What do you want . . .?

What do you want . . .?

Author
Discussion

Ex-Biker

Original Poster:

1,315 posts

248 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
When you are buying a kit car what is it you look for?

1. Price?
2. Practicality?
3. Acceleration and top speed?
4. Handling?
5. Pose value?
6. Ease of build?
7. Company reputation? (just for Den)
8. A roof?
9. A Club following ()

Can you get all of these? (bar No6 - what Flintstone wants).

Do you want classic or modern looks?

What made you buy what you have?

Liszt

4,329 posts

271 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all

1. Price?
Trancperancy. I want to know how much it is going to cost me. Not with +Vat, + minor buts etc
2. Practicality?
Being 6'4" Can I fit
3. Acceleration and top speed?
More likely will it take a V8
4. Handling?
I suppose.
5. Pose value?
Not really, but needs to be able to be well finished
6. Ease of build?
Reasonably straight forward, with support from a good owners club or the factory
7. Company reputation? (just for Den)
Oh yes.
8. A roof?
Nope. Get a tin top if that is on the agenda
9. A Club following ()
Yes definate. Like minded people and the like.
Can you get all of these? (bar No6 - what Flintstone wants).
With a few compromises, I think so.

Ex-Biker

Original Poster:

1,315 posts

248 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
My answers:

1. Budget was very important. (I'm skint and supposed to be getting married next year)

2. What do I need practical for, I need to replace my motorbike.

3. Top speed doesn't matter. I don't really think you need anything that goes more than say 130mph, but acceleration is important. Bike 0-60 in 3.6 (ish) secs, 0-100 in a little over 6sec. It makes for more overtaking opportunities.

4. It had to go round corners like a sports car. BTW, not that many bikers will admit it, but a car can corner quicker than a bike.

5. Yes must be good pose.

6. Would be nice if it where easy to build.

7. Never heard of most companies when I first started looking.

8. A roof? I'm replacing the bike, they don't have 'em!

9. Don't care about a club. Good job as there isn't one for my car yet (there isn't even a customer car on the road)


Obviously a sports car I need then!

Flintstone

8,644 posts

248 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Ex-Biker said:
Can you get all of these? (bar No6 - what Flintstone wants).


:frown: All I want to do is stay warm and dry.

gdr

586 posts

261 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
1. No object (up to a point)
2. No
3. Lots
4. Essential
5. Of course
6. No (as long as no welding required)
7. Impossible (have't they all had a conversation with Filby once?)
8. Yes (live in Scotland)
9. Preferably not (a tad sad I think, better off here)

Ferg

15,242 posts

258 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
1.Libra
2.Libra
3.Libra
4.Libra
5.Libra
6.Libra
7.Libra
8.Libra
9.TeamGTM

peetbee

1,036 posts

256 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
1. Value for money and transparency
2. not really
3. acceleration yes top speed not so important
4. a must have
5. not really, I own a Dutton!
6. depends on the price I paid, but ideally no welding
7. not fussed, see 5
8. a soft top so's I can use it all year round
9. can be helpful to ask the other lunatics questions if 6 is not fulfilled.

Can you get all of these? no, too many compromises required, even mass manufacturers can't get it right all the time.

Do you want classic or modern looks? not fussed, but a leaning towards classic.

What made you buy what you have? not much cash, rose tinted glasses and lack of common sense!

Ex-Biker

Original Poster:

1,315 posts

248 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Ferg

I don't know why, but I think you're baised.

Just to pee on your fire a bit:
Call it practical - there's no room for the kids, baby seat and luggage.
Do you get the tin opener out for that raging hot summer we always have, or have you got air con? Surely a converable is better? (Spyder anyone?)

Nice car Ferg.

Ferg

15,242 posts

258 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Mark,
Practical? Yes. I've yet to find more than one person at a time who wants to be driven by me!!
Tin opener? Tin opener? No tin on the car, removable fibreglass roof panel that stows rather neatly behind the seats in front of the spacious parcel shelf. Boot will hold a set of golf clubs, though why anyone would play golf when they could be thrashing the car I don't know!!
Full size 205/40/17 spare wheel and tyre under the front. Amazing space in the cab.
Cost? Hmmm... I probably could have bought an EARLY high miles Elise at the time, but not a 111S.
The all important question though, is does it make me happy? Nuff said.

Incidentally, I was on the Libra waiting list when the Spyder was launched and was offered the opportunity to change by Paddy Fitch...........

>> Edited by Ferg on Monday 8th December 16:59

grahambell

2,718 posts

276 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Ex-Biker said:
Ferg

Do you get the tin opener out for that raging hot summer we always have, or have you got air con? Surely a converable is better?


The Libra coupe has a removable roof panel.

Ex-Biker

Original Poster:

1,315 posts

248 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all

Flintstone

8,644 posts

248 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
grahambell said:
The Libra coupe has a removable roof panel.


Yeah, but then you can't fit a KV6 in a Libra. If you could I'd MAKE the time to build one. Phone in sick for a few months maybe?

chrisx666

808 posts

262 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Over to you Ferg...

Ferg

15,242 posts

258 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Er, since when have you not been able to fit the KV6 into a Libra...?



Cheers Chris, keeping well?

>> Edited by Ferg on Monday 8th December 22:07

kitcarman

805 posts

249 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Ex-Biker said:
Mark,
You’ll have to forgive Ferg, he’s besotted

Den

kitcarman

805 posts

249 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
Chris and Ferg,

I think you might have pulled Flintstone from the brink

Den.

Wacky Racer

38,170 posts

248 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
A soft top for sure

Something that stands out from the crowd

Relatively cheap insurance

Easy to build

Searing acceleration, 0-60 around 4.5 seconds

British as a bulldog

Very low or zero depreciation

Fairly low inital build costs

A respected name with full parts back up

A discussion group on Yahoo with 750 members

Regional clubs based around the country to arrange meetings, runs etc


Hmmm, sounds just like my Tiger Supersix

cymtriks

4,560 posts

246 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
1) A design I wouldn't want to improve every time I looked at it! This really bugs me.
2) A list of donor parts that you'd actually want to make into a dream car. It amazes me that some people still think that the VW beetle is suitable for exotic type cars! Fine for buggies, it goes with the scene, but Lambo replicas!! I also remember looking into buying a midtech. It costed extra to fit a Cortina engine. Surely they should pay you for this option? Why not save the money and put a renault engine onto the renault transaxle it was designed for.
3) Styling. I'd have to like it. Even if no one else did!
4) Ease of build. Why make it hard.
5) Fun. This should probably be number 1.