AndyLockwood
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 12:13 PM |
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kit choice
Any tips on kit choice. I want to be able to get a pre fab chassis i have a zetec engine just looking for some recomendations and warnings on what to
go for and what to avoid or whether just to go for the book car.
cheers
Andy
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eznfrank
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 12:17 PM |
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So many to choose from, best thing to do is get out there and go see the manufacturers and blag a test ride/drive.
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nick205
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 12:22 PM |
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Difficult to get an unbiased opinion on here as owner/builders generally like to think highly of their choice.
As above, the best way is to shortlist 2-3 kits on budget, style etc then visit for a closer look and test drive.
A 7 style shortlist might include (in no particular order)...
MNR
MK
MAC#1
Aries
GBS
Luego
Westfield
Dax
etc, etc....
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 12:26 PM |
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off course its very wise to do a search in this forum on all manufactures that are advertising to see what their reputation is like before parting
with cash.
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 12:38 PM |
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Give us your pre-requisites;
What type of car do you want?
What will you use it for?
What is your preference; Speed or Comfort?
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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AndyLockwood
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 12:57 PM |
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ok im looking for a car (7) with a nice balance between speed and comfort used for weekend/ summer driving occassional track days. have a budget of
upto around 6k spread out over a year or so maybe less.
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whitestu
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 01:10 PM |
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I've no experience of the others, but an MK Indy would fit that bill quite well.
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RK
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 01:28 PM |
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I can safely say that unless you get a second hand pre built from someone, you can delete Dax and Westfield from that list, although I am positive
they would potentially be nice cars, once built up!
Support is a big one, so who is close to you?
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Charlie_Zetec
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 02:02 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by nick205
A 7 style shortlist might include (in no particular order)...
MNR
MK
MAC#1
Aries
GBS
Luego
Westfield
Dax
etc, etc....
Don't forget GTS.....
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity!
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big-vee-twin
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 02:13 PM |
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GTS are very good but you will also need patience regarding deliveries.
But read through the forums before buying - eyes wide open.
Duratec Engine is fitted, MS2 Extra V3 is assembled and tested, engine running, car now built. IVA passed 26/02/2016
http://www.triangleltd.com
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cd.thomson
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 02:22 PM |
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sorry guys he said he wanted to build it in a year, not a lifetime.
Craig
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AndyLockwood
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 03:04 PM |
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quite tempted to just follow the locost design
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D Beddows
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 03:48 PM |
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Aries Motorsport....... if they're still going.... one of the most 'traditional 'Locost' cars (used to be the Stuart Taylor
Locost which was the first prefabricated Locost chassis you could buy) never heard anything bad about them and they would be my 2nd choice if I was
building a 7. My first? Procomp obviously but they specialise in race type 7 chassis/cars
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GeoffMM
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 03:56 PM |
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MNR VortX
But then i am a bit biased.
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perksy
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 04:47 PM |
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Don't forget the RAW Striker either
Well worth taking a look at and Mel is a friendly & Helpful bloke 
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MakeEverything
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 05:09 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by AndyLockwood
quite tempted to just follow the locost design
Not sure if you can get a pre-made chassis though???
I made one and its hanging from the rafters in the Garage since i bought the other kit.
Kindest Regards,
Richard.
...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...
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AndyLockwood
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 09:20 PM |
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anybody got any comments on the merits or otherwise of the Haynes Roadster
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austin man
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 10:01 PM |
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Haynes roadster was in the most Part designed and Built by Martin Keenan who also Designed and produced the MK Indy, (still in production by MK
sportscars) the Haynes is a potentially cheaper route to go down but be prepared to add a lot more time and effort to your build.
The MK guys are very good and offer decent levels of support they have a good following and realistically you can build one for £5k -£6k there are a
couple on ebay at thew moment around the £5k mark. you may be better buying a roadgoing one and develop / alter to your taste. potentially a cost
saving way as well
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
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mr henderson
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| posted on 21/12/09 at 10:03 PM |
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With the budget you have in mind, and the timescale, give some consideration to buying an on the road kit car, and doing a partial (or even total)
rebuild. Or, if it's in good enough condition, just change what you want to change and maintain/clean/polish the bits you like.
Then, after a year or so, you can sell it and you will have a much better idea of what to go for next time (and what to avoid)
[Edited on 21/12/09 by mr henderson]
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AndyLockwood
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| posted on 22/12/09 at 09:07 AM |
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Im not to bothered about the timescale. I do want to build rather than buy built and have no problems with spending an extended time on the build and
fabricating if need be. half of the fun for me is the build.
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GeoffMM
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| posted on 22/12/09 at 11:10 AM |
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Unless you have a very good mechanical knowledge or a boat load of patience then stay away from the Haynes model.
Depending on finances the cheapest build would be Mk with a mid to expensive being MNR and the premium route being Caterham.
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Talon Motorsport
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| posted on 22/12/09 at 10:07 PM |
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Haynes roadster gives you a complete set of drawings and the option of having a go at building the whole thing from start to finish. If you have a
welding plant and a decent saw already if you make a hash of it the most it will cost you is the material and your time. What you don't or
can't make you can buy from various places. If you go down the 'kit' route you are holding to one supplier their price and their
delivery time.
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AndyLockwood
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| posted on 22/12/09 at 10:15 PM |
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i agree thats why im tempted. would just prefer to have a prefab chassis
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phelpsa
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| posted on 22/12/09 at 11:23 PM |
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When building a kit its always nice to be able to ring the company when you have a problem (which you invariably will) and know that they're on
your side and will get things sorted as soon as possible.
For that reason I recommend Aries motorsport. I honestly dont think Steve sleeps as he always replies to emails asap, always has plenty of time to
speak on the phone and yet seems to sell a large volume of built cars and kits!
When he promises a delivery date it always arrives on time, when something is wrong he sorts it straight away, and if you want to do something
slightly different from the norm he's full of encouragement and advice rather than the funny looks and discouragement you get from other
manufacturers.
Aries isnt the cheapest manufacturer as Steve outsources a lot of work to specialists, but that does at least mean that parts are well made and fit
together as they're supposed to. Choose a cheaper manufacturer and you could spend years fiddling bits to fit etc.
Oh and the Aries chassis is to the original Locost chassis dimensions and therefore looks much much nicer than any of the oversized sierra based kits.
[Edited on 22-12-09 by phelpsa]
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RK
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| posted on 23/12/09 at 12:42 AM |
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I don't get the impression that Steve's chassis are very expensive by themselves if you just want something to start on. I met him at
Detling last year, and he seemed very on the ball too.
It is always a question of whether you want a kit that is meant to go together, or something seemingly less expensive, that because you are
freestyling things as you go, becomes much more expensive in the long run.
I also think a year target build time, is a shorter-than-the-norm period for all except a real, complete kit that more or less bolts together. That
said, you can move fast if you just work on it every day, and don't give up.
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