Hi all, from a wee lad iv been car mad over the years iv had my plenty of sports cars mainly the ford rs motors but even with driving these something
was missing. I remember seeing my 1st kit car as a teenager and thinking how cool they looked. Well 1st came the ladies 2nd beer followed by a house
marriage and kids i think we all no the route.
a few years ago i was hell bent on building a kit car i was bidding on a chassis on an auction site and lost out at the death well fast forward 2
years and im now getting my arris into gear and getting the ball rolling.
a friend of mine is helping me out with welding and i no a metal works local to get the steel.its just a dream to build a car from scratch that i can
call my own. Its not like the other cars rebuilding an engine etc this will be a proper full job.
can i ask in regards to tools and quirks to help with the build.
what type welder?
Rough cost of steel
do you have to make the carriers for suspension engine etc?
Well for now i think thats about it
my names adam by the way and im in tamworth west midlands anyone local?
Welcome to the best forum in the world!!
Not just for cars, for anything!!!
Use the search function, it will satisfy your every itch!
Biz
Hello and welcome
Check the Locost map in my signature.
do you have this book?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Own-Sports-Car/dp/1844253910/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384819038&sr=8-1&keywords=build+your+own+sports+ca
r
its all in there 
and anything that is not in there is in this one
http://www.completekitcar.co.uk/haynesroadsterbu.html
I have neither which is the better buy?
I have a book with all the chassis layouts on and a cutting sheet im going in blind here lol one of the reasons for joining was to get all the help i
could
quote:
Originally posted by ashg
do you have this book?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Own-Sports-Car/dp/1844253910/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384819038&sr=8-1&keywords=build+your+own+sports+ca r
welcome adam there are lots of good people on here to help you along the way 
quote:
Originally posted by imp paul
welcome adam there are lots of good people on here to help you along the way
May I suggest you save yourself a lot of potential grief and buy a chassis flat pack from Talon Talon. You will have to send him a message via eBay.
Tbh i have had a look at a few people iv seen on here who sell kits and this may be the way i go. My dad has rung tonight to say his pal mick will
weld it up at his shop for beer tokens he has offered to cut all the steel to but think by the time iv bought it and worked out the angles id be
better off in kit form then micky and his team could knock it out in a few days.
My trouble now is do i go haynes or locost? Or am i missing the point are they the same chassis.
Another question donor wise mgzr 160bhp will it work with either car did think st170 engine but for price of engine and box a cheap zr can be had
quote:
Originally posted by vysie
Tbh i have had a look at a few people iv seen on here who sell kits and this may be the way i go. My dad has rung tonight to say his pal mick will weld it up at his shop for beer tokens he has offered to cut all the steel to but think by the time iv bought it and worked out the angles id be better off in kit form then micky and his team could knock it out in a few days.
My trouble now is do i go haynes or locost? Or am i missing the point are they the same chassis.
I would also compare the price, even the Talon kits are several times more expensive than normal steel. Obviously there is a lot of labour involved,
but there is a big saving to be had if you can get cheap/free labour.
I'm fairly sure most kits are Haynes based, but even if you do cut the steel yourself I'd still stick with the Haynes version. It just seems
'compatible' with more donors whereas the Locost needs some very specific donor items that may be difficult to find nowadays (the live axle
being the most obvious).
With regards to a donor, whatever you choose should be at least rear wheel drive otherwise you can get yourself a bit stuck. As far as I know the MGZR
was front wheel drive? Even the ST170 engine is mated to a RWD gearbox when it's used in a kit car.
Should changd my name to dum dum didnt even think about the cars rwd just thought as mr jc from a show POWER what gearbox do you mate an st to ? Think i search for a fix or repair daily then as i no them pretty well.
there are plenty of engine options out there, but some are easier than others and bare in mind that any engine you get that was made after August 1995
will need a CAT for the emissions test at the IVA
the ST170 is a 'Zetec E' engine with VVT and a few other tweaks (even though some are badged as duratec's) but before you run out and
buy one have a think about how you want to make it run...
the VVT and stock injectors can be run off the stock ECU with a bit of work, but then you'll need the ECU, wiring and keys etc... (see the old
threads on running stock ford ECU's)
as for a gearbox the ford 'type 9' found in alot of sierra's is 1st choice, in fact a 1.8 petrol sierra (CVH engine) is the ideal donor
as it'll give you the gearbox, starter and sump you need for a zetec
the normal 1.8 & 2.0 zetec's are also worth a look as they are still quite decent and much cheaper
the MG ZR engine probably can be used, but I'm not sure how much you'd need to change - the K series engines were used by caterham for a
long time so you'd basically have to do the same mod's
and again the ford type 9 gearbox is the easy option, but requires an aftermarket bellhousing (available off the shelf from a few places inc.
caterham)
2.0 vauxhall redtop/XE engines are also a decent option, if you look hard can get a box from an omega for them, but bellhousings are available the
ford type 9
you can also get type 9 bellhousings to fit the VAG 1.8 (VW/Audi 1.8t etc...) but these arn't cheap so not many people have used them
the Toyota 4AGE engine also has aftermarket bellhousings available for the type 9 box.
as you might of guessed by now the type 9 box gives you lot of options - it fits onto most old ford engines (except the V6's) and you can get
aftermarket bellhousings for the newer 'zetec SE' and 'duratec HE' engines
the only real problem with it is if you want lots of power then you'll need some stronger insides for it (the stock 4cly box is rated to
~145bhp, but you seem to get away with a bit more in very lightweight cars like these)
lots of uprated gear kits and alternate ratios are available for a price...
the other option thats becoming more and more popular is the MX5 running gear - you can use the engine, box and axles/brakes - so you don't need
any ford donor bits at all 
its been done lots of times now so the changes from the book chassis/suspension are well known (search for more info)
even some of the bigger kitcar makers offer MX5 based single donor cars
some kitcar makes are starting to use BMW 3 series as the donors and I think a handful locosts have gone down this route (but I can't remember
who) - the big downside with BMW stuff is it tends to be quite heavy....
[Edited on 20/11/2013 by mcerd1]
Hi,
Welcome to the forum,
The haynes is a slightly wider chassis, so if you are a big guy might give you abit more arse room. And the haynes book is abit more upto date, I have
one of each both with bike engines, I converted my locost to and IRS (independant rear Suspension). another engine option to consider?
If you can pick up a MIG welder and a chop saw for cheap or borrow, and tackle the fabrication yourself it will save money. doesnt take long to learn
and the haynes book is easy to follow and there is loads of info on the forum and web.
regards JB