fastnova
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:18 PM |
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Is it possible to build a Locost without a garage?
Hi, I am new here so please stick with me if I don’t have a clue what I am talking about...
I have been making bits and pieces at work for a mate who is building a Haynes Roadster for the last year or so but I have never realy had the space
or money to make one of my own, despite wanting to ever since I first came across Ron Champion’s book in the engineering section at college a good few
years ago.
I don’t have a garage so building one is a little difficult, but I am able to rent a garage off my local council. I was wandering if anyone had done
this before, there would be no power or such, but that can be fixed with a good generator, my biggest concern was the lack of space as the rented
garages around here tend to be a little cramped, and the lack of security.
Can you get insurance for this kind of thing, especially if the garage isn’t attached or even near the house? What would you get, car insurance for
something that will be a car one day (hopefully) or some kind of garage contents insurance?
If someone has done it before or is doing it currently would be nice to know how difficult or possible it is.
Jonathan
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bbwales
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:25 PM |
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Hi,
I have managed to build 2 cars outside my house using a gazebo when it rained. I was lucky in that the garage was there so I had lots of storage
space, just couldnt get the car and bits into the garage.
Regards
Bob
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mookaloid
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:29 PM |
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Not sure you will be allowed to build in a council garage - I enquired and was told in no uncertain terms that It was for storing a car only- not a
workshop or for storing anything else.
Might be different where you are of course 
"That thing you're thinking - it wont be that."
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UncleFista
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:36 PM |
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If you're thinking of using a welder with a generator, check to see what size you'd need.
It's bigger/more expensive than you think..
Tony Bond / UncleFista
Love is like a snowmobile, speeding across the frozen tundra.
Which suddenly flips, pinning you underneath.
At night the ice-weasels come...
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fastnova
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:38 PM |
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The council objecting was another of my concerns but was considering the “I’m not building it, I’m fixing it” approach, probably not a good idea
though.
Don’t have the option to do it outside my house either as our house is rented and has no driveway or similar space to do it, just a communal parking
area. That would maybe work but I don’t think the neighbours would be too happy...
This sucks...
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mark chandler
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:44 PM |
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You will need a 4.5 kw generator, so expect to spend £800 on this alone if welding, if its near houses expect complaints of the generator noise.
Better to get a rough one as a doer up I would think in your situation. 
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mcg
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:49 PM |
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Been renting a garage out the back of some shops in Brackley, but its not council. Lucky cos its wider than a normal single, but I'm sure it
would be fine. Working from a garage away from ur house is a pain as u cant just pop in to tinker- each sesssion is a mission. It is fine though, and
I am 70% through my build. The big issue is the power source. I used a petrol genny and it is a pain in the butt to say the least. Admitidly it was a
cheap one, but low power and poor lighting was a major negitive. Of course when it runs out ur clambering around in the dark to find ur 2 stroke
mixture, then slipping over in the rain outside (cos u place it far away cos of the noise)
with a genny it is possible but progress is slow especially if u are scratch building. The deal breaker for me was the noise that the generator caused
for the neighbours. Most were fine, but one particular kickboxing bloke was none to pleased the the constant thumping in evenings and on the weekends.
Needless to say there was a bit of a fronting up, which fortunately didnt lead to blows, but him running a perminent power cable from his house, 50
meters to my garage!!! On tap electricity is a blessing and progress is so much faster. 1.5 years on, and I have bitten the bullet and am moving to a
house with garage in a fewweeks. Has just become too antisocial for the family.
For me there was no choice- wanted to build a kit car so had to get a lock up and generator. I'm sure that a full kit such as MK would be more
doable with a lockup. Of course nothing is impossible! Good luck!
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fastnova
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 10:56 PM |
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Humm, doing something up was my last option.
Have been offered an old Westfield for £700 that needs near on a complete rebuild so perhaps might be a better route to take.
Not quite the same as building your own car from scratch though is it, but probably good enough to keep the craving at bay!
It’s that or I pocket the saved cash and hope one day I come up with a viable way to start my own CNC shop. Ha, I wish!
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snapper
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| posted on 31/1/11 at 11:05 PM |
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My car did 2 years outside the front of my house. Hard work but doable.
You would be better off with a ready built chassis then trailer it to power to weld.
Now rent a barn with 2 mates.
Any farms near you? Larger than a council garage and just as cheap
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 1/2/11 at 08:47 PM |
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I stripped my car down to the bare chassis last winter in a garage with no power, chassis was shot blasted just before Easter weekend and the car was
rebuilt and back on the road for Newark show in June . I have a generator but found it too noisy as the garage Ihave is surrounded by houses. Acouple
of car batteries and an invertor run a strip light , one battery teneded to last for an evenings work . As already suggested building a car miles from
home is a real pain even in a garage with power .
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theduck
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| posted on 1/2/11 at 08:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by fastnova
Humm, doing something up was my last option.
