Donnington Park Kit Car Show 30th/31st August. Whose Going?

[Steffan]

Just a heads up for the Donnington Kit Car Show which I will be attending with my 2014 Registered Quantum H4 RS Turbo which I finished this year and is a damned quick fun car to own. Wondered who else is going and what is happening at the event?

As some will know on PH I build about five kit cars cars a year, although this will slow when we get over to Italy for the winter, we find the UK less fun in the cold. Anyone on for it! Anyone fancy a meet up? Any new cars to look out for and any events that should nt be missed?

I am very hopeful this event will provide a firm base for the Kit car builders to attend. No doubt Stuart Mills will be there as will Westfield as ususual. Should be fun and it is by far the easiest car show for me to get to. I may attend on both days in celebration! Beats stopping at home and being under a car that's for sure!

[Quinten]

I'm intending to be there on the Saturday... Fingers crossed for dry weather

[Steffan]

Indeed, although my Quantum has a Surrey top so unless there is really heavy rain my journey should be OK. Few kit cars are truly waterproof but this Quantum should prove to be and is effectively a coupe for winter use and greater security. Owned ragtops for more than 50 years and they do attract sneak thieves with knives in in a moment. Be interesting to see how waterproof the Surrey top really is. It is supposed to be bullet proof but British weather can fire some bloody big weather! Which day are you there? I will be about both days it is such an easy and pleasant traffic free and uncluttered drive over the Staffordshire moorlands to Donington.

[ColinM50]

Would love to go and was planning to since I need some tools and other bits, so intended to spend a couple of hundred quid BUT for some silly reason the "organisers" and I use the term loosely, stupidly don't allow dogs, unlike Stoneleigh who are very sensible and accommodating so we won't bother going.

We went last year and were denied entry because we had our Cavalier King Charles spaniel with us. What do they think we're going to do with the dog? Leave him locked in a potentially boiling hot car for hours or what?

Really, the people who organise this type of event really don't have two brain cells in close proximity. can't they at least have some kennels or something or do they see the public as an inconvenience?

[qdos]

I got caught out with the no dogs policy too and I'd driven all the way up from Dorset. It is a live race track though so to an extent we should have known but then it should have said on the website so that people would know........

This year I'll be leaving my dog with someone for the day and will get to the show one day or other in my grubby Midas gold (got fed up not driving one to events so bought another while I rebuild the other)

Still a couple of other shows to get to after Donington best one for me being Mini World Action Day at Castle Combe end of September. Shame about Malvern show being cancelled but no surprise at all How that was ever going to replace Exeter is beyond me....

[Steffan]

qdos said:

I got caught out with the no dogs policy too and I'd driven all the way up from Dorset. It is a live race track though so to an extent we should have known but then it should have said on the website so that people would know........

This year I'll be leaving my dog with someone for the day and will get to the show one day or other in my grubby Midas gold (got fed up not driving one to events so bought another while I rebuild the other)

Still a couple of other shows to get to after Donington best one for me being Mini World Action Day at Castle Combe end of September. Shame about Malvern show being cancelled but no surprise at all How that was ever going to replace Exeter is beyond me....

Good to hear you are coming to Donnington, qdos, I was unaware of the no dogs policy and I too am surprised by this. We had Golden Retrievers for years and thoroughly enjoyed them all, a perfect breed for a family IMO, but once we started spending months abroad at a time we realised continuing with dogs was not fair to the animals. As it happened our dogs were getting on, in Retriever terms then, both being over ten years old and both left this mortal toil within weeks of each other.

Kit car shows and the organisation, or lack of it, thereof, are a subject in themselves. Currently there is a paucity of well organised and well attended shows and more's the pity! I am hopefully that the Donington show will prove to be a really cracking event and that is why I posted this here.

I will be there on both days in my Quantum RS Turbo or one of my other kit cars but the Quantum is more likely because I am keen to try that car out. It is for sale currently because I need funds to buy my next projects in and SWMBO gets very tetchy if I raid the housekeeping to buy yet more kit cars. For that reason, and because I cannot accommodate any more cars unless I sell one the Quantum is on sale!

Hopefully we will meet up and I do hope you enjoy the show you are travelling a fair distance, great cars those Midas's you specialise in and I still have two, quite outstanding strong and robust kit cars I have never seen any sign of failure in a Midas body tub. Looking forward to the show!

[one eyed mick]

The no dogs policy is in line with as far as Iknow all race circuits as there is arace meeting on all weekend ---no dogs .OK you sound like a caring dog owner and I understand your frustration but surely the dog could be left with a freind for a day ?

[Toltec]

I'll be going in a boring car, but will be doing something more interesting while at the show.

