Newbie - 7 style question

[jelloway]

OK let's get the normal "sorry but"s out of the way, new to the sight...looking to buy a 7 style kit...want more than I can afford...blinded by the number of kits...lots of new companies that I have never heard of...etc, etc.

Your guy's help would be much appreciated on the following;

I want to buy a 7 type car but because it would be my first purchase I don't want to spend more than 4K (I have been told I have commitment issues, but feel a minimal financial outlay is a good thing at this stage - and selling a kidney is not an option) I also do not want to create a lot of work for myself and get out of my mechanical depth!

Ergo I think I have 3 options and have a question for each one.

1. Buy a part completed kit and do the rest of the work myself. I have a fear of SVAing someone else's build and it needing more money and work to get it through, is this likely?

2. Buy a slightly rough (shed-like trim and smaller engined) kit of a car I know and like (TigerCat, Sylva Striker), although it needs to be running. So this question is; can that be done for my small budget?

3. Buy a tidier car that is of a company that I do not know (MK, luego, etc) and my final question is this worth it or are the higher priced cars really that much better, remembering that I have not owned before and therefore have no real frame of reference?

If anyone can be bothered to answer this then thank you very much!


>> Edited by jelloway on Monday 1st May 10:00

[Sam_68]

I'd say either 2 (and yes it can be done within your budget) or 3 (but ask around on the forums to get opinions on the make of car before you purchase).

>> Edited by Sam_68 on Monday 1st May 09:39

[jelloway]

Thank you. I'll start bothering people on the locostbuilder site and see what they say.

Is there a 'best place' to look for cars for sale or is it a case of checking every website I can?

Thanks again

[rushdriver]

Jelloway,

How good are you at the spanner work?

You can get some pretty rough looking 7's out there for decent cash and then spend a bit of time/effort and money tarting then up.

Talking to other owners of sports cars in general it's quite common for the owner to start doing something to a car and then get bored and leave it in the garage for a couple of years. Then, they want just to sell it as is and get their garage back.

IMHO you can get some good bargains out there as long as you are happy to spend a couple of weeks underneath the car on a cold garage floor!

John

[dern]

4k isn't much money. I'd be looking at buying something like a dutton and keeping a pot of money for fixing and upgrading. Kit car ownership can be soured quite quickly by buying something at your limit and not being able to afford to repair to fix the first thing that immobilises you.

Mark

[jelloway]

Practically allergic to metal however I have a brother that used to like nothing more than tuning and rebuilding mk2 escorts and therefore will enlist his help, and I am very good at passing things, making coffee and watching others work!

Would I have to re SVA test the car after it had been off the road for sometime as that scares the living brown stuff out of me!

Thanks for the advice...and if you have an old kit gathering dust and taking up space let me know :-).

[rushdriver]

jelloway said:

Practically allergic to metal however I have a brother that used to like nothing more than tuning and rebuilding mk2 escorts and therefore will enlist his help, and I am very good at passing things, making coffee and watching others work! Would I have to re SVA test the car after it had been off the road for sometime as that scares the living brown stuff out of me! Thanks for the advice...and if you have an old kit gathering dust and taking up space let me know :-).

Jelloway,

As far as I know you don't have to re-SVA the car as long as it was done when it was originally built.

What sort of things do you want to get out of the car?

Is it speed, cruising, posing or anything else?

The reason I ask is that for £4k you can get some really nice 'normal' cars (MX5 for one)

John

[jelloway]

Mark

Good point well made! If I did spend 4K I would have some left for work and then of course sacrifice my social life to fund on an ad-hoc basis.

With regards the Dutton (how do say this with out getting all the Dutton owners creating Voodoo dolls of me)I'd rather save over the summer and make it a 6K budget.

Has made me realise out how careful I need to be, so thank you

Jelloway

[jelloway]

John

(Sorry I can't do the quote thing!) I want good turn of speed and handling whilst being able to have a mini project (I was going for comedy value over truth with the 'allergic thing') that gives me quality time with my brother, so the kit suits very well. It would be a real weekend car covering 2000 miles a year tops

(Although I love the idea of posing in a 7 - catching a lady's eye and then smiling to reveal a mouth full of flies!)

I have thought about more normal cars but the kit would be a stop-gap until I can get rid of the kit and my day car for a normal car next year (S2000, boxter type)

J

[rushdriver]

jelloway said:

John (Sorry I can't do the quote thing!) I want good turn of speed and handling whilst being able to have a mini project (I was going for comedy value over truth with the 'allergic thing') that gives me quality time with my brother, so the kit suits very well. It would be a real weekend car covering 2000 miles a year tops (Although I love the idea of posing in a 7 - catching a lady's eye and then smiling to reveal a mouth full of flies!) I have thought about more normal cars but the kit would be a stop-gap until I can get rid of the kit and my day car for a normal car next year (S2000, boxter type) J

Jelloway,

Fair play to you, kits or maybe a classic is the way to go (MG, Triumph etc etc)

John

[Yob Tar]

jelloway said:

Mark Good point well made! If I did spend 4K I would have some left for work and then of course sacrifice my social life to fund on an ad-hoc basis. With regards the Dutton (how do say this with out getting all the Dutton owners creating Voodoo dolls of me)I'd rather save over the summer and make it a 6K budget. Has made me realise out how careful I need to be, so thank you Jelloway

[Yob Tar]

jelloway said:

Mark Good point well made! If I did spend 4K I would have some left for work and then of course sacrifice my social life to fund on an ad-hoc basis. With regards the Dutton (how do say this with out getting all the Dutton owners creating Voodoo dolls of me)I'd rather save over the summer and make it a 6K budget. Has made me realise out how careful I need to be, so thank you Jelloway

Anyone who has not owned a Dytton is a liar!!!

[Yob Tar]

Yob Tar said:

jelloway said: Mark Good point well made! If I did spend 4K I would have some left for work and then of course sacrifice my social life to fund on an ad-hoc basis. With regards the Dutton (how do say this with out getting all the Dutton owners creating Voodoo dolls of me)I'd rather save over the summer and make it a 6K budget. Has made me realise out how careful I need to be, so thank you Jelloway Anyone who has not owned a Dytton is a liar!!!

Also, anyone who has not owned a 'Dutton' is a liar!!!

[jelloway]

Thanks for all your help people.

I am off to do some more research and ad viewing and no doubt will end up spending well over my budget and then lose all contact with my friends and become completely 'kit focussed'

Loving the Dutton comment by the way!

J

[gefopsman]

Have a look around there are baragins to be had.

I bought a Formula27 which needed a coat of paint and a few mechanical fixes.

I looked at a few and this was better put together than many others but needed tidying. What is important is chassis/suspension set up and engine, close;ly followed by general build quality.

There is always work to be done so you can still get your time in the garage. I fitted a Megajolt mappable ignition when I wanted to tinker.

Have a look in my profile, it looks good for around £3K plus a bit of work!!