Well, This is it - I have finally completed my car, got it on the road, during this time I kept a record of what it has cost. I'm fairly confident that I have built it reasonably economically, and this would be worth a look through for anyone contemplating a build who is puzzled about how it can cost so much....

Notes:
I bought an 'unstarted' Luego Locost second hand.
The original purchase of £1645 included:
chassis, ally panels, Grp body sections, Sierra donor with newish alloy wheels and tyres.
Wishbones and rear uprights.

The chassis and wishbones had started to rust under the powder coating, so I had to start by getting it fully shotblasted and re-powdercoated.

Sourcing parts: most of the parts had to be sourced throught the 'net, either by ebay or CBS / QED / Merlin / SBD / etc etc and the cost of the postage is included in those figures.

With quite a few items, I ended up buying one, finding it either didn't fit or was unsuitable eg. the propshaft, and, as it is all part of the 'joy' of trial and error building, the cost of both items are included.

The entire build took just over two years, and is the most satisfying thing I have ever done.

Finally, I would like to say that this forum was essential to me completing the build - I am no mechanic, just a keen (and although I say it myself) a pretty able DIY man. LCB filled in a lot of holes in my knowledge where I would otherwise have floundered.

Regards, Steve


Chassis/body.....................................£2277

Chassis, bodywork (GRP and ally),
Shotblasting and powdercoating......1865
Wings, stays, Tigerseal...........................89
Car Cover................................................55
IVA edgings and covers...........................82
Bonnet bulge and 4 catches....................65
Mirrors...................................................111 (2 sets!)
S/steel wheelarch protectors..................10



Engine.......................................£1632

Engine.........................................360
Bellhousing..................................125
Clutch..........................................223
Exhaust.......................................471
Propshaft.....................................158 (2 off)
Gasket/sump/oils.........................186
Engine mounts...............................35
Bolts/leads/cambelt.......................74



Brakes, Suspension & Steering...£1157

Gaz Coilovers.................................378
Flexi / other lines...........................200 (2 full sets of braided)
Master Cyls etc................................90
Pedal box ......................................120
Discs/pads/shoes............................50
Rack & T.R.Ends...............................58
Steering Extension..........................21
Mushrooms & Balljoints.................185 (2 sets mushrooms)
Wheel nuts/studs/locknuts.............55



Interior.........................................£928

Carpet............................................15
Dash.............................................304
Ally floor..........................................66
Seats and runners........................197
Harnesses & welding..................145
Steering Wheel.............................100
H/B, Gearlever, tunnel
trim, footrest.................................101



Water System..............................£285

Radiator...........................................52 (2 off)
Header Tank....................................20
Hoses/reducers/
connectors & clips.........................179
Radiator fan & switch......................34



Fuel System................................£330

Tank.............................................100
Filler cap / neck..............................75
Pump / Filters.................................38
Sender...........................................22 (2 off)
Pipes & fittings...............................95 (2 lots - rubber, then copper)



Electrics & Lighting......................£498

Loom.............................................120
Battery............................................71
Headlights.....................................110
Indicators, side repeaters,
Tail lights, number plate lt,
Foglight & reflectors......................172


Miscellaneous...............................£168

Books & manuals.............................15
Badges............................................18
Grease & sealant.............................27
Paints..............................................53
Fibreglass Kit...................................19
Nuts / Bolts / Rivets
Washers & rivnuts...........................36



Windscreen 'system'....................£422

Windscreen assembly....................110
Supports / edging............................57
Washers..........................................10
Wipers...........................................136
Heater/Demister............................109



Legal...........................................£1002

Luego VIN plate...............................25
Number Stamps...............................14
IVA Test.........................................450
IVA Retest.......................................90
Road Tax.......................................205
Registration Fee..............................55
Insurance (I’m 53!).......................127
No. Plates.......................................28
Tax disc holder .................................8



Tools............................................£704

Engine crane..................................129
Engine Stand...................................53
Riveters / Rivnutter..........................50
Welder...........................................125
Mask / Wire / Gas............................80
Torque wrench & Comp. tester........54
Grinding whls, brushes, clamps........35
Reamer.............................................10
Dremmel...........................................61
Circuit tester......................................7
Jigsaw blades..................................10
Crimper set......................................18
C Spanners......................................11 (2 off)
Trailer straps...................................53
Timber (for trestles)..........................8



________________________________________________________________________________

Summary of build costs for Luego Locost



Chassis/body……………………………….…...2277
Engine…………………………………………….….1632
Brakes, suspension, steering…………..1157
Interior…………………………………………….....928
Water system……………………………………..285
Fuel System………………………………………...330
Electrics, Lighting…………………………….....498
Windscreen………………………………………....422
Misc……………………………………………………...168
Legal…………………………………………………..1002
_________________________________
Sub total…………………………………………....8699
_________________________________
Tools……………………………………………………..704
_________________________________

Final total…………………………………………...9403

Nice summary you might like to link to some finished photos as well give other an idea of what can be done.. Trouble with budgets is it's a trade of time/skill(and we are all learning that!) vs cash..

