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Can i build BEC indy for under £7K ??
tdbracing - 22/6/09 at 06:40 PM

was at Newark at the week end and was told by MK that it was more than possible to build a MK Indy with R1 for £7K

In fact I was told that i would be able to build a really good one for that.

Just wanted to get a non-salesman point of view and get some indication of a real build cost.

Dan


daniel mason - 22/6/09 at 06:43 PM

is it a race car or road going car?


Flamez - 22/6/09 at 06:43 PM

I think you would be better off buying a finished one for that sort of cash. Straight on the road no tests etc.

I have just built a bec kit with a zx10r and it cost more than £7k.

I think at £7k for a total kit build you would be crimping on something.


eznfrank - 22/6/09 at 06:44 PM

I'm building an "average" in terms of spec Indy with a ZX12. Admittedly I've bought a few fancy bits I could have done without but nowt too extravagant, but by the time IVA is included I'll be at around £10k.

If you can fabricate your own bits I reckon you could do it for that money but whether it would be a "really good" one I'm not convinced.


Steve Hignett - 22/6/09 at 06:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by tdbracing
Can I build an R1 Indy for £7k?



Maybe, it would depend entirely on your level of skill to source materials and your ability to do everything yourself...
quote:

was at Newark at the week end and was told by MK that it was more than possible to build a MK Indy with R1 for £7K

In fact I was told that i would be able to build a really good one for that.


I doubt that very much...
quote:

Just wanted to get a non-salesman point of view and get some indication of a real build cost.

Dan


Hopefully, that's a non-salespersons point of view for you. I haven't made my answers short to be flippant, just trying to keep it nice and simple...


Guinness - 22/6/09 at 06:51 PM

I built my MK for around the £7k mark.

That was on the road. But that was SVA and a cheaper engine package.

But, you'd be very lucky to achieve that (IMHO) with an R1 engine and given the cost of the IVA.

If I had £7.5k cash, I'd be looking over on Pistonheads Classifieds, in the Bike Engined Section.

If you were hoping to spread the £7.5k over a few years, (IMHO) you'd be better off getting a loan, and having the cash to buy a finished car, then you know what you are paying out each month.

I know it's locostbuilders, but sometimes you've got to take an overall view.

That said, if you decide to build, then buy carefully, buy once.

Finally, good luck with the build.

Mike


tdbracing - 22/6/09 at 06:55 PM

building for the road.

what sort of money are we looking at.

mind you he did say build one for £7k but i guess that dont include the extra costs of getting it on the road.

This site is the dogs.... no nonsence


fesycresy - 22/6/09 at 06:59 PM

There are many hidden costs !

£7k, yes I could do one for that and I would guess including the IVA.

Built one, helped build others, learnt a hell of the lot on the way.

As Steve pointed out, it depends on your level of skill.

It's the nice bits that add up, Wilwoods, 888's etc etc


tdbracing - 22/6/09 at 07:00 PM

We have a start up budget of £7k to buy the kit and engine but i guess we can chip away at any additional cost as we go through the build.

We had the dream of building the car, i dont think we could go down the route of buying one built.


eznfrank - 22/6/09 at 07:00 PM

I think it largely depends on how good your fabrication skills are, if you're prepared to make lots of bits yourself and have the sufficient skills to overhaul all the donor bits yourself, and hunt out the good deals/really sit tight and wait for them to come along then I guess it might be do-able.

Apologies if all teh above is well within your skillset, obviously we don't know you right well just yet - don't worry though....we will


tdbracing - 22/6/09 at 07:04 PM

my dads the mechanical minded one, im more the "delBoy" always scanning for a bargin.

should be a good combination.

I guess you will all get to know us well..we are newbys!!!


tdbracing - 22/6/09 at 07:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by fesycresy
There are many hidden costs !

£7k, yes I could do one for that and I would guess including the IVA.

Built one, helped build others, learnt a hell of the lot on the way.


We will be on you case then!!!


As Steve pointed out, it depends on your level of skill.

It's the nice bits that add up, Wilwoods, 888's etc etc


Guinness - 22/6/09 at 07:09 PM

Good luck with the build.

This place is very useful / helpful.

As people have said, it's the bling stuff that can cost big bucks. If you can keep an eye on the cost, once it's on the road then you can upgrade / spend time in the garage.

I completed mine with the standard Sierra wheels (shod in R888's) to keep the cost down. Now, a few years later, I've upgraded to 13" wheels and a new set of smaller R888's.

Just one thing, don't fit cheap tyres. Several on here have taken their newly completed cars out on the road and crashed. Avoid anything that looks a bit "ditchfinder".

