raguri
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:13 PM |
|
|
What makes a kit car, a kit car?
Hi all,
Just wondering, what exactly is it that makes a kit car a kit car!?
Reason it popped into my mind, is mainly insurance... to insure a kit car at a young age, is around a third of the price of say, a saxo 1.0!
So, what would you have to do to say, a normal production car such as a Rover Mini Cooper 1.3i to make it a kit car?
I know many will say "Well, a kit car is a car you build, from a kit... Duh!" or words to that effect, but Caterhams, westfields AND
radicals are classed as kit cars, and you can buy them ready built.
Confused. 
|
|
|
|
|
computid
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:21 PM |
|
|
A kit car is something that is/was available in kit form.
A Mini Madass is a kit car. A mini is not.
In the same way that a Banham is a kit car and a metro is not.
There are things called replica cars where by you essentially re-body an existing car (more often then not a toyota MR2) to make it look like a
different car (more often then not a ferrari or a lambo).
A dutton is a kit car, a marlin is a kit car, a moss is a kit car. A ford sierra is not a kit car.
|
|
|
jollygreengiant
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:24 PM |
|
|
If you add or subtract ANY bits on a tin top it makes it 'Modified' and the price of the insurance goes up big time. Until, basically, you
strip it, make your own (or use a pre-manufactured) chassis and then only put about 5% of all the bits back. Which is silly 'cos you can't
get more 'Modified' than what we do to our kits, witness my EX Granada is now masquerading as a Luego Viento.
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
|
|
|
raguri
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:24 PM |
|
|
I get that part, it's just when you see people with custom "kit cars", such as micras which have been converted to RWD with a bike
engine in the boot, or twin engined saxos, or like my example a mini with an extra few horses in the boot.
Where is the line between kit car, and car with STUPID amounts of modifications?
I know this is a dumb question, just been out in the brothers mini
EDIT: Aha, that's it then. the chassis must be changed, and a tiny amount of the original parts must be used?
[Edited on 6/12/11 by raguri]
|
|
|
computid
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:32 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by raguri
EDIT: Aha, that's it then. the chassis must be changed, and a tiny amount of the original parts must be used?
[Edited on 6/12/11 by raguri]
Nope, because things like a sammio spyder are still a kit car but they use a complete herald running gear and chassis. Its a complete rebodyment but
its still classed as a kit car.
Tough question 
|
|
|
StevieB
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:33 PM |
|
|
I suppose the difference is a car with a purpose built chassis onto which donor running gear is added is a kit car.
Anything whereby the existing bodyshell/chassis is retained in any way is a modified car.
So any car with a modified shell to take a rear wheel drive bike engine is a modified car, not a kit car.
ETA
I don't think the Sammio Spyder is a kit car so much as a re-body. The Herald chassis remains unmodified and the original plates are generally
retained.
That is, as long as you only bolt the support framework in place rather than weld, and it's not structural to the chassis in any way. If it is,
then it's a kit car and you're off to IVA.
[Edited on 6/12/11 by StevieB]
|
|
|
sprouts-car
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:52 PM |
|
|
Would IVA / non IVA be the thing which split it up?
Build blog
|
|
|
ashg
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 05:58 PM |
|
|
it becomes a kit car when its so heavily modified it requires an iva, then when you register it the thing is classed as a kit and you can get
specialist insurance. the issue will be that most kit insurers wont touch under 21's and if too many scrotty teenagers are driving round in
kits it will bump our premiums up.
Anything With Tits or Wheels Will cost you MONEY!!
Haynes Roadster (Finished)
Exocet (Finished & Sold)
New Project (Started)
|
|
|
scootz
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 06:10 PM |
|
|
Radicals aren't kit cars... you buy them ready made from the factory.
Like any car, you could purchase the separate component parts from the company and build it yourself, but it would be financial suicide v's just
buying a factory car.
The Caterham CSR260 is the only one in their line up that isn't offered in kit component. Factory built only.
It's Evolution Baby!
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 06:45 PM |
|
|
Judging by the above replies I'd say it depends on who you ask.
Personally I would say a kit car is one that was home built from a kit, and I'm aware that answer isn't much use to anyone, from an
insurance perspective, I reckon it's mostly having a Kit car name on the V5 that's important as mid engined saxo should have an IVA but
would still be a modified saxo.
Insurance companies all use their own deffinitions for literally everything though so from that perspective there's probably as many answers as
companies.
On a simillar note, it's sometimes cheaper to go for a larger engine with the insurance as the specific number of claims for the model is more
important a factor than specific performance.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
Ninehigh
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 07:40 PM |
|
|
I suppose in it's strictest form a kit car is one that's built or modified from a kit (thus they're all the same to an extent)
Just because Caterham do a service where they build it, it still comes from that kit.
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 08:57 PM |
|
|
On a simillar note, how much would I have to do to a car to get it changed onto the old tax system?
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
scootz
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 09:27 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
Just because Caterham do a service where they build it, it still comes from that kit.
IN relation to the CSR, or just in more general terms?
It's Evolution Baby!
|
|
|
Chippy
|
| posted on 6/12/11 at 11:07 PM |
|
|
Just to chuck another "spanner" into the mix, how can you call a home built Locost a Kit Car, I have always known home built cars as
"specials". Which in fact mine is even more so, as its home designed as well as built, yet when I insured it they, (insurance company),
classed it as a kit car. Daft I call it,  Cheers Ray
To make a car go faster, just add lightness. Colin Chapman - OR - fit a bigger engine. Chippy
|
|
|
robinj66
|
| posted on 7/12/11 at 11:24 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by morcus
On a simillar note, how much would I have to do to a car to get it changed onto the old tax system?
You would have to put it through IVA
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 7/12/11 at 12:13 PM |
|
|
If I bought a New range rover without having it registered and put it through an IVA would that put it on the old tax system and get a new plate? Not
that I can afford too but I reckon it would work out cheaper if it worked.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
MikeRJ
|
| posted on 7/12/11 at 12:40 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by StevieB
I suppose the difference is a car with a purpose built chassis onto which donor running gear is added is a kit car.
Anything whereby the existing bodyshell/chassis is retained in any way is a modified car.
Is a Nova a modifed car and not a kit because it uses the Beetle floorpan and suspension? Likewise the Chesil 356 replicas? What about the
Pimlico/Minus/GTM/Midas etc. that use the complete mini subframes/suspension/running gear?
|
|
|
robinj66
|
| posted on 7/12/11 at 04:47 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by morcus
If I bought a New range rover without having it registered and put it through an IVA would that put it on the old tax system and get a new plate? Not
that I can afford too but I reckon it would work out cheaper if it worked.
Firstly i'm not sure you would ever be able to actually purchase a new car without it being registered. Even if that was possible, the vendor
would undoubtedly identify what he has sold you by means of the chassis number (which is allocated and affixed by the manufacturer in the factory).
I have no doubt that for reasons of copyright etc, Land Rover would not allow the vehicle to be sold to you by their approved dealers with any other
description.
Another thought that occurs to me is that the SVA/IVA was set up to deal with individual or low volume vehicles. I am sure that there are regs
somewhere (Euro legislation probably) that ensure that if a vehicle is built in large enough volume, then it has to meet all the Euro criteria (ie, as
a major manufacturer). Thus they would recognise a RR as a RR , no matter how the presenter described it.
Therefore nice theory but wouldn't work in practice
Nice try though
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 8/12/11 at 03:07 AM |
|
|
You can buy an unregistered car from a dealer, Though I doubt most would let you.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
