hi everyone all these lovely cars i feel like your all living the dream, well im a bit of a car fan and know some not a great deal of mechanical knowledge, im 19and been looking over rojects like the classic mk1 golfs and rs cosworths but insurance doesnt agree, one of the guys at work drives a locost and has dscused that be a cheaper and nicer idea for a hand made kit car but not sre where t start so any help people especialy with insurance
ive had offers of doner cars from rs cosworths from £400 but took a fancy to already started tiger avon kits seen a nice one on ebay running a 200sx nissan turbo but help as i may just be young and folish

i run a 200sx sr20det engine in my kit and its feckin insane (321bhp) BUT i dought you would get insurance on anthing with a good engine untill your 25

and welcome

Build it to weigh apporx 350 Kilos and put 1.0 litre (car) engine in it...

Would be plenty quick enough (without a passenger) and should be cheap enough to insure... (relatively speaking)

ETA - I'm not up on Ford engines etc, but what was the ford engine that was in the fiesta's that was a 1.25 litre engine - I think it was derived from an ali yamaha engine and they had a bigger brother?

Was it a Duratec, I don't think so, but it's the only engine I can think of that was launched at approx that era...

I thought it was quite a powerful lightweigh engine for a 1.25 (or thereabouts)

[Edited on 11/7/11 by Steve Hignett]

i was 20 when I insured my 2.0ltr zetec tiger avon. Cost £500 insurance

You do not have to have an insanely fast car to appreicate this hobby,
my car started life as a 1300 xflow, and that was good fun, it then had a 1700 xflow twin 40's etc and was very quick, but unreliable

I now run a pretty standard 1600 xflow, and can mostly beat anything off the lights

I still enjoy my car, wether its the fastest in town or not i dont give a hoot

Steve

Buy mine off me cost me £184 to insure this year ( im 24), use it all summer and then make some mods over the winter! Being on the road already it will save you ££££ even if you did change the engine!

Very valid point and by putting a bigger engine for me itd be a waste as for the first year id be tick
Ing the gas trying not to spin it ha ha, insurance is the major issue that im going to have to look into, and the small ford engine is a zetec 1.25 and for their size arent bad on power, thankyou everyone for the help and defonatly wanting for a first time kit something thats already on the road past the expensive test stages ect, anyone know what is a cheaper model to look out for ??

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve Hignett
Build it to weigh apporx 350 Kilos and put 1.0 litre (car) engine in it...

Would be plenty quick enough (without a passenger) and should be cheap enough to insure... (relatively speaking)

ETA - I'm not up on Ford engines etc, but what was the ford engine that was in the fiesta's that was a 1.25 litre engine - I think it was derived from an ali yamaha engine and they had a bigger brother?

Was it a Duratec, I don't think so, but it's the only engine I can think of that was launched at approx that era...

I thought it was quite a powerful lightweigh engine for a 1.25 (or thereabouts)

[Edited on 11/7/11 by Steve Hignett]

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I bought mine (1900 cvh westfield) in sept 08 when i was 21 (born may 87) and insured it for circa £500, simular the next year, and only slightly inflated now, with some points on for speeding (mainly collected in tin-top, not the kit).

Ive not had the car set up or dyno'ed, but it should be around the 130 mark which at 540kg makes it more than enough fun. Again ive not had it profesionally timed, but on road tyres with a video camera on the speedo 60 comes up in about 5seconds ish.

I looked long and hard at building, either a locost or a mk indy or something, did a few days out with owners clubs (local westy crowd, an mk bruntingthope day, stoneleigh, etc) and looked at a few zetec engined MKs that where in budget but nothing shone through untill the car i bought came up. I couldnt spare the time/money to build (might be diffrent for you) and being newish at the time, to be within budget the MKs i was looking at where very tatty or bodged. The westfield is old at 1991 (20yo now) but like most of them has been garaged all irs life so doesnt really show it. The engines a bit of an odd-ball being both a cvh (fairly common in this age westy, but otherwise not very) and in that its a 1600 bored/stroked to 1900, but the priced of £3750 reflected thism and its effectivly an 8valve zetec (running a tubular 4-2-1 and twin dhla 40's carbs) so it goes well and would also be a very easy conversion to a zetec.


Daniel

Thanx alot guy, im sorta getting their ive descided it has too be a 1600 or less due to insurance seen a few styles I like, not sure weather to nuy built or project as cant afford to start from scratch, sorting storage arrangements now so just a matter of saving and desciding road worth kit or continiue somones project,

Mines still for sale 1600 crossflow costs me £184 and full of fun factor!! if you are working on a tight budget then I would suggest you go for something already road legal!

Make sure you get a proper insurance quote before you spend any money.
If they can insure you for less than £1500 per year at age 19 then you're doing well.

True but only issue with complete or road tested prodject is id need to save all at once instead of buying chunks sounds like I best do some over time, as for the insurance it wont be till nextyear atm as ill tinker so be 20 with over a years noclaims and over 2 years driving experience hopong for under £1k, ill find out when I ask around insurars and advise at work,

FWIW my insurance at 21 on a 2 litre pinto locost was a shade over £500. But that was 5 years ago and I think a lot of companies have changed their rules now on engine sizes for people under 25.

Phone the usual suspects (Flux, Footman James etc) before starting and just make some enquiries NCB wont make a difference on kit car insurance as they are normally classic type policies. They are priced more or less dependant on your age and engine size/power.

David

Im gunna work out a budget and find out insurere too call shortly, mattyc howmuch is your1600xflow going for ?? Got any pictures ??

If you build at the rate of some folk on here, then by the time you finish your insurance problems will be all gone!

I think of my car as a works in progress, always an upgrade around the corner.

So, if you think the same way, put a small engine in now and then you can always put a big one (or a small bike one) in later. The benefits of starting small will be that everything is a bit cheaper, and although the book might say £250, and you might be able to get a donor for £400, there are lots of costs that are unavoidable and they all add up in a scary way. Going for a smallish car engine and keeping the weight down will minimise your pain.

Phone around the insurers to avoid disappointment later is a good idea.

Matt

Been looking at options such as buying and building my own up steady. Anyone know howmuch it is to powder coat a chassi?
spoke to a friend who may have a 1.6 pinto i can buy for my build and other than welding im willing to have a go at it all. But i have had a peak at mk,s indy r package its a bit much but gets me what i want new and how i want it but unsure yet. Buy bits and second hands or save for a few months for a new kit? ??