The people at Lister Bell got their hands on some special made parts and upgrades.
At this point the decision was made to upgrade the radiator to a larger aluminium cored unit which also has the benefit of accepting 12 inch radiator fans. To avoid ‘greenhouse effect’ in the cockpit an AC unit was added to provide fresh air.
The front brake got an upgrade to a 2 piece 300 mm disc and bell arrangement.
One-off piece fabricated pieces include: horn mount, rack boot, battery tray, front caliper mounts.
Lancia Stratos LB Project: Upgrades & Custom made parts
July 4, 2014Painting Strobe Stripes – Road Runner Concept – Chapter 13
May 17, 2014
Last week the Road Runner got the characteristic Strobe Stripes painted.
The process started by masking the stripes layout. A Road Runner character was added to match the concept drawings. Dark brown metallic paint was sprayed on to the roof. A couple of days later masking tapes were removed. And the result is very pleasing.
The next step is color standing to give the paint surface smooth and high shine.
Interior Design – Road Runner Concept – Chapter 12
April 1, 2014
The body/exterior of the Road Runner is now quite far in the process. Time to pay attention to the interior design!
Fresh components from aftermarket and donor items from several cars will be picked to create a modern-day looking interior. The seats come from a Chrysler Crossfire while the center console is taken from a Nissan 350 Z. All covered in black and light grey leather.
Push Button Ignition and other electronic features complement the interior layout.
In the next step the mentioned interior elements will be installed and the design layout sent to the upholsterer.
Instruments – Road Runner Concept – Chapter 11
March 7, 2014
The Road Runner gets special instruments.
At first a Layout/Design was made with the characteristic Road Runner Head being integrated with the Speedometer and REV Counter. The design was sent to Speedhut. These people are specialized in custom gauges and made the dials according to the layout.
A Blast from the Past – Magazine Features
January 22, 2014
Just had a look into my magazine collection and dug out several publications featuring Design Storys and Artist Profiles on “Michael Leonhard”:
+ Airbrush Art & Action (German)
+ Airbrush Art Magazine (Italian)
+ Chrom & Flammen US Car Magazine (German)
+ Chrom & Flammen US Car Magazine (Czech)
+ Super VW Magazine (French)
Lister Bell Stratos – Autocar Test
December 9, 2013Autocar Magazine UK did a nice review of the first turn-key Lister Bell Stratos:
The video gives an idea how our Lancia Stratos LB Project will appear and drive like when it’s finished. Watch out!
Lancia Stratos LB Project: Starting to become a Stratos
April 23, 2013
Recently, I visited Lister Bell in order to check the progress of my Stratos. At this stage things are starting to gain shape now …
Chassis work was already finished some time ago. And suspension & the brake system were installed. The 2.5 V6 is also in place. The specially-made engine covers look great on the engine, as well – just like in the design sketch.
I am very impressed by the build quality – Craig is not a man of half measures. All parts are being made on a very high standard.
Some of the body parts are still in the mold but should be finished very soon. Wheels have been ordered and should arrive soon. The same goes for the interior which is currently being upholstered …
Disc Brakes – Road Runner Concept – Chapter 10
March 29, 2013
A Road Runner not only wants to run fast but also needs to brake that way, if necessary – and this can be done via a convenient Disc Brake System.
At first, King Hardeman intended to go with 11” Disc Brakes. But he quickly experienced that 11” rotors look very small. And that therefore, 13” discs would be the right choice. The Calipers were grinded smoothly and powder coated in body color.
As a result, the Brake System perfectly stuffs these one-off Boyd Coddington 19” Wheels (on the front axle) now.
Creating an Illuminated Road Runner Head Logo – Chapter 9
December 19, 2012The Road Runner Concept designs call for an illuminated Road Runner head at the front – behind the smoked cover/grille. The implementation was quite a challenge but King Hardeman managed it!
King started with a thick (15 mm) piece of oval shaped clear acrylic. The back was sprayed flat black and then the Road Runner head was deeply etched on it. Further a frame and body for the unit was created with blue LED lights integrated.
After some fine-tuning on shape and function the Road Runner Head is now ready to do it’s work behind the smoked glass/grille.
Lancia Stratos LB Project: Designing the Shift Knob
November 4, 2012The original Lancia Stratos wooden gear knob does not really fit on the 6-speed Alfa Romeo gear lever as the Alfa Romeo shift stick has a lockout mechanism (for reverse gear). So it’s pretty hard to find an item with the correct structural layout and furthermore looks similar to the original Stratos shift knob.
Due to these reasons the consequence was the creation of an own design. Lister Bell provided measurements that were considered for the shift knobs’ styling.
Design-wise the new gear knob should reflect the shape of the original combined with purism as it can be seen on gear knobs of older Ferraris and other 70s sports cars.
Design sketches, 3D data and technical drawings were created and then sent to a factory specialized in the production of metal & aluminium parts. A few weeks later the shift knob was ready. It came out exactly as instructed: New Design/Shape – finished off in black anodized aluminium with a slightly engraved shift pattern.
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