Discussion
Hi,
I have finally been able to get my hands on a garage in the village where i live which means i can now look at purchasing my first Kit Car.
I have had a look at a few of the manufactuers and i like the look of the cars which "Tiger" produce as well as "Raw".
I want to buy a second hand car which has already been built due to my lack of mechanical knowledge. I have approx £6000 - £7000 to spend. Other than the kits i mentioned above are there anymore i should consider.
Also i am only 24 years old. I have a company car so i havent been able to build up my no claims - any idea of what cost this will be on say 5000 miles a year?
Thanks.
Ben
I have finally been able to get my hands on a garage in the village where i live which means i can now look at purchasing my first Kit Car.
I have had a look at a few of the manufactuers and i like the look of the cars which "Tiger" produce as well as "Raw".
I want to buy a second hand car which has already been built due to my lack of mechanical knowledge. I have approx £6000 - £7000 to spend. Other than the kits i mentioned above are there anymore i should consider.
Also i am only 24 years old. I have a company car so i havent been able to build up my no claims - any idea of what cost this will be on say 5000 miles a year?
Thanks.
Ben
Only because I've got one and am biased but at that budget you can also look at an MK Indy. They are cheap s/h. Some haggling and 6k will buy you a practically brand new car with your choice of car or bike engine, Pinto or Fireblade at that price.
Insurance is dead cheap, I pay 230 quid for 5k miles.
Insurance is dead cheap, I pay 230 quid for 5k miles.
I'd go for the Striker over any of the Tiger offerings (but then I would say that!), certainly its a better car than the Cat or Avon, closer run thing with the R6 or B6 though. Buying second hand the standard of the build is probably at least as important as the car itself though 
You might find insurance companies that'll take your company car driving into account, certainly a lot of them will ask about NCB on other cars or even 'years of claim free driving'.
You might find insurance companies that'll take your company car driving into account, certainly a lot of them will ask about NCB on other cars or even 'years of claim free driving'.
I would try a post on www.locostbuilders.co.uk for info on kitcars. If you are looking for a seven type car then the Slva and Raw chassis was about the bst but I hear that MNR are taking that crown now.
Depends on what you wnat but as stated previosuly, build quality is important so look at a few before committing.
Bike engined cars - Very quick/ Very nimble but not the best for regular use
Car engines cars - Still quick/ Still nimble not as extreme though but more every day friendly.
Depends on what you wnat but as stated previosuly, build quality is important so look at a few before committing.
Bike engined cars - Very quick/ Very nimble but not the best for regular use
Car engines cars - Still quick/ Still nimble not as extreme though but more every day friendly.
Have a look at Westfields - £6-7K could get you a very nice car with plenty of scope for upgrades as funds/experience build up. You will also get a good Tiger 6, MK Indy or striker for the same money. As has previously been stated, the quality of the build is just as important (maybe more so) as the manufacturer.
Theres a Striker on Findit for 4k and a Westy there for 4.5k Locosts can be fine, completely dependent on the person building them though and some of the Locost derived kits are pretty good 
- MK Indy and MNR Vortx for example. Complete cars sometimes come up for sale on the Locostbuilders website too. I'd avoid Robin Hood though, bit heavy for a Seven before you even get into any of the other arguments about them
Locosts can be fine, completely dependent on the person building them though and some of the Locost derived kits are pretty good - MK Indy and MNR Vortx for example. Complete cars sometimes come up for sale on the Locostbuilders website too. I'd avoid Robin Hood though, bit heavy for a Seven before you even get into any of the other arguments about them Just sold a very nice Tiger Supersix to a fellow Ph'er for similar money, with 3000 miles from new and insurance around £150 fully comp. (Pic still on my profile)
Also consider Supercat, or Westfield, but buy on condition whatever you choose rather than age because most are low mileage anyway.....
Good luck...
Also consider Supercat, or Westfield, but buy on condition whatever you choose rather than age because most are low mileage anyway.....
Good luck...
Hi Ben,
I'd recommend a 4 cylinder Dax Rush (becuase I built a Rush V8 and love it) but at £4K you'll not find one unless part built or crash damaged.
As for whet else is wring with Robin Hoods : I thought about building one and then looked closer.... where can I begin.
Chassis tub is folded Stainless Steel (SS) : wont rust but faitugue strength of SS is not good, especially when cold or warm bent at 90 degree angles as are R.Hood tubs. I know they have had chsssis cracking / failing because I'm a metallurgist and asked the owner to be honest with me as I had calculated the risk, and he said we've had a few which have cracked over the years... that was enough for me.
Also rear diff link to th etub uses a steering joint knuckle to stop it tramping under the torque of drive take-up : these wear and fail and then you can damage prop shaft / diff .
Front suspension turret used looks awful, and isn't downrated to account for lighter weight of the Hood compared to donor car, and so front end is skittish on uneven roads (i.e. most A / B roads these days thanks to Blair and Darling taxing motorists so much but putting so little back into tarmac maintenance and more into "safety camera" - the gits !!).
So I would take the advice offered already , for 4K you ought to look at Strikers, Tiger Cups, older Westfields, Locost etc. All are fine cars, but GET A LOCAL CLUB MEMBER FOR THE SORT OF CAR YOU WANT TO BUY YO CHECK OUT THE CAR YOU OPT FOR BEFORE YOU BUY (they know the build quality you should look for and the problem areas / weak-spots to look for).
Good Luck
Mark.
I'd recommend a 4 cylinder Dax Rush (becuase I built a Rush V8 and love it) but at £4K you'll not find one unless part built or crash damaged.
As for whet else is wring with Robin Hoods : I thought about building one and then looked closer.... where can I begin.
Chassis tub is folded Stainless Steel (SS) : wont rust but faitugue strength of SS is not good, especially when cold or warm bent at 90 degree angles as are R.Hood tubs. I know they have had chsssis cracking / failing because I'm a metallurgist and asked the owner to be honest with me as I had calculated the risk, and he said we've had a few which have cracked over the years... that was enough for me.
Also rear diff link to th etub uses a steering joint knuckle to stop it tramping under the torque of drive take-up : these wear and fail and then you can damage prop shaft / diff .
Front suspension turret used looks awful, and isn't downrated to account for lighter weight of the Hood compared to donor car, and so front end is skittish on uneven roads (i.e. most A / B roads these days thanks to Blair and Darling taxing motorists so much but putting so little back into tarmac maintenance and more into "safety camera" - the gits !!).
So I would take the advice offered already , for 4K you ought to look at Strikers, Tiger Cups, older Westfields, Locost etc. All are fine cars, but GET A LOCAL CLUB MEMBER FOR THE SORT OF CAR YOU WANT TO BUY YO CHECK OUT THE CAR YOU OPT FOR BEFORE YOU BUY (they know the build quality you should look for and the problem areas / weak-spots to look for).
Good Luck
Mark.
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