Challenge $2018 car + cottage business? I need a team.

I have an idea for a $2018 challenge car that has the opportunity to also become a small business enterprise after the challenge.

The idea is to build a wooden composite unibody roadster on a Miata rollerskate. It would have a build difficulty and aftermarket customization possibility similar to an Exocet. Think something that combines the look of this:

With this:

I would use CAD software to design the car, with limitations built in for each panel that would simulate plywood (all panels must be flat or have a gentle single-plan bend). I would then translate the CAD output to have flat pieces of various thickness plywood CNC cut to produce the exact shapes needed. Assembly would be very similar to the Chesapeake light craft, using wire, epoxy and then a layer of fiberglass to make a very stiff and light body.

IF we get a model built and tested and it is good, then there are three things that could be sold.

1. PDF plans for the car
2. Full-size paper templates of the pieces
3. Pre-cut wooden plywood kits

I am not able to do this all on my own and would need a team. I'm looking for someone who can help me with the CAD and the design of the car. Engineers who can help design for stiffness and loads are critical. I might have someone with large format CNC capabilities, but if you have that and would like to be involved let me know. I can participate with or even lead the assembly, but would love to have some composites experts to call on as well.

If you are interested please PM me. All skill levels welcome!

I can't help with this but this seems a bit ambitious to me.

How is the $2017 car coming along?

Like a mix of grassroots engineering, factory five, and a sopwith camel?

Andy Neuman wrote: I can't help with this but this seems a bit ambitious to me. How is the $2017 car coming along?

Yes, I agree it is ambitious. I figure though that if there are folks in the world who can and want to do it, they are on this board.

The 2017 car is coming along pretty well, but the thread is lacking updates I know. We have done tons of work on sourcing parts and test fitting so far. Even been re-upholstering old recaros for it since I can do that inside...

NoPermitNeeded wrote: Like a mix of grassroots engineering, factory five, and a sopwith camel?

I couldn't have said it better myself. Leather helmet and goggles required.

This is really interesting, what CAD software would you use?

You are combining 2 different industries (in an interesting way).

Automotive engineering (stress calculations, rigidity, and working with compound curved surfaces) and commercial woodworkIng manufacturing techniques.

I could probably help with the commercial woodworking side (I spent a few years as the Southeast US contact for the AWI (Architectural Woodwork Institute), and I built a pretty large contact list of commercial woodworking manufacturers. I'm also closely associated with a company right now that has all the capacities you'd need. But I can't help with the automotive engineering side.

I'd be interested in talking further, if you decide to proceed.

There was an article in wood magazine about a completely wooden supercar a few years back. I think it was called the splinter? May have some good ideas.

NoPermitNeeded wrote: This is really interesting, what CAD software would you use?

No firm commitments yet. I used solidworks back in college in (gulp) 2006 or so, but really haven't done any CAD since. If there are recommendations I am all ears.

Dusterbd13 wrote: There was an article in wood magazine about a completely wooden supercar a few years back. I think it was called the splinter? May have some good ideas.

I have seen that car. I think it was more of an art project that anything else, but it is cool looking.

Following this.

I can CAD, FEA, etc. but software licensing would mean that it would be illegal to sell any of the resulting designs. This would be the case for most people out there that don't own their own CAD ($$$$$$) software.

Also, plywood FEA would be crazy difficult to model I imagine.

Sign me up for one in a nice clear finish, like the teardrop trailer please.

So anyone have recommendations for CAD software? I'm not against paying, but I probably won't spend more than $300 if it doesn't wipe my butt for me.

Edit: actually, I do kinda like the new Adobe pricing model, pay by the month or by the year. I'd be willing to do something like that.

You are stuck with open source stuff to accomplish this if you aren't going to spend more than $300. Good luck!