Building a Locost... recommended as a project for beginners? Preferably during university years and without much income?
Just obtained Champion's excellent book.

Few questions about building:
- Where to house the project? (I'll be away from home.)
- How much will it cost on average?
- How hard is it to obtain a donor car these days?

Thanks. Building and maintaining a Locost looks like a fantastic hobby. Wouldn't mind getting into it.

Welcome to the nut house

There are several of us away at uni while building, myself included. But my build is stored at home. In a mate biiig 4 car garage. You need lots of space, but it would be possible in a single garage.

Mines looking to cost around £4500 ish. Depending on how well i get on with finding baragins on eBay.

Virtually impossible to get an escort these days to use as a donor. Most opt for the sierra. Take a look on my website for some more info, that I cant be bothered to type here! *plug plug*

Cheers,
David

Escorts are still out there, I posted about one a few months ago - almost free to good home - no takers (it's gone now).
Seems most people want Sierras for MK Indys and the like.
My car stands me at less than 3K, built in a friends garage over 2 years.

Marcus

Welcome !!
I'm also at uni at the moment, and discovered 'the book' recently - whenever i get started i'll be storing all the junk back at home- have a read around about how people on the site are getting on, there's always someone around to give you good advice when/if you get stuck!

best of luck!

I used the last 3 years of uni to start collecting bits. now i've finished i will finish tiling my dads extension then all systems go.

the extent to which i have progressed without a chassis is quite interesting i have nothing to show really but given 2 or 3 weeks i will be "under power", that is a carefully worded part

I'm building mine in a shipping container i bought for £800

I will come in at under £5 grand and i havn't exactly scrimped. digidash lite, emerald ecu 2 lt ecotec on tb's,

Have had some good bargains on the way though
shop soiled (read very slightly scratched) alloys
very cheap manta gearbox
and my scrounged pile of stainless sheet is growing well too

quote:

---

Originally posted by JamieG
Welcome !!
I'm also at uni at the moment, and discovered 'the book' recently - whenever i get started i'll be storing all the junk back at home- have a read around about how people on the site are getting on, there's always someone around to give you good advice when/if you get stuck!

best of luck!

---

Sorry for the bump.

Would it be recommended to start a car from scratch or go for one of the Locost-based kits such as the Macs and the Sylvas?

The kits may look pricey but tend to work out pretty reasonable if you do it yourself then look back at how long you've spent. Plus they save you a huge amount of time and you can be reasonably sure they're strong and correctly dimensioned (depending what company you go with!)

I am going the scratch built way personally, I get more satisfaction out of knowing I did it myyyyy waaaayyyyy as sinatra might say.

If you're doing kits have a look at GTS tuning, darren really knows his onions and the design and quality are about the best out there. I have his shocks, de dion axle stuff and other bits and they're excellent.