Hi all, I decided I needed a new project so I bought a part finished kit car that I could work on as my first build. At first I thought it was a Haynes Roadster but the chassis looks like its anything but that! So was wondering if any of you would be able to tell me what it is ( If its anything lol) or if it would be a wise move to start from scratch ie source a chassis or build one.

Any help would be appreciated,
Cheers Dale

Looks like a Locust (not Locost) with the cortina front wishbones. . If i recall the sides were timber with an ally skin on them .
Not by any means the most desirable of kits.
Oh and welcome to the forum too.
You'll find all you need to know on here.

[Edited on 24/4/14 by CRAIGR]

[Edited on 24/4/14 by CRAIGR]

Thanks very much for the info bud and yes wood with alloy over the top it is . Do you think it would be a wise move to start from scratch then as I planned to go bike engined

those photos are huge! From what I can see of them I would agree its cortina uprights and probably a locust chassis which was a back bone chassis design http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locust_(car)

Its very dated what you have there and personally i wouldn't wish to throw money at it.
In my opinion you'd be better off keeping an eye out on here or stick a wanted add up for a part built locost or similar .
Theres a massive amount of knowledge here and people are always happy to help and give advice should you need it when buying or looking .
Hope that helps .

Sorry about the pics not too sure on how to make them smaller and yes would agree think I shall take your advice and look for another project and will probs just use this for the parts. Thanks again for all the help

Put your location in your profile, local people may be able to help.

Has it ever been registered? If not I would strip it for parts and get a different chassis, if it has been registered though, it could be worth tidying up and using.

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Originally posted by theduck
those photos are huge!

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one bonus is that the cortina donor parts are lighter than the more modern sierra / BMW ones
dax and a few other kit makers used to use cortina's as donor's until they got to hard to find..


so that would make an ideal donor car for a book built locost (i.e. the old book)

Yes mate, as above it's definitely a locust. However bear with me here, I'm betting it's already road registered and therefore been through the SVA. I have the widebody version of yours called the Hornet that I'm restoring now. I've completely stripped it down to the ladder chassis and am building a steel spaceframe for it. Only parts of the bodywork I'm keeping are the rear wheel arches, scuttle, bonnet and nosecone. The rest I'll be making from scratch. I've heard that a lot of Caterham parts fit the Locust as it's supposed to be one of the closest in dimension to the original Lotus 7. Not sure if that's true or not, just what I've heard. For my tuppence worth I think it's worth saving. Whether you ditch the wood like I'm doing or not, go on, go for it!!

First kit I ever built was a JC Locust, pretty agricultural by todays standards and I wouldn't want to try and get one through IVA myself! It is possible to build them to a nice Sunday driver standard but don't expect too much in the handling or performance departments.

I wouldn't bother trying to put a bike engine in it as they are pretty heavy.

[Edited on 29/4/14 by snakebelly]

Where do you live [ town ] as some one may be able to look and help you
Jacko

Thanks again for all the help and as for the pics if you right click then click view image it makes them slightly smaller. Still cant find a way to upload them smaller. As for the car I dont believe that it has ever been registered and I think it will be sold on and I will start from scratch on a Haynes Roadster

I am from Blackpool Jacko will try to add it to my profile now

As snakebelly says, a bike engine would probably be a bad idea due to the weight, though wishbone replacements are available for these off the shelf allowing the use of coilovers all round. Whilst it will always be a bit heavier it's nothing 150+bhp won't pull along quite nicely. Just depends on how much work you want to do.
If it hasn't ever been registered then that does change things, but it would be worth checking out for sure. Not only for your use, but it will affect your resale price if you decide to sell it on.
Hope this helps
Ian

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Originally posted by IanSouthLincs
I'm betting it's already road registered and therefore been through the SVA.

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