A goal central to the creation of the L6B kit is to provide a vehicle with truly amazing performance for both street and racing applications in which all aspects of ownership provide high levels of enjoyment. Once built, it must be easy to maintain and to tune for performance. For track use, it must be fast and easy to make changes such as spring rates, ride height, wheel alignment, etc.

Equally important, if not more so, is that it must be fun to build! So many existing kits presume a very high level of expertise on the part of the builder and provide a minimal set of assembly instructions. Also, many kits have stages which are extremely difficult to assemble or require the builder to do part of the design work. For instance, some kits require cutting and welding. Many kit builders have commented that the electrical system wiring is the most difficult part of the assembly, whether aircraft or car kits. As described later in this update, the installation of the L6B electrical system has been made much easier and virtually foolproof by the use of preassembled modules and plug-in cable assemblies.

The L6B philosophy is to provide the builder with a completed design, ready for simple assembly using tools available in a reasonable tool kit (open-end wrenches, socket sets, allen keys, screwdrivers, torque wrench, cordless drill, etc). In a few cases assembly can be greatly facilitated by the use of special tools. Wherever that is the case, the tool is provided in the kit. Many of these are made by Lawrence Technologies and a few are purchased from a third party.

The L6B kit can be purchased in whatever form is most convenient for the purchaser. The least expensive form of the kit is as one entire package. Some purchasers who do not have the space to store all the parts during construction or who do not have enough cash to purchase the kit all at once can buy as many stages as desired at a time. The kit will be available initially in both Canada (directly from Lawrence Technologies) and the United States (from its Distributor) to alleviate the nuisance of customs clearance for the purchaser.

L6B is still a work in progress. We do not yet know exactly how many stages there will be in the final product. As of now (Sept. 2006) seven stages are complete (including the Assembly Manual) and are described below. It is expected that the final split will divide the kit into about 14 stages. We feel that more than 85% of the overall L6B design is complete and production tooling is not far behind.

If you are a potential builder and would like to know just what parts are included in each of the Stages and what assembly is required, the following kit descriptions will be of interest. These are the Stages for which the design is complete and the production tooling has been fabricated and proven.

Stage 1 - Tubular Spaceframe Kit

This stage comprises the basic structural components of the L6B frame. The assembly time is very modest since the spaceframe is factory welded. The only assembly required is the installation of a few removable components as discussed below.

The L6B Tubular Spaceframe is supplied completely welded and epoxy coated, with all body mount tabs, suspension mounting points, engine mounts, radiator mounts and other brackets and fittings in place. No additional welding is required to complete assembly of the vehicle.

Three parts of the Frame are removable to facilitate engine/transaxle installation. These are the Rear Crosstube and the Roll Cage Upper and Lower Stays. Other than the installation of these items, no other assembly is required to complete the Tubular Spaceframe.

Stage 2 - Cockpit Sheet Metal Kit

Although most of the visible L6B bodywork is fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), a significant portion of the chassis is covered in aluminum alloy. These areas include the belly pan, the front bulkhead, the cockpit liner and the firewall. Stage 2 includes all the sheet metal components, supplied cut to shape with all necessary bends preformed, ready for installation.

Assembly consists of placing the sheet metal components in the proper location then drilling and riveting the components to the Tubular Spaceframe. This installation is made much easier by the use of Cleco® temporary fasteners. A set of these devices and the installation tool are included in the kit. By the conclusion of this stage, the Tubular Spaceframe looks more like a chassis, sans suspension components and wheels. Stage 2 components not only provide protection to the vehicle occupants and components but also significantly improve chassis torsional stiffness, which in turn enhances the effectiveness of suspension adjustments.

Even people who have never "popped a rivet" and who might feel intimidated by the prospect of doing so without a mentor for the first time will find that this is an easy and fun stage to assemble. The assembly instructions are so clearly written that you can be confident in your ability to get this done and have fun doing it!

