Who has built a kit car?
10 July 2002, 09:07 AM
#1
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I am planning on building a locost car http://www.locostcarclub.co.uk/ with a lot of help from my scooby mechanic as I have no knowledge experience of car mechanics what so ever and luckily my mechanic is up for helping me out (he knows how little I know and said he will teach me - must be mad 
)
Has anybody else built one of these locost cars or a similar type of car?
Has anyone with no knowledge/previous experience of mechanics built a car from scratch?
What advice would you give and was it worth the long journey to completion?
How much did you spend and was it lots more money that what you originally expected to spend?
Also anybody race their car as the main reason for me building the locost is to enter it in their race series?
Also anyone got any pics to put up on this post of their pride and joy after completion?
Any advice/suggestions/related stories welcome!
)Has anybody else built one of these locost cars or a similar type of car?
Has anyone with no knowledge/previous experience of mechanics built a car from scratch?
What advice would you give and was it worth the long journey to completion?
How much did you spend and was it lots more money that what you originally expected to spend?
Also anybody race their car as the main reason for me building the locost is to enter it in their race series?
Also anyone got any pics to put up on this post of their pride and joy after completion?
Any advice/suggestions/related stories welcome!
10 July 2002, 09:23 AM
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i am looking at building a mk indy using a honda fireblade engine, i know someone who built it in 3 months of just a few hours on a night but if you prepare all the bits first you can build it in a week working 9-5. my friend did his MK Indy Blade for 4500 and sold it for 7k
http://www.mkengineering.co.uk/
http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/bc/andy_mullin/lst?.dir=/MK+Indy+Blade&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3 a//photos.yahoo.com/
[Edited by dogmaul - 7/10/2002 9:26:04 AM]
http://www.mkengineering.co.uk/
http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/bc/andy_mullin/lst?.dir=/MK+Indy+Blade&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3 a//photos.yahoo.com/
[Edited by dogmaul - 7/10/2002 9:26:04 AM]
10 July 2002, 09:36 AM
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Nice one, I am gonna be getting the frame pre made and will probably buy it from mkengineering. I am expecting to take at least 12 months to build working on it just on Saturdays at my mechanics premises as I have no where to build it with scoob and motorbike at home.
I would go for the indy model but because I want to race I have to stick rigidly to the locost build plans. I bet it shifts with a fireblade engine in! Unfortunately I will be stuck to using an escort mkII 1.3 engine but will tune it to the max hopefully
I would go for the indy model but because I want to race I have to stick rigidly to the locost build plans. I bet it shifts with a fireblade engine in! Unfortunately I will be stuck to using an escort mkII 1.3 engine but will tune it to the max hopefully
10 July 2002, 09:57 AM
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Too much money, hope to build the locost one for less than 2k all in, can't afford the 4.5k your m8 spent on the indy blade unfortunately.
Plus I have bought the book for building the locost one based on the escort donor car and the bike engined car would be a totally different kettle of fish I should imagine.
Plus I have bought the book for building the locost one based on the escort donor car and the bike engined car would be a totally different kettle of fish I should imagine.
10 July 2002, 09:58 AM
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Almost totally rebuilt a Dutton, then helped my Dad put together a Pilgrim "Cobra". Read kit car mags avidly for 4 yrs.
Nothing fits, it's a question of how well you bodge it.
If you try to rush it, the quality of the final product will reflect it.
Takes WAY more time than you expect.
If you think mechanicals are bad, wait till you have to sort out the electrics. Most first-time builders forget about this aspect, and screw the electrics up as a result.
Use the manual as a cross between a bible and the last resort. if we followed our Pilgrim manual, we would have put the brake lines on AFTER the prop shaft - doh!
After all that - you learn a hell a lot, and if it ever goes wrong, you know how to fix it!
Do a search - someone asked this a few months ago, got some good answers.
HTH
BJH
Nothing fits, it's a question of how well you bodge it.
If you try to rush it, the quality of the final product will reflect it.
Takes WAY more time than you expect.
If you think mechanicals are bad, wait till you have to sort out the electrics. Most first-time builders forget about this aspect, and screw the electrics up as a result.
