My first Kit Car
Discussion
Hi all, am looking to buy my first Kit car in the spring this year and am just looking for advice. I want one thats already built and on the road (IE iva passed) and a seven style car. (Stryker, Dax rush, etc) My budget is about 6k. I understand that insurance isnt really a problem (am 36 with 6 yrs no claims and lucky enough to have no points). My question is road tax? is this dependant on engine emissions or is there a set rate for these cars? And which model/ engine is best for the beginner. I have a little knowledge on cars and can do most jobs myself, so am just looking for something to "fettle" with and enjoy on a sunny sunday morning. Will be a second car.Maybe with a view to selling it and then building my own when i understand more!
I would like a motorbike engined model but having never worked on one am put off slightly, are they still reliable when placed in a car?
I was orginally going to go down the TVR route, (sound of that V8 popping and banging, drool!) but costs of running and owning one seem a bit steep.
Any advice, suggestions helpful! Am in the Northwest area.
I would like a motorbike engined model but having never worked on one am put off slightly, are they still reliable when placed in a car?
I was orginally going to go down the TVR route, (sound of that V8 popping and banging, drool!) but costs of running and owning one seem a bit steep.
Any advice, suggestions helpful! Am in the Northwest area.
where in north west are you mate? there are many 7 type cars for that sort of budget. tiger avon,striker,mk indy,mac 1,dax rush.start taylor/aries motorsport locoblade etc.the choice is yours
most mnr's, mk indy R's, dax rush mc's,westys and caterhams may be out of budget, but still worth a look if you find a bargain.
another thing to consider is youe heioght and weight as some are a very tight fit.
tax is dependant on engine and most bike engined kits (if thats what you want) are in low tax band.
im just north of lancaster by the way
most mnr's, mk indy R's, dax rush mc's,westys and caterhams may be out of budget, but still worth a look if you find a bargain.
another thing to consider is youe heioght and weight as some are a very tight fit.
tax is dependant on engine and most bike engined kits (if thats what you want) are in low tax band.
im just north of lancaster by the way
the tax is as per 'normal' tin tops - so £200 ( or whatever it is these days). The insurance should be low, i'd guess tjhat you'll be looking at somewhere between £125-145, you generally don't use your no claims as most policies are 'specialist' and don't require the ncb. If you want to get an idea ahead of buying - Barry @ frank pickles is worth talking with.
£6k should get you a nice car, the thing you'll find is that you'll likely need to travel further to look/buy than a tintop. if you decide or have questions on a particular make then also worth joining the owners forum.
good luck.
£6k should get you a nice car, the thing you'll find is that you'll likely need to travel further to look/buy than a tintop. if you decide or have questions on a particular make then also worth joining the owners forum.
good luck.
Thanks for the replies. Am in INGLETON, small village 20 miles out of lancaster. had a look at a couple of dax Rush, both powered by vauxhall engine, but they are top of my budget, think i would rather spend less, and leave some pennies spare for upgrades and fettling fun!
Will get some insurance quotes shortly, at the moment am just testing the water, finding out whats involved etc! Do you guys lay it up for the winter or keep it on the road?
Will get some insurance quotes shortly, at the moment am just testing the water, finding out whats involved etc! Do you guys lay it up for the winter or keep it on the road?
all year round for me. Can't get my head around having a fun toy and taking it off the road for the sake of either £100 tax or not having some warm clothing!
Days like today ( well down this way ) are perfect - nice crisp sunny day.
Depending on your size/height you oughtg as mentioned jump into a few cars and see what feels good. Personally i don't agree with the 'x car is better than y car' - with a kit it really depends who/how it was screwed together. So in order of ideal preference for me:
getting a car from teh guy that built it - he should have a full build histroy, and be able to answer all your queries, now and in the future.
getting a car that has a build history, and has done some miles - again personal pref but would rather buy a car that's been used as opposed to it being 10 years old with 1k miles on the clock - use should mean its proven.
specialist garage
lastly be careful with cars sold by garages that dont specialise in kits - very often they will not even know the real spec of the car.
when you find one you can always ask on the owners forum if anyone knows the car.
i was fortunate enough to buy a car from the guy who built it, he had a comprehensive photo + receipt folder of the whole build. Moreover i was able to get a reference on teh car from 2 people and having had a look at a cple of cars before i knew that i'd fit in it, knew what to check/ask him and was able to pretty much 'do the deal' over the phone,. he knew i was travelling 5 hours to go and see it and supplied all the pics up to date that i needed as well as answering all the questions i posed.....so when i went to see it in reality it was merely to double check what he'd said and hand over some cash. That for me was a perfect purchase in all regards.
