BAC Mono: Made To Measure Seat & Steering Wheel

A couple of exciting new options are in the works for the Mono.  Made To Measure (MTM) seat and steering wheel are two new options that allow perfect fitment for a driver.  These options require a visit to Liverpool as creating these MTM items require a great deal of attention to detail.  Much like a bespoke suit from Saville Row, these new options require the assistance of a "tailor'.  Trevor & Alex Powell are the tailors who made my seat insert and we blogged about their work: HERE.  These guys love their work and provide some hilarious banter during the process.  A trip to Liverpool also affords the client a great chance to meet the team at BAC and see the new factory.

The MTM seat is made of a special seat shell/frame.  See below.  This carbon fiber frame is open on the back side and allows for maximum width.  This bolts into the chassis like the stock seat shell.

A foam seat is poured into the cavity and forms to the backside of the driver.  This option will accommodate drivers of all sizes and will offer an excellent fit - at least for the owner of the car!  This option is recommended for drivers with larger waist/hip sizes.

Below you can see a client being test fit.  He is wearing his race suit (another bespoke BAC option) as the foam is very exacting and will conform to the suit.  He is sitting in the seat and will have to remain for about an hour as the foam sets.  Read our previous Blog to learn more about this process and about Trevor and Alex.

The Made To Measure steering wheel is an option that I have not yet seen.  Essentially there a grip that will get molded to your hand/glove.  The top and bottom of the steering wheel will get a carbon fiber rim.  The grip itself will be either rubber or another material (TBD).

These options can be ordered separately or together.  We think they are an exciting addition to an already very exciting car!

Project Dragon Update #4: An 'RC car-like' Chassis Concept

One of the key concepts we have been developing with Project Dragon is the ability to quickly install different bodies.  This idea would allow the owner to change the look/function of his Dragon to suit his mood or how he plans to use it that day.  Much like a RC car, you would have a running chassis that could be driven without a body.  Like an Ariel Atom, it would need to feature simple hardware and provisions for attaching the bodywork.  We recognize that the fit and finish would be very basic but that is in keeping with the ethos of this hard-core, purist sportscar.

The Palatov rolling chassis is a spaceframe design that makes for a cost effective yet performance oriented solution.  We call the chassis the Morphx concept and are looking to start with 3 body styles: Coupe, Race & Spyder.  Each one looks different from one another and will be focused on very specific functions with some clear crossover.  This will allow owners to pick their favorite to start and give them the ability to swap over to a different body style if they would like.

 We have worked with several designers and reviewed some very exciting designs.  The most elemental one that we developed is being labeled our 'Race' version.  This body style will appeal to the trackday enthusiast and country club racer.  The car is simple with easy to remove bodywork and minimal body parts that need to be fixed or replaced in the event of a crash.  It features an overhead cage for safety yet is an open car that provides excellent visibility and excitement.  This version is our homage to the Ariel Atom - a car we obviously love.

The design was originally penned by Jason Hill with 3D surfacing completed by Keage Concepts and Body engineering by Customs Factory.  I love the simplicity of this design and think it works well as an elemental street or track car.  We know the design is polarizing as the feedback has been either hot or cold.  With an aerokit (front & rear wings/diffuser) this design gets even more aggressive.  Over the last 30 years I have refined my design sense and know what I like.  This Race version speaks to me.  I recognize that polarizing designs often force people out of their comfort zones.  Trying to deliver a design that will age well, while trying to break new ground, is a huge challenge.   I don't think this design is avant-garde but I believe it will age well and most importantly, fit the function it was design to fulfill.

The Coupe is essentially the Palatov D2 body that is in production now.  The white car is our test mule that we will put through the paces in July.  This body style features a windshield/wiper kit that will allow for street registration in most states when coupled with the GM eRod engine.  We view the Coupe & Race versions as the two bodies that are the most interchangeable.

The third version is a very exciting one that holds much promise.  I like this one best and call it the Spyder.

This body style has received universal praise from everyone who has seen it.  Many people have likened the styling to the KTM X-bow and BAC Mono.  I think that is high praise indeed!  We think it will make a wicked street car that is sure to turn heads where ever it goes.  This body was designed and engineered by Zukun Plan.  The cut down windscreen is a tribute to the old spyders/speedsters and will surely be loved by those who want to drive around with the wind in their hair and bugs in their teeth...

This body style requires deleting the overhead cage found in the Race version.  Luckily Palatov have engineered the chassis to be as strong and stiff without the overhead cage.  The Spyder still has overhead roll-over protection in the form of two hoops that are triangulated to the rear.  We are still working on aspects of the styling to get it ready for production.

