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Thinking of buying, help!
andyr300 - 20/4/10 at 06:26 PM

Hello,

I have been thinking about buying a kit car for a while and have decided if I do buy one I am going to get an MK Indy.

I have always wanted to build a kitcar but I do worry I am not competent enough to finish the build? Do you need any experience/skills or are these builds quite simple these days? Is MK a good manafacturer for my first build?

Any help much appreicated

jossey - 20/4/10 at 06:29 PM

Firstly is the money you will spend doing a kit car. yes you can buy good kits which you just bolt together and then your done but it aint that easy with most kits.

Most of the builders here will have some experience to build a kit like a westfield style kit.

i would suggest if you cant weld or dont know anyone who can weld. and cant work on electrics or dont know anyone then think again.

i can weld and build engines and i struggle with builds.

i have built alot of kits this past 5 or 6 years and this locost build is very difficult from my normal space frame lambo style build.

Lars - 20/4/10 at 06:38 PM

welcome andy

From what I have heard MK is good

Any skill you don't yet have you will learn as you go along

Benzine - 20/4/10 at 06:40 PM

I hadn't even changed a wheel on a car before building an MK. Don't agree with the stuff about welding & electrics^

Steve Hignett - 20/4/10 at 06:40 PM

quote:
Originally posted by andyr300
I have always wanted to build a kitcar but I do worry I am not competent enough to finish the build?

Do you need any experience/skills or are these builds quite simple these days?

Is MK a good manafacturer for my first build?


If you've always wanted to do it, then do it...

Most people would be able to build a kit car, it's the standard of finish that tells them apart...

Any experience you may have already, doing any sort of assembly or following of instructions will stand you in good stead. If you have any addditional experience such as being into bikes, doing the service on your own cars, a bit of DIY etc (basically a basic understanding of simple tools such as tape measure, cutting tools, spanners, socket sets etc - then it's happy days...)

MK is a good manufacturer for a first build, yes...

Don't listen to the weld/elec quote at all - I too have built a "few" kits and any advice/help etc I've ever needed has been answered in minutes on this forum...

Edited to add - Just ask on here at any time of the day for one silly and five good answers............

Oh, and get yourself to Stoneleigh Kitcar show 2nd and 3rd May...

[Edited on 20/4/10 by Steve Hignett]

RickRick - 20/4/10 at 06:40 PM

I think the main skill i learned was patience! problems come up, and get solved it's just a matter of time till you find the right friend/website/shop to help out sometimes

Russell - 20/4/10 at 06:45 PM

Not sure where you are based Andy but if possible get yourself over to Stoneleigh on May bank holiday for the show. See what's involved with the build and talk to the manufacturers. Good luck!

jacko - 20/4/10 at 06:51 PM

Welcome to the mad house
First think where do you live [ Town ]
there will be people on here that live near you that will help
I have a MK indy and i found it a very good kit to make/ build
Just take it one step at a time and ASK on here if you get stuck
Jacko

Dangle_kt - 20/4/10 at 06:57 PM

I have heard westfield/caterham are the easiest build - but a lot say they are too easy.

learning as you build is half the fun, and having help on here is invalueable when you meet those "I feel daunted" moment - and they will happen.

Being honest a lot of builds dont get finished, but this is useually down to a lack of enthusiasm, time, money or a mixture of them rather than a lack of ability.

personally I sometimes stalled my build because I reached a difficult job and wasnt confident enough to carry on. in the end I farmed out some of the work to some shady characters and they did what I couldnt. (cheers to Steve and Woszer)

It worked for me, and you will find what works for you.

Research and plan - go for test drives and speak to owners (not sellers/manufactuers)

cd.thomson - 20/4/10 at 07:00 PM

i cant tell my arse from my tit and I've nearly finished building mine

Peteff - 20/4/10 at 07:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by cd.thomson
i cant tell my arse from my tit and I've nearly finished building mine


Don't feed the baby whatever you do then

I've built from scratch and helped with most makes of the major kits produced and you will never be short of volunteers, put you location in your profile and get stuck in Andy.

tomprescott - 20/4/10 at 07:19 PM

I've always serviced my own cars but had only ever done light repairs before starting my build (from scratch not a kit), I've since become quite a competent welder and fairly good with fibre glass too.

