YODI
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 10:57 PM |
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Cheap Dutton?
Ebay says this is just 5 miles from me, it's ugly but it's cheap?
locost kit car | eBay
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steve m
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:19 PM |
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1k for a sva pass is cheap motoring ??
plus sell the rest on ebay
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computid
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:22 PM |
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Not really that cheap considering it has no T&T, needs a new clutch slave cylinder and possibly a new battery. Id offer him £900.
To put it in context, there was a guy selling one on here with a test and fully working with full wet weather gear for £1400. There was one on ebay
with an MOT and a months tax with full wet weather gear for £1400 which didnt sell.
If it was £900 it'd be a good price, maybe OK at 1k if it needs only the work he says, but as with all these things theres probably more too it
then meets the eye.
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YODI
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:22 PM |
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The rest of the kit you mean?
Could that car be stripped back to have a locost style front end fitted?
Also, the wiring looks messy
[Edited on 16/12/11 by YODI]
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wylliezx9r
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:24 PM |
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Re-style the nose and it could be half decent or as above. There seem to be loads of duttons knocking about, whatever happened to them ? Must have
been popular in the past, what do they handle like ?
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.
George Best
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computid
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:30 PM |
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You could restyle it but you'd still have the dutton back end which wouldn't be THAT easy to change because of the chassis design (Not
impossible, but not a lot of point).
If you want cheap yet fun motoring its probably alright.
Having never driven one I cant comment on the handling although I've never heard a bad word said.
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YODI
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:35 PM |
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The problem with the front end reshape looking at it, seems as though it doesn't narrow as much at the front as the Locost does??
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computid
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:38 PM |
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Yep, your right there.
Heres the front of the chassis:
http://www.duttonownersclub.co.uk/Gallery%20pictures/chassis%20and%20axles/Dutton%20Phaeton%20Chassis1.JPG
and heres the rest of it:
http://www.duttonownersclub.co.uk/Gallery%20pictures/chassis%20and%20axles/Dutton%20Phaeton%20Chassis5.JPG
EDIT: Had to remove images as they were too big for the page.
[Edited on 16/12/11 by computid]
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YODI
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| posted on 16/12/11 at 11:41 PM |
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Thanks for that, after seeing those it's not for me 
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 07:35 AM |
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Regarding the pics in the link above. (Too big to show directly, so well done for just including links)
A bit of "that'll do" engineering if ever you saw it.
Feckin' horrible.
[Edited on 17/12/11 by zilspeed]
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myke pocock
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 08:17 AM |
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Dont think that chassis inspires much confidence in its design. Some of the joining points of tubes look decidedly DIY to me.
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 08:39 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by myke pocock
Dont think that chassis inspires much confidence in its design. Some of the joining points of tubes look decidedly DIY to me.
The scary thing is, they're all like that.
No wonder he got eventually got nicked for the standard of his products.
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YODI
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 10:29 AM |
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Rule No.1 - Avoid Duttons
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Surrey Dave
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 12:13 PM |
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1 Vote for Dutton's
Duttons take a lot of flack ,but still cheap fun open top motoring, I've had a B-type, Melos, Phaeton S2.
Kit car quality was not the same back then but still fun, if people are honest we spend most of our time pottering around behind sunday motorists, and
Duttons are more than capable of that!!
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 01:13 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Surrey Dave
Duttons take a lot of flack ,but still cheap fun open top motoring, I've had a B-type, Melos, Phaeton S2.
Kit car quality was not the same back then but still fun, if people are honest we spend most of our time pottering around behind sunday motorists, and
Duttons are more than capable of that!!
Fair enough point, well made :-)
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Andy S
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 01:29 PM |
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+1
With a bit of effort they can be very good cars - Not cheap at all - £1250 buys a very nice MX5 these days or any number of other soft top
classics.
quote:
Originally posted by Surrey Dave
Duttons take a lot of flack ,but still cheap fun open top motoring, I've had a B-type, Melos, Phaeton S2.
Kit car quality was not the same back then but still fun, if people are honest we spend most of our time pottering around behind sunday motorists, and
Duttons are more than capable of that!!
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jonno
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 01:43 PM |
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If its only 5 miles away... go have a look, you might be surprised. £ per smile cannot go far wrong
having fun on a budget
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 02:01 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Andy S
+1
With a bit of effort they can be very good cars - Not cheap at all - £1250 buys a very nice MX5 these days or any number of other soft top
classics.
Which is the killer issue these days.
MX5s and MGFs are very very available and demand nothing of you other than petrol.
Suitable for car enthusiasts and civilians too.
My brother's 96P MGF cost, I think, £700 a year ago.
Good fun and transport too. I doubt it's worth a penny less than he paid for it.
I would suggest that on most A roads with all of their compromises, a Dutton driver wouldn't see where an MX5 or MGF went, they would be that
much quicker than the Dutton.
Still, if the Dutton's cheap enough, each to their own.
Right now though, my money would be in one of the above.
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YODI
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 04:13 PM |
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I know all about MX5's I sold mine 3 weeks ago 
But if you want a kit car an MX5 isnt one, however the dutton is actually ugly and I dont like it so I wont even look... If it could have been
converted I would of but better off starting with something better
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computid
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 05:04 PM |
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Theres nothing wrong with Duttons per say and I wasn't trying to put a downer on them in general. They can be nice cars and as with all kit cars
it depends on the builder.
With regards to the court case against Tim Dutton, the above statement is unfair. The amphibious car in question was ordered despite many warnings
from Dutton that it would be unsafe due to unreasonable specifications made by the person that ordered it. Whilst I do not agree with his decision to
produce the vehicle when he thought it unsafe, I do side with him in the argument. This is the ONLY complaint I have ever heard with regards to
Duttons amphicars and It was made by somebody who is quite clearly bitter about the whole thing.
The fact that Dutton modified the vehicle AFTER the SVA test (quite considerably so) was wrong, but as I said before, it was only down to the
ridiculous demands of the customer.
His earlier cars were (I think) quite nice looking and if built to a high standard could be quite nice. I would personally have a Dutton and would
happily drive it. I actually wanted to buy one a little while back (before I got the minari).
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zilspeed
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| posted on 17/12/11 at 05:16 PM |
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I think, as stated above in the thread, the bulk of Dutton's production is from earlier times when the market had considerably lesse
expectations than the standards we see nowadays.
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