Yes, we are crazy about light weight cars.  I think the world would be a better place with a V8-powered, mid-engined, sportscar that comes in various body styles...8^)

Switchblade Dyno results: BLADE300

Our '07 Exige 'S' received one nice upgrade before it went off to its new owner, Allen.  We installed the BLADE300 and had her dyno'ed to see how much power she is making.  We're pleased with the results as she is making nice power on the Dynapack.  This dyno attaches to the hubs of the car so delivers more accurate and repeatable results.

Project Dragon Update #3

We are getting close to getting the test mule in our hot little hands.  Wiring harness mods and dash integration will be the two key items to complete before we can start track testing.  See the pix below of the Dragon:

Front suspension: push rods, 2 position bell cranks & coilovers.  Battery and fuel tanks are also up front

Rear suspension: push rods, 2 position bell cranks & coilovers.  997 GT2 6spd

Adjustable pedals.  Seat is fixed and pedals are adjusted for driver.

Shifter looks especially cool on the passenger side.

Porsche 911 GT2 trans (997) with adapter for LS3

LS3 is ready to rock!

STAND21 Safety Seminar: Stay hydrated and fight off heat illness

Here's another excerpt from the Stand21 Safety Seminar we attended at the 2014 Long Beach Grand Prix.  This topic was presented by Dr. Terry Trammell, one of the founders of the International Council of Motorsports Sciences, and the former Director of Medical Services for CART.   I thought his presentation could be of use to a lot of our gentlemen racers/ weekend warriors who spend time at the track.  With summer approaching, we need to consider how heat affects our bodies.

Abder Amokrane from Stand 21 and Dr. Terry Trammell

Heat related illness in motorsports usually goes under-recognized. Not only can it degrade your performance, but it can cause illness or even death.  Heat stress is simply heat production (metabolic) and accumulation (metabolic + environmental) in the body- if your body fails to dissipate the heat load, there is an increase in your core temperature (98.6F).

Environmental heat load:

• ambient temperature
• relative humidity
• radiant heat (direct heat, engine & drivetrain)
• air flow
• clothing (color, texture, fabric, layers)

Metabolic heat load is when muscular work produces heat.  When a human does work, the muscles supply the energy.  The energy comes from chemical reactions at the cellular level.  This energy is incompletely converted to work, with heat as a secondary product.

Exercising at your maximum level requires 20x more muscular energy than at rest.  75% of the energy is heat, only 25% is work.  Racing is a physical activity requiring 200W/m2 (50W to drive a car).

We dissipate heat by:

• radiation; blood flow to the skin (red face)
• conduction; bringing areas of body with large surface area (head, palms & soles) into contact with cooler surfaces 
• convection; heat lost in expired air (fogs your visor). 
• and evaporation; sweating   

Humidity has an effect on sweating.  At less than 75% humidity, 85% of heat is lost by sweating.  As the temperature and humidity increase, evaporation is less efficient.  At 90% humidity or greater, sweat will NOT evaporate.  Beware of some 'waterproof' sunscreens - these can actually block sweat causing you to overheat.

Water is 60% of the body weight on an average male.  You need a mminimum of 2300ml a day (2.4 qts). You'll lose 1100ml/d with urination and 900-1200ml/d through other insensible losses.  Exercise will lose 1000-2000ml per hour of exercise.

You cannot 'hyper-hydrate' the day of a race - your body will not store it.  You should begin to hydrate 2-3 days before an event.  Your fingers and feet will slightly swell when you're at maximum H20 levels.  The best rule of thumb is that you should be urinating every 2 hours, and it should be crystal clear.  You are then properly hydrated.  

As you become hotter, your performance can suffer:

• 2% loss = 3 pints
• minimal impairment of body temp thermo-regulation
• 3% loss = 4.5 pints
• Reduced muscular endurance strength and time
• Risk of heat related illness
• 4% loss = 6 pints
• Heat cramps and heat syncope (fainting)
• 8% loss = 1.5 gallons!
• Heat exhaustion
• Heat Stroke
• Coma and death

Stay safe and cool this season!

Learn more by watching the Stand21 video below:

Which Maintenance Schedule?

Maybe you're just getting your Elise out from a long winter hibernation... Maybe you've just bought that Exige that the guy down the road has owned since new...  Either way, it's time for some basic engine/ gearbox maintenance to keep your Lotus running well.

A comprehensive engine / gearbox service would consist of:
-Oil and oil filter change
-spark plugs
-air filter
-gear oil

The factory calls for certain intervals for 'regular' driving; when the car is driven enthusiastically, these intervals change drastically.  For example, 'regular' driving has a 7500 mile oil change interval.  For 'special operating conditions' (such as occasional circuit use, with repeated high RPM, wide throttle openings, and high oil temperature), the interval falls to 4000 miles.