Cheers

Dan

just to put a dampener on things, if you put it up for sale, I reckon you'd get 1/2 the cost .... but then that is not the point of building. ..... and also the reason why I am not totalling my costs as it will bring tears to my eyes.

My build summary

Too much, too long !

Good post Steve. Makes you realise how these little 'odds & sods' can add up too

I wonder if I dare do one for my locost?

This thread will probably spark a 'who has built the cheapest car' thread next

Wow..... thank you!! I've been wondering this same question for a while now. I will definitely be referencing this when I make my sales picth to SWMBO.

Beags

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bluemoon
Nice summary you might like to link to some finished photos as well give other an idea of what can be done.. Trouble with budgets is it's a trade of time/skill(and we are all learning that!) vs cash..

Cheers

Dan

---

Nice Summary... I started doing a very similar one... But stopped at about 7k... And i'd dare update it...

mine only cost £250!!

I created a spreadsheet earlier in the week for my RGB '7' Race car.

When complete it will be interesting to compare a race car to a road car and see where the specific costs of each come in.

Personally I think the total cost will be very similar to yours but with less spent on interior and legal and more on Engine and Suspension.

FYI its just over £4k currently with a rolling chassis and Engine (all race spec parts)

Books and manuals £15
I think I have spent my initial budget of £250 (yes we all got suckered in the first place) , on books alone.
Tools; don't even get me started......
Still it's more fun than the pub and you have something to show for it, other than pi55 and hangovers.

Hmmmm. I stopped counting after I ordered the first few stages. I dread to even think how much I've put in over the years and it would be worse to even contemplate what I would get back.

What she doesn't know about won't worry her

quote:

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[Tools; don't even get me started......

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Doctor Derek Doctors
I created a spreadsheet earlier in the week for my RGB '7' Race car.

When complete it will be interesting to compare a race car to a road car and see where the specific costs of each come in.

Personally I think the total cost will be very similar to yours but with less spent on interior and legal and more on Engine and Suspension.

FYI its just over £4k currently with a rolling chassis and Engine (all race spec parts)

---

To make yourself feel better, at the bottom of the spread sheet divide the total by the number of months you have been woking on the car - the number will be less than some people spend on pubs/golf/fishing whatever.

This is a hobby right while the car is being built

Cheers

Fred w B

quote:

---

Originally posted by TimC

quote:

---

Originally posted by Doctor Derek Doctors
I created a spreadsheet earlier in the week for my RGB '7' Race car.

When complete it will be interesting to compare a race car to a road car and see where the specific costs of each come in.

Personally I think the total cost will be very similar to yours but with less spent on interior and legal and more on Engine and Suspension.

FYI its just over £4k currently with a rolling chassis and Engine (all race spec parts)

---

Interesting - I did the same and it came out at a lot more than that! I did of course lose a good chunk when I let you have the chassis so cheap!

---

.

125£ for a welder? Seems hella cheap

quote:

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Originally posted by tug
125£ for a welder? Seems hella cheap

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Just totted mine up at £2550 on the road, mind you it was 2004 and SVA was cheaper than IVA!!



[Edited on 22/6/11 by Marcus]

I'm very glad to read that others have achieved builds within a £ 2.5 to £4 k budget.

The > £ 9k build cost in the first post here had seriously put me off the whole idea for a while- i nearly scrapped my donor car in fact.

You can spend as little or as much as you like... depends how much bargain-hunting you want to do, how handy you are with the tools, and what you want the car to look like.

Don't be influenced (or put off) by other folks build-costs!

quote:

---

Originally posted by scootz
You can spend as little or as much as you like... depends how much stuff you get off me that I bought, didn't need and sold at a huge loss, how handy you are with the tools, and what you want the car to look like.

Don't be influenced (or put off) by other folks build-costs!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by adithorp

quote:

---

Originally posted by scootz
You can spend as little or as much as you like... depends how much stuff you get off me that I bought, didn't need and sold at a huge loss, how handy you are with the tools, and what you want the car to look like.