Stage 3 - Suspension Arms and Steering Kit

The L6B is designed with independent suspension, both front and rear. Unequal length tubular wishbones (often called A-arms or control arms) are used to control the wheel camber as the wheels move up and down. Aerospace quality spherical rod ends are used as upper and lower ball joints and to anchor the wishbones to the frame. All rod ends are installed in clevises to load the attachment bolts in double shear. This provides a much stronger and more reliable attachment than the cantilevered bolts used in most production vehicles. All suspension attachments are installed with aircraft quality "AN" bolts.

The Stage 3 Kit includes wishbones, uprights, spherical rodends, a high-quality racecar steering rack (with mounts), tie rods, and all required nuts and bolts. The kit also includes a custom tool kit comprising four dummy shock absorbers (for use during assembly only), Loctite®, and a Bump Steer Gauge. This kit does not include shock absorbers, anti-roll bars and associated components or the steering shaft. These components will be provided in subsequent kits.

Stage 4 - Wheel Hubs & Brakes Kit

The L6B uses Porsche C2 rear wheel bearings and hubs for both the front and the rear wheels. The bearings are installed in custom machined aluminum alloy bearing cages and secured to the L6B Uprights with high strength alloy socket head capscrews.

At the rear, each wheel hub is pressed into its bearing by tightening the axle nut onto the rear stub axle which is part of the outboard constant velocity joint on the halfshaft. Installation at the front is identical except that a special stub axle (machined from part of a Porsche outboard CV joint) is provided.

The Stage 4 kit includes four 4-piston calipers, two handbrake calipers, bearing cages, wheel bearings, front stub axles, specially machined brake hats & rotors and mounting hardware. It also includes custom tools: Wheel Hub Installation tool, temporary stub axle, Wheel Hub Wrench and temporary lug nuts.

Stage 5 - Pedals & Plumbing Kit

To optimize the brake feel for racing applications, brake operation is strictly manual (i.e. without power assist). For drivers used to power brakes, this may require some getting used to and, at first, it may appear that braking is inadequate. It should be noted, however, that the braking capability of the L6B is far superior to that of a typical road car… it just requires a greater push on the brake pedal to achieve the desired braking force. Consequently, driver control over the braking effort is much improved and the probability of inadvertently locking-up the brakes is greatly reduced.

Similarly, as in most racing applications, to ensure that the driver (not an onboard computer) is in full control of the braking effort, anti-lock braking is not incorporated. To permit balancing the front/rear braking forces, two essentially independent master cylinders are used (one for the front brakes and one for the rear). A single brake pedal exerts force on the master cylinders via a balance bar. The ratio of the front to rear braking forces is adjusted by moving the location on the balance bar where the pedal force is applied. The front/rear brake bias is cockpit adjustable by a knob on the instrument panel.

Stage 5 includes all hydraulic brake lines and fittings, the cockpit portion of the clutch line, remote brake bias adjuster, all pedals, three master cylinders, two residual pressure valves, fluid reservoirs, hoses and mounting hardware.

Stage 6 - Springs, Shocks & Anti-Roll Bars Kit

Even though the term "shock absorber" is a gross misnomer for the devices that should be referred to as "dampers", it has become so ingrained in the North American vernacular that we're stuck with it. Therefore, the term shock absorber or shock is used throughout our Assembly Manual and other literature.

However, the suspension control element that many manufacturers insist on calling a "sway bar" will be referred to by the more proper and descriptive expression "anti-roll bar".

The L6B uses a very conventional (i.e. conventional for racing and high performance cars) coil-over spring and shock suspension system. This allows the springs and shocks to be changed easily to suit a particular driver or application.

An L6B can be assembled with many combinations of springs and shocks. We have a recommended combination that is supplied in this stage. If a purchaser desires different springs or shocks with more adjustability, alternatives can be accommodated.

Stage 6 includes, springs, shock absorbers, shims, anti-roll bars, nylon bearings, anti-roll bar tie rods, and mounting hardware (fasteners, washers, nuts, etc.). A coil-over shock wrench, required for making ride height adjustments, is also included in the kit.

Stage 7 - Handbrake & Steering Completion Kit

The Handbrake System on the L6B is designed and sized as a parking brake only. It is not an "emergency brake". Like the ancillary braking systems on most production vehicles, it is not intended to stop (or even significantly decelerate) a vehicle traveling at normal road speed. It will, however, hold the car from rolling when parked on a grade.

