Best "Worst" Kit Cars

[witko999]

dudleybloke said:

This is the wurst kitcar.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst!

[crostonian]

delta0 said:

Even kit cars not trying to be fake super cars are terrible. The fact they don't have to comply with crash safety requirements is incredible. Budget kit cars particularly have very questionable structures in them. Clearly built by someone that does not know a lot about engineering beyond being able to use a welder. You are exposed to having accidents that 99% of people that have one in a standard road car would be very minor and walk away with no injury, instead the kit car leaves you with life changing injuries.

You could say this about most classic cars, people who drive kit cars I imagine are fully aware of the risks, you need to stay at home in your padded cell!

[poing]

dom9 said:

It's a work in progress by a kit car builder in the UK, not the Audi new development department!

I am sure a 'finished' one will appear soon. I will be taking a look, certainly.

I'm sure it is but they said they were established in 2013, it's been a 2 year project in that case. Although they have had 20 years experience in the industry apparently so I won't hold my breath for the finished item.

[Markgenesis]

xRIEx said:

That's a Sylva Star.

The Dutton Phaeton I was thinking of looks like this:

That's an awesome example, drove a Phaeton years ago with a 1600 Ford X-Flow with twin 40's, that was pretty exciting, lord knows what that one is like with a Rover V8.

[delta0]

crostonian said:

You could say this about most classic cars, people who drive kit cars I imagine are fully aware of the risks, you need to stay at home in your padded cell!

You need to go very classic to get the same kind of safety levels. Knowing a few people that have or are considering these cars I'm not sure they fully understand that a prang in one these cars can be a whole different ball game compared to a normal road car.

[Steffan]

Markgenesis said:

xRIEx said:

That's a Sylva Star.

The Dutton Phaeton I was thinking of looks like this:

That's an awesome example, drove a Phaeton years ago with a 1600 Ford X-Flow with twin 40's, that was pretty exciting, lord knows what that one is like with a Rover V8.

Indeed, doubtless the Lord, does.

I still have a Dutton V8 and it is still by far, the most difficult car that I have ever attempted to drive. Despite several years of rebuilding and redesigning the suspension and strenthening the wholly inadequate chassis the snap of the torque on the V8 makes cornering in such a lightweight car a seriously challenging occupation. For that reason, it never ever goes out in the wet it is simply unsafe. The ultralight rear end is also a real challenge. Heavy braking can all too easily result in disaster. Pirouettes exceptionally well hence the very limited use!

Been driving kit cars for well over 50 years still have a number of kit cars built my first in 1963. Lotus Super Seven Cosworth engined all alloy body. Still the best car I have ever had to this day. The Sylva cars designed by Jeremy Phillips were also outstanding kit cars. The rebodied cars can be done well and some still are. But as this thread shows there are an awful lot of poor kit cars about. Particularly the poorly rebodied efforts (Or lack of efforts!).

Post IVA standards are better than the non existant standards prevailing when Duttons/Robin Hoods/Locosts/Locusts were being allowed on the road without any real check on even the basics. The costs have not helped kit cars but I do think IVA has materially improved quality control. However as others have said no kit cars can approach the safety levels offered by modern car manufacturers. I hope kit cars will continue as I am still building several In my seventieth year. Keeps me occupied abd provides a lot of fun and challenges. Each to their own!

[Frankthered]

delta0 said:

You need to go very classic to get the same kind of safety levels. Knowing a few people that have or are considering these cars I'm not sure they fully understand that a prang in one these cars can be a whole different ball game compared to a normal road car.

Caterham? Ariel Atom? Lotus? TVR?

Maybe it's more to do with the type of car, rather than them being kit cars?

[rolando]

witko999 said:

dudleybloke said:

This is the wurst kitcar.

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst!

Donor car must have been an old banger

[delta0]

Frankthered said:

Caterham? Ariel Atom? Lotus? TVR?

Maybe it's more to do with the type of car, rather than them being kit cars?

Lotus and TVR aren't really a kit cars. Caterham and Ariel would be more premium kit cars made by people with engineering knowledge. These aren't really the same as more "budget" kit cars made by small companies or even man in shed type.

