First car - A kit car?

[Carbon-Me1]

Hi,

there was a thread the other week about first cars, there kind of are everyweek! but someone mentioned the idea of a kit car and i thought that was an awesome one. I've done a bit of research into the idea nd i think the main contentender would be the Dutton phaeton with a ford 1.3 engine in it. Just interested to know if you can think of any other kit cars that would be suitable? Budget is going to be about £3500 including insurance. However this is another problem i came across is that most kit car insurance companies only insurance either people aged 18+ or 25+ and i don't want to wait that long! Are there kit car insurance companies that will insure a 17 y/o?

Hope you can help

Thanks

Stuart

[Furyblade_Lee]

You will probobly find that companies who insure kitcars do not care which model it is, a kitcar is a kitcar to them, just keep the engine small. With a budget of £3,500 you have a fair choice. I do not think a Dutton is your best option. You can get a crossflow Westfield for that. Also look at a 1.4 K-series GTM Rossa(hardtop and convertible), Even a 1.4 Libra was sold for less that 4K.... (think LOTS of girls in one of those!) (Ben). The insurance would be a darn site cheaper than a Saxo, thats for sure. There also also many 1275 A-series cars, GTM Coupe, Midas Gold ect. ect.

I sure others will suggest far more!

[Jonty355]

Try the Quantum 2+2 or coupe with their club insurance scheme. Get one with a smaller engine in it and you may be able to get it even cheaper.

My first car was a Locust 7. I paid £1000 for it as a non-runner, spent about £100 getting it through the MOT and insured it for £600 at the age of 18.

So thats a classic looking car that can embarass most cars off the line with a 0-60 time of about 6.5 seconds, and all for £1800 including Buying, insuring, taxing, MOTing. Bet you couldn't do that with a production car!

[Carbon-Me1]

Jonty355 said:

Try the Quantum 2+2 or coupe with their club insurance scheme. Get one with a smaller engine in it and you may be able to get it even cheaper.

My first car was a Locust 7. I paid £1000 for it as a non-runner, spent about £100 getting it through the MOT and insured it for £600 at the age of 18.

So thats a classic looking car that can embarass most cars off the line with a 0-60 time of about 6.5 seconds, and all for £1800 including Buying, insuring, taxing, MOTing. Bet you couldn't do that with a production car!

Those quantums are quite appealing, cheap, good looking (well in comparison to a corsa or saxo!), not sure about performance but i'm sure someone could enlighten me.

Do you have any contact details or a website for their club insurance scheme?

Thanks

[basherbarrichelo]

i also want a kit car as my first car and was thinking of having a Quantum 2+2, iv looked into it because i also no that not all Insurers will insure a 17 year old. But if you look on www.quantumowners.com it should tell you all you need to now.

with there Insurer ‘footman james’ it was £450 fully comp for a 17 year old with a 1.6 cvh.

[Carbon-Me1]

£450!!!! For a 1.6 WOW, it's a a done deal! getting a quantum

[andy_quantum]

I've had a few of them, good cars, cheap and easy to work on.

Will be selling the Saloon soon though, run out of space

[Furyblade_Lee]

There is a Black Quantum saloon in the ads somewhere, in Cheshire. About £800ish, just needs a good respray as orange peel. I know the car from a trip touring France and Germany, mechanically it is very reliable. Been mechanically rebuilt, XR2 engine. Not a convertible but might be of interest

[basherbarrichelo]

This is my mums car, its been changed a bit since the picture



Andy you might recognise it ???

sorry about the size of the pic (its a bit small)

Edited by basherbarrichelo on Thursday 28th February 20:36

[andy_quantum]

basherbarrichelo said:

This is my mums car, its been changed a bit since the picture



Andy you might recognise it ???

sorry about the size of the pic (its a bit small)

Edited by basherbarrichelo on Thursday 28th February 20:36

Indeed I do, hope you're enjoying it. I'm guessing/hoping you've still got the twin 40's and fast road cam in it?

