Any tips on kit choice. I want to be able to get a pre fab chassis i have a zetec engine just looking for some recomendations and warnings on what to go for and what to avoid or whether just to go for the book car.

cheers

Andy

So many to choose from, best thing to do is get out there and go see the manufacturers and blag a test ride/drive.

Difficult to get an unbiased opinion on here as owner/builders generally like to think highly of their choice.

As above, the best way is to shortlist 2-3 kits on budget, style etc then visit for a closer look and test drive.

A 7 style shortlist might include (in no particular order)...

MNR
MK
MAC#1
Aries
GBS
Luego
Westfield
Dax

etc, etc....

off course its very wise to do a search in this forum on all manufactures that are advertising to see what their reputation is like before parting with cash.

Give us your pre-requisites;

What type of car do you want?
What will you use it for?
What is your preference; Speed or Comfort?

ok im looking for a car (7) with a nice balance between speed and comfort used for weekend/ summer driving occassional track days. have a budget of upto around 6k spread out over a year or so maybe less.

I've no experience of the others, but an MK Indy would fit that bill quite well.

I can safely say that unless you get a second hand pre built from someone, you can delete Dax and Westfield from that list, although I am positive they would potentially be nice cars, once built up!

Support is a big one, so who is close to you?

quote:

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Originally posted by nick205
A 7 style shortlist might include (in no particular order)...

MNR
MK
MAC#1
Aries
GBS
Luego
Westfield
Dax

etc, etc....

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GTS are very good but you will also need patience regarding deliveries.

But read through the forums before buying - eyes wide open.

sorry guys he said he wanted to build it in a year, not a lifetime.

quite tempted to just follow the locost design

Aries Motorsport....... if they're still going.... one of the most 'traditional 'Locost' cars (used to be the Stuart Taylor Locost which was the first prefabricated Locost chassis you could buy) never heard anything bad about them and they would be my 2nd choice if I was building a 7. My first? Procomp obviously but they specialise in race type 7 chassis/cars

MNR VortX

But then i am a bit biased.

Don't forget the RAW Striker either

Well worth taking a look at and Mel is a friendly & Helpful bloke

quote:

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Originally posted by AndyLockwood
quite tempted to just follow the locost design

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anybody got any comments on the merits or otherwise of the Haynes Roadster

Haynes roadster was in the most Part designed and Built by Martin Keenan who also Designed and produced the MK Indy, (still in production by MK sportscars) the Haynes is a potentially cheaper route to go down but be prepared to add a lot more time and effort to your build.

The MK guys are very good and offer decent levels of support they have a good following and realistically you can build one for £5k -£6k there are a couple on ebay at thew moment around the £5k mark. you may be better buying a roadgoing one and develop / alter to your taste. potentially a cost saving way as well

With the budget you have in mind, and the timescale, give some consideration to buying an on the road kit car, and doing a partial (or even total) rebuild. Or, if it's in good enough condition, just change what you want to change and maintain/clean/polish the bits you like.

Then, after a year or so, you can sell it and you will have a much better idea of what to go for next time (and what to avoid)



[Edited on 21/12/09 by mr henderson]

Im not to bothered about the timescale. I do want to build rather than buy built and have no problems with spending an extended time on the build and fabricating if need be. half of the fun for me is the build.

Unless you have a very good mechanical knowledge or a boat load of patience then stay away from the Haynes model.

Depending on finances the cheapest build would be Mk with a mid to expensive being MNR and the premium route being Caterham.

Haynes roadster gives you a complete set of drawings and the option of having a go at building the whole thing from start to finish. If you have a welding plant and a decent saw already if you make a hash of it the most it will cost you is the material and your time. What you don't or can't make you can buy from various places. If you go down the 'kit' route you are holding to one supplier their price and their delivery time.

i agree thats why im tempted. would just prefer to have a prefab chassis

When building a kit its always nice to be able to ring the company when you have a problem (which you invariably will) and know that they're on your side and will get things sorted as soon as possible.

For that reason I recommend Aries motorsport. I honestly dont think Steve sleeps as he always replies to emails asap, always has plenty of time to speak on the phone and yet seems to sell a large volume of built cars and kits!

When he promises a delivery date it always arrives on time, when something is wrong he sorts it straight away, and if you want to do something slightly different from the norm he's full of encouragement and advice rather than the funny looks and discouragement you get from other manufacturers.

Aries isnt the cheapest manufacturer as Steve outsources a lot of work to specialists, but that does at least mean that parts are well made and fit together as they're supposed to. Choose a cheaper manufacturer and you could spend years fiddling bits to fit etc.

Oh and the Aries chassis is to the original Locost chassis dimensions and therefore looks much much nicer than any of the oversized sierra based kits.

[Edited on 22-12-09 by phelpsa]

I don't get the impression that Steve's chassis are very expensive by themselves if you just want something to start on. I met him at Detling last year, and he seemed very on the ball too.

It is always a question of whether you want a kit that is meant to go together, or something seemingly less expensive, that because you are freestyling things as you go, becomes much more expensive in the long run.

I also think a year target build time, is a shorter-than-the-norm period for all except a real, complete kit that more or less bolts together. That said, you can move fast if you just work on it every day, and don't give up.