[AcC8braman]

I will be there, will arrive on Friday to get a good camping spot

[Fastpedeller]

I'll be there on both days. Will be bringing along the Quantumsleep GRP folding caravan on the Sunday (staying at local campsite)

[Steffan]

I do look forward to seeing you there. Good to hear more PHers are coming lets hope the rain stops by then!

Mind you in the UK if you let the weather stop you you would never go anywhere.

[AdamWilkins]

ColinM50 said:

for some silly reason the "organisers" and I use the term loosely, stupidly don't allow dogs

As many have already said, it's the venue and not the organisers who don't allow dogs. Fairly common practice for a live motor cicruit – think about the potential outcome for more than moment and it's not a "silly reason."

The no dogs rule is stated clearly in the FAQs section of the website.

[200Plus Club]

i think i am going with my GD T70 on the GD stand.

[gtmdriver]

I'll be there on the CKC stand as always and this time I'll have my almost finished UVA there.

[MG CHRIS]

Would love to be there in the mev but having just been up there for jap fest 2 last week, picking up a rx8 today, doing a mx5 nutz run the 7th September and a track day the 20th in the exocet i need to have a weekend to get some things done.

Hope the shows goes well tbh the racing on day is a good idea keeps you there as the shows you will see it all within 2 hrs.

[Igurisu]

I'm planning to go along as part of my "which kit" research. Looking forward to seeing what's around, I suspect I've only seen a small amount of potential kits to build so far.

[mikesalt]

I'll be going next year, and bringing the good lady along to narrow down our final decision on which kit to buy.

[Steffan]

mikesalt said:

I'll be going next year, and bringing the good lady along to narrow down our final decision on which kit to buy.

Igurisu said:

I'm planning to go along as part of my "which kit" research. Looking forward to seeing what's around, I suspect I've only seen a small amount of potential kits to build so far.

Great to see that there are enthusiasts about who will be coming with the intention of reviewing the market and looking at building kit cars. I do think that the kit car shows can provide an excellent method of reviewing what is about and there are indeed some good cars being made today. Personally I am beginning to think that the one donor cars are the most cost effective and least complex method of building kit cars. Having spent literally years in the past seeking appropriate bits for kit cars when building or rebuilding cars that have been made up from a number of donor parts without a manual indicating what the source vehicle was and several have been used, the one donor approach seems to me to be the most effective.

But each to their own and it is great news to hear that kit car builders are still about. Best of luck to you both. I will be there with my Quantum RS Turbo registered in March 2014 and you are most welcome to come and take a look and have achat about building kit cars, or indeed anything you like. I will endeavour to be in the show area but that is down to the organisers who will no doubt have their own ideas. Looking forward to it.!

[qdos]

Steffan said:

mikesalt said:

I'll be going next year, and bringing the good lady along to narrow down our final decision on which kit to buy.

Igurisu said:

I'm planning to go along as part of my "which kit" research. Looking forward to seeing what's around, I suspect I've only seen a small amount of potential kits to build so far.

Great to see that there are enthusiasts about who will be coming with the intention of reviewing the market and looking at building kit cars. I do think that the kit car shows can provide an excellent method of reviewing what is about and there are indeed some good cars being made today. Personally I am beginning to think that the one donor cars are the most cost effective and least complex method of building kit cars. Having spent literally years in the past seeking appropriate bits for kit cars when building or rebuilding cars that have been made up from a number of donor parts without a manual indicating what the source vehicle was and several have been used, the one donor approach seems to me to be the most effective.

But each to their own and it is great news to hear that kit car builders are still about. Best of luck to you both. I will be there with my Quantum RS Turbo registered in March 2014 and you are most welcome to come and take a look and have achat about building kit cars, or indeed anything you like. I will endeavour to be in the show area but that is down to the organisers who will no doubt have their own ideas. Looking forward to it.!

I'd add that the shows are a superb place to have a look at what is available from the Kit Car industry, sadly these are shrinking of late and there's many manufacturers who do not attend both big and small. Have a look also at the owners cars and speak to people who have built their cars and live with them every day. Above all though I'd thoroughly recommend the magazines these are a superb source of information. You'll find members of staff from each of the mags at the show I'm sure.

Hopefully this recession is going to end soon and shows will begin to get back to their former glory. The Kit Car Market is however not just about cheap or over indulgent pastimes. I'm looking for a new car as my main car and I am considering a very broad range of vehicles to sink a stack of money into. I'm looking at the mass produced tin boxes but I'm finding all the time that a Kit is also a very sensible and cost effective solution too.

[AdiT]

I'll be there Sat.

Posibly not in the Fury though, which would be the first since it's been on the road that I've reverted to attending in a tin-top.