I was wondering if many people on here have tales of people's ignorance about kit cars?

I'll go first....

I work in a restaurant part time, we often have a bit of banter with the chefs. I told them that I was building a kit car and I did a quick sketch:

"haha that looks cr@p, like that one from Wind in the Willows!"
"How much horse power?"
Me - '150ish'
"Hahaha thats cr@p, my C4 vtr has loads more, will be wayy quicker!"
Me - 'Ah I never knew C4s could get to 60mph in about 4 seconds'
"You are talking s**t you are, we should have a race."

Then it was my turn to laugh Things like these just make me want to finish it as soon as possible now Can't wait to turn up to work in it now!

James

A few months after I'd got my chassis my neighbour came over to have a look and she said that when I first got it she thought I was building a bed!

i;m looking forward to scaring the HELL out of a few of the guys I work with.

You must work with a bunch or a-holes. people I work with are amazed by kit cars and in awe of the power to weight ratio etc of the 7 type cars.

You should get one of the lads with a turbo'd busa or something along to race his vtr *ahem* on private land of course *cough*, and post his face afterwards on youtube....

"What size is your engine?"
"1.3"
"Haha, that's cr@p, my vtr will wee all over it.."

"bugg3r"



or, put some money on it, and fleece him.....

Since TG had the R500 on there, the "what is it you're building" conversations have been easier....

My mam was convinced I was building a boat and that it would never be a car and at work when I told them they were telling me how you can't have a car without a roof or windscreen and that I was talking crap about the whole thing. When I showed them a picture one lad said "ohhh it's like Brum!" So instantly its a kids thing and won't shift for toffee.
I just leave them to it, carry on!

i just think it will be hilarious when his Citreon VTR revs above 4000 rpm and then blows up!

have to agree with mr grumpy as well, when i told the guys i was building a car with no screen they said it was like brum, when i turned up to work in it for the first time, they soon shut up! one lad had a mk 2 'convertable' golf, so i started taking the wee out of him when he sat at the lights next to me revving his engine, im sure you can guess what happened next!

[Edited on 6/3/09 by omega0684]

I know exactly how you feel, my coworker didn't believe my car that i bashed together out of bits of salvaged ford gubbings could get to 60mph, let alone quickly. He got quite a shock when I left him eating my (rather blue) smoke at a set of traffic lights a couple of times. (He owns a 911 but doesn't really know how to drive it.)

He is refusing to believe that my hair dryer powered automobile will have any chance of being quick because you need to rev it so high to get the power. I guess I better get the fury finished then....

Haha yeah, that was another thing-

"How big is your engine?"
"Less than a litre"
"Hahah thats tiny! What do you think you can do with that?!?"

Hmm

Citroen C4 VTR, if it has the biggest engine - 140bhp.

Vehicle weight 1720kg empty.

See if your mate has ever heard the words "Power to weight ratio"

I've had people tell me, in all seriousness, that you can't...

...build your own car...

...use the engine from one car in another...

....drive a car without a windscreen....

etc. etc.

People have no idea.

Cheers

Chris

This part of the country is full of wannabe racers in Beemers - it's such a p*ss take blowing them off from the lights or waiting for them to decide they'd better move over and then doing it all over them.
Hooligan - moi?
Cheers, Pewe

there is usually an order of facial expression when people see my car at lights etc

that looks cool

diesel??????

haha what a pile of shit

yikes that soon dissappeared...

Wait....did you just say.....Diesel?!

Awesome!

I used to enjoy chav bashing on my bike, the best ones are when you spot some pretty young lady in the passenger seat looking pretty bored with her sportswear clad lover. Quick wink at the girl was sure to get the lad up for a "go" - then leave em wheeeeeeeeeey back.

Makes me laugh, her disatsified and him red faced - win, win, win!

quote:

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Originally posted by pewe
This part of the country is full of wannabe racers in Beemers - it's such a p*ss take blowing them off from the lights or waiting for them to decide they'd better move over and then doing it all over them.
Hooligan - moi?
Cheers, Pewe

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I must say that I have not had any of the negative comments about my car builds or aspirations.

Most are all very interested and generally want to know more.

It may have somthing to do with most of the fellas at work being fairly like minded and mechanical.

Though I do tend to try and show a picture rather than attemp to explain, is that cheating

Apart from the "Is it a car" and "Is it legal" brigade (hundreds of those), I got the impresion that people were taking my claims of performance "with a pinch of salt". A case of humour him, he's harmless. They change thier tune when they get a ride in it. Varies from speechless to jibbering...with the odd puking for good measure.

When owners of "quick" cars are impressed after a ride you know you did the right thing building it. Those I've impressed so far have had S2000, GT4, TVR Taimar, Griffith500, 360, etc.

adrian

"A few months after I'd got my chassis my neighbour came over to have a look and she said that when I first got it she thought I was building a bed!"

Did she look disapointed whe you said no ????

The whole principle of doing something yourself, woth your own hands seems to be so alien to so many people now.

From building a car to DIY some people are just terrified to attempt anything at all. I'm boarding my loft at the moment, some people are astounded that such a thing is possible without 'getting someone in'!

Nothing different with cars really, or else there wouldn't be mechanics and garages!!!

