and keep a close eye on angle approaches to/from parking lots, gas stations etc. Your insurance company would likely have a yearly mileage limit also. And, I wouldn't want to drive in stop and go traffic with my clutch setup (stage 2) - it takes a fair amount of effort....as compared to a late model Miata or something. I drove a 2008 Miata for a weekend - the clutch was so effortless I thought it was broke at first.
Good tips. I plan to daily drive mine to work a few times a week at least. I have had cars that are not reliable and I worried when driving if something were to happen and will not do that again. I made up a rule after that car that if it is not daily dirver reliable enough then not for me. Rain is ok sometimes, snow I will avoid though, I have to draw the line somewhere. I was wondering about the big air hold in the roof, looks cool, but will need some work to seal and make fully functional. I was thinking about ducting it to something like two 3" brake ducts or something. I will need to see how much room there is and might make up something in there to fit nice and work well. I am hoping that when I go through putting mine together that I can work on the specific details of the different areas for a weather tight car. I think this in addition to really working the sound denoting should really help to make it a very livable car, assuming the seats will be comfortable enough to live with long term. I got the cipher seats now and a few hours in the media room watching movies on it is ok so far, not great, but ok. I might be looking at the new street seats Fran has and get them made up really nice with some good foam.That one car in AU with the read seats looks good.
Based on driving one SLC around for a while, I think the biggest issue for a daily driver will be sound management, followed by sealing the car from air leaks.
Actually driving the car is pretty enjoyable- the ride is good, brakes are great, and steering is direct. And of course, it's stupid quick. :laugh:
But a typical side exhaust with a mini muffler will be painful unless the car is sealed up. Rear exhausts are much quieter, in my experience. And the aluminum firewall makes a great drum, so dampening that is crucial. I think extensive use of Dynamat or something like that is essential for a street car.
One thing I think distinguishes a street car from a track version is the use of sealing around the doors and the body/chassis interface. Some production cars have multiple seals around the doors (my Touareg has triple door seals and can ford streams up to 20"
) and my SLC will have a similar approach to sealing. If you don't seal the body to the chassis carefully, air infiltration will start to compete with the car's heater or AC systems. And of course, that same gap that lets air come in does the same for water as well.
Once the sound and infiltration issues are resolved, the only things to watch out for are clearance-related.
Also, a real DD has a way to lock the doors when you have to leave it to run into the store, or at work, and I haven't seen anyone do that yet. You could add the Mazda door cylinders and keys, or use the included bear claw latches to operate from the ISIS system with the addition of a couple of small solenoids.
And then, aside from the constant camera flashes and delays at the gas station while a million people ask you "What's that?", you will have a great DD.
Actually driving the car is pretty enjoyable- the ride is good, brakes are great, and steering is direct. And of course, it's stupid quick. :laugh:
But a typical side exhaust with a mini muffler will be painful unless the car is sealed up. Rear exhausts are much quieter, in my experience. And the aluminum firewall makes a great drum, so dampening that is crucial. I think extensive use of Dynamat or something like that is essential for a street car.
One thing I think distinguishes a street car from a track version is the use of sealing around the doors and the body/chassis interface. Some production cars have multiple seals around the doors (my Touareg has triple door seals and can ford streams up to 20"
) and my SLC will have a similar approach to sealing. If you don't seal the body to the chassis carefully, air infiltration will start to compete with the car's heater or AC systems. And of course, that same gap that lets air come in does the same for water as well.Once the sound and infiltration issues are resolved, the only things to watch out for are clearance-related.
Also, a real DD has a way to lock the doors when you have to leave it to run into the store, or at work, and I haven't seen anyone do that yet. You could add the Mazda door cylinders and keys, or use the included bear claw latches to operate from the ISIS system with the addition of a couple of small solenoids.
And then, aside from the constant camera flashes and delays at the gas station while a million people ask you "What's that?", you will have a great DD.
You've pretty much highlighted all of the points I'd worked out to make it more comfortable:
Rear exhausts
Dynamat
Good sealing (this was where I was unsure of what specifically needed attention)
Using ISIS iMotion for various duties (eg. hand brake actuator) and solenoid door locks.
Rear exhausts
Dynamat
Good sealing (this was where I was unsure of what specifically needed attention)
Using ISIS iMotion for various duties (eg. hand brake actuator) and solenoid door locks.