Skirrow
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 04:40 AM |
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Hi there, and help please.
Hi,
I've just stumbled upon your forum and it's a damn interesting read. I spend a lot of my online time on the net looking at kit cars and minis and
this looks like the place to ask a couple of questions about building a locost.
I dont have:
-Much money
-Any welding experience
-Much mechanical experience (I can change brakes and stuff but I've never anything done like removing an engine or subframe)
-A garage/workshop
I do have:
-Loads of free time
-Loads of enthusiasm
-A garden to build in and soon a shed.
-A copy of Ron Champions "Build a.. ...£250"
Question #1:
Do you think I can build a locost without a garage and with limited skills?
The answer to Question #1 is irrelevent though really because whatever you say, I'm going to try anyway.
Question #2 is more important:
How should I do it?
Do I learn to mig weld and build from scratch from Champions book?
Or do I splash out for Avon or a MK Indy bits as I require them?
Is the Avon book just a rip off of the Champion book or should I buy that as well?
Hope someone can give me some guidance, Ill be back for more soon.
Cheers
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StuartA
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 08:15 AM |
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Hello and welcome,
You find yourself in a similar position to where I was when I first thought about this.
The question regarding welding experience is exactly the same one I asked. In my opinion, it is probably worth buying a pre-built chassis from Luego
or MK. That way you don't have to worry about your lack of welding skills! Even if you were to learn how, I suspect it would take a lot of time to
get up to a standard that you were happy with or that was anywhere close to the quality of these guys.
Not sure about the books. We have the Champion book, but after the initial read, most of the build seems to be common sense and if you get stuck
someone on here usually has the answer.
Go for it... you don't know until you try! 
[Edited on 1/11/02 by StuartA]
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Viper
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 01:07 PM |
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The Locost than won the Locost of the year award was apparently built on the guys patio!! so who needs a garage? the books? the avon book is not realy
that much help in many respects but as you have little or no experiance then it might point out a few things, and as a welder myself i would suggest
you bought a chassis from one of the many companys building them..
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JohnFol
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 01:39 PM |
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Welcome,
Well we (co-builder and I) decided to build our own chassis. With hind sight I am pleased we did, however next time I'd buy.
Even if you buy a pre-built chassis you still need to know how to weld. After all, the donor car will require you to tailor the chassis to suit.
At this time of year, you really need indoor workspace. Even a std single garage large enough to house a chassis won't have much space to walk round
it.
As for money, £250 is not realistic. Consider the cost of the mandatories like oil, brake fluid, the SVA test etc, and you are breaking budget.
If money is tight, and welding is not your thing, then have a look at the Robin Hood subK. Single donor, low cost, pre-fabricated chassis. .. .
Best of luck
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chrisg
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 07:06 PM |
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quote:
If money is tight, and welding is not your thing, then have a look at the Robin Hood subK. Single donor, low cost, pre-fabricated chassis. .. .
.............Ugly as sin!!!!!!
I'd go Mk if I were you, or take the plunge and make your own.
Cheers
Chris
Note to all: I really don't know when to leave well alone. I tried to get clever with the mods, then when they gave me a lifeline to see the
error of my ways, I tried to incite more trouble via u2u. So now I'm banned, never to return again. They should have done it years ago!
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 08:22 PM |
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try and go mk if you can afford the 1000 quid or so.
if you dont have decent facilities, the number one thing in my view is to keep the build time SHORT. Go for a book car with minimal mods.
Some silly people completely adapt the design and try and build things like replica morgan look alikes. Should be certified.
atb
steve
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Jasper
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 08:22 PM |
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I built from scratch, but if your outdoors your gonna struggle to weld anyway, and your steels gonna go rusty! I didn't have any experience of
welding or mechanics, but I'm happy with the result and have tailored the chassis to suit my bike engine.
Next time I might consider buying, but it's been really satisfying.
If your gonna buy, then MK's seem to be the best.
Robin Hoods are pig ugly IMHO, I'm save for longer and go MK...
Go for it, but be realistic about budget, your not gonna do much for under £1.5k
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Skirrow
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 09:12 PM |
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Thanks for the response gents. Im not really bothered how it looks or even how it performs that much. I just want to see if I can do it. If I finish
the project I'll start another nice looking one with a silly engine and so on but to start with I dont want to spend too much cash on something that
might end up for sale as an unfinished project.
Whats the verdict on the avon kit? And whats the main difference between the MK Locost and the MK Indy? And can you buy the MK Kits as you build them,
ie. chassis today, body panels in a couple of months etc. It's the same old story, I can't justify a grand or so expense to the missus in one go but
spending 2 grand slowly over the course of a year or so wont cause any problems.
Has anyone used a Mini for a donor in any of these kits. I know it wont be that fast but I have 3 minis at the back of my house so it kind of makes
sense to use one of them.
Thanks again for your help.