Cheers,
James

i had, that a lot of people saying you could by a car with the money it cost you to build one. and then laugh at it is only 1.6, and some people reckon that a 1.4 fiesta will keep up with it, and i will only just get past. They did get a shock when i left a fiesta standing, on a private road of course.

stuart

quote:

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Originally posted by yellow melos
"A few months after I'd got my chassis my neighbour came over to have a look and she said that when I first got it she thought I was building a bed!"

Did she look disapointed whe you said no ????

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Diseasel! Fuel of the Devil. What is the world coming to?

We had a student on placement a while back - kept going on at tea break about how much faster various turbo or supercars will be compared to my (at that time) crossflow powered Fury - so I took him for a blast down a local road I know very well
He actually screamed when I didnt even back off for a blind downhill kink...........

[Edited on 6/3/09 by clairetoo]

The negative comments seem to come either from lack of knowledge or otherwise jealousy. I think interest is a more honest response. I remember coming back to my first kit car, in Bath, to find it sorrounded by Japanese tourists taking it in turn for photographs.

quote:

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Originally posted by eznfrank
A few months after I'd got my chassis my neighbour came over to have a look and she said that when I first got it she thought I was building a bed!

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quote:

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We had a student on placement a while back - kept going on at tea break about how much faster various turbo or supercars will be compared to my (at that time) crossflow powered Fury - so I took him for a blast down a local road I know very well He actually screamed when I didnt even back off for a blind downhill kink...........

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mines only been on the road a few weeks but so far.. my mum cried and gave me a hug when she saw the no. plates on as she seemed to think i was the first person to ever build at car at home various mates with 'fast cars' have tried to take me on but failed inc mitsubish gto, brothers fiesta st, neibours focus st, and a mates bmw 335d - all totally shocked at how fast to 100 it is
but what realy upsets people is when you tell them comp insurance is £180

I have had nothing but positive comments - people wanting to look in it, at it, hear it, know about it! The one that gets them most are the badges.

quote:

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Originally posted by mistergrumpy
My mam was convinced I was building a boat and that it would never be a car and at work when I told them they were telling me how you can't have a car without a roof or windscreen and that I was talking crap about the whole thing. When I showed them a picture one lad said "ohhh it's like Brum!" So instantly its a kids thing and won't shift for toffee.
I just leave them to it, carry on!

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Most of my non mechanical mates love it. They thinks its brilliant ive managed to build my own car and put it on the road. Even more so when I take them for a ride. 2 lads at work have been building for ages so they are jealous mine is on the road and the rest are just waiting to get a ride in it but they understand the whole power to weight thing making single seaters as light as possible all day long.

Girls are a different issue. When I used to show them a picture after giving up explaining they used to say "ahh, just like brum!".

Now if they ever ask about cars I never get to the kit car as they cant stop laughing after I tell them I drive a Skoda.

"But they make good cars these days!!"

Luckily most lads recognise the vRS badges!

[Edited on 6/3/2009 by greggors84]

the most ignorant thing ive had was 'oh...samco hoses...' from the insurance ''engineer''
as for how fast it is, my dads sure it wont keep up with his fq340, although the other night on the bypass he wasnt getting away
most people cant believe its road legal...

i've not had mine on the road much, waste of road tax in this weather, but at track days people generally ask 3 question
1"what is it?"
2 "whats in it?"
3 "fast isnt it!"

I had loads of ribbing about 'how long it was taking' while was building..

Then pictures of it just before SVA.. 'hey, its Brum!'

Now cause I've crashed it, its a supermarket trolley.

Questions about which car it's as fast of? Maybe Porches turbo time to 60??

The laughter.... if only they knew, one day I'll get the nuggets out in it and show them how far you leave the rest behind at the lights

I never talk about it anymore. I'll just show them when the time comes

I've not had any bad comments, except from a couple of "chavs" last week...


My best is the old dear across the road from me.
She has watched me building it all last year., and came across at every oppotunity to see how I was getting on.

She says " Make sure when it's finished, I get a ride in it"
And I think she means it..

Trouble is I may have to lift her into it. I doubt she could get in on her own...
Bless her....Thinks she is still 16..

David

quote:

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Originally posted by dogwood

Trouble is I may have to lift her into it. I doubt she could get in on her own...

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I rarely have negative comments about my car. Most young folk seem too shy to come up and actually ask about it, although they are quite happy to stand and watch/listen. Older folk, especially at Tesco, are more than happy to wander over and ask about it, ask to see under the bonnet and so on. Even the Polish car wash guys seem interested. They have never once asked to wash it, but they always ask if they can stand next to it and have their picture taken. I've also had the old dear across the way come out and tell me how brilliant it is that I have a 7, and that she'd not seen one in ages! Also had a few local housewives come out and ask if it has a bike engine in it, as their husbands have told them not to be so silly, you can't have a bike engine in a car!

Had a couple of chavvie types giving sign language.

I just smiled as

1. I was in a car I'd built and
2. They were walking

Some old git tried giving me directions to Brands when I pulled into a petrol station a coule of years ago. Duuhhhh, do you not think that having built a car I might; a) be interested in car and b) not know where the nearest motor racing circuit was - like 20 minutes away.

ATB

Simon