Has anyone managed to stick to there original build budget?
Discussion
When i first decided i was going to build a MK Indy, i set myself a budget of 6K, as i was going to be building it on a tight budget.
I was going to go for the standard MK chassis, second hand zetec, budget interior Etc.
However after taking a trip down to MK, and danny taking me out for a spin in a Indy R Hyabusa
, I decided naybe a BEC would be worth a little extra. oh and was persuaded to go for the R chassis and full roll cage.
Yet then when it came to buying the engine i then decided it would be worth the extra again for a 2008 R1
Then it all spiralled out of controll from there, LSD, expensive dash, expensive engine bits.
Im near to completion now, and have worked out ive spent the best part of 11K!
and that doesn't include the interest on the loan or CC's!
and will prob be another 1K by the time its registered!
Now don't get me wrong, im sure it will be worth every penny
So does everyone get caught out like this?
or is it just me?
I was going to go for the standard MK chassis, second hand zetec, budget interior Etc.
However after taking a trip down to MK, and danny taking me out for a spin in a Indy R Hyabusa
, I decided naybe a BEC would be worth a little extra. oh and was persuaded to go for the R chassis and full roll cage.Yet then when it came to buying the engine i then decided it would be worth the extra again for a 2008 R1

Then it all spiralled out of controll from there, LSD, expensive dash, expensive engine bits.
Im near to completion now, and have worked out ive spent the best part of 11K!
and that doesn't include the interest on the loan or CC's!and will prob be another 1K by the time its registered!
Now don't get me wrong, im sure it will be worth every penny

So does everyone get caught out like this?
or is it just me?
No, not by a mile.
The budget was £7,500 as that was what the manufacturer said was possible.
Kit from manufacturer £4,500
Three custom wheels £1,000
Engine £1,500
Tyres £ 350
Sprockets / chain £ 300
Bearings / Rose joints £ 500
Custom Exhaust £ 800
And then there was paint, lighting, braking, coil over dampers, instruments, crown and pinion drive, steering rack...
£7500 frankly was a laughable target. In fact, in the last year of the project, I was getting so much flack from the then soon to be MrsVeal, that I just stopped adding up the receipts. I only know that the project ran to more than five figures.
Well worth it though!
The budget was £7,500 as that was what the manufacturer said was possible.
Kit from manufacturer £4,500
Three custom wheels £1,000
Engine £1,500
Tyres £ 350
Sprockets / chain £ 300
Bearings / Rose joints £ 500
Custom Exhaust £ 800
And then there was paint, lighting, braking, coil over dampers, instruments, crown and pinion drive, steering rack...
£7500 frankly was a laughable target. In fact, in the last year of the project, I was getting so much flack from the then soon to be MrsVeal, that I just stopped adding up the receipts. I only know that the project ran to more than five figures.
Well worth it though!
Built a 2litre DOHC engined RH for £2.7K OTR - originally budgeted for £3K.
It can be done but the RH worked out underbudget coz I did so much Improvements to the original Poor RH Kit myself and the interior was done by the wife [very nice too].
Eventually sold it for £5K after 2 years use
Secret is to plan what you want to end up with B4 buying the kit, and not listen to the BS spoken by other owners or the Kit manufacturers, who after all are in business to relieve you of as much of you money as possible for the pleasure of owning one of their kits.
It can be done but the RH worked out underbudget coz I did so much Improvements to the original Poor RH Kit myself and the interior was done by the wife [very nice too].
Eventually sold it for £5K after 2 years use

Secret is to plan what you want to end up with B4 buying the kit, and not listen to the BS spoken by other owners or the Kit manufacturers, who after all are in business to relieve you of as much of you money as possible for the pleasure of owning one of their kits.
I worked it all out in a spreadsheet and realised that my Fury R1 was going to come to over £12,500 before I even started the build. I added a few other bits that took it closer to £14,500 and then started the build. Got within a few hundred quid of this, which I thought was pretty good. The spreadsheet is massive though.
Have spent another £2000+ on upgrades since I built it though. It takes a lot of planning and an honest view of the costs and all the parts required to get close to any intial cost estimates.
Have spent another £2000+ on upgrades since I built it though. It takes a lot of planning and an honest view of the costs and all the parts required to get close to any intial cost estimates.
I think it is the norm to go over. My build went way over the original estimate and I stopped adding it up after 12K. It's been on the road for a couple of years now and I'm still spending on a hot engine for it now. All my kit car buddies seem to have similar stories. So yes, think of a figure, double it, then forget it.
The feeling inside when you walk out of the IVA test centre with that pass paper in your hand will make it worth every penny.
Bill Bob
The feeling inside when you walk out of the IVA test centre with that pass paper in your hand will make it worth every penny.
Bill Bob
I think it is the norm to go over. My build went way over the original estimate and I stopped adding it up after 12K. It's been on the road for a couple of years now and I'm still spending on a hot engine for it now. All my kit car buddies seem to have similar stories. So yes, think of a figure, double it, then forget it.
The feeling inside when you walk out of the IVA test centre with that pass paper in your hand will make it worth every penny.
Bill Bob
The feeling inside when you walk out of the IVA test centre with that pass paper in your hand will make it worth every penny.
Bill Bob
I took over a started special using a bespoke tube chassis and an MX5 turbo mill with water injection, when I looked at what I had bought I was amazed at the sheer amount and many new parts there.
I reckoned that there was about 6k of parts but the previous owner denied this and claimed less.
As for having a list of costs, I honestly think it would depress me as I love a bargain.
I reckoned that there was about 6k of parts but the previous owner denied this and claimed less.
As for having a list of costs, I honestly think it would depress me as I love a bargain.
A friend on the Westfield forum is building his car for the Westy race series as we speak with a budget of £2500. Of course he is using 2nd. hand parts and trawling Ebay for the bargains. He is confident that he'll meet his budget. When building Kit Cars it is all too easy to buy something just that little bit better. For instance some 2nd hand wheels can be bought for £100 a set with tyres but then you usually see some swanky ready painted new ones for £800 and then you have to have the best tyres to match adding up to the best part of £1500. All to easy for budgets to be blown.
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