Days like today ( well down this way ) are perfect - nice crisp sunny day.
Depending on your size/height you oughtg as mentioned jump into a few cars and see what feels good. Personally i don't agree with the 'x car is better than y car' - with a kit it really depends who/how it was screwed together. So in order of ideal preference for me:
getting a car from teh guy that built it - he should have a full build histroy, and be able to answer all your queries, now and in the future.
getting a car that has a build history, and has done some miles - again personal pref but would rather buy a car that's been used as opposed to it being 10 years old with 1k miles on the clock - use should mean its proven.
specialist garage
lastly be careful with cars sold by garages that dont specialise in kits - very often they will not even know the real spec of the car.
when you find one you can always ask on the owners forum if anyone knows the car.
i was fortunate enough to buy a car from the guy who built it, he had a comprehensive photo + receipt folder of the whole build. Moreover i was able to get a reference on teh car from 2 people and having had a look at a cple of cars before i knew that i'd fit in it, knew what to check/ask him and was able to pretty much 'do the deal' over the phone,. he knew i was travelling 5 hours to go and see it and supplied all the pics up to date that i needed as well as answering all the questions i posed.....so when i went to see it in reality it was merely to double check what he'd said and hand over some cash. That for me was a perfect purchase in all regards.
im actually in milnthorpe,but lancaster was easier to say if you were from further away. there is a great site called locostbuilders. join the forum mate,very helpful guys and not much negativity. you will find loads of help on there. mkII is a member on there and hes from ingleton.he has a blue striker. i usually meet him for a chat at the barbon hillclimb events every year. hes a good guy also and will help you if you need it
Yeah think i have to agree! on a day like today must be a blast! (albeit a cold one!) Well am not fat but am 6ft2 so will have to sit in a few to find one that fits me! certainly dont mind travelling the length and breadth of the country to find one, rather do that than buy first one i see. Good advice about buying from the guy who built it! was just about to ask how do you know what spare parts to get if you dont know what gearbox is in the thing!
Well thanks for the replies... bike engine or conventional car engine? power, sound, drive?
I think it will be a completely different experience from my old mk1 mx5!!!
Well thanks for the replies... bike engine or conventional car engine? power, sound, drive?
I think it will be a completely different experience from my old mk1 mx5!!!
cookie400 said:
Yeah think i have to agree! on a day like today must be a blast! (albeit a cold one!) Well am not fat but am 6ft2 so will have to sit in a few to find one that fits me! certainly dont mind travelling the length and breadth of the country to find one, rather do that than buy first one i see. Good advice about buying from the guy who built it! was just about to ask how do you know what spare parts to get if you dont know what gearbox is in the thing!
Well thanks for the replies... bike engine or conventional car engine? power, sound, drive?
I think it will be a completely different experience from my old mk1 mx5!!!
I went from a mk1 MX-5 to a BEC.Well thanks for the replies... bike engine or conventional car engine? power, sound, drive?
I think it will be a completely different experience from my old mk1 mx5!!!
I had a budget of £5kish, but after my first passenger ride in a Stuart Taylor Locoblade I decided I wanted to try a BEC.
Yes, there was a little to learn about the way they drive, but it wasn't hard. My first trip in mine I drove it about 15 miles through the center of Sheffeild, and I think I only stalled twice.
While I enjoy the experience of driving it, the longest I've done was about 100 miles in a day. If I'm taking it with me if going to see friends (most live > 200 miles away) then I'm towing it.
You'll get more for your money now than in the spring.
Despite what some are bound to say BECs are reliable if put together right. I've done 15000 miles in mine including 2x3000 mile euro trips. I've also done 500+ miles in a day several times. The majority of noise in a kit is wind buffeting so the engine is irrelevant. A good set of ear plugs is all you need. I did the ClassicLeMans trip with a commited CEC fan and he reconned my R1 was no different than his Toyota engined car for noise.
Despite what some are bound to say BECs are reliable if put together right. I've done 15000 miles in mine including 2x3000 mile euro trips. I've also done 500+ miles in a day several times. The majority of noise in a kit is wind buffeting so the engine is irrelevant. A good set of ear plugs is all you need. I did the ClassicLeMans trip with a commited CEC fan and he reconned my R1 was no different than his Toyota engined car for noise.
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