Hi all,
Firstly, I have to say that this site was recommended to me, and I can see why, what a great forum, well done!!

Its been a lifelong dream, but now I have a garage I am good to go. I am looking to purchase and build my first kit car. Please could you advise me which car kit and manufacturer you would recommend for my first build, (with limited skills, but keen to learn)?
Also, are there any companies that also provide the donor engine/car, or do you need to source this yourself?

Many thanks

think 1st need to deside car or bike engined

Welcome to the madhouse
There are so many companies out there that i would think the best way is it try and go to see them
good ones are
MK
MNR
Westfield
and many more
it depends on your budget
jacko

In a nutshell MNR!
You will not be left waiting for parts, customer service,support and back up will be above and beyond your needs and most importantly the quality Is very very good. Have a ride up there and I'm sure you'll agree!

Hi all,
Thank you for the quick replies...

I have no preference whether the kit is car or bike engined, just want the buzz, excitement and challenge of building the car. (Or the frustration and stress).

Yes, the MNR does look very good value, I can get the complete kit with everything I will need for £7,500.
The Westfield has some amazing cars, but a bit too expensive for my first attempt, maybe once I've completed one I will get the bug??
I will continue my research, again, ideally would like a complete package, so as I do not need to source that many additional parts.

Thanks

You should plan to attend some kitcar shows next year
Stonliegh has the biggest show and the most manufacturers
Put you location in your profile then look for local guys with cars and kitcar clubs

[Edited on 31/10/15 by snapper]

quote:

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Originally posted by snapper
You should plan to attend some kitcar shows next year
Stonliegh has the biggest show and the most manufacturers
Put you location in your profile then look for local guys with cars and kitcar clubs

[Edited on 31/10/15 by snapper]

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Mnr would be my recommendation based in what you have said you want.

quote:

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Originally posted by Jhr20

Yes, the MNR does look very good value, I can get the complete kit with everything I will need for £7,500.

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im half through a haynes roadster build to be honest if iwas doing it again, i would look at a road legal car over the winter with old technology , like a pinto engined robin hood etc. then rebuild it with a modern engine etc. there is some cars to be had for around £2k

Hi,

What do you want to use the car for?? I have built 2 bike engined locosts. Currently swapping a bike engine to car engine.

There is total kit car live November 20th at brands hatch, not many manufactures there but you can get at good look at other peoples cars, see and hear them on the track.

I would recomend mac1..... With a bike engine

Regards Jon

Looked at the Mac1 and the MNR, both look very good, I will be using the car for road use, but leisure only, not for commuting to work.

I have yet to confirm my budget, but thanks for pointing out the cost of the IVA and the cost of the consumables and extras as I didn't factor these in.

I live in East Sussex, so will try and attend a few kit car shows, before baking my decision, I believe Maidstone (Dettling) has a good one but will see if I am able to attend the Brands Hatch event.

Am currently looking on Ebay, etc to get some more ideas of kit cars.

I would recommend that if you are a new builder (as I was 3 years ago when I started mine) then make absolutely sure you buy a kit where they can show you exactly what the "build instructions" are like that they give you. I decided to build a Mac1 on the basis they said it came with some "basic" instruction notes, not a full build manual like a Westfield, but something basic for you to work with, as I explained I was able to use a spanner but was not a mechanic and would be a novice with enthusiasm. But it turned out there was no printed instructions for the build at all. You are just expected to build from a chat with the guys and looking at other peoples builds.

I'd a say attend Stoneleigh in May as it's biggest show of the year (there aren't many now and I think Brands live event has been cancelled) and look over everything thats there in the halls then have a look at the finished kits in the club areas and chat with the owners.

Different people have different experiences with kit manufacturers. Those that have good ones will shout it from the rooftops but those that don't might not; They need the makers good will for spares, so don't always pipe up with negative reviews on a public forum... what they'll say in person might be different.

