Esprit Chassis WIP

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Well I just thought I'd post a pic of my latest preoject. This is a work in progress pic of my 3D Esprit chassis. I intend to use it on my web page as part of the main design and to try and highlight a few tutorials. The model is fairly accurate, it is not milimeter perfect but is mainly done from photo references the parts manual and out of my head. I have done the basic chassis and the front suspension is now complete. I will finish up the front end including the anitroll bar, steering rack, brake lines ect. I hope to over a period of time reproduce the whole car in 3D. I have alreay modeled a set of BBS alloys and once the chassis is complete I will start work on the shell and all the components. It wont be a quick thing but it will be a nice little project and will help a great deal with my S3 restoration web site.

Just though I'd share it with you guys and gals.

[markt]

Lots of time on your hands Troy?

Looking nice:)

What app are you using? I played around with 3D Studio Max and Inventor a while back for a similar project...

Would it be able to rotate when finished?

Keep us posted. Cheers - Mark

[Goose]

That looks really good!

I keep trying to design stuff with Maya 7 but it never turns out quite how I expect. How long did it take you to create?

Edited July 12, 2006 by Goose

[Simon350S]

Hi Troy

Looking good...

Simon

p.s. dont forget to put the anti roll bar on the right way around!

[CarlC]

Top Idea Troy,

This looks great and will be a super addition to the pictures and tutorials people put together as reference.

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Here's an update. Oh and yes the anti roll bar is on the right way round (alyhough it may not have been if you hadn't reminded me). This is all done in 3D Studio max, and is to scale (ish) within 3D space. It can be viewed from any angle and I have tried to model in each individual part. I have skipped certain nuts bolts and washers oh and at this stage the bearings. But main components are modeled individualy trying to make them look as close as possble without measuring each individual item.

As for time on my hands I guess you could say I have a little bit. But I love projects and hobbies and have had at least one major one going for as long as I can remember, I am mainly brushing up on my 3D skills whilst planning and sketching a car of my own design I have been working on.

Well here it is coming along nicely I think.

Oh and Angus it has taken about a week of evenings.

[markt]

Nice bit of attention to detail - You're definitely more proficient than me - Would have taken me a month of Sunday's to get that far...

Odd you mentioned brushing up on your 3D skills for designing a car...

Exactly the same reason I started fiddling around with 3D modelling.

I will swop over to Inventor though... Technically accurate, can use the drawing for all sorts of machining, laser cutting, milling, panel work, stress loads, you name it... Rendering capabilities are kick-ass as well.

Started an exotic car project about 10 years ago - If I wait another 5 years, my initial design might be back in vogue

[Jonathan]

Bloody nora, thats fantastic !

Always wanted to do a 3D model Esprit but I have zero tallent with 3Dmax (to be fair I've never really used it).

I tried doing the exact same thing but stopped on my 1st mesh which was the rear suspension lower link LOL (ie something dead simple).

It looks so real - incredible.

Could you not get the body scanned in for a perfect match ?

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Well I was waiting on a file of the shell from a forum member which would give me someplace to start. He did say that he was quite busy at the moment so I will finish the chassis and then if it hasn't turned up I will start from scratch.

The car is right outside my house so I can always walk out with a tape measure

To be honest I am really enjoying it and have developed a few techniques that I never new before. The guators on the steering rack looked to be a nightmare but with a little thought on the matter it took only a few clicks aftere the first peek was made.

I think the hardest part will be the shell, but then again the engine and box may be fun aswell

[f1karting]

Hey Troy, nice work..

Imagine using your finished model on Fluent or some other CFD program and finding out exactly what the aero does is on the car!!

BTW I reverse engineered my S3 and modelled the suspension on Susprog 3d so I have coordinates and dimensions if you would like to compare notes or need some checks done. I have yet to print out the data and calibrate the model to the car.. but soon.

keep up the good work ..Jan

[tribetype40]

Hi,

Looks very good! I would like to do something similar to have on the computer for when the engine conversion time comes. I'd like an acurate model of the engine bay part of the chassis so i can engineer the conversion properly.

How accurate would you say your model is? If its not 'that' accurate does anyone who lives in the Oxfordshire/Banbury area have their chassis exposed or accessable? I have a digital scanning arm which I can use to recreate the chassis in CAD, accurate to 0.4mm !! if you have and wouldn't mind me sitting in the engine bay for a day please get in touch.

many thanks and keep up the CAD stuff are you planning to do the body as well? surfacings the tricky bit, but if your good it can pay verywell indeed!

