Home Mechanics / Kit Car
-
Cool project , I had a client who built one with a 2 litre Toyota motor in it. I'm not sure what motor you're looking at but he went for that one for ease of getting parts and lots of bolt on stuff to make it go faster<br>
As far as advice goes all I can add is buy some of those magnetic dishes that auto parts stores sell. They are a huge help when it comes to not losing small parts .<br><br>
Can you weld ? I'm not sure if you have to do much welding on those but I did a night course s few years back which has come in handy . If you're like my client you'll finish it , swear you'll never do it again and a couple of years later start an ac cobra replica. -
<p>No welding experience apart from high school, but this project is purely a bolt-together thing. I've built a few radio control cars in my time from scratch, so I'm estimating it's going to be like this, but much bigger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm torn a bit on what car to get. All the advice I'm getting is 50/50 split straight down the middle on getting the cheapest, basic light one, vs getting a more performance one.</p> -
<p>I am in no way a car enthusiast, and have no interest in them beyond going from A to B.</p>
<p>But... this looks like a great project. Like big kids lego!</p>
<p>Does is come with instructions?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Baron Silas Greenback" data-cid="573966" data-time="1461291500">
<div>
<p>I am in i way a car enthusiast, and have no interest in them beyond going from A to B.</p>
<p>But... this looks like a great project. Like big kids lego!</p>
<p>Does is come with instructions?</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>If it doesn't, I am 100% completely and utterly fucked at the first hurdle.</p> -
23k when you're not chasing all the rust and crap out of a car you're restoring is probably a much better way to go. I think the kits dynacorn are making are much better than buying something to restore.<br><br>
Myself, I'd go with the budget build and upgrade down the track. A car like that is always going to have little bits and pieces you want improve anyway . -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Baron Silas Greenback" data-cid="573966" data-time="1461291500"><p>this looks like a great project. Like big kids lego!<br>
Does is come with instructions?</p></blockquote>
<br>
About the same price as Lego too! -
<p>I know plenty of people who have built cars, RX2s and 3's, Skylines, Silvias, old Falcons, Toranas etc and admire the work they have done...would like to think I could do it, but I think I'd be kidding myself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cost of these projects always far outweigh any financial reward if you end up having to sell it, but then that aint why most do it anyway!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="573962" data-time="1461289006">
<div>
<p>I'm torn a bit on what car to get. All the advice I'm getting is 50/50 split straight down the middle on getting the cheapest, basic light one, vs getting a more performance one.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Depends on the price for each part. If the suspension and brakes are the same, you could worry about an engine swap down the line which is actually cheap considering. As someone who has spent spent more sums than a sane person on modifying cars, the adage do it once properly comes to mind - it ends up being cheaper.</p> -
<p>Crucial - Yep. I'll take you for a spin in it down the line, just remember though, this is a performance car that I built ...</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="antipodean" data-cid="573982" data-time="1461295725">
<div>
<p>Depends on the price for each part. If the suspension and brakes are the same, you could worry about an engine swap down the line which is actually cheap considering. As someone who has spent spent more sums than a sane person on modifying cars, the adage do it once properly comes to mind - it ends up being cheaper.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>The seven-160 which is only 17k is a different setup to the 270/360/420. So if you get that, I think you are sort of limited in what you can do to upgrade that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The 270/360/420 range is upgraded everything, as they are more performance cars. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is where I get lost, as I really do think I should probably just get the 160, build it, enjoy it, drive it and have some fun. But I know as soon as that's done I'll have one eye on the performance models. All the advice I look up seems to be straight down the middle on what to do!</p> -
-
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="574006" data-time="1461301846">
<div>
<p>The wheels go on the bottom.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>You would spend days looking for the solar panel.</p> -
<p>Well, chances are I wouldn't buy a petrol car anyway. Electric drive train much simpler to construct.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>MR - looks like a hell of a lot of fun. Great project for an old bloke ;)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A mate of mine was looking at the Caterham. Fucking fantastic power/weight ratio.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But he has money, so he settled on an Elfin MS8 clubman. Open wheeler, with a Commodore V8 in it. Goes like a scalded cat.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="574020" data-time="1461305710">
<div>
<p>Well, chances are I wouldn't buy a petrol car anyway. Electric drive train much simpler to construct.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>MR - looks like a hell of a lot of fun. Great project for an old bloke ;)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A mate of mine was looking at the Caterham. Fucking fantastic power/weight ratio.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But he has money, so he settled on an Elfin MS8 clubman. Open wheeler, with a Commodore V8 in it. Goes like a scalded cat.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Yeah, I had looked at this. It's basically the same thing x2. Twice the weight, twice the power.. Thus simliar performance.</p> -
<p>A few years back I was thinking of a Lotus 7 kit-car - they manufacture these in Auckland</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.fraser.co.nz/the-car/'>http://www.fraser.co.nz/the-car/</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Problem is, with all the stupid high 4WD vehicles around today, I wouldn't want to drive one on the road - cars would just not see you and drive straight over you</p> -
<p>I would love to do one of these,<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dynacorn.com/'>http://www.dynacorn.com/</a> they are 1mm galv steel and right hand drive is an option on some models. </p>
-
<p>Good luck with your build. For anyone interested the history of these comes from Lotus. Colin Chapman sold the 7's in Kit form to get around UK taxes at the time. Then Caterham bought the IP from Lotus and have been offering these in various engine formats for years - mostly factory built.</p>
<p>They would be great in NZ - a real drivers car for our type of roads where people start thinking the world will end if you do over 150kph.</p>
<p>I have a 2 litre Toyota race engine that pulls like a school boy, if you want a high performance engine. Located in the UK though so would cost you quite a bit to get to NZ.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="cat meat" data-cid="574092" data-time="1461313880">
<div>
<p>Good luck with your build. For anyone interested the history of these comes from Lotus. Colin Chapman sold the 7's in Kit form to get around UK taxes at the time. Then Caterham bought the IP from Lotus and have been offering these in various engine formats for years - mostly factory built.</p>
<p>They would be great in NZ - a real drivers car for our type of roads where people start thinking the world will end if you do over 150kph.</p>
<p>I have a 2 litre Toyota race engine that pulls like a school boy, if you want a high performance engine. Located in the UK though so would cost you quite a bit to get to NZ.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>I'll be building it in Surrey so all good from that perspective!</p>