To keep the unsprung weight to a minimum, the handbrake calipers selected for the L6B are very small and light. However, when coupled to the relatively large diameter brake rotors, they work surprisingly well, meeting U.S. and Canadian federal regulations.

For ease of assembly, the Handbrake Calipers were installed in Stage 4. Stage 7 includes components needed for the installation of the handbrake lever, the handbrake switch, the handbrake cables, balance bar, steering shafts, steering universal joints, the steering wheel and quick- release hub.

With the completion of Stage 7, the L6B requires only the wheels and tires to become a rolling chassis ready to accept the engine and transaxle.

Remaining Stages

Grouping components and assembly tasks into stages is rather arbitrary, hence it is rather difficult to predict exactly how the remaining assemblies will be grouped together prior to completing the Assembly Manual. The following represents our best guess as to how the remaining stages might be kitted and sequenced. This is subject to change as the Assembly Manual is completed.

It should be noted that virtually all of the design work for these stages has been finalized, prototype parts have been fabricated and much of the production tooling is available but a stage is not considered complete until the Assembly Manual has been written and tested.

Stage 8 - Fuel System

Stage 9 - Electrical System

Stage 10 - Engine and Drive Train

Stage 11 - Shift linkage

Stage 12 - Seats and Safety Harness

Stage 13 - Body

Stage 14 - Sheet Metal Completion

Items Not Included in the L6B Kit

Anyone who has ever assembled a Kit Car realizes that it is important to know what is included in "The Kit". Equally important (or perhaps even more important) is knowing what is not included in the kit.

By industry standards, the L6B kit is considered very complete in that it includes a large number of purpose-designed and fabricated components (so the assembler does not have to make or modify parts) and all the various hard-to-find hardware items. Like most kits, however, it does not include some of the higher cost items such as the engine and transaxle. There are two reasons for this:

1. Financial: If we purchased these items and had them shipped to us, then marked them up and shipped them to you, then your cost would be considerably higher. This is not a good use of our time or your money.

2. Choices: There are so many options available that the selection becomes a matter of personal choice. Personalizing your L6B is another one of the intangible rewards you get from building your own car.

Examples of items not included are discussed below.

Engine

The choice of engine may be influenced as much by personal preference as by performance requirements and application. There are two categories of engine choice, each with its own sub-categories.

The first broad category comprises engines that naturally fit the L6B engine mounts without modification. These are engines based on the traditional 350 c.i. Small Block Chevy. It is expected that most builders will opt for this engine with its drop-in, bolt-up convenience. Within this category, some customers will assemble their own engine from the immense offering of after-market parts. The 350 block is the most supported engine block in the world for after-market components. Other customers may choose to procure a preassembled and tested crate engine.

The second broad category comprises engines for which the L6B engine mounts were not specifically designed. Depending on the particular choice of engine, installation may be relatively simple or it may require some cutting and welding. For example, fitting a Corvette LS1 aluminum block engine could potentially save a bit of weight and would require minimal changes to the engine mounts. Installing a Ford 302 or 351 c.i. engine would require more significant modifications.

Whether you build your own or buy a completed engine, there is a wide variety of peak torque/power options available. Most of our computer modeling has been performed based on an engine with the Edelbrock Performer RPM EFI system. A crate engine using that system is available from a number of suppliers, (e.g. Summit Racing Equipment in Acron Ohio). While we might favour some crate engines over others we have no reason to expect that any one will be easier or more difficult to install than any other.

Transaxle

Most customers will likely adopt the recommended modified Porsche G50-01 (short) transaxle available directly from our supplier. It is modified with additional oil passages to permit the inverted mounting position, which lowers the L6B center of gravity (inverting the transaxle lowers the engine by almost 5 inches). This transaxle has a 5-speed gearbox and an open differential. Several types of limited slip differentials are available for the baseline and optional transaxles. Extensive computer modeling has shown that with the recommended engine (Edelbrock EFI-based) there is essentially no performance difference between 5-speed and 6-speed gearbox due to the extremely wide power band of the engine. The gains you get from tighter gear ratios are lost in the time taken to perform the extra shift operation.

