A bit off topic, but my second child arrived early January (6 weeks premature). 10 days in intensive care and he seems to be a colicky fussy chap and keeping us all night. Consequently I haven't even started my car since nor done any planned upgrades. I have half a mind to sell it as I just don't seem to be able to find the time with two very young children (three and zero years old). Any thoughts on kit cars and a expanding family???? Is this something I might be able to get back into?


Shame as I it has only been on the road 18 months.

I feel for you!

SWMBO and I ended up with 3 kids and sadly a 2 seat roofless car and family of 5 just didn't work together so I sold my MK Indy. I do regret selling it, but now the garage is about to be converted to a bedroom so it would have had to go anyway.

For me it's life on the turbo trainer for the time being! Still I had the chance to build a kit and finished it too so it's not all bad. The kids are pretty good too.

It was challenging to build a car with one sprog, but when the second one arrived my time dropped to almost zero. Now he's at school I'm hoping for a bit more time.

I'd say as long as you can afford the storage, keep hold of it. And whenever the subject of converting a garage into a room, always say no!!! (Nick shame on you for losing the garage! )

The Mrs would never make me sell the car or give up the garage. Every time she mentions such a thing I say 'well before I had the car and garage my only hobby was chasing girls'.

quote:

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Originally posted by Irony
The Mrs would never make me sell the car or give up the garage. Every time she mentions such a thing I say 'well before I had the car and garage my only hobby was chasing girls'.

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A young child is why a bought instead of building. Put it away for a couple of years and buy a suitable booster seat. Even if you go out for an odd hour long blast, they will love it. You will win huge brownie points dropping them off at school in it in years to come

Also, small hands can be very useful when it comes to doing jobs on it

As above,if you've got storage for the car and don't need the money for anything else keep hold of it

The kids grow up surprisingly fast,it flys by

Kate was a baby when I got the car, time files, then she's doing this

Never too young

First of all, congratulations. Secondly, as others have said, if you don't need the space or the money then keep it. You can save some money by SORNing it and just getting garage based insurance on zero mileage if you really are not going to use it. If you do think that you'll use it on and off then just SORN it over the winter months and insure it for limited mileage over the summer.

Hi am in a similar position with a 3yr old boy and 9mth girl.
My little boy loves spending time with me in garage and is learning lots think of it as part of ther education lol

i started my build before my first arrived. She is now 11 and has 3 other siblings too and i am about to go through IVA at long last! Dont give up, it gives you a good break at times and the kids will love it later on!

I built mine over 3 yrs and family took priority most of the time. I was in no rush to build it, except once I had my SVA date booked, I did have some last nights in the garage. I just used spare time when I could.

If possible get the kids involved in the build.

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big kids go kart [/img]

First of all congratulations, secondly definitely persist mate, you don't want to end up regretting only half finishing that project. Give yourself a couple of hours a week to crack on with it. I would be using it as a bit of me time, us men definitely need our hobbies, plus at some point you'll be the cool dad with the kit car

We have a six and three year old.. like others have said if you don't need the cash/space keep hold of, mine got on the road just as the little ones arrived. would not have enough time to build another with the little ones and us both working. Tend to use mine for work commute in nice weather. Taken the older one out and she loved and can't stop talking about it.

Dan

Some interesting reading here

My eldest son cried when they buyer came to collect the car from me. As it was driven away he asked me when the man was going to bring it back! At the time he was too young to really understand the reasons. Still mentions it to this day, particularly when he sees another one on the road.

Our second was born 3 months early and we did 5 month stint in intensive care, but I actually found having a kit car to take my mind of other events was therapeutic. Just occasionally I needed to shut off to everything that was happening and there was no better way than locking myself in a garage for a few hours.

I've got 3 kids, youngest is 9. I really use my MK very little, but if I suggest getting rid the kids won't hear of it. Being the only one who gets dropped off at scouts, Girls Brigade or the end of year party in a 7 seems to have its attractions!

Keep it. My cost per mile last year was £2-3 in road tax alone.

i got rid of my old one arguing that i couldn't justify a 4 grand toy that only i could enjoy with young kids around. (mine are now 5 and 8)

the odd thing was that when it had gone, i missed not just driving it, but i wasn't driving it anyway much. i missed knowing it was in the garage too.

Wierd but i didnt like it. i've always had a kit for the past 15 years of various sorts.

also the garage got filled with crap, and ok having space for the family bikes was good. but generally this was crap that didnt need to be there but was because we suddenly had a big hole to fill.

i ended up buying a car close to my heart and though i know that i wont get to do much to it yet, or go out in it much, (two young kids, wife full time uni etc) i know its there.

i know i can open the door from the kitchen and have a little look at her whenever i want. and i spend time on the net 'thinking' about what i'm going to do when i do have the time!

and at some point when the kids are bored of the dad and want to spend time with their mates, then it will be there.

I'm in a similar position a 5 and 3yr old. I agree over the last couple of years they have enjoyed having a tinker, but as some of you will know I had an ecu type electrical issue which I was stumped with. someone approached me to buy it and I let it go. I wouldn't have put it up for sale. I didn't build it from scratch, (but feel I may as well have!) but have built from scratch in the passed and have had a kit for about 10yrs till recently.

as someone said, the odd thing is not having a project to be thinking about, what to do next, next bonkers plan and that garage space which now has kids bikes, toys, play tents etc in it!

I wasn't too attached to the Q as I hadn't built it from scratch. The fact that I couldn't take it for a quick blast was a big factor in letting it go. It wasn't so much the cost of getting it Dale's up at bailey perf for help it was the time I would need.

The chap who bough it, had built a Q from scratch back in 2003 and sold it when his kids came along, his kids are now 11ish and he was ready to get back into it, but more immediately.

I do miss it on occasion, but generally with the kids as needy as they are and I want to be there for them, it was the right decision for me.

Also around here the traffic is so bad, that I doubt I would have put them in it, well not for another 8 odd years or so until they are really big enough.

I'm hoping I'll be able to come back to kit cars in the future, but who knows what will be round the next corner.

good luck with your decision.

Keep it if you can, involve the kids with it as much as possible. A enquiring mind with practical skills will stand them in good stead for the future when everyone has a "degree" but can't change a tap washer or repair a bicycle tyre puncture.
I have worked with electronics technicians who don't have any knowledge outside of their trade. The amount of communications engineers I have taught to replace disc and pads on their own cars amazes me. I think a broader base of skills will be of more value in the future rather than a specialized narrow based skill set.

Most of all enjoy each and everyday with your children, they grow up so quickly.