hi guys ,
im hopefully going to be buying a locost next week but my parents say i should NOT buy it without a full years mot ... i agree with them but the guy
who is selling the car doesnt want to put a years mot on it with 4 months left onm the old one...
its a locost with a 1300 ford crossflow (visual emmissions) so what do i need to worry about ?
i think were gonna go down ther eon teusday and say we will take it provided you put a years mot on it and we will come back on thursday or something
like that good idea ??
I would say you have very little to worry about tbh.
If its on a Q plate then you only have visual emissions to worry about.
As long as its been through SVA then it will be OK.
It will not be old enough (I doubt) to have corrosion problems.
You should be competent enough to check things like brakes etc are all ok and not about to wear out.
Just check for everything you would on a normal tin top and you shouldnt have any problems.
David
As above mate. Theres not much to worry about with them. Just have a look at the brakes etc. Obviously if its rear drums you wont be able to see
but would imagine they were new when built so unless hes driven it like a tit then they should be ok.
Its fair enough the chap not wanting to put a MOT on it. I wouldnt unless it was definatley going to garantee the sale.
Do you know anyone on this site that lives either close to you or to the seller that you can take along to have a look at the car. A second opinion might be worth considering.
Hi there,
If it was me Id be wanting to know how old it was, who built it, is there any documentation of the build, how was the chassis built what kind of
suspension bushes it's using and how many miles the chassis / engine has done etc.
I bought a half finished chassis and to be honest I didnt find out until I had been working on it for a few months how good / bad the quality of the
fabrication was on the parts already made and luckily it was pretty good and made in a jig.
But if I were in your position I would be checking all the usual stuff (tyre wear, noises, knocking, smoke, play in moving parts etc etc) in addition
to asking loads and loads of questions especially if he was the builder.
Good luck and dont forget that I think owning one of these cars is a bit of an iterative process - you will find yourself re-doing bits as parts wear
out and changing things to suit so make a mental note of what you think needs replacing soon and bear it in mind when you make your offer.....
Most of all, have fun!
Slightly quicker than making one anyway!
Geoff
a locost isnt a production car. its likely to be made from bits of a car 12 - 15 years old. Its also been assembled possibly by an enthusiastic
amateur. It could have been any number of years since it was sva'd and if its 8 or so year old, it would NEVER have been sva'd. I would say
that an mot would be a good thing, or at the very least you get it given a good look over.
Ask the seller to get it MOT'd and YOU will pay for it. You will have to in 4 months time anyway, and if he refuses if you are paying, whats he
trying to hide? If he wants the sale, an hour or two of his life taking it to a garage isnt a biggie....
atb
steve
Where abouts is the car? I'm back in Luton this weekend so wouldnt mind going to look at it with you.
I agree with steve though, if you offer to pay for the MOT then he hasnt got much to lose really except for a couple of hours.
Also when you were getting insurance quotes did you say you had built the car yourself? As i know you were planning to, i'm not sure if it makes
much difference, but may be worth checking.
quote:
Originally posted by steve_gus
a locost isnt a production car. its likely to be made from bits of a car 12 - 15 years old. Its also been assembled possibly by an enthusiastic amateur. It could have been any number of years since it was sva'd and if its 8 or so year old, it would NEVER have been sva'd. I would say that an mot would be a good thing, or at the very least you get it given a good look over.
Ask the seller to get it MOT'd and YOU will pay for it. You will have to in 4 months time anyway, and if he refuses if you are paying, whats he trying to hide? If he wants the sale, an hour or two of his life taking it to a garage isnt a biggie....
atb
steve
he could reasonable ask for the money for the MOT up front, to ensure you arent just messing him about. I certainly wouldnt bother without a deposit
I used to build and race landrovers, ie get an old range rover, rebody it and off you go.
You pretty soon learn that a car made from a scrap car is essentially tired before you begin... weak engines, poor gearboxes worn axles etc.
To make the car any good you have to be selective in what you use when building, so I would hope that any locost would have had essential things such
as the braking system at least overhauled if not new parts throughout used in the build (these items are not that expensive).
Take a tape measure and compare the side heights, corner to corner distances as the car should be symmetrical across its axis.
An indication on the quality of the build will be noticeable in the welding and tube fit (neat small welds where the filler material has not been used
to bridge gaps), shock absorbers used and other items that are bespoke. Checking things such as the front discs which should have minimal wear in a
car of this weight will also give clues to the original money invested.
Personally I would not hold store in a 12 month MOT as this does not prove the integrity of the car, merely that it meets a minimal standard of
braking, fumes and lack of rust, MOT testers do not drive the cars they pass !
Regards Mark