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 1/11/02 at 11:55 PM |
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in a few words
using a mini as a donor would make no sense at all!!!!!
look for some other kit that uses a mini - a locost is a rwd design which would need major major major major changes to be used as a locost donor.
try swimming the channel instead - its would be more painless.
atb
steve
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geoff shep
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 01:32 PM |
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Its been said but if you want to go the usual locost/Ron Champion route you really need a rear wheel drive donor.
As an aside, if you really want to use a mini, then there are mini based kits/conversions around; anything from a trike (you know, bike front end,
beetle/mini back end) to body conversions. A couple of mini based cars which spring to mind (but which won't be everyones' cup of tea) are:
Blitz and Sprint
Have a look at this website for an intro to all sorts of things to do with kits (and for everyone else, lots of links to suppliers/manufactureers
etc): TOTALKITCARS
I was similar to you when I started - and built a Robin Hood (the series 2 with a folded steel monocoque) for just over 2k. Next time it will be from
scratch and built to fit not frigged to get it to fit.
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Skirrow
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 08:59 PM |
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It doesn't matter too much about using a mini, it just seemed to make sense to use any parts from it n the build. I've already looked at most of the
mini kits and I don't really like the look of any of them anywhere as much as a 7 style car.
How was the robin hood to build? It looks like the easiest and cheapest option as the kit looks most comprehensive but the fact that nobody here seems
to be building one puts me off a little!
The avon looks good too as I can just buy what I need as I build it.
The MK looks the least appealing BUT it seems as though everyone swears by it and it looks like a lot of people are building it. If I buy an MK basic
chassis, is it built to the Ron Champion spec, ie. can I just start halfway through the book as if I had built the chassis myself?
Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of the MK, the Tiger Avon and the Robin Hood Subk.
Cheers, many many more questions to come I feel 
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bsilly
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 09:55 PM |
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hi skirrow.., good thing about robinhood kits 2b or subk is single doner.. pinto engined seirra.. probably heavyer than most others though..
but no welding to do ,.. no painting if yer get stainless steel. and at the end of the day they all look pretty similar.. ask me more about rh2b
if yerwanna
mainly digger drivin me
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Skirrow
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 10:38 PM |
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The robin hood is looking better al the time really. My priority is not really looks or perforamance. (Although when it's finished I imagine I will
wish is was faster/lighter/prettier)
It seems as though I can get a comprehensive kit (the subk) for about 1.5k including the stainless option. The avon comprehensive kit is about 3.5k
which is too much for my tight wallet.
Im torn between the full kit from robin hood and just the chassis and body from avon. The avon will be more affordable as I can buy it in bits but I
imagin the subk will be easier as Ill have to salvage less from the donor. How much easier does having the comprehensive kit make things? Is it
feasible to build an avon from just the chassis/body panels and a good donor?
Were there any tricky bits on the subk? Is it easy to get through the sva? Any horror stories? It seems a little bit TOO cheap, I'm concerned that it
will be not as well made and wont fit together very well. Also what id robin hood's technical help like? Are they interested in you finifhing the car
or just selling it to you?
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Skirrow
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 10:41 PM |
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Oh one more thing. When I get the chassis for the subk it might have to be stored outside under a tarpaulin or something. Whats the best rust
preventative treatment so that this doesn't cause anty problems? Is there anything decent I can paint on?
Oh and another question, does any one know the dimensions of the chassis, I can;t find it one the website. How much space does all the other stuff
take up. (Im thinking of how I will get it home, I'll probably hire a van or something but need to know how big.
[Edited on 11/2/02 by Skirrow]
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bsilly
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 11:23 PM |
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skirrow... the size of chassis is on robinhood site... 136inch long,50inch wide..40inch high ...about a foot less without roll over. these sizez are
for 2b. subk roughly same.. all panels suplied....fit easy into 8x8 shed.. bonnet is 2 peice and more awkward to store.. dunno about paint
tho,,.but definetly not hammershite... one more thing bonnet/scuttle/nosecone/screen become 1 moving part hinged at the back...which i find quite
odd. have yer checked the availability. check out www.rhocar.org.uk hope this helps
mainly digger drivin me
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 11:48 PM |
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go to yahoo groups and ask the robin hood builders site.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/robinhood2b
although it looks complete, its no mechano kit. lots of metal shaping and frigging to do. take a look at a kit on a stand at a show if you can to see
what you are getting.
then look at the less complete kit on MKs stand and walk away depressed as you could never build something as nice as that in your garage without
being a pretty good welder!
atb
steve
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bsilly
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| posted on 2/11/02 at 11:58 PM |
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ave yer got any idea how to stop multiple emails from that rhgroup its doing me head in
mainly digger drivin me
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Skirrow
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| posted on 3/11/02 at 01:01 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by bsilly
ave yer got any idea how to stop multiple emails from that rhgroup its doing me head in
I think you go into "edit my membership" and then select "no email" from the email confirmation bit.
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bsilly
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| posted on 3/11/02 at 01:07 AM |
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thanks il try that
mainly digger drivin me
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