EViS
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 12:34 AM |
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Looking Forward To First Build, Advice?
Spending the past week reading over a majority of this forum, and the past month looking into the kit car scene as a whole, I've made a
decision, following advice from other forums prior to finding this one, that my first build should be a seven replica  . However, despite the huge
excitement building up in me and great enthusiasm to start the project, i've got a few concerns...
As I will be off to uni next september, I will only have around 6-7 weeks to complete the full build, get it MOT'd, SVA'd, DVLA Registered
and Insured . Working full time 7 days per week, is the chance of the completion of this project quite high/low? Do keep in mind that I have NO
experience in car engineering/construction what-so-ever, so i'm guessing the learning curve will be quite steep... but then again, this is one
of the reasons why I have decided to take this on .
Are there any recommended books I could purchase to aid me with the build?
I would primarily be looking for help with all the wiring and electrics? For example, how the hell do I find out how to wire an ignition (key) to a
start button to an immobiliser to an alarm  ? A Haynes manual from my donor vehicle would definitley not tell me this...
Also, what sort of problems/troubleshooting am I likely to experience during the build? Something that cannot be followed/is not explained directly in
the kit car manufacturers' build manual?
Will appreciate all advice from you guys ! And glad to have finally signed up to the forum community  .
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Benzine
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 02:37 AM |
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I was in exactly the same situation, literally the same
I wanted to finish in as short a time as possible but it turned out it wasn't possible for me. I had to learn many things the hard way and I
didn't prepare in advance very well. I think that's the key. Also I now know that whenever I make an estimate, be it cost or time, I
usually double it to get a better idea There's so much preparing and planning you could do before July 1st though so you could have a much
better head start than I did.
You can add me on messenger and I could tell you all about it, I'm on most of the day 
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phoenix70
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 07:52 AM |
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Unless you have managed to cover every eventuallity, I think your timescale is too tight, one problem I've has is getting parts, sometime you
have to wait weeks for parts to arrive, and with only seven to play with that would be disasterous. I planned on about a 4 month build (not able to
commit more that a couple nights a week and weekends to it), that was 15 months ago. Almost there now though.
The other issue (maybe its just me) is the amount of time you "waste" planning how to do things. I have seen myself planning for a couple
of hours in an evening and only actually doing a hours work on the car.
[Edited on 18/3/06 by phoenix70]
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graememk
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 08:29 AM |
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god i'm on month 6 with at least another 6 months to go.... well might be less depends on how much i can get my mates to put on ther credit
cards for me so mrs graememk does know what i've spent
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Wadders
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 08:36 AM |
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Hi
A lot will depend on which manufacturer you choose to buy from, and how deep your pockets are. Westfields come with a comprehensive build manual and
just about every part, nut and bolt etc you will need to complete, you literally put them together page by page, like a giant airfix kit, this comes
at a premium. Many of the smaller manufacturers don't supply a build manual at all, although you shouldn't get too stuck using this
forum.
Haynes do a specific manual regarding automotive electrics and most kits supply a loom and wiring diagram.
I think your timeframe is achievable but as said you would need to plan ahead and source all your bits.
Good luck
Alan.
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Hellfire
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 09:15 AM |
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Welcome to the forum EViS. It is possible to build a kit in the timescale you've mentioned. Like others have already said, you need to do some
preparation in advance but as long as you have the funds available and plan ahead, it is achievable.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead.
Phil
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EViS
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 12:17 PM |
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Well that seems quite encouraging . I haven't chosen a manufacturer yet, however am pretty keen on Luego. My total budget will be £4k, and
parts which I should buy from Luego, and those which can purchased from eBay I'll discuss in detail at a later date in the Luego forum
here...
However for a better idea, what sort of parts will I HAVE to source from somewhere else, those which will not be available from Luego or from my donor
vehicle?
Benzine, about to add you now .
[Edited on 18/3/06 by EViS]
[Edited on 18/3/06 by EViS]
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donut
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 12:57 PM |
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Welcome to this... the ultimate place for insane psychiatric patients
Where in Surrey are you? There are a few of us near Croydon. You are welcome to come and see my car anytime. It's not finished but i'm
going to be on the road soon.
Andy
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/
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EViS
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 01:41 PM |
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I'm in sutton, so about 7 miles from you, know very well where croydon is . I need to get down to a car show some time soon and decide on what
precisely i want, and possibly put an order through . How long does kit normally take untill it is ready for collection by the client? I understand
this probably varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but is there an average time span? A few days, weeks, months (for a Luego?)?
donut, is this your first build? I take it you're building an MK . Would appreciate some 1to1 talk and 1st-hand experience . Could pop down
one day in my easter break if you're free...
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Chazzy
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| posted on 18/3/06 at 02:35 PM |
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first, good luck wiith the build, it will be immensly satisfying! took 8 mths to build mine, but got doner bits earlier to prep. If you have all funds
you should start asking about lead times for bodywork etc. i got a lot of my bits from stuart taylor and still spent alot a lot of time at the local
ford dealer findong out about repair kits for diffs and brakes.
will you have access to a friendly mechanic to help undo stuck bolts or weld on missing brackets.
when i built mine this place didn't exist to the same extent and MK just did chassis's.
How much re conditioning will you do eg new wheel bearings or exchange brakes? these all take ime and MONEY.
MAin tip: see may part built cars and take loads of photos of all parts, then the thinking time of where to run this pipe or mount that bracket will
be reduced.
Chas
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