Use the manual as a cross between a bible and the last resort. if we followed our Pilgrim manual, we would have put the brake lines on AFTER the prop shaft - doh!
After all that - you learn a hell a lot, and if it ever goes wrong, you know how to fix it!
Do a search - someone asked this a few months ago, got some good answers.
HTH
BJH
10 July 2002, 10:05 AM
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the bike ones are easy to build just think a nice 6 speed sequential dog box 
and about 3.5 - 4 to 60 cheap tax and decent mpg also dirt cheap bits a clutch for the blade is £50 slightly cheaper than the scoob
and about 3.5 - 4 to 60 cheap tax and decent mpg also dirt cheap bits a clutch for the blade is £50 slightly cheaper than the scoob
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10 July 2002, 10:57 AM
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Thanks Brendan, yeah the whole idea of me taking on what is a mamouth task for me is to learn about cars etc. I am 29 now and know nothing about working on my car or motorbike and am a laughing stock at work with all the other lads who have at least a basic knowledge. So thought it was time to learn and building this car will be one of my biggest achievements if I manage it! Computers I understand, taking bits off of cars and putting them back, I have never fathomed out so this is my chance to sort that out.
I am in no rush to complete it, its the building thats the important bit to me and the whole idea is so that when it needs fixing I can do it myself because I put it together in the first place. Gonna be a complete nightmare I know, but can't wait to start work on it and get the frame etc.
DM I would love that sort of performance but like I said I really want to race in the locost series so have to stick to the original build plans/requirements. I have a bike anyway so already have that performance to hand, altho would be nice in a car
I am in no rush to complete it, its the building thats the important bit to me and the whole idea is so that when it needs fixing I can do it myself because I put it together in the first place. Gonna be a complete nightmare I know, but can't wait to start work on it and get the frame etc.
DM I would love that sort of performance but like I said I really want to race in the locost series so have to stick to the original build plans/requirements. I have a bike anyway so already have that performance to hand, altho would be nice in a car
10 July 2002, 11:07 AM
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im the same as you Bravo2zero pc's no probs the car is a different story but im 22 so the only way i can get that performance is in a kitcar as trying to get insurance on a blade for me involves a lot of laughing from the insurance bloke also i dont have a bike licence so that dont help
but im 22 so the only way i can get that performance is in a kitcar as trying to get insurance on a blade for me involves a lot of laughing from the insurance bloke also i dont have a bike licence so that dont help
10 July 2002, 11:12 AM
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My mate just built a Westfield Megabird and I helped hime with that.
A 450kg Lotus 7 replica, with an 1100cc Honda Blackbird engine giving 170bhp and a 6 speed sequential gearbox... nice!
Took it to a trackday at Elvington (nr York) on Saturday for it's first outing and sweet Jesus is it quick!!!
A 450kg Lotus 7 replica, with an 1100cc Honda Blackbird engine giving 170bhp and a 6 speed sequential gearbox... nice!
Took it to a trackday at Elvington (nr York) on Saturday for it's first outing and sweet Jesus is it quick!!!
10 July 2002, 11:56 AM
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it also doubles a spoiler or picnic table.
and what's the score with the scuba masks- are they under the illusion that a quick spin round the block will bring them untold amounts of tasty chicks in need of muff diving,me thinks not.
the car looks like runner up on scrap heap challenge.
and what's the score with the scuba masks- are they under the illusion that a quick spin round the block will bring them untold amounts of tasty chicks in need of muff diving,me thinks not.
the car looks like runner up on scrap heap challenge.
10 July 2002, 12:07 PM
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10 July 2002, 01:09 PM
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Why not ask Ian and Craig, who are busy building themselves one of the first Westfield XTR2 kits? http://www.xtr2.net
They're nice blokes, and should have plenty of advice to exchange for beer
A.
They're nice blokes, and should have plenty of advice to exchange for beer
A.
10 July 2002, 01:31 PM
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Ah, those were the days!
Still remember driving in my Dutton towards Richmond from Kingston, another Dutton pulled out in front of me, we had a bit of a chase before stopping to exchange the usual "what's it got under the bonnet?"
