I quite fancy having a go at designing my own body tub for my Indy and was wondering what would be the best software to acheive this. Having the dimentions of the chassis would help obviously.

Has anyone had a go? How hard is it? Do you design one side then let the computer replicate it on the other?

you could try AutoCAD they also do AutoCAD Light not quite as in-depth as the full version but might do the trick

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=36853

Try Rhinoceros3d. Plenty of 'demo' copies flying about, particularly on the torrents, or so my lads tell me. There's also some good tutorials for Rhino on i'net, showing car body design.

This is the program that a lot of the car design studios use these days for BodyInWhite, before porting to Catia for manufacture.

Full price, Rhino runs about £700; Catia >£12k

I use Solidworks and Rhino, and Maxsurf.

Syd.

quote:

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Originally posted by wyatt
you could try AutoCAD they also do AutoCAD Light not quite as in-depth as the full version but might do the trick

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Ill vouch for Rhino3D as well. Its probably the best for doing organics (round shapes).
When I get home from work Ill find a link to a great forum for you.
Cheers.

I plan to do something along the same lines myself but i will do it the old fashoned way with wacking great lumps of foam and sculpt it by eye.

Here is one someone made earlier...
Rescued attachment Caterham 21.jpg

MMMMMMMMMM, Caterham21, very nice.
Wonder what the screen is off? Anyone know?

Hi. I picked up my MK chassis today, I got the deluxe kit minus bodywork. And I am also going to produce my own bodywork. I showed the sketch to the guys at MK and they seemed to quite like it.

I have a degree in product design, but I have decided to to bother with the 3D software route. I have found that it can be quicker to print off some pictures of other MKs and then hand draw your own design over the top.
I also suggest drawing a full size side view of the concept, then mocking up the bodywork with cardboard to see the proportions, it helps if you have the chassis for this.

After that its time to get the foam/wood out and start sculpting the bodywork for the plugs. Then get dirty with the fibreglass (or Carbon).

I would be interested to see other peoples progress, so please keep us posted.

Cheers.

Hammerhead, have you got any scetches you could post or put in your archive?

[Edited on 13/1/06 by donut]

I will at some stage, i'll show you mine if you show me yours!

Hi Andy

Do you like the phoenix? you maybe able to get a seconhand body and mod it to fit?

Adrian

Yes i do like the phoenix and the stylus but the stylus has an internal shell that the outer shell sits on, not sure it would fit without alot of fettling. Does the phoenix body come in a single shell? Also the wheel distance front to back would have to be right.

Worth looking into!

Hi

Yep the Stylus has a one piece body, the Phoenix has a flip front bonnet a rear section and two sills. The Stylus body has an inner skin you rivet on to the chassis first and then bond the body onto, i assume the Phoenix is the same

With a Phoenix body you should be able to position the rear and front sections to suit your wheelbase and just mod the sills bigger or smaller

You may be able to get a damaged body cheap off a racer?

Adrian
Rescued attachment phoenix side.tif

It's gotta be close i would say and by the looks of it not too much work. My dad is a bit of a dab hand with fiber glass so if i do do something like that i'll have to rope him in!

BTW, do you know if the phoenix chassis is the same as the 7 they do?

[Edited on 13/1/06 by donut]

I doubt it, the Phoenix body was originaly called the mk4 and was designed to fit the Striker, mk2 i think, All done by Jeremy Philips of Sylva Autokits

There is another maker of origanal Mk4

http://www.cyanacars.com

Adrian

Putting on a full body would save sva and a new build (when the time comes) but it's just getting the info required to make the best judgment for a swap.

I was looking at a picture of the CHEETAH ealier, its in the latest Kitcar mag and looks like a contender for a full bodied locost me thinks.

quote:

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Originally posted by donut
Putting on a full body would save sva and a new build (when the time comes) but it's just getting the info required to make the best judgment for a swap.

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Yes the WLR body is a contender, especially in black!! I have been told they do a kind of kit to fit it to the MK Chassis, trouble is the price..well over £3k

Nice though!!

[img][/img]

quote:

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Originally posted by donut
Yes the WLR body is a contender, especially in black!!
...

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Looks nothing like it

i personally think the WLR would get more traction than batman with those slicks on the front. but batman wont get wet!

Ppppptht

<panto> oh yes it does </panto>


Batmobile

Still prefer the WLR!

Oh no it doesn't