I'm chuffed with the amount I've learnt doing it even if it has taken me a looong time to get this far - don't buy a kit, you'll probably be on the road before me and make me cry!

With the help of people on this site (the best site I visit) I've found that almost all problems have an answer, the only thing is the road less travelled is often longer - so sticking to a popular kit with popular engine means you should have a relatively easy and quick build but still learn loads and have fun doing it!

Go for it, and good luck - in coming on this site you've found one of the best tools a car builder can have!

adithorp - 20/4/10 at 07:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by andyr300
Hello,

I have been thinking about buying a kit car for a while and have decided if I do buy one I am going to get an MK Indy.

I have always wanted to build a kitcar but I do worry I am not competent enough to finish the build? Do you need any experience/skills or are these builds quite simple these days? Is MK a good manafacturer for my first build?

Any help much appreicated


First thing to do is make plans to get to Stoneleigh show. It's the biggest and best of the year. There'll be loads of finished cars there to look over as well as every kit manufactuer. MK are good but look at them all before deciding. Speak to the builders and don't bve affraid to ask questions or even beg the odd ride.

Skills are something you can learn and if anybody says they're an expert, don't believe them. I've been repairing cars for a living for 30 years and I constantly came across stuff I knew nothing about during my build. This forum is THE resource for any information you might need.

Add your (rough) locatin to your profile. It'll help when you need help.

Welcome to the mad house and see you at Stoneleigh.

adrian

austin man - 20/4/10 at 07:38 PM

MK is a good bit of kit and a good set of lads, not too hard to build it like a big mechano kit, you can even buy a loom so wiring it shouldn't be a problem.

Stuart_B - 20/4/10 at 08:07 PM

hi, and welcome.

i have built an mk, and i had not done a lot of car work helped my dad doing a few little bits but that was all, and i built mine whilst at collage training to become an electrician(which i am stilling at collage learning)

but mk are good kits, and you can get away with out welding at all, on them.

the electrics you can done looms which are a lot easier, if you can not get your head around electrics, if i do enough on through i would start from new and build a loom, very easy to do, once you get the basic.

but as said go to stoneligh, it is a great show.


if you see a young person around 18 around my mk, in the pic, it could be me, i will give you a ride.

stuart

[Edited on 20/4/10 by Stuart_B]

Hellfire - 20/4/10 at 08:58 PM

Welcome to the forum. Building an MK isn't too difficult. You've already found the best resource available on the internet for kit car builders and we're all here to offer help and advice should you need it.

Have a read of our build and rebuild diaries - Should hopefully give you some idea of how they go together.

Lastly, about the engine...................

Phil

andyr300 - 20/4/10 at 10:02 PM

Thanks for all the replies, I have been onto MK via email and they are offerring me a complete kit with Hayabusa engine for £9,500.

What sort of things would I need on top of this, does anything need painting or is it literally a case of sticking all the parts together...then £450 for the IVA test?

Would I need any specialist tools, or is it a socket set and some screwdrivers/rivet gun? Do you need a crane to get the engine in or anything like that?

PS I am down in Surrey, near Epsom. Everyone here seems to be from Yorkshire!

[Edited on 20/4/10 by andyr300]

RK - 20/4/10 at 10:06 PM

That's a lot of money for a hairdryer. But you'll be driving it in no time, if it's complete, and you can not worry about searching high and low for appropriate parts. Without going into details, you either pay now, or later, from my experience (which you really don't have time to hear about).

If you're in Canada some time, I can fit you with some good hearing aids that you will no doubt need after driving with that engine.

adithorp - 21/4/10 at 01:03 PM

You'll need a good set of spanners, screw drivers, socket set, hammer, etc. An electric drill, possibly an angle grinder, a Dremel tool is usefull, wiring terminal crimpers, rivet gun (lazy tongue type), Rivnut tool, jack, axle stands... The list will grow as you build. You shouldn't need a crane with a bike engine; even a Busa can be man-handled unlike a boat ancor (Pinto).

There'l be loads of people along soon to tell you what a bad idea a BEC is; Ignore them!

adrian