Advantages or Kit Car types

[ALangedijk]

(First post)
Hi everyone
I am young adult who is producing a project about the building of a kit car (which will hopefully end in me building one).
Can someone who considers themselves an expert in the field outline the pros and cons of SDV, MDV and full kits, as well as an outline of the equipment needed to produce each of these types.
- I understand that these vary from car to car, but am merely looking for trends amongst these types. Any suggestions or examples of individual cars or companies are also greatly appreciated -

Cheers

[qdos]

Would be happy to try and help but what is "SDV MDV" ??????

[Steve_D]

qdos said:

Would be happy to try and help but what is "SDV MDV" ??????

I left the thread thinking the same.
Then I thought he may be refering to Single Donor Vehicle and Multi Donor Vehicle.

Steve

[qdos]

Steve_D said:

I left the thread thinking the same.
Then I thought he may be refering to Single Donor Vehicle and Multi Donor Vehicle.

Steve

Hmmm that would fit. Why oh why oh why do people do the abbreviation thing?

Alex I'd thoroughly recommend getting the magazines such as Total Kit Car and Complete Kit Car. I'd also recommend visiting some shows. The biggest is Stoneleigh which is the first May bank holiday each year. Donnington is the next big one. Speak to the owners clubs when you visit. You'll always find people very happy to tell you all about the good and bad things with their kits and get a feel for the real people who drive these cars. We are enthusiasts who love our cars and overall a friendly fun bunch though we may go on a bit about spring rates, resins, or windscreens. A bit geeky to some minds as we're not terribly interested in Bluetooth, ABS ESP or Vorsprung Durch Technik. Hardcore Kit Car nuts don't mind how many cars are used in their builds.

Manufacturers are pretty much the same, driven primarily by a passion for what they are doing. Few are business driven and despite what the accountants will say. Some have gone on to produce some of the most successful car companies in the world. (until that is the fat cats start tearing out the passion and turn them into commodities) Look at the BRITISH car industry and I mean BRITISH not corporate and you'll find most of them started as kit car manufacturers.

If you want to understand the kit car scene you need to feel that passion

[fuoriserie]

qdos said:

Steve_D said:

I left the thread thinking the same.
Then I thought he may be refering to Single Donor Vehicle and Multi Donor Vehicle.

Steve

Hmmm that would fit. Why oh why oh why do people do the abbreviation thing?

Alex I'd thoroughly recommend getting the magazines such as Total Kit Car and Complete Kit Car. I'd also recommend visiting some shows. The biggest is Stoneleigh which is the first May bank holiday each year. Donnington is the next big one. Speak to the owners clubs when you visit. You'll always find people very happy to tell you all about the good and bad things with their kits and get a feel for the real people who drive these cars. We are enthusiasts who love our cars and overall a friendly fun bunch though we may go on a bit about spring rates, resins, or windscreens. A bit geeky to some minds as we're not terribly interested in Bluetooth, ABS ESP or Vorsprung Durch Technik. Hardcore Kit Car nuts don't mind how many cars are used in their builds.

Manufacturers are pretty much the same, driven primarily by a passion for what they are doing. Few are business driven and despite what the accountants will say. Some have gone on to produce some of the most successful car companies in the world. (until that is the fat cats start tearing out the passion and turn them into commodities) Look at the BRITISH car industry and I mean BRITISH not corporate and you'll find most of them started as kit car manufacturers.

If you want to understand the kit car scene you need to feel that passion

I totally agree with you !

[mikeveal]

ALangedijk said:

(First post)
Hi everyone
I am young adult who is producing a project about the building of a kit car (which will hopefully end in me building one).
Can someone who considers themselves an expert in the field outline the pros and cons of SDV, MDV and full kits, as well as an outline of the equipment needed to produce each of these types.
- I understand that these vary from car to car, but am merely looking for trends amongst these types. Any suggestions or examples of individual cars or companies are also greatly appreciated -

Cheers

This doesn't need an expert.

To assemble any kit car, the biggest thing you'll need is patience. After that you need good problem solving skill s and the ability to learn stuff on your own.

The actual skills of wielding a spanner, modifying glass fibre, creating a bespoke wiring loom etc. etc. are things that you will pick up along the way.

As for equipment, it can pretty much all be done with metal working hand tools. I'd say you also need a decent vice, a drill press, a decent drill and a dremel-a-like rotary tool. You'll need specialist tools for bending and flaring brake pipes. You'll need a set of taps and dies.

Buy the best hand riveter you can get.

Specialist jobs can always be subbed out. If you need a part turned, find a machinist. Unless you have access to pipe benders and welding kit, get an exhaust specialist to make your exhaust.

If you're going down the single donor route, then you will probably be refurbishing parts as you go. You might want to invest in kit to clean parts. This sort of stuff: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/search/filter/pa... . You can clean by hand, but it'll take you muuuuch loooonger.
Canabilising parts from a donor means that you have to store both a donor and the car you're working on. You'll need to get the donor craned away after you've removed all the parts that make it roll and go bruum.

If you go down the multi donor route, you very probably will not actually have the donor vehicles. You'll buy parts as you need them, probably in the refurbished state, maybe new parts. So there is no donor to store and dispose of and no refurbishment of parts.
On the down side, this route can be more expensive and you will need to find and deal with a large number of suppliers, the chappy selling Mondeo uprights is not going to have a Fiat propshaft...