For the air filter and plugs, Lotus suggests 30,000 miles for 'regular' drivers, but does not have any further suggestion for 'special operating conditions'.  Here's what we'd suggest:

Aggressive Street:
-plugs, air filter, and gear oil at every 20,000 miles; change oil every 5000 miles

Track Focused + Street:
-plugs, air filter, and gear oil at every 12,500 miles; change oil every 4000 miles

Track/Race Only:
-every 5000 miles or yearly for the plugs and filters- change fluids every 4-6 events

You should also perform a service like this if you have just purchased a used Lotus and you cannot confirm when the last service was.  It's inexpensive piece of mind.

Check out our 60 point preparation sheet so you can double-check all the vital nuts and bolts on your car.  When you're done, save the 60 point paperwork with your car's records.  It's great for your future reference, and the next owner of the car will love you for your attention to detail.

Brake fluid is another critical fluid that should be changed yearly on normal cars and more frequently on track-driven cars with bleeds conducted after each track event.

Atom 2 Engine Damage, part 3

The Atom 2 is back together at last.
After assembling everything back together, the car would not fire.  Electrical connections and sensors were checked and double checked, but still no start.  A call to the GM specialist revealed that the cam sensor can be installed on the cam incorrectly during head re-assembly - it doesn't make a difference mechanically how it is installed, but it does make a difference to the sensor that reads it!  We set the engine to TDC on cyl 4, aligned the marks on the housing with the marking on the sensor's hex shaft and it was purring like a kitten on the first turn of the key.  It seems like every engine has it's own 'secret trick' or two... I'm glad we found this before we took the motor apart to double-check the timing chain!  This setup is like an old-school ignition distributor - I guess we've grown used to just plugging a magnetic or optical sensor in...

The Atom has about 15 miles of test driving on the newly rebuilt engine and supercharger - we'll have the customer put another couple hundred miles on it before we change the oil and get it to the dyno.
The car feels strong and tight, so we'll be sending it back to the customer to enjoy during these California spring days!

Project Dragon Update

We continue to work hard on Project Dragon.  This update will give you some insight on our progress.  The chassis is complete and basic assembly is beginning.  We should have the test mule in May to begin our tweaks and most importantly our validation testing.

CHASSIS:
Our chassis is now powdercoated and undergoing assembly at Palatov.  Our chassis is essentially the same as the D2 with the exception of two mounting tabs for the ECU and fusebox.  We are relocating those two items to the front of the car.  The main reason for this is to clean up the rear of the car by the bellcranks and shocks.  This area is fully exposed in our design and I wanted to keep it uncluttered.




POWERTRAIN:
Our LS3 engine arrived with a Camaro oil pan - this would not clear the chassis so a Corvette pan was ordered along with other parts to work with it.  GM has some error in their system as they state the eRod LS3 comes with a Corvette pan when in fact it comes with an unbaffled Camaro.  We will have to watch this issue for future builds.

The 997 GT2 transaxle that we have ordered came in and underwent a few mods to make it work in our application.  This 6spd gearbox required a new mount so Dennis has redesigned the subframe to fit.  The shift cables will also run underneath the car which will make for a tidy package.  Palatov are working on a sequential gearbox install that could become a future upgrade for our car.  Currently the 5spd will be the standard and this GT2 6spd will be the upgrade.

Palatov have worked with Bill Dailey to sort out a nice Dry Sump for the car.  This will be an option on our car as I think (testing will confirm) that the casual trackday owner will be OK with the stock oil pan.  We think for guys who want to run slicks and aero, this option will be a smart one.

BODY DESIGN:
The body design has been fully 3D surfaced which was a fun process.  Our final design is clean and remains very simple.  Our big picture idea is that we can offer different body kits for this chassis that the client can choose from.  To that end, we've ordered a D2 body that we will install on our chassis to show the flexibility.  Our body is very basic and will appeal to those clients looking for a hardcore and elemental design.  We are now working on the b-side attachments scheme and body splits.  This is almost complete and a critical part of developing a body that can actually be produced.

The image above gives you a feel for the car.  The rear will be exposed to help facilitate better cooling and heat evacuation.  Another key challenge for us is to validate that this body will allow the car to run cool when hammered on track.  We will first test the car without our body and then test again with.

Lights have been an interesting challenge.  We reviewed the FMVSS requirements in detail and meeting them is hard work!  We are working with Hella to source high quality parts.  We've sourced a number of sweet lights that we will begin testing.  The headlights will be a Bi-Xenon that should kick out some serious light.  Developing housings and enclosures is something that is also underway - and possibly the hardest part.

