constraints

So, everyone starting out on the Locost trek starts out with "the book." In addition, I have been referancing the Tiger Avon build book, the (nearly useless if you know much about cars) "how to build a cheap sports car" book, the "locost build manual" available on CD-ROM, Chassis Engineering by Adams and how to make your car handle by Puhl. All good stuff, and my research has lead me to a few modifications on the book chassis:

-Taller sidewalls. The book scuttle is <12" from the floor, and my feet are closer to 13" long.
-Wider chassis. I'm big, what can I say?
-IRS. I like the Avon chassis for this, though I have Miata stuff so I'll use it instead of the Merkur.
-Front of the chassis re-design. Yuck. The Avon lower arms mount so much better to the chassis, I'm going to use something more like that, but with Opel Manta spindles.
-Cabin floor and firewall. The book chassis ends the floor where the back of the bell-housing is, I plan on running it all the way to the front of the bell-housing.
-Mid-plate motor-mount. I'll never be able to hear anything anyway, so I'm going to use a mid-plate, like race cars, but have it bolted to the front of the firewall down each side. This should, depending on how the top "shelf" over the foot wells end-up allow the tranny tunnel to be completely closed off from the engine bay. I might then use it for heater ducting, haven't decided yet.
-Better triangulation. There's a lot of chassis bars meeting off-set from true triangulation for no apparant reason. G1 and G2, for example, run along the oil pan, below the block and starter, so there is no reason they can't connect directly to where the tranny tunel lower bars meet C. Same with where M2 and N2 meet on K2, they should all be in the same place.
-Wierd round bars- What's with the mystery changes in materials? Keep it all the same, then upholster and pad so no sharp corners to hit against. I'm OK with a few pounds of vinyl and carpet underlayment.
-Coilovers. Too darn expensive. Going to use either Miata or Civic rear struts, used and cheap of course, or transverse leaf springs if I can make room. An Opel Kadett or GT front spring should be just about ideal on either end, and would transmit load to the chassis better than the book upper strut locations.