Mike


Dangle_kt - 22/6/09 at 07:11 PM

a possible cheap route is to buy an part built? Obviously go and have a good look round it first to check it isn't a pig. But you can save SERIOUS cash that way plus you get to do some/all of the build depending on what has been done.

bear in mind you will need to purchase a reverse box or similar if building a BEC due to the new IVA rules - factor in £500 for it.


Steve Hignett - 22/6/09 at 07:15 PM

I remember your prev posts saying your dad is the mechanical one.

How is he with bike engine's, wiring looms etc.

Sometimes the littlest things upset the applecart with KC's.

Then regarding your budget:

If you want nice wheels, you will start to go over budget every time.

The wheels I used as an example above are just one thing. For eg, do you want nice:

Wheels
Tyres
Brakes
Suspension
Bodywork
Bodywork add ons
Lights
Running Gear
Seats
Harnesses
Clocks
Switches
Carbon Fibre stuff
Weather Gear
Roll Cage
Any Tools needed

If you start to want better versions of the cheap ones of the above then you will start to run over budget.

I think nowadays that if you go for any of the three local manufacturers (MK, MAC1, MNR) then you will be looking at between £7500 and £10500 on the road.

So what I'm trying to say is that I think you're £7k will be already difficult considering IVA instead of SVA, and if you want a "nice" car then you are looking at £10+

Sorry mate...

Steve


afj - 22/6/09 at 07:45 PM

i did. R1 2003 £6500 maybe a little less on the road but since then ive got some carbon, a diffuser, sticky tyres Rescued attachment DSC00864.JPG
Rescued attachment DSC00864.JPG


locoboy - 22/6/09 at 07:47 PM

I beg to differ,

My GTS was built for £4500 and was 'nice' engough for me and the quality of the build was good.

Admittedly i did everything myself and it took me nearly 2 years to do it because i waited for bargains,

I bought a few job lots of parts to get a certain item and sold the bits i did not need and made a profit that all went back into the build pot.

If you want bargains you need to be good with your cash and not be tempted to have the 'stuff it i will buy it new with next day delivery' attitude, you need to keep your cash ready an waiting to snap up the bargains as and when they pop up.

7.5K is well within reach i would say if you want a functional nice looking car.

Carbon seats, flash electronic dash, shiny paddle gearchange, shiny lights dont make your car any more useable or perform any better, they just make it look 'marginally' better.


PhilCross66 - 22/6/09 at 07:48 PM

All my parts + kit add up to under 4.5k without a motor, mine was free, but they can easily be found for less than 1k
Ive done as much as I can myself to keep costs down including making my own wiring harness and modding my own propshaft but it means Im on the road for under 5k


BenB - 22/6/09 at 08:08 PM

I think 7 and a bit would be do-able considering you have to have a reverse mechanism.... I think mine cost 6.5 all in which ain't bad. Engine cost me £500 IIRC (cos I was lazy and just took one from STMs stash) so not much of a saving of a R1...


Mark G - 22/6/09 at 08:57 PM

I've just finished my Indy and I'm estimating that it came in at around £7k, I did have it all logged on my pc up till around 6k, then I erased my hard drive and lost it. Since then I think I've spent around a grand.

With IVA now more expensive and also requiring a reverse gear I'd be surprised if I'd be able to do it again in that budget.


Hellfire - 22/6/09 at 09:19 PM

If you've got plenty of time and patience to source and wait for bargains to come along, then I see no reason why you couldn't build a very nice Indy for £7K. Trouble is, once you get started, the build becomes addictive and you just want to move on from one thing to the next and before you know it, you've blown your budget and you're only 80% through the build.

If you've thought it through, budgeted well and can hold out for those bargains to come along, there's no reason it can't be achieved.

Phil


RK - 23/6/09 at 04:02 AM

Nobody knows, because I've never met a KC builder who knows how to add. There comes a point people stop adding.

Do you really care about money, or just want a nice car? Nice cars don't cost what building one does. Building one will always cost more than buying one. They have big factories that do this sort of thing, and make it quite economical for people.

Knowing what I know now, I would fully support these places and carry on doing things I'm good at. Not that I won't be good at it one day. But learning costs money. There are so many nice cars out there for what these little toys cost.

http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/1104194.htm

I know what I'd do. I'd forget I ever read Uncle Ron and K. Tanner. The worst books I've ever come across.


Pezza - 23/6/09 at 02:56 PM

Mine owes me just under 6 grand so far from the cost sheets i've been keeping. (Idid buy a part built kit mind)
I reckon on another £300 of parts to finish for IVA.