I just noticed that the Fwd. Jester has been relaunched by Stingray motorsports

http://www.stingraymotorsport.com/jester.htm

Another similar car is the Onyx Firefox, they look very simple to put together and manufacture, and what would you think of a more modern Fwd locost kit?

http://www.davebence.co.uk/onyx_firefox/index.htm

Fwd hatchbacks are everywhere, and you could build a cheap fun roadster, like a bolt on kit to a chassis, with a single mould body like the Jester, maybe with a more appealing design than both.......

What do you all think...

[Edited on 28/6/07 by FUORISERIE]

Wrong wheel drive!

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Originally posted by garage19
Wrong wheel drive!

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The Jester is better looking than I remember but is still never going to be a design icon really and I won't comment on the firefox at all
Would be interested to see what you could come up with though, going by the quality of the rest of your drawings it might make front wheel drive more appealing

Cheers
Alex

I think it could do very well, but high modern engines don't make it easy to look good.

Though I think you'd find it hard to design anything that looked quite like the jester or especially the onyx

Alternatively adding a another front suspension set from the scrappy and some steering locking arms you can put the engine at the back and have best of both worlds.

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Originally posted by ecosse

Would be interested to see what you could come up with though, going by the quality of the rest of your drawings it might make front wheel drive more appealing

Cheers
Alex

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Looks a bit like a bumper car

another old rendering...

minari, alfasud/33 based

I think the biggest place that designs like the Firefox & the Jester (& plenty of Locosts) go wrong is with the lights - particularly front. Either some tiny lights, sort of thing behind the glass in a Puma, or some modern "wraparound" jobbies would make a massive difference. Think how much more appealing the front of Marlins 5Exi is.
Most manufacturers seem far too keen to get the kit out there, rather than making it really look the part first. Personally I don't understand this mindset as you only have to produce one decent buck, the fibreglass then produced isn't going to cost much more than something plainer, but surely would sell more kits?

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Originally posted by hughjinjin
minari, alfasud/33 based

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Originally posted by russbost
I think the biggest place that designs like the Firefox & the Jester (& plenty of Locosts) go wrong is with the lights - particularly front. Either some tiny lights, sort of thing behind the glass in a Puma, or some modern "wraparound" jobbies would make a massive difference. Think how much more appealing the front of Marlins 5Exi is.

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It really surprises me that no one has come up with a way of using some of these modern lights in a new housing to give a pair of mini headlights (NOT Mini headlights). The smallest I'm aware of are those on the Toniq & I have a feeling they may be the motorcycle units that SVC & GTS have which won't pass SVA if the tester is on the ball (tho' I believe plenty have), I would do it myself only I'm far too busy with the new car - perhaps next year - Ha Ha!

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I like the Minari, and used to own an Alfasud Sprint......

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Originally posted by whitestu

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I like the Minari, and used to own an Alfasud Sprint......

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I had a Sprint too - I expect mine went a bit more rusty than yours though!

The Minari's are great - no reason why a FWD locost should't be good fun.

The 33/ sud flat four engine allowed the bonnet to be low on the Minari though.

Stu

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If I were to do it, I'd use the humble ford fiesta, just because there are millions of them and lots of ford dealers for parts (and possibly servicing for some spanner un-inclined owners)

I'd try to use as much of the donor as possible, including front struts and rear trailing arms / subframe. Maybe the springs would have to change. People who buy FWD kits perhaps don't mind not having duel wishbones all round.

As has been said, you've got to make it look good these days. The Jester just isn't good enough. By a long way. The sketch here with the small front lights is good.

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Originally posted by smart51
If I were to do it, I'd use the humble ford fiesta, just because there are millions of them and lots of ford dealers for parts (and possibly servicing for some spanner un-inclined owners)

I'd try to use as much of the donor as possible, including front struts and rear trailing arms / subframe. Maybe the springs would have to change. People who buy FWD kits perhaps don't mind not having duel wishbones all round.

As has been said, you've got to make it look good these days. The Jester just isn't good enough. By a long way. The sketch here with the small front lights is good.

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Fwd? Boooooo, Hissssssss
If you're going to go through the effort of building a car, why do it wrong?

Did I mention I have a major dislike for FWD
Cheers.

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Originally posted by C10CoryM
Fwd? Boooooo, Hissssssss
If you're going to go through the effort of building a car, why do it wrong?

Did I mention I have a major dislike for FWD
Cheers.

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looks terrible