D Beddows
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| posted on 4/7/08 at 04:11 PM |
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Think you'll find my figures aren't that far out....if you add up absolutely everything that it has cost to build a 7 for example (and yes
I take your point that if it's a complete donor swap and you don't have to modify too much on it will be a bit cheaper BUT the bodywork
will probably be more expensive to offset that) very few are actually completed for much under £5k - I know a lot of people say they have done it for
significantly less but a good deal of figure massaging and 'forgetting' what they happened to have hidden in the garage already goes on
Rough 'commuter kit' estimates.....
Decent donor (bearing in mind you don't want to spend money refurbing everything - £500
Chassis - £500
Bodywork - £1000
IVA and registration - £500 (ish)
so that's £2500 straight off and unless you can use every last part from the donor (in which case it will almost certainly be almost exactly
like the donor to drive  ) it would be extremely easy to spend another £1500 to £2000 building it.
TBH if you redesigned the body on one of those Jester things to have a roof and doors the jobs pretty much done already
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mr henderson
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| posted on 4/7/08 at 04:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
unless you can use every last part from the donor (in which case it will almost certainly be almost exactly like the donor to drive
Oh I don't think so! At least 30% lighter and if you choose a quick donor to start with (re my example above) then that could be quite a fun
car. Plus if a Cat C or D donor was used then the economic benefits would be more obvious
In any case, you, and nearly everybody else on this thread, are not taking account of the fun of building it, that reason being I reckon the reason
most of us are here
John
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jimmyjoebob
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| posted on 4/7/08 at 06:37 PM |
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For a relatively simple commuter car you could really simplify the chassis - the welding that goes into a standard locost chassis always seems way
over the top compared to that of a fisher fury.
I was looking last week at a moke replica that uses a form of spaceframe below a one piece glassfibre floor pan and it was very well triangulated
whilst relatively simple. It may not be quiet but it is fun to drive and surprisingly quick as it weighs far less than a mini!
If at first you don't succeed, hide all evidence you ever tried!
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D Beddows
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| posted on 4/7/08 at 11:01 PM |
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quote:
Oh I don't think so! At least 30% lighter and if you choose a quick donor to start with (re my example above) then that could be quite a fun
car. Plus if a Cat C or D donor was used then the economic benefits would be more obvious
Ok, this is a discussion right? not an argument I understand where you're coming from BUT I want different things from the car I drive to
work in from the car I have fun in or drive at the weekend - the work car needs to be comfortable in all weathers, relaxing to drive at 90ish on the
motorway, capable of sitting in a traffic jam for 30 minutes at least, capable of starting every time you turn the key no matter what the temperature
and not looking like a clown car when you turn up to a meeting and the car park is full of BMWs, Audis etc...... tbh that's a hard criteria for
any sub £5K kit car to meet!
I still think that making a comparable car to the donor that is lighter isn't going to be any cheaper than running several 'donors'
and scrapping them after a year.....yes it will be more fun because it's lighter BUT that means you'll have to spend money on the
suspension because it's not suspending the car it was designed for.... Anyway, apart from a Hustler - which meets non of the above criteria
tbh! - what's your take on the car?
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mr henderson
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| posted on 5/7/08 at 11:49 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
I still think that making a comparable car to the donor that is lighter isn't going to be any cheaper than running several 'donors'
and scrapping them after a year.....
That statement (which I agree with BTW) is only relevant if cheapness is the only critieria.
How about the other criteria that I (for one) believe should be considered, such as interestingness, fun, and the pleasure of the actual build?
quote:
Originally posted by D Beddows
yes it will be more fun because it's lighter BUT that means you'll have to spend money on the suspension because it's not suspending
the car it was designed for....
Well the standard shock absorbers will be OK if they are in good condition, although it would be up to the builder to decide that, so really all that
would be needed would be a set of springs. It would be up to the manufacturer to supply them having calculated the required type and tested them on
the prototype.
I think we can agree that you personally are not in the market for this type of car, but could you agree that that fact alone doesn't mean that
the project would fail?
I've done a bit of research into the kit car market, and it is surprising just what sells and in what quantities. For instance there was a 3
wheeler based on the Citroen CV2 chassis. Interesting, certainly, but a big seller? Over 400 of those have been built.
Anyway, to move this along a bit- I think a commuting-capable car would need to be weather-proof and capable of at least 2+2 accommodation. If I was
trying to design such a car I would be thinking along the lines of a front wheel drive car with quite low sides (similar to the Mini Moke), with a
windscreen and two roll-over hoops which would support a removable fibreglass roof which ran from windscreen top backwards and then down to form the
tailgate. Then there would be removable doors also made of fibreglass with sliding or fixed windows.
Donor? Could be more or less any front wheel drive car, it would be a question of delving into the pluses and minuses of the various choices.
John
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clairetoo
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| posted on 6/7/08 at 11:09 AM |
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Just a thought - but if the doner was was a modern , low emission (low or non-tax) car , what would be the tax on it as a kit ?
I can see a big bonus in a light weight (composite monocoque shell ?) car - no rust to fail future MOT's , tyres and brakes would not be
stressed so should last for ever - so super cheap to run long-term .
All we need is some one to style it - maybe Jester-ish with a full roof and doors , it has be have total weather protection since as a commuter car it
will be used year round in all weather's ?
Any ambitious stylists on here ?
Its cuz I is blond , innit
Claire xx
Will weld for food......
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