The Lotus Elise story you've never heard ! [Making the Nichols N1A - Ep 2]

In Episode 2 of my Making the Nichols N1A we take a look at the first production chassis and tell a story about the development of the Lotus Elise you will have never heard !
I talk to Bob Mustard from Stalcom who is a leader in the field of bonded aluminium extrusion car chassis construction about his fascinating career and his work on the Nichols N1A chassis. We link Land Rover, the Lotus Elise, Aston Martin, the electric London taxi and the N1A. Then we get to take a look at the first production chassis before it gets shipped to the next stage of assembly.
If you haven’t seen Episode 1…
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For more information on Nichols Cars and the N1A click this link...
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#PetrolPed #Automotive #NicholsN1A

[@PetrolPed]

What else would you like to know about the Nichols N1A ?

[@francoisg3500]

A comparison with the McLaren M1A that inspired it. There should be a few of those at the Goodwood MM this weekend.

[@jonathanknight8251]

I’d like to know more about the thinking related to vehicle dynamics/handling, e.g. weight distribution, suspension geometry/damping, goals and methods for steering, etc.

[@mattb8734]

Be nice to see a video when its complete ped,and is it going to be a lotus elise size car when it is finished 🤔 😀

[@whaddayawant2197]

The comparison of welded components to the bonded components

[@HawkMillFarm]

Really interesting. Not sure how many views you'll get but for more serious thinkers this type of interview is so educational. Please keep these going.

[@PetrolPed]

Not as many as it deserves 😢

[@teodorosanchez1947]

Wow, what an interesting chat. I from here, Spain, usually follow a spanish ingenieur youtuber. From a mere amateur point of view (i.e mine) i find these kind of different "programs" are really formatif and help to understand a lot of things other than just power and acceleration. So congratulations for this episode. Thank you Peter.

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@michaelanderson3771]

Fascinating application and joining system.
Heat cure with powder-coating cure is smart time and cost saving.
Super ingenious.
The Honda NSX was also bonded Aluminium from memory.

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@global_nomad.]

Thanks Bob for taking the time to talk to PP , and us, about this work. would be good to know a little more about structural design (and compromises) in relation to body work defining chassis or vice versa particularly in relation to regulations. As a design educator I'm always trying to get my students to understand that you cannot always do what you want due to the parameters and hoops required by regs and standards.

[@PetrolPed]

Glad you enjoyed it. Difficult to get everything in 😬

[@themittonmethod1243]

I remember way back in the day, Walter Treser and his T1 using hydroformed (controlled deformation) aluminum chassis components bonded together.. history in the making is great to see! cheers!

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@briangriffiths114]

I was imagining the Nichols N1A with one of Moggie's TESLA based EV drivetrains during the interview.

[@mattb8734]

Just astonishing whot technology can do nowerdays this is awesome loved this ped found really interesting 💥🚗

[@PetrolPed]

Indeed. Glad you enjoyed it. I’d like it to get more views 😬

[@michaelstaunton1632]

This video was good,really really good !! Great insight, informative & so interesting brilliant job , looking forward to the next part already 👍👍

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks Michael 👍

[@tomasjones3755]

MIND OFFICIALLY BLOWN. Thanks, Mate. Excellent vid

[@PetrolPed]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@alasdairwilson4806]

Very interesting vid,more please.Looking forward to the next episode.

[@PetrolPed]

The next one should be ace 👍

[@davehayes3863]

Another great video, feels a privilege to have such a great insight on the journey of this car. Looking forewords to the next instalment.

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks Dave 👍

[@famjsnoek]

Great video, makes you humble to see the work of these excellent craftsmen. Would love to see and hear you drive this car on a nice track.

[@PetrolPed]

That will happen 👊

[@hugong8518]

Great Series!

[@timmartin7468]

Well worth watching. Amazing tech. Thanks Ped.

[@PetrolPed]

Cheers Tim 👍

[@mark_just_mark]

Evening all...part 2!