Other Porsche gearboxes, also available from our supplier and similarly modified for inverted mounting position, can be made to fit if you have your heart set on a 6-speed. These will protrude further out of the rear of the L6B, which will require you to make some chassis and body modifications. Other gearboxes could be chosen such as those from Quaife or Hewland, but this could force you to dig much deeper into the piggy bank.

Another consideration is the selection of gear ratios. The standard transaxle has an excellent set of ratios that can provide stunning acceleration and a top speed just shy of 160 mph with a 6200 RPM engine red line. While this is more than enough for most people's taste, some racing applications may require a higher top speed. This can be achieved with the recommended transaxle by changing the gear set (with substantial cost adder) or by selecting one of the longer transaxles (lesser cost adder but will require chassis modifications). For non-racing applications, you can eliminate some of the transaxle upgrades with a corresponding cost saving.

The Assembly Manual will include a comprehensive description of transaxle alternatives, specifications, recommended sources and additional information to facilitate the selection of a transaxle. With so many options, it becomes obvious why the transaxle is not included in the kit.

Wheels and Tires

After searching the "world" for wheels, we have settled on Kodiak Motorsports as our preferred wheel supplier. The wheels are all racing style 3-piece, 18 inch diameter. The front wheels can accommodate up to a 265mm wide tire. We have mounted 245mm and 265mm tires on our first two L6Bs, respectively. These widths represent the range that should be optimal. The 245's will induce more understeer than the 265's. The 265's, combined with shorter sidewall, should be basically neutral. The rear wheels are sized for a 335mm wide tire. There is no good reason to reduce the rear tire width if you desire high performance. A number of fundamental wheel dimensions must be carefully specified to ensure proper fit and avoid interference with suspension components, concentric components, frame and body. While you can purchase wheels using our specifications from any supplier, we have only verified the correctness of the dimensions with Kodiak's wheel specification method. You can chose from among multiple styles of wheel that can be made to the proper specifications.

The numerous rubber compounds available complicate tire choice. You don't generally get to select the rubber compound other than by choosing a particular manufacturer and model of tire. Our first L6Bs are combined street and racing models, equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport tires (335/30ZR18 rear, 265/35ZR18 or 245/40ZR18 front). This choice was made after consultation with Michelin's racing tire engineers and performing our own computer modeling. (It also didn't hurt that Tire Rack had a blowout sale on exactly those Michelin rear tires just at the time we needed some!) The Michelin Sport Cup tires are an interesting alternative that will probably wear out more quickly but should provide more grip. If we were using these first L6Bs purely for racing we would obviously select racing slicks and rain tires instead.

Tires are being improved year by year. In making your own choice, you should seriously consider anything available in the desired sizes and pay particular attention to the latest designs. The manufacturers of these top-end tires are all good and the performance differences from one brand to another are generally quite small. You almost can't go wrong with any choice at these wide sizes. The Tire Rack is a good place to start looking. Their published test results can be very helpful in identifying and quantifying the subtle differences in high performance tires.

Aesthetic and Luxury Items

You can obviously decorate your L6B any way you like. The body sections are supplied in white gelcoat, intended to be primed and painted. You can expect that the most frequent question you will receive from friends or family once they find out that you are building your own car is "what colour will you paint it?"

For many racing enthusiasts, the notion of adding luxury items to a performance vehicle is horrifying. However, we fully expect that some customers will want to customize their L6Bs with the latest gizmos and we would be doing a disservice if we didn't support that. Regarding the interior, the kit only includes the essentials for vehicle control and tuning and rudimentary ventilation. The remainder, such as cockpit heating and cooling, GPS, radar detector, entertainment system and communications system, is left to the builder. However, provisions are made in the electrical system to support a large number of these items. For example, the steering wheel has a Radio push-to-talk (PTT) button. In a racing application, this enables the driver to communicate with the pit crew without lifting a hand off the steering wheel. In a street application, this button can be used for anything else you want, such as control of a cell phone or a scan/next/pause button for an entertainment system. How you use it is up to you. We provide a relay contact that is controlled by that steering wheel switch. This is but one of many features of the electrical system designed to allow easy customization of the L6B.

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