Lincoln V12 engine needs a car build around it

here's a curve..a little better maybe

 

or trim the top a bit more.....

 

I''ll play with a multi-piece windshield next....and maybe a bit more radius on the top corners of the body.

I'm pretty worthless with sheetmetal so not rivets.....,fiberglas.... l know, but its what I can do.

 

Its looking better with each adjustment.

 

Biplane aerofoil covers on the A arms?

 

that seems like the right idea along with making them from this stuff


This maybe shows the issue best.....the axle centerline is just barley still on the body..... and would be floating in space above the body line. Plus I need someplace to put the structure. but yeah, a little mini wing air foil thing could work.....maybe I'll play with that thought a bit before I just stretch the body or pull back the wheels

 

I think i just got your idea....the a-arm are wings yeah?

 

and I also just realized that I have no plan at all for lights.......

 

Yes, that's what I meant. I'm sure I've seen it done before now too. I'll have a dig around.
I keep thinking about trying to blend the whole thing into one big aero cover, as per the Merc W154. You could put lights in there, like the Talbot Lago. Not sure I'd want to try and put lights in the fenders, if they're going to be unsuspended.
I think you could pull the nose forwards a little in any case, at least to the front of the tires.

 

That's looking a lot more cohesive.
I know with a birdcge that it can follow most any design, but it also needs triangulation and the hard points of the components tend to define some points. Try to get the shape you want, but allow for some flexibility for the frame to define the result.
Where is the hot nose air going to exit? All along the hood sides/foot area is going to be higher pressure.
Out the top is in your face. Underneath will not be great at speed and reintroduce heat to the drivetrain.
Not criticizing, but that needs consideration.

 

That MB the fenders at on the body and I like that.....I've been playing with the idea of a bellypan the is running boards and ties the fenders in, that why the whole bottom of everything is flat but I'm just kind of getting to it so its not even a 1/2 baked thought yet.

Another thought is maybe make it a biplane....add lower and upper wings that cover the a-arms and mount the fenders? I drew the fenders with room for like 3" wheel bump clearance figuring 1.5 in sag to normal, then 2g load to the stops is 3 more inches. I've setup a few street cars like that and its ok, the 308 is like now. too. My point it that kind of sets the "wing" section height I guess. I could make the travel less too.......I don't want to but if it looks better then......

 

Yeah.....once I get a shape I like I can see about stuffing a frame into it but the final body mold will almost certainly be made with foam and drywall mud covering the actual complete rolling frame so there is not question it fits. I think the work now should be considered directional not final.

LOL, I was having the same thoughts. my rough plan is a bit of ducting inside to get it to exist on the sides, either through period style engine vents everything had or now I'm thinking between the biplane wings @James D has me 3/4 convinced it needs

 

Looking at 1930s biplanes, this one may have some elements to consider.
Side pods = fenders, nose shape, flat bottom, etc.
Lots of pulling and twisting to get a car shape, though!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Dragon_Rapide

 

Thinking more.....I could set it up so the a-arms are about flush with the bottom of the wing at normal ride height, but exposed in rebound, that would let it be a slimer wing profile and not change what anyone really sees. It would also mean I need to sort out suspension stuff to really finish the body design but I like the idea, at least in concept, but I'll need to model it to see what it actually looks like.

 

this thing has big airfoil like shapes connecting the fenders

 

I made a few small edits. the wheelbase is now 105" down from 110" to sort the suspension attachment concern, the width is 78 up from 72. The windshield is 2" narrower and move 1" closer to the cockpit and the cockpit reshaped.

Than I uploaded this image to chatgpt and copilot and ask for a rendering....well chatgtp did better I guess with this


and copilot's attempt.


They both agreed the hood is too short and I should steel the space from the cockpit. chatgpt understood the blower needs a belt, copilot figure since I hadn't drawn the belt it could remove the drive.

This was me wasting time unsure how I want to proceed.....

 

On the latest pictures, I like the center version best. Extending the hood forward to put the nose even with, or in front of the front fender edges looks better to me. Do you need to move the cockpit forward a few inches to clear the blower drive? I'd push the front forward if the extra length of the hood wouldn't do the job.

If you went with the airfoil shape connecting the fenders, you could duct the hot nose air out under the rear edge of the airfoils along the bottom of the body, then the hot air would be out of the passenger compartment and would stay out of the engine compartment any time the vehicle is moving.

Are you thinking axles, or independent front and rear suspension? Torsion bar springs on all 4 corners coupled with independent suspension may work well with the body design. The air foils could cover both the front and rear control arms. The torsion bar anchor points could easily be incorporated into the space frame.

The windshield either needs to be curved or split in two at the center. A one piece flat just looks wrong in my eyes, nothing else on the car is flat.

 

I'm coming up 0s on wings.....I tried a pan and don't hate it really

 

Headlights and a rear fairing/fin. Just playing about, but I feel like it could pass as something from the 1940s.

 

I kind of like the blend the blower in thought. The cowl is quite nice, the fin Id need to ponder, it might grow on me

I saw your comments on the pan and yeah......I thought the boat style step I threw on was clever but ...yeah...the pan needs to go.

I was playing with functional wings vs airfoils, what you sketched looks do able if I mod the front fender so the wheels turn...I' thinking I need to get 25 degrees, 30 would be better.

I need to work on ferrari heads today but maybe tonight I can mess with it and try to get those idea into the model. Head lights I'm wondering if I can maybe cheat and put LED lights into the top wing? or maybe once I add the bulge so the wheel turns period lights might fit better....1 step at a time I guess

 

You could probably hide some lights between the A arms such that nobody would notice them.

 

Possibly...I need to see if there is a height rule for them....its fells like there probably is but I just don't know.

 

Or grassroots sugestion hood side pop-ups maybe?

 

They're making the hoods longer because they aren't finding a lot of precedent for mid-engined cars in that era. Your job is to overcome the aesthetic challenge of a short hood.

As someone who sports a ponytail (it has a name, "I'm a stubborn bastard", because there are only about 27 individual hairs left in it) I'm a bit concerned about an exposed blower drive in that position. You don't want anyone to go the way Isadora Duncan did!

 

Right, can't stay like that. I need to move the cockpit a touch and exposed belts are really not ok.....I'll do something with it.

 

Silly little side thought. Servicing. Rear can be jacked up using diff. Front can be rolled up ramps, but pulling front wheels would require a solid point in front that isn't the pedal box. That should be a part of the birdcage design right from the start. It won't affect the body, per se, but if a torsion setup is built, maybe the lower suspension or the torsion support would work.

 

Could add a small, short fairing to the front to cover the blower belt, or add a roll bar and sheeting between the cockpit and the blower drive, or incorporate both. I don't believe adding an inch or two between the cockpit and the blower would alter the appearance of the design much, and would go a long way towards improving occupant safety.

Headlights mounted between the A arm wings don't have to be large, smaller diameter lights close to the grille opening, between the wings would work. LED lights in the top wing would work as well.
I don't think the pop ups would look right, nor would adding the lights back in along the grille opening. You are treading close to the look of the front end of the Chrysler Prowler of the 1990s, sans its ugly bumperets.