Bearing in mind that both mine and his had sidepipes, and that you can't hear much with the wind whistling in your ears at 40mph, what got me most of all was that, above all this, I could hear his bodywork squeaking as we went along
B20 - no knowledge at all??
Either be AMAZINGLY patient, or get a part-built kit which someone else has already given up on. Sad to say there are a lot around!
To me there was a big difference btwn normal car repairs, and kit-car building:
Normal car repairs; you dig around in an oily engine bay, getting crap over your hands and clothes, skinning your knuckles, rounding frozen nuts, until you get the offending piece to take off to the motor factor to swap for a recon unit.
Kit cars: you have nice, shiny, clean components (if old, washed in petrol) which you have to bolt together, but there is a gap between them and you don't know how on earth to close that gap, or if you are holding the right component (e.g. of course a Ford Fiesta wishbone doesn't fit, you're supposed to use a Vauxhall Corsa Mk II one, dummy).
Have fun! I don't regret for a minute the 4 yrs I had my Dutton on a student budget, digging round breakers' yards; and I don't regret working my butt off so I could buy a Terzo later!
BJH
Still remember driving in my Dutton towards Richmond from Kingston, another Dutton pulled out in front of me, we had a bit of a chase before stopping to exchange the usual "what's it got under the bonnet?"
Bearing in mind that both mine and his had sidepipes, and that you can't hear much with the wind whistling in your ears at 40mph, what got me most of all was that, above all this, I could hear his bodywork squeaking as we went along
B20 - no knowledge at all??
Either be AMAZINGLY patient, or get a part-built kit which someone else has already given up on. Sad to say there are a lot around!To me there was a big difference btwn normal car repairs, and kit-car building:
Normal car repairs; you dig around in an oily engine bay, getting crap over your hands and clothes, skinning your knuckles, rounding frozen nuts, until you get the offending piece to take off to the motor factor to swap for a recon unit.
Kit cars: you have nice, shiny, clean components (if old, washed in petrol) which you have to bolt together, but there is a gap between them and you don't know how on earth to close that gap, or if you are holding the right component (e.g. of course a Ford Fiesta wishbone doesn't fit, you're supposed to use a Vauxhall Corsa Mk II one, dummy
).Have fun! I don't regret for a minute the 4 yrs I had my Dutton on a student budget, digging round breakers' yards; and I don't regret working my butt off so I could buy a Terzo later!
BJH
10 July 2002, 01:37 PM
#28
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Brendan, yep absolutely know nothing about mechanics, couldn't even do an oil change
Hence I want to change that pathetic scenario and thankfully my mechanic is very much interested in building the car with me and basically teaching me what to do. He said it would be similar to doing an apprenticeship and I will learn loads. I am buying the frame as that much welding doesn't appeal to me and I would much prefer a professionally built frame for safety reasons.
It will be interesting if nothing else.
Hence I want to change that pathetic scenario and thankfully my mechanic is very much interested in building the car with me and basically teaching me what to do. He said it would be similar to doing an apprenticeship and I will learn loads. I am buying the frame as that much welding doesn't appeal to me and I would much prefer a professionally built frame for safety reasons.
It will be interesting if nothing else.
10 July 2002, 07:44 PM
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bravo,
consider this,
instead of spending the next 12 months of weekends knee deep in **** at scrapyard or in the garage building a
why not spend your time doing some overtime at work and scouring the kit car classifieds for an unfinished project. that way you end up with a decent motor that you can still put you own personal touches to.
there is a builder called sylva who make tidy cars, and if you are after the clubman race side of things, their cars have cleaned up the last few years in the kit car series.
http://www.sylva.co.uk/index.shtml
sorry to keep trying to p1ss on your chips, but i think you could better than a locost.
consider this,
instead of spending the next 12 months of weekends knee deep in **** at scrapyard or in the garage building a
why not spend your time doing some overtime at work and scouring the kit car classifieds for an unfinished project. that way you end up with a decent motor that you can still put you own personal touches to.
there is a builder called sylva who make tidy cars, and if you are after the clubman race side of things, their cars have cleaned up the last few years in the kit car series.
http://www.sylva.co.uk/index.shtml
sorry to keep trying to p1ss on your chips, but i think you could better than a locost.