[basherbarrichelo]

andy_quantum said:

basherbarrichelo said:

This is my mums car, its been changed a bit since the picture



Andy you might recognise it ???

sorry about the size of the pic (its a bit small)

Edited by basherbarrichelo on Thursday 28th February 20:36

Indeed I do, hope you're enjoying it. I'm guessing/hoping you've still got the twin 40's and fast road cam in it?

yep shes still got the twin 40's and the cam we are all enjoying it thanks. just changed the seats in side and a bit of the interior, but hopefully you’ll see it a stoneligh!!

[Carbon-Me1]

basherbarrichelo said:

i also want a kit car as my first car and was thinking of having a Quantum 2+2, iv looked into it because i also no that not all Insurers will insure a 17 year old. But if you look on www.quantumowners.com it should tell you all you need to now.

with there Insurer ‘footman james’ it was £450 fully comp for a 17 year old with a 1.6 cvh.

How long did it take for Footman james to get you a quote and through what medium did they tell you what it was. Email? post?

Cheers

[andy_quantum]

You're better off phoning FJ for more immediate things, they can give you a price there and then once they've gone through your details

[holtyben]

Furyblade_Lee said:

Also look at a 1.4 K-series GTM Rossa(hardtop and convertible), Even a 1.4 Libra was sold for less that 4K.... (think LOTS of girls in one of those!) (Ben).

Had a GTM K3 for a year and a half when i was 17 which was brilliant fun cost around £750 to insure tpft under my own name a month after i passsed my test. could easily get 40mpg very fun to drive quite a bit cheaper to run then my current mazda 323. And the best bit i thought about it was the only others i saw where at shows. Why did i get rid of it im still not sure
Oh and Lee keep eating those pies

[Carbon-Me1]

holtyben said:

Furyblade_Lee said:

Also look at a 1.4 K-series GTM Rossa(hardtop and convertible), Even a 1.4 Libra was sold for less that 4K.... (think LOTS of girls in one of those!) (Ben).

Had a GTM K3 for a year and a half when i was 17 which was brilliant fun cost around £750 to insure tpft under my own name a month after i passsed my test. could easily get 40mpg very fun to drive quite a bit cheaper to run then my current mazda 323. And the best bit i thought about it was the only others i saw where at shows. Why did i get rid of it im still not sure
Oh and Lee keep eating those pies

Who did you get insured with?

[holtyben]

Footman james, the only company i found to insure under 21s on kit cars.

[OwenK]

Are Footman James really good for younger kit car insurance? I looked on their website once out of interest and they said something like they won't insure under 25s on kit cars?

I was putting some thought toward a GTM Libra, a 1.4 or a 1.6 if possible, but obviously had trouble getting any quotes anywhere being a kit car and all. I'm 19, 0 years no claims, live in Surrey. My last policy was £1100 TPFT on a Fiat Punto GT (group 14, 1.4 engine).

Anybody give me an even vague idea of what it would be? More, or less, than the Punto?

Because if it's less...

[andy_quantum]

There are companies out there who'll do it. It's usually part of joining an owners club that brings the benefits, so you'd probably need to speak to the Owners Club secretaries and see if there's anything specific they do

[holtyben]

OwenK said:

Are Footman James really good for younger kit car insurance?

They where the only company who would give me a quote. All the others said you have to be over 21/25. I found the GTM Libra was around £50-100 more to insure then the K3 but that was because of the value difference.
You should definately be able to be insured for less than the Punto for a 1400GTM. Are you in the motor trade as saying that bumped it up by around £50-100 for me but as i was at college aswell the said i would class as a student which was cheaper.
Best theing to do is get on the phone to them.

[OwenK]

Interesting!

Having just rung up FJ and got a quote I received the following:

with a limited mileage of 4500:
1.4 Libra - £1379
1.6 Libra - £1379 (might as well go for the 1.6 then... )
1.8 VVC - £1623

Limited mileage 6000
1.8 VVC - £2250


It's a wee bit more than the Punto, but considering the difference between the two cars...!
Also bearing in mind the Punto is only TPFT, fully comp it is the same price as the Libra (also fully comp - I wouldn't dream of having one TPFT!)


Food for thought, most definitely...