Don't be influenced (or put off) by other folks build-costs!

---

Corrected that statment for you Scootz.

---

I did an accurate tot up on my first build (MAC1) and it came out at a few quid over £9600. It's horrible to be thinking that it would only cost a certain amount that ends up costing £2k more. But that's the same with all the manufacturers at the time.

I could have spent less, but I wanted a specific build, aimed at lightweight etc.

I reckon I spent another £1k on it over the 2 years I had it on the road, and upgraded to a LOT of carbon, but didn't pay for any of that as I made it all myself. Also in modifications/upgrades, like having to rosejoint the back end as the fixed wishbones had the car (rear axle line) pointing about 4 foot to the left! (Great for roundabouts! )

I sold the car for £8750 in the end, after doing about 8000/9000 miles in it. One trackday and One 6 hour endurance race with TimC driving too.

So I don't think I did too bad out of Miles per expenditure (assuming you don't count my time etc!).


As for the Lifetaker, Callum/Tim, when is the Donny date? How much does it cost for entry? Can you camp the night before? Are you going Tim?
I reckon I could convince Joe to come with me for support and encouragement (and for a couple beers the night before and cook your burgers on a BBQ on the day etc...)

ATB
Steve

.

Hai i am new to this forum.

I think the OP budget is spot on and realistic for a decent car. Yes you could probably do it cheaper but most people just won't want to when it comes down to it.

I also think that there is a sort of opposite 'fishermens tale' going on at locostbuilders. Lots of people on here constantly say "oh well I built my entire car for thruppence and a tin of brasso" when in reality it cost them £7000. I think builders 'accidently' forget little purchases that actually add up to a lot.

very nice is good to reflect how much has been spent, had a decent spreadsheet for my 106 on bodies managed to total £12k+

Hi all, my first post here, could the OP break down the £1002 allocated to the legal costs please ?
Regards Simon

Legal...........................................£1002

Luego VIN plate...............................25
Number Stamps...............................14
IVA Test.........................................450
IVA Retest.......................................90
Road Tax.......................................205
Registration Fee..............................55
Insurance (I’m 53!).......................127
No. Plates.......................................28
Tax disc holder .................................8

You can now deduct the £8 tax holder.

Very interesting to see - I have a spreadsheet for both costs to date and projected costs - some tools I don't count on the basis that I am buying them to be available for me for the rest of my life (e.g. a decent socket set/a trolley jack) - but specific tools for the build I am including.

So far I'm looking at roughly £7.5k - i've spent nearly half that, so am taking the view that i'm getting well committed to seeing it through!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rosco86
Legal...........................................£1002

Luego VIN plate...............................25
Number Stamps...............................14
IVA Test.........................................450
IVA Retest.......................................90
Road Tax.......................................205
Registration Fee..............................55
Insurance (I’m 53!).......................127
No. Plates.......................................28
Tax disc holder .................................8

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now divide the number by number of hours that you spent working on it and driving it,..

2199 / 400 say will give you £5.50 per hour so slightly more expensive than going to the gym and slightly cheaper than going to the pub,...

reasonable if it's a hobby, and all wrong if it is a business!

2 years ago, i bought a "classic" locost. it had 2 trackdays done since built!!! (built, not re-built!!!)

means, it was practically like new. the only downside was the paintwork.

it was built up and prepared for the locost race series, but had lights , hazzard , indicators, everything you need for a road car.

the chassis was built up by a professinal motorsport company, professionally paneled, chassis and suspension freshly powdercoated and assembled with zinc-plated bolts in correct length and strength.

spec: freshly re-built 1300 x/flow engine, rebuilt live axle, new avo-shocks, new quality steering rack with short ratio (not a cheapish rallydesign one), all new quality polybushes with stainless inner sleeve (again not cheapish ebay ones), new bolts throughtpout the car. dash with new nice racetech-gauges, full roll cage, 2 new fibreglass seats (triton), new floor mounted pedal box with willwood masters, pressure residual valves, braided hoses throughout the car. professional wiring loom. new gel-battery with alloy fixing bracket.
bascially all technical parts (all!!!!) had been new or pedantically rebuilt

it came with a few bits & pieces which i sold...finally the car cost me 2100pound.

with a few mods it would have passed IVA.
i used the car successfully as a track car, only. was totally reliable in my 2 years ownership.

i know, for some people building is a part of the deal....but for that price i would not even think on starting a built, espeically as there would have been some "room" left for spannering (IVA).

[Edited on 16/2/16 by alfas]