kevstar81
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| posted on 17/12/16 at 06:05 PM |
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New kit car?
Hire everyone,
I'm looking at a new kit car.
I don't know if to build the chassis my self or to buy a kit.
If I build my self what is the best chassis design to go for?
If I buy a kit, which kits are worth getting?
Thank you
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mcramsay
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| posted on 17/12/16 at 06:17 PM |
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It all depends on your skill level and what you want out of the car, do you have welding experience and the tools to make your own chassis? A good
budget kit is the GBS zero, and part built kits come up on eBay time to time for good prices. You might want to get in touch with a local group and
have a look at different kits
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myke pocock
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| posted on 17/12/16 at 06:36 PM |
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Hows this for size and price?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l2632.R2.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.Xgbs+zero.TRS0&_nkw=gbs+zero&_sacat=9801
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madteg
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| posted on 17/12/16 at 06:36 PM |
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Second for the Zero Kit, its very close to being a locost anyway
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benchmark51
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| posted on 17/12/16 at 07:40 PM |
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Depends on whether your new to kit cars or are experienced with them.
If you are new, I would buy one already built and on the road. Be sure to get an experienced kit user to look over what you buy.
Find out if it is for you and get to grips with what they are about. Many people go off them and end up getting rid. After a year or so decide if you
want to start a new build, you will be so much better equipped to make the right decision.
Buying a ready made chassis kit is good and saves loads of work, so you will see results quicker. Remember once they are built, it doesn't mean
they are finished. That never happens!
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kevstar81
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| posted on 18/12/16 at 02:31 AM |
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I was actually looking at the GPS zero the other day. I've been told that the mazda ones are better to build as you don't need to buy an
ECU and throttle bodies
I did look at that one on eBay but I'm trying to sell my Tommy kaira at the moment to fund it so can't lay my hand on that kind of cash
right this min (or few days till it ends)
I've built a mini and converted it to a redtop before and loved it. I own a quick sports car but I wanted to do something different that's
why I been looking at kit cars.
I've heard once you got the bug it's with you for life lol
I've also heard that a kit car is never complete which I love the idea of, that is me all over. I get mad ideas (probably the same as others on
here) and end up over thinking them on how to get things working lol.
Kev
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SCAR
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| posted on 19/12/16 at 11:36 AM |
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Is a GBS Zero considered a budget kit any more? I know the quality has moved up with the cost but the kits look to be Westfield money.
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kevstar81
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| posted on 19/12/16 at 11:45 AM |
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For £2500 you get chassis and body work that's it.
So on that then would it be cheaper to build my own chassis from Haynes?
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Ugg10
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| posted on 19/12/16 at 12:12 PM |
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From what I have seen (only my non scientific view) the cost goes in the following order - cheapest to most expensive -
1) Buy an abandoned project with the vast majority of the parts there (note - need to factor in IVA/registration costs)
2) Buy a correctly registered second hand car (probably excluding caterhams)
3) Buy the materials, build the chassis and then IVA and register
4) Buy a kit from the manufacturer, build and IVA and register
---------------------------------------------------------------
1968 Ford Anglia 105e, 1.7 Zetec SE, Mk2 Escort Workd Cup front end, 5 link rear
Build Blog - http://Anglia1968.weebly.com
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 19/12/16 at 12:56 PM |
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Factor in the 5-10 years most folk seem to spend building the only 300 hours kit car.
That it will be vastly more expensive to build than you ever thought truly possible.
It may hardly ever get used unless you like getting very wet or can actually fit through a tiny side screen door.
Mind also that every 'custom' change you make will add a lot more time to the build than just building a stock version of the car.
Not knocking 7's at all, just take into account this is no production car.
I see the same thing all the time with old Series Landrovers, most folk buy them, last about 2 months and realise they are not quite as 'user
friendly' as they'd been made to believe, promptly back up for sale for another unsuspecting owner...
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nick205
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| posted on 19/12/16 at 01:16 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Factor in the 5-10 years most folk seem to spend building the only 300 hours kit car.
That it will be vastly more expensive to build than you ever thought truly possible.
It may hardly ever get used unless you like getting very wet or can actually fit through a tiny side screen door.
Mind also that every 'custom' change you make will add a lot more time to the build than just building a stock version of the car.
Not knocking 7's at all, just take into account this is no production car.
