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Buying a Starter Kit
Ron86 - 20/9/17 at 06:37 PM

Thought I'd spark a little debate about some of the 7 starter kits that are out there.

I'm looking to start a new build and feel a little misled by some of the manufacturers' pricing. While there are many more to consider, for me it's come down to the GBS Zero, MK Indy R and the Westfield MDV SEIW.

Now, many will be tempted to shout about the Westfield being the best car and I have little doubt about this. Plus, at £4510 (+320 for powder coat) it actually seems a decent deal. However one should consider that no shock absorbers are included in the price and options like detachable arches cost another £250.

The Zero is undoubtedly a great car - I've owned and driven one. However, whilst the base kit can be had for as little as £2345, if you want a wide body (like I do - because there is an irritating brace right where your right knee goes) and powder coat, this suddenly becomes £3224 (again excluding shocks).

The MK Indy is also a great car, nice and roomy and I do prefer GRP bodywork. It's also very nicely offered as two modules which, complete with shocks, comes to £3999 (plus £150 powdercoating - note how different powdercoating prices are)

So essentially for a wide body starter kit, powder coated and complete with shock absorbers (assuming the £500 MK charge is pretty standard) the prices actually look like this:

Zero £3724
Indy R £4149
Westfield £5330

We all know the many parts you actually end up buying after this can vary hugely between manufacturers, and there's no denying the Westfield parts are more expensive (e.g. £350 for a fuel tank vs £204 for the Zero and £250 for the MK). However, the Westfield is certainly a more valuable car when complete.

So, my question is, if you had £5k to get started with a 7 build, are the other kits priced low enough to justify NOT investing in a Westfield? Perhaps I'm missing something?

I should add I already have a Zetec Setup and sierra donor parts tray to go in.

wylliezx9r - 20/9/17 at 07:05 PM

Out of curiosity why have you disregarded MNR ?

Ron86 - 20/9/17 at 07:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by wylliezx9r
Out of curiosity why have you disregarded MNR ?


Purely aesthetic. Just really don't like the styling - the nose mainly.

Ron86 - 20/9/17 at 07:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ron86
quote:
Originally posted by wylliezx9r
Out of curiosity why have you disregarded MNR ?


Purely aesthetic. Just really don't like the styling - the nose mainly.


I do have to say though, the spec of the MNR's is very impressive for the price.

Matt21 - 20/9/17 at 07:32 PM

MNR also offer this nose cone (or at least they did....)




A big improvement over the usual one you see!

They're quite a bit bigger than an MK. Look to be a well made kit from the complete cars I've seen and I'd certainly consider one myself to replace my MK.

chris_smith - 20/9/17 at 07:48 PM

Why have you not included Tiger

loggyboy - 20/9/17 at 07:54 PM

Striker? Good saving if you buy nearly new!!
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/34/viewthread.php?tid=210138

CosKev3 - 20/9/17 at 08:07 PM

The latest MNR chassis is a work of art fairdo's.

My m8 is currently building a MX5 based one,so have had a good look at the chassis.

GRP quality from MNR is also better than Westfield,and much better than MK

Ron86 - 20/9/17 at 08:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Matt21
MNR also offer this nose cone (or at least they did....)




A big improvement over the usual one you see!

They're quite a bit bigger than an MK. Look to be a well made kit from the complete cars I've seen and I'd certainly consider one myself to replace my MK.


Certainly looks better imo but the fit on that pic doesn't look great. The side panels look wider than the nose.

Ron86 - 20/9/17 at 08:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by chris_smith
Why have you not included Tiger


They also look good value but I haven't had the chance to sit in one yet.

Nickp - 21/9/17 at 06:44 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Ron86
quote:
Originally posted by Matt21
MNR also offer this nose cone (or at least they did....)




A big improvement over the usual one you see!

They're quite a bit bigger than an MK. Look to be a well made kit from the complete cars I've seen and I'd certainly consider one myself to replace my MK.


Certainly looks better imo but the fit on that pic doesn't look great. The side panels look wider than the nose.


Seems a bit harsh. I wouldn't judge a manufacturer based on one pic of a car a customer probably built. Totally agree with you regarding MNRs standard nosecone though. I guess they're trying to be different and make their product stand out but IMHO it's rank!!

PAUL FISHER - 21/9/17 at 11:07 AM

Its always a good idea to speak to each manufacturer, and ask for a discount, or free powder coating, if you place your order with them, if they want your business I've been surprised in the past what a good deal I've had by going down in person.

Tazzzzman1 - 21/9/17 at 01:26 PM

Dont discount Roadrunner Sr2. If you like the Westie look the Sr2 is a close copy and about 1/2 the cost, and a really well put together kit. Not sure what the starter costs are now but it does include a lot....

Ugg10 - 21/9/17 at 02:54 PM

Bit of info on Roadrunner - http://www.totalkitcar.com/2017/09/14/roadrunner-up-and-running/

Ron86 - 21/9/17 at 05:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
Bit of info on Roadrunner - http://www.totalkitcar.com/2017/09/14/roadrunner-up-and-running/


Thanks, I'll check it out once they finish updating the website. Looks like they're in the middle of a load of work with pricing brochures etc.

[Edited on 21/9/17 by Ron86]

Ron86 - 21/9/17 at 07:03 PM

So, in light of the responses, maybe I should rephrase the questions:

- If you could only choose from the 3 I listed in the OP, which one would you go for and why
- If you had a choice of any 7 style car (excluding the C word), could you justify spending the extra on a Westfield?
- Does anyone know typically how much more a Westfield costs to complete to a similar spec

Seems like it would be useful for someone to compile a list of all the starter kits, what's included and the price. If I get a chance, I'll have a go!

big_wasa - 21/9/17 at 07:16 PM

The Westfield will give you the best return when you part with it.

PAUL FISHER - 21/9/17 at 08:37 PM

I would never buy another Westfield, customer service is shocking😥

sdh2903 - 21/9/17 at 09:17 PM

The fact is with any build you can go as daft or as sensible with spec as you wish. No 2 builds are identical. So unless someone has built 1 of each of your list it's kind of impossible to say.

I've just built a Westfield with an ecoboost using a starter kit and ended up spending over 20k. I did however due to a change of circumstances put the car up for sale and it sold within a week and I got my money back out of it.

The Westfield factory are horrible to deal with. Some parts the quality is a bit questionable, the grp is better than the old MK (don't know if it's improved since new owners) but not as good as roadrunner or MNR. But when they get their act together it's a decent product that has a loyal following and a great owners club with very active area meets etc. I've also heard people have built and registered Westfields for under 10k using a Mazda single donor.

Before the Westfield I started an mx5 MNR vortx. Very well engineered however due to several circumstances not all mnrs fault there were some quality issues with the chassis. However it was a comprehensive starter kit and came with more parts than I was expecting. The GRP was flawless too. Better than the Westfield. The build never ended up progressing sadly.

The roadrunner looks decent but the factory paid very little interest to my enquiries so I didn't bother pursuing with them.

If It were my choice id go either MNR providing the issues I had have been ironed out, or Westfield. If you want to have a screen. Sidescreens. Hood. Half hoods. These woukd be easier to source on the westy.