Have been offered an old Westfield for £700 that needs near on a complete rebuild so perhaps might be a better route to take.
Not quite the same as building your own car from scratch though is it, but probably good enough to keep the craving at bay!
It’s that or I pocket the saved cash and hope one day I come up with a viable way to start my own CNC shop. Ha, I wish!
That sounds like a good deal to me!!
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fastnova
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| posted on 1/2/11 at 10:32 PM |
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My intention was to buy a pre made chassis as it would save a huge amount of build time. I was planning to avoid doing welding myself “on site”, the
generator would just be for lighting and power tools so only a little quiet one would be needed. I have access to a welding department at work with
some real nice kit so could get the guy there to do it for me so long as I could fit it in my car.
It’s not that I can’t weld, I no doubt would be able to do a “good enough” job, but a weld done by a pro that does it for a living is a sight to
behold...
I got the bug real bad now, was talking to the welder at work, he specialises in welding chromoly and is certified to weld it to aircraft standards,
and suggested I build a super-lightweight out of the stuff. It’s lighter than steel and MUCH stronger so can get away with smaller diameter tube and
thinner wall thickness, albeit at ten times the cost... He said if I provide the tube and make the jigs he will weld it up in exchange for a bit of
homework done on the CNC’s.
I liked the idea of basing it on a similar design to the Ariel Atom, I like the look and it has two seats, but then if you’re going to make a super
light, super strong car then the Haynes single seater would be a more obvious route to take (why make it super light then add another seat?...)
So I am left with a million ideas and an itch I can quite reach and all that stands in my way is a lack of location. Renting a barn with a mate or two
could work. But I live in the middle of Crawley so even if I do find one it will be well out of town which equals fed up with driving to it all the
time which equals reaching the “I give up” stage earlier than scheduled.
I do have the option (sort of) of doing at my parents, no garage but they live in the forest with loads of outside space, thought I could erect a
simple car port to keep things dry and go from there. But that takes me back to the distance issue, they live 12 miles away, not a huge distance but
enough to be VERY inconvenient. Plus they are planning to retire and move up north within the next five years creating a possible time issue. But that
could be seen as motivation to get it done...
If only life could be simple...
Jonathan
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Kwik
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| posted on 2/2/11 at 04:35 PM |
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im in the same boat, im in London (well, outskirts) don't have a garage, drive is full of cars and to add salt to the wound im going to uni next
September.
what i plan on doing is a little (very) unorthodox. i will have a gazebo in the garden with all the tools and metal etc, then i will simply build it
all in the garden...
no worries of it being nicked, space, its at home, plenty of room and i plan on doing it in the summer so i don't think a gazebo will even be
necessary most of the time...then when its about at the rolling stage, i plan on hiring a crane to lift it up over the house.
this sounds stupid, but when my next door neighbors had their patio done, a crane lifted a digger over their house, so it must be possible...
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RK
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| posted on 2/2/11 at 08:57 PM |
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I know you can do it, but it sounds extremely ridiculous to hire a crane to take it over the house. Why not put a few parts on and then carry it
around the side with some friends? You can easily build a shelter for it with plywood once its at the rolling stage. Just an idea.
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Kwik
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| posted on 2/2/11 at 09:44 PM |
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there is no way, not even a skinny single seater chassis will fit through my front door, and their is no other way around.
the garden will be good though because their is tonnes of space all my bits will be thief protected etc. doing it on the front drive will be near
impossible, i found restoring a mini on the front drive tight for space...
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bodger
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| posted on 2/2/11 at 10:06 PM |
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Just a thought but do you live near a local airfield. They tend to have shed space available for a monthly fee. A mate of mine built his own aircraft
in one so a seven would be no problem. Security would be a lot better than a lockup too.
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Canada EH!
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| posted on 2/2/11 at 10:27 PM |
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Chromoly is great stuff, been used in race cars for years. Make the suspension parts out of mild steel, if you hit something they break and
don't damage the chassis. Chromoly suspension parts just push the loads into the chassis causing more damage.
Can't think of building a car outside, it's -10 C right now and 20cm of snow today.
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fastnova
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| posted on 2/2/11 at 10:31 PM |
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Humm, does Gatwick count? Just round the corner from me.
My possible locations are as follows:
Rent some ware nearby, cheapest garage i could find that would allow me to do what I want comes in at between £50 and £100 per month (with power) and
would be a good 5+ miles away
Ask if a can “borrow” a corner at work, would be the PERFECT location as I spend most of my time there anyway and wouldn’t have to buy any tools to
speak of as everything I could ever want and more is already there. Slim to no chance my boss would go for it though, even if I offered rent.
My parants, twelve miles away and no garage, but plenty of outside space for a gazebo/car port.
Good mate of mine is a black smith and has his own company, loads of spare barn space and outside space, loads of equipment at hand. Could maybe rent
a bit of space from him on the cheap, but he is ten miles away (round the corner from my parents)
Anyone else got any ideas?
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