SAFETY:
Joe Marko from Schroth USA came out to look at our chassis last month.  We reviewed the harness routing and discus proper interior headnet positioning.  He also had some good suggestions for rollbar padding.  He came away impressed with the car and may just be a buyer when we are done...

INTERIOR: 
Our Cosworth dash arrived and we are sorting it out.  The form factor is perfect.  We know that it should be a cool solution but have to work out the wiring details.  Switches are the next task that need to be addressed.

Cockpit safety seminar

During the Long Beach Grand Prix weekend, the Stand21 Safety Foundation runs a 'Racing Goes Safer' safety seminar.  We had the pleasure of attending this year, and we'll share what was presented through our blog.  Dr. John Melvin gave a broad presentation on cockpit preparation for safety that brought up many topics that each could have been a seminar on their own.  Below are some highlights of his presentation:

To escape a crash with little to no injury, the car needs to: 1) have space for the driver, 2) keep driver attached to the car; prevent the driver from hitting the interior violently.  The car will provide the space; proper seats, belts and padding can provide the rest.  Data logging crashes in NASCAR and Indy Cars for the past 20 years has shown that with the proper protection, a driver can withstand over 100 Gs in a crash without severe or fatal injuries.  Body support, 6 point belts, head padding, and controlling head motion, are all critical factors.

Seats

When you buckle in you are pulling yourself against the seat.  Strong, supportive seats with side supports at the pelvis, shoulder, and head are necessary.  Chest support is not recommended due to the chance of broken ribs.  Belts will hold you in a frontal crash, but seat should provide body support for side and rear crashes.  Most seats do not provide this support.

Head and neck restraints depend on the lateral support of your seat to be completely effective.  They do not provide protection in a side crash.  Because of this need, new standards have been created for Aluminium and Carbon Composite seats: SFI 39.1 and 39.2.  The 39.1 seats are quite expensive and are typically found in NASCAR Cup cars; the 39.2 spec seats are more affordable and are mandatory in some series such as ARCA and World of Outlaws.  Most road racing seats follow the FIA 8855-1999 standard- these seats are not supported at the upper cage and the test requirement is only 15G.  Most of these seats also do not have sufficient shoulder support - there are new seats from Kirkey and Racetech that DO meet the new SFI standards.

SFI 39.1 'containment' seat

The padding on the sides of the seat for the hips, shoulders, and head should be a close fit to the body and made of SFI 45.2spec padding.  There should be a maximum of .5" space between the outside of the helmet and the side head padding.  This minimizes the risk of concussion during a wreck.  It may sound like too little room for your head to move when you look around, but check out how close the NASCAR Cup drivers have their head padding - and some of those guys come from the dirt tracks where there are no mirrors and swivel their head quite a bit.  

Interior nets

Why do you need an interior net if you have a good, strong seat?  Not all impacts are directly lateral and sometimes there are multiple hits in a wreck.  Interior nets, when installed properly, are very effective.  They are also very inexpensive, and can make a low-cost seat more effective in a side impact crash.  They can also make an inexpensive seat with no lateral head supports more effective by stopping your head from trying to travel across the interior in a side impact.  You want to position the net so it catches your shoulder and head as a group- if it catches just your head, it will increase neck compression.

Belts

Belts not only help you in a crash, they also help you stay put while you control your car.  6 point belts are recommended over 5 point belts.  6-point belts with double rear-facing crotch straps reduce chest deflection about 50% compared to 5 point belts.  They can also reduce neck tension, too (about 15%).

Polyester belts that meet SFI 16.5 can be either 2" or 3" wide - either belt is equally strong!  The pressures under either belt are similar - the 2" belts may fit better under your neck restraint as well.

A seat, head net, neck restraint, 6-point belts and leg padding displayed together

Head and Neck restraint

Belts and seats can effectively restrain the torso, but the head/ neck restraint is needed to control the head.  Studies have shown that is you drive a racing car at speeds above 40mph, you need a head restraint.  The HANS device and the Hutchens Hybrid by Safety Solutions (now Simpson) perform similarly in SFI 38.1 tests.  Either one is a fine choice.

A foam neck collar is NOT a head and neck restraint.  They are used to prevent neck fatigue and limit head motion in low-level motions.  They could be used in combination with a head/neck restraint, though.

Leg Protection

Most leg injuries are from flailing and striking interior surfaces.  Flat surfaces with padding on the outside of the leg area can help, and hanging a 'knee-knocker' pad from the steering column can stop painful fractures.

A complete safety system can be obtained for about $2000.  This would consist of SFI 16.5 belts, SFI 38.1 Head/ Neck restraint, and a low cost seat with an interior net.  How many weeks can you afford to be out of work?  What is your health insurance deductible for an ER visit?