[EDLT]

delta0 said:

crostonian said:

You could say this about most classic cars, people who drive kit cars I imagine are fully aware of the risks, you need to stay at home in your padded cell!

You need to go very classic to get the same kind of safety levels. Knowing a few people that have or are considering these cars I'm not sure they fully understand that a prang in one these cars can be a whole different ball game compared to a normal road car.

You only have to go back to 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceEh7R1KYA

[delta0]

EDLT said:

You only have to go back to 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceEh7R1KYA

Many kit cars don't even get close to that. Where that car is crumpling at the front. That is your legs. You can go a lot slower and it would still be a nasty accident.

[Axionknight]

EDLT said:

You only have to go back to 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceEh7R1KYA

Hoooooooooly st

[Axionknight]

delta0 said:

EDLT said:

You only have to go back to 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceEh7R1KYA

Many kit cars don't even get close to that. Where that car is crumpling at the front. That is your legs. You can go a lot slower and it would still be a nasty accident.

Adds to the excitement

Or excrement, perhaps!

[MKnight702]

delta0 said:

Even kit cars not trying to be fake super cars are terrible. The fact they don't have to comply with crash safety requirements is incredible. Budget kit cars particularly have very questionable structures in them. Clearly built by someone that does not know a lot about engineering beyond being able to use a welder. You are exposed to having accidents that 99% of people that have one in a standard road car would be very minor and walk away with no injury, instead the kit car leaves you with life changing injuries.

Edited by delta0 on Saturday 1st August 15:13

Since most of these cars on the thread are body conversions (albeit bad ones) the safety is dependant upon the production car on which it is built.

All modern kit cars have to pass an IVA which does address some safety issues related to the structure of the car and IIRC this is what caused so much difficulty for Robin Hood.

Personally, I am happy to drive round in my death trap kit car and prefer not to be forced into driving a Honda Jazz by right minded, "won't you think of the children", wrap you up in cotton wool, do-gooders.

[longshot]

EDLT said:

delta0 said:

crostonian said:

You could say this about most classic cars, people who drive kit cars I imagine are fully aware of the risks, you need to stay at home in your padded cell!

You need to go very classic to get the same kind of safety levels. Knowing a few people that have or are considering these cars I'm not sure they fully understand that a prang in one these cars can be a whole different ball game compared to a normal road car.

You only have to go back to 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceEh7R1KYA

Good grief! That's death on wheels.

I wonder what's the worst performer of recent years or is this it?

[xRIEx]

delta0 said:

EDLT said:

You only have to go back to 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceEh7R1KYA

Many kit cars don't even get close to that. Where that car is crumpling at the front. That is your legs. You can go a lot slower and it would still be a nasty accident.

Which ones?

[Axionknight]

longshot said:

Good grief! That's death on wheels.

I wonder what's the worst performer of recent years or is this it?

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/best-worst-%E2%80%93-crash-test-results/1199031

Citroen Nemo and Landwind CV9 back in 2011, apparently, but both were still acceptable. I guess "worst" is a relative word these days - I'd rather have a smash in those than say, a Rover 100:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0eN98IS_WY

[emicen]

The Crack Fox said:

Fastdruid said:

The Crack Fox said:

Some I took. Brace yourself...
Enzo;

Then go on google and don't come back until you can correctly identify an F40 over an Enzo

I know what it is, I had a model of an Enzo on my desk when I wrote that, I suspect brain and fingers didn't connect. Anyway, it's not an F40, I think it's an(other) MR2 in drag.

Being fair, I've seen a lot worse trying to pretend to be an F40.

[Madscanner]

EDLT said:

delta0 said:

crostonian said:

You could say this about most classic cars, people who drive kit cars I imagine are fully aware of the risks, you need to stay at home in your padded cell!

You need to go very classic to get the same kind of safety levels. Knowing a few people that have or are considering these cars I'm not sure they fully understand that a prang in one these cars can be a whole different ball game compared to a normal road car.

You only have to go back to 2003.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ceEh7R1KYA

The Fiero fares pretty well, by comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwUWRuOGHUQ

[AlexHat]

steviegunn said:

I raise you the Mazda AZ1 F40

Is there something wrong with me when I say I quite like that?