Cheers

Doug

[USAndretti42]

  I have a digital scanning arm which I can use to recreate the chassis in CAD, accurate to 0.4mm !! if you have and wouldn't mind me sitting in the engine bay for a day please get in touch.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Crikey!.. I didn't know the bionic man had joined the forum.

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Accurate enough to engineer a conversion........ I doubt it. Most of the model is taken from phot references with th e occasional measurement put in to keep everything on track. With all the measurements and a bit of time yes it could be pretty accurate as the model is deigned down to it's component parts. I didn't realy have time to measure my chassis was off becasue i was working like mad to get the car back together again. Now a scanning arm sounds like quite a nice toy what other toys do you have and how come?

Jan I'll keep a note of that Suspension software it might come in handy when I design the chasis for my car.

Just had to alter the whole rear end becasue a measurement had gone a bit ammiss and I couldn't get the rear suspension to work. But a little bit of tweeking and and a couple of fresh measurements and it all seems to be coming together nicely.

Here is the latest with most of the rear suspension set up, brake lines run and a series of minor tweeks. It actualy starting to come together. I'm not sure whether to carry on with the engine and gearbox or move on to the shell next. I might do both and when one is not quite going to plan shift over to the other.

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Ok here is another update. I decided I would have a go at doing the shell. It need a lot of refining there is no waste band trim or bumpers and still has a lot more to be done on it. But as I was happy with the way it was heading I thought I would posta pic.

Bonus is that once I am finished I can re engineer it to be any G-Car. Mmmm might have a go at the 007 sub while I'm at it

[hilly]

Top Job Troy, bloody impressive!!!

[Bibs]

That's nothing short of amazing

[Simon350S]

Stunning Troy.......

Simply Stunning

The wheels are well impressive i must say. Could u do me a set for my car??

Simon

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Thanks guys it's come on quite a bit since that pic. But as with most 3D stuff it is down to hours of tweeking with very little visable change. You notice that something is not quite working so you tweek it until you go mad. At the moment I am altering the A post line as something is not quite working. I think I now have the rear flip working on the tail and am starting to cut the model up into it's seperate panels which makes the world of difference. When it substantialy changes I'll post a new pic. I', looking forward to doing the textures which is what I am much better at. Once the shape is correct the textures will make it look real. I am working on a procedual texture which should have the same affect as paint that once the light hits it will give the same reflection and colour flip if there is one. I must say I am quite enjoying it at the moment.

Shouldn't be to long before it looks finnished.

[madmezza]

I'm impressed and disappointed at the same time! I've been wanting to do a model of my Esprit for a few years now, and a couple of weeks ago I finally go around to starting.

I wasn't going to pay anything - I started with POV, but now I'm on to YAFRay and Blender. I'm just starting to get to grips with Blender, I open up the forum today, and whadda I see...

You make it look so bloody easy!

I'm well impressed with your results. I still want to do mine, but it feels a little less worthwhile now!

If you've got any plans etc that you can share I would be grateful. I'm out with a tape measure building components in 3D at the moment.

Keep up the good work - looking forward to seeing it textured...

Rich

[Hairyarse]

Must be some PC game developers wanting to get their hands on that?!

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Ok I have tweeked the hell out of what you see here and on the whole it should be very accurate. I;m gonna work on the rear lights, rear bumper, rear valance, side air scoops (ears), wing mirrors and door handles next. I have spent hours moving things around and cutting new detail in most of which is barely noticable but makes a big difference overall. I still haven't hit it with a mesh smooth yet which bumps up the amount of squares the model is made from and gives it a much more refined finnish. I can't wai to finnish this of it is really going well and is proberbly the best model I have ever made.

anyhoo the pic

[madmezza]

Love it... keep it going!

[CarlC]

Troy,

This just gets better and better, Great work.

Just thought I'd post because I found your chassis picture very helpful in reference to working on my steering rack. The Service/parts manual doesnt show how the rack is mounted and I couldnt see bugger all from being under the car yesturday.

Many thanks,

Carl

[JRTurbo909]

this is awesome... great job...

i would love to see an S2 done if its not too difficult...

Shah

[Guest Troy Halliday]

It is practicaly an S2 at the moment you hve to add bits to make it a real Esprit