I see the same thing all the time with old Series Landrovers, most folk buy them, last about 2 months and realise they are not quite as 'user
friendly' as they'd been made to believe, promptly back up for sale for another unsuspecting owner...
Many people do underestimate the build time required and the overall cost - I know I did!
That said the end result was a lot of fun and IMHO worth the time, effort and money. If I were to build again I'd take a serious look at
unfinished projects - money to be saved.
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kevstar81
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| posted on 19/12/16 at 03:37 PM |
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I know the overall cost can be a fair bit. That doesn't bother me.
I know I won't be able to use it loads and clock up the miles but I don't clock the miles up in my tommy kaira it's not about that.
I want to be able to sit back in 2 years and say yes I built that.
I just didn't know if to buy a kit from gbs or to build it myself?
Is there a lot of cost difference between the 2?
I'm selling my car as my wife wont let me have 2 toy cars plus the other 2 cars I pay for lol
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Ugg10
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| posted on 19/12/16 at 04:07 PM |
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To be honest, if cost is not necessarily an issue then there are probably better kits around than the GBS. When you price up all of the kits/parts
etc. then GBS, MNR, Raw and MK come out around the same cost for the same spec. Building a chassis from tube may save you about £1000 but in the
scheme of things this is nota lot when most cars will need a budget of between £8k and £10k to get a reasonable spec Zetec engine car. There are
several threads on here that try and rank them.
If you want the satisfaction of starting with a load of tubing and finishing with a fully built car then the Haynes way is really your only option but
there are more than a couple of different plans depending on you preference. There are also companies than can supply a kit of pre-cut tubing for you
to weld up as a middle position.
This is a very different aim than buying a chassis/body kit and adding a load of new and refurb parts to it to get to the same position. If I were
going down this route then MNR Vortx and RAW Striker would be top of my list of Seven style but would probably end up with a Sylva J17 (or whatever
number they are up to) as this is better looking (IMO) and slightly more practical and marginally easier to find a donor engine / gearbox now most
modern cars are FWD transverse (that kit is mid engine)
Worth looking up the Midlana whilst you are doing your research - mid engine sevenesque styling. This is a true build from the book car as I do not
believe anyone does either a prebuilt chassis or a kit of pre cut tubes yet.
Whatever you do then the finished article will probably be worth about 65% of the build cost excluding your time so be aware of that which is why
buying second hand/abandoned project is so tempting.
Worth sitting down and deciding on a spec (what you want to do with it, how often and where to) that then you can turn into decisions on
engine/running gear/brakes/bodywork/screen etc. from this you can then narrow down the available parts/kits etc. Finally, go to a show, look at the
stands, talk to the sellers, talk to people about their cars in the club areas and finally spend a few £ on petrol vising a top three sellers factory.
A couple of hundred pounds spent now (if you go down the kit route) will save thousands later.
This hobby is exciting, frustrating, challenging, slight daunting at first but will give you the biggest grin and sense of achievement when you get
that IVA pass certificate.
Sorry, lecture over !
---------------------------------------------------------------
1968 Ford Anglia 105e, 1.7 Zetec SE, Mk2 Escort Workd Cup front end, 5 link rear
Build Blog - http://Anglia1968.weebly.com
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turnipfarmer
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| posted on 20/12/16 at 02:39 PM |
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I've built a Ford-based GBS Zero GT & got it through IVA first time.
Would I build another? Well yes - I rather think I would. That's not to say it's necessarily any better or cheaper than kits from other
manufacturers - I've nothing to compare it with. But on the whole it seems a decent chassis, and the build was relatively straightforward using
only a very modest toolkit. Very little to do in the way of fettling, either.
Yes, there were problems, but as it was my first build, they were mostly down to my own inexperience.
It's also true that GBS prices have increased since I bought my kit.
What I did learn is what to buy from GBS, and what not to buy. Some stuff I bought from them I wish I hadn't, and vice versa. Mostly because of
price versus ease of build. I also learnt about those the things I would do differently next time. (u2u me your email address if you want details.)
Rather than aftermarket throttle bodies and ecu, I went for the GBS plenum and used a standard Ford ecu. Saved over £1.5k & still plenty fast
enough for road work.
I have seen the Mazda version of the Zero, and even though I like Mazda, I still wouldn't go for it. But that's just me!
HTH
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