I'm just starting my second build. An mx5 powered MNR. The service and quality of parts is second to none. Comes with decent if not 100% comprehensive build manual. But if you have a query send an email and you'll get an answer in hours not days. Despite a hiccup with my chassis they have bent over backwards to sort it.

If your building for the 1st time this backup is invaluable. I've had dealings with several other kit manufacturers some good some not so good. Some can't even be arsed to phone or email back.

Get yourself to a show or local meet and see what's what. Try and get a ride in a bike engined and a car engined car to see what you fancy. I started my first build as a CEC but converted to a BEC after a passenger ride got me hooked.

Don't be scared off by a bike build they are not as daunting as you might think and don't believe anyone who says you can't do milage in a bec speak to Adi amongst others who regularly clock up 4 figure milage road trips. Setup correctly they can be just as easy to live with as a car engine but give you a serious giggle when the revs get passed 9k and keep on going.!!

When I built my first one looked through all the mags and attended the show at Ascot (I think!) and looked at what was available. Top car at that show was aJago Jeep! It was in the 80s after all.

Anyway after a long time I went for a Striker. The demonstrator had a Fiat twin can on webers and I was hooked. That was 1993 before any forums or whatever and would have loved this place back then!

Over the years all that has changed is the quest for more and more power...

I'm 4 years into a Jago jeep rebuild and already gathering parts for my next build which will be the Midlana with the aim being 350bhp to start

If you just want a good nut and bolt build I would recommend, just like others here, MNR.

My advise is too choose your engine first. Spend a lot of time thinking about what you want and stick with your choice. Over the years my downfall has been constant engine changes which adds thousands £ to your build. So this time first thing is to build the motor and then the car.

Good luck!
Steve

Striker is probably worth a look. Been around a long time, good chassis and lot's been built so plenty of advice to be found. Also as Steve at Fury (another option if you're not set on a seven) is not too far from you knows a thing or two about them.

Left field suggestion... GBS Zero. Not a bad car but not too complicated for a first timer. Looks like they supply a pretty comprehensive kit and pretty much everything you'd need to finish.

Again.. as has been said, my advice would be to get hold of a 'project' or something with an undesirably prehistoric power unit / transmission. The thing is then pre-registered, if it's driveable you can mull over what to do with it while getting some road/track time.

Lots, I mean lots, of used things out there. Some (most) obviously stupidly overpriced (they're the ones that have been 'on sale' for years), but occasionally someone actually wants to sell and these cars are the ones that I'd go for.

Buy the car, dump the Pinto (or the carb'd ZX9) , replace with something a tad more modern, enjoy the challenge and then have a blast.

quote:

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Originally posted by johnnybizzle1986
Hi,

What do you want to use the car for?? I have built 2 bike engined locosts. Currently swapping a bike engine to car engine.

There is total kit car live November 20th at brands hatch, not many manufactures there but you can get at good look at other peoples cars, see and hear them on the track.

I would recomend mac1..... With a bike engine

Regards Jon

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Welcome, not many questions go un answered on here,
Deside your budget and then decide car or bike engine.
My first show was the auto show at NEC at begining of the year. Helped me go round most of the kits to get a good idea.

Lots of choices and you can soon blow a budget if not careful.

If you look up user Mick-salt he discussed the build cost of an MNR Mazda in great detail and I'm almost sure the 7500 price was a little out of date.

You'd do well to look up and perhaps speak to Danny at MK Sportscars.
The cars go well and the team are working hard on customer service which has been a little disappointing in the past.
I've bought a few parts from them lately for a non MK build and everything's arrived within 24hrs.

Just wanted to thank everybody for all there help and advice, it has been very much appreciated. I now feel that I have a good understanding of what Is available and what I need to look for.
I will now go and view a few manufacturers, and hopefully purchase my kit.

Cheers

John

Hi John
I'm just round the corner from you in Waldron. Most weekends I'm out with SKCC, between us there are most makes on offer. Pass rides are available from several of us if it helps you decide on what to go for.
Kenton