[@georgedaville4662]

Another top notch interview with one of Great Britain’s great innovators. Could have listened to him for an hour, so much knowledge. The sad thing is we Brits tend to sell or give away our technology! What happened to the great manufacturing nation we were? ☹️

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks George 👍

[@willstillo72]

Great video. Always fascinates me when i see things being built and the technology in them.

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@zanejesser8040]

I loved this. Very cool!

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@robertgreig9936]

Great part two!

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@user-jg6vi4cd7v]

learned a lot here ! awesome the development that goes into these!

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks Richard 👍

[@guylambrechts2303]

Again a great video!!

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks Guy 👍

[@garrymatthews4430]

Pete that is such a great video for tech heads like me, what a technique. Thanks!!

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks Garry 👍

[@ginggur17]

Hello Sir, now this was an eye opener. 👍

[@PetrolPed]

Amazing guy 👍

[@KCnLex]

Fascinating, would love to see it actually in a production/assembly process.

[@PetrolPed]

Hope to show that in the coming weeks 👍

[@mrmawson2438]

You learn something new everyday lotus and land rover

[@ScenesThroughTravels]

Awesome video

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 🙏🏻

[@smurph1962]

Evening All tgippf 🍻great piece again in the series Peter , well done 👍

[@PetrolPed]

Cheers Paul 👍

[@brynwj68]

Proper Todd stuff! 👍

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@megedenava]

Please don’t forget the Vauxhall VX220 🙏🏼

[@modscotsman]

Great video. I know Bob well he's a topbloke

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@dickiemcvitie1752]

Can’t wait to see the finished product….. What did he say about Vintage Voltage..???

[@PetrolPed]

He loves it of course 😜

[@mrmawson2438]

Hello mate 👍

[@johnmull59]

Top quality video Pete....it stopped me watching The Masters.

[@PetrolPed]

Wow…I’ll take that 👊

[@tr3204]

Where can we find out about this product, is it available to individuals who want to use it?

[@PetrolPed]

Do you mean the N1A ?

[@tr3204]

@@PetrolPed with Stalcom and their aluminium chassis.

[@baccattack]

Very interesting 👍 Extruded aluminium also commonly used for sim rigs, a nice tie in for you there.

[@gothicpagan.666]

Great series, In reality, a unitary construction for land rover was not viable. What it required was to change the vehicle that land rover was. I.e. no where for a PTO to run a saw bench, no way to run a hydraulic pump to run 20 tonne winches mounted front and rear on the x member, the list goes on. Just a different vehicle.

[@francoisg3500]

Evening all on board a flight headed to Canada. Will watch this video in full later. Hope everyone is doing well? 😊

[@ScenesThroughTravels]

Safe flight Sir 👍

[@francoisg3500]

@@ScenesThroughTravels Cheers! 👍🏻

[@thomassieben4949]

Thank you a lot for sharing all the details. It was really interesting to get to know the thoughts behind the design choices.
What shocked me a bit was to see that the presented joints seemed to be optimal for pulling forces only. Bending or shearing forces seemed not to be optimally accounted for even though at some shown joints they would occur.
So, a bit more honesty partly about some chosen solutions being due to cost savings instead of - kind of- illustrating them being the best solution from a structural view would have given the presentation more sincereness.

[@richb326]

The Elise and other mentioned vehicle manufacturers use flow drill screws and not rivets. Much more time efficient in factory production with no requirement for predrilled holes in the aluminium box section.

[@thomassieben4949]

I cannot see why going into the risk of using powder coating instead of anodizing the parts before other than saving costs. There is no stronger or more reliable bonding substrate then an anodized surface in case of aluminium.
Honestly, at that point in the video, I was finally at "ok, you are just doing what everybody with a cad program and some space could do himslef at home". Sorry for being so harsh.

[@bigasdickas]

I have shared the video with the insomnia society, should get your views up ...👍

[@PetrolPed]

Simple answer mate…don’t watch 🤷‍♂️

[@bigasdickas]

@@PetrolPed what makes you think I watched it all.........l fell asleep