Kit cars

[Rob Earl]

Once we get in our new house, I'm going to have a large garage & workshop in which to tinker. I've always liked the idea of building my own car and I know others on here have done just that in the past.

My dream is this

But I think this might be a bit ambitious as a first project.

My other thought is build something like a Robin Hood 2B or similar - cheap and fairly simple to practice the art. I've been told that it's the finishing touches that take the time, not the mechanical build itself.

Anyone with any experience on this subject got any input for a novice?

Don't drink drive! Not only is it socially unaceptable, it also harms A2's.
Was a 1.4SE petrol. http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk14.htm http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/safety.htm
New A2 - Ebony Black, Red Leather, CC, Symphony + all the previous options we had.

 

[Stuart_D]

Rob, it was always my dream to have a classic Porsche 356A, one of the companies that makes the kit version of this is Chesil (http://www.chesil.co.uk). But they are very expensive.

What my father and I went for in the end was a Westfield (http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk) which was more affordable but still very nice and had many donor parts from Ford which made it much easier to hunt around for an engine and parts.

Sadly we sold it last year [29]. But I did get 11 years of fun out of it (and amazingly, no speeding tickets) from when I had just passed my driving test at the age of 17!


[img=left]http://www.a2forum.net/stuart.gif[/img=left]Stuart Diamond: A2OC Founder | Forum Administrator

2001 TDi SE:http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk1.htm Cobalt Blue Metallic | Open Sky Roof | Kenwood Mask CD | Front Centre Armrest | Front Centre Tray

A2OC Website | 2004 A2OC Competitions | Join the A2OC!

 

[Kaine]

Hi Rob,

I started to build a RAW Striker kit car last year (www.rawengineering.co.uk), however decided to start a business a few months later - meaning its been on hold for over 9 months now. I have learnt one thing during my build to date, and that is to make sure you have a well prepared garage. It sounds simple I know, however solid fixed work surfaces, good lighting and a FULL quality tool kit is essential.
I have just restarted the project, with the intention of getting it on the road by the Summer.
I think your choice of kit is on everyones list; if you have the time and patience (and money), such a project is not out of reach of even the beginner in my opinion - there are a lot of people out there willing to help anyone embarking on such a project.

I think you should go for it, and record the build in an online diary for us all to read.

Kaine

 

[jon.od]

Rob did you go to the show a t detling a few weeks back ?

 

[Rob Earl]

Yes I did Jon.
They had a Pilgrim Speedster there which was the long 4 seater variety. After seeing that, I'd definitely go for a SWB classic style - preferably from Chesil.
I really like the shape of the Cobra but every other car at Detling was a Cobra - I want something a bit more individual.

Loads of Lotus 7 style cars around at the moment as a first project. Why is there such a difference in price between some of them and Caterham?

Don't drink drive! Not only is it socially unaceptable, it also harms A2's.
Was a 1.4SE petrol. http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk14.htm http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/safety.htm
New A2 - Ebony Black, Red Leather, CC, Symphony + all the previous options we had.

 

[Stuart_D]

Caterham is the official and permitted copy of the original Lotus 7.
All the others including Westfield are the unofficial copies and although more or less look the same, they will have subtle differences such as the positioning of the headlamps/windscreen etc.

[img=left]http://www.a2forum.net/stuart.gif[/img=left]Stuart Diamond: A2OC Founder | Forum Administrator

2001 TDi SE:http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk1.htm Cobalt Blue Metallic | Open Sky Roof | Kenwood Mask CD | Front Centre Armrest | Front Centre Tray

A2OC Website | 2004 A2OC Competitions | Join the A2OC!

 

[Kaine]

Must admit, I think the Caterham looks the best, apart from the Striker of course .

But seriously, there are actually a few more difference between the various Lotus 7 styles than just lights/windscreen. The most important differences are the physical sizes and the suspension set-ups.
Size: Most of these newer kits use Sierra donor parts, and the main difference are with the amount of the standard parts you can actually use. Kits such as Lo-Cost/Robin Hood use pretty much standard carry over part from the Sierra, and hence end up with the same geometrys, whereas kits from Caterham/Westfield & Raw use unique designed setups, requiring many bespoke parts and allow for a more 'designed' geometry. This also relates to the size of the final cars - the Striker for example is much smaller than the Westfield or Caterham (width and length), and at the other end of the scale, the Dax Rush is very wide.
Suspension: The next big difference is whether the car uses inboard or outboard front suspension. This difference will make a difference to the handling if you intend to race it at all, plus you could also take a look at the unique Dax De Dion suspension - very trick, as it keeps the maximum amount of tread on the ground through the corners.

Kaine