Anyone want to run their own kit car company?
Discussion
Just been doing my daily trawl through fleaBay and came across this.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kit-Car-Manufacturing-Projec...
He also has a ready builf car for sale.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dominator-TS400-Road-Track-H...
From what I can remember these are stupidly fast cars and a guy built one on a TV programme on Discovery RT a few years ago.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kit-Car-Manufacturing-Projec...
He also has a ready builf car for sale.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dominator-TS400-Road-Track-H...
From what I can remember these are stupidly fast cars and a guy built one on a TV programme on Discovery RT a few years ago.
DAVEVO9 said:
Spleeble said:
Ferg said:
Didn't come out of the Discovery experience exactly glowing......
So he bent the chassis on the first drive, thats only a small hic-up!The chassis wouldn't take the power of a busa engine........
I looked at this too, but I would have a couple of concerns. Firstly, it does look as if the design, and the body, have been ripped of from the MK GT1 etc. and that would make me feel very uncomfortable if I wanted to produce it.
Secondly, what does it offer that the Spire doesn't? Plus, there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in this type of car anyway, don't know why, but front engined BECs are very popular, and this sort of thing just isn't.
Secondly, what does it offer that the Spire doesn't? Plus, there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in this type of car anyway, don't know why, but front engined BECs are very popular, and this sort of thing just isn't.
Vindi_andy said:
Looking at the mould and following on from another thread on Locost builder How do the get the body out of the mould surely those side pods would stop it coming out
Might just be me being thick
It probably has a very complicated multi piece mould. It’s not impossible but it would be quite trickyMight just be me being thick
Looks like the mould tools are joined at the flange which runs along the upper outside edge of the body,otherwise there's no way that the finished moulding would clear the re-entrants,seriously though, do you honestly think that someone who has spent the (not inconsiderable) time and effort making a buck,preparing it then taking moulds from it etc; even these relatively simple ones, would have failed to realise the need for multi-part tooling?
Best of luck to the seller, but I think you'd have to be insane to invest in a kit car business in the current climate.
Lets face it kit cars are built as hobbies and expensive hobbies too... When people feel the long term economic pain that Brown's short term overdraft will cause, this kind of hobby will be first thing they cut back on.
Leaving the kit car business in the proverbial poop. Sad, but I think unavoidable.
Lets face it kit cars are built as hobbies and expensive hobbies too... When people feel the long term economic pain that Brown's short term overdraft will cause, this kind of hobby will be first thing they cut back on.
Leaving the kit car business in the proverbial poop. Sad, but I think unavoidable.
mikeveal said:
Best of luck to the seller, but I think you'd have to be insane to invest in a kit car business in the current climate.
Lets face it kit cars are built as hobbies and expensive hobbies too... When people feel the long term economic pain that Brown's short term overdraft will cause, this kind of hobby will be first thing they cut back on.
Leaving the kit car business in the proverbial poop. Sad, but I think unavoidable.
If there is an answer then it is for the manufacturers to focus on price far more than they have done in the recent past.Lets face it kit cars are built as hobbies and expensive hobbies too... When people feel the long term economic pain that Brown's short term overdraft will cause, this kind of hobby will be first thing they cut back on.
Leaving the kit car business in the proverbial poop. Sad, but I think unavoidable.
They need to think about the overall cost of the project, and I reckon if someone can come up with something attractive and exciting, which can be built on a budget, then there might still be some life in the kit car industry yet. Manufacturers or intending manufacturers need to have cost at the top of their agenda.
I was the guy who just sold the TS400 project. One of the problems for the kit car industry is that it is nearly impossible to build a kit at an attractive price and make a profit, I ran Dominator sports cars for 3 years and wasn't able to draw a penny wages. The basic dominator kit sold for 3. 5k but should have been around 6k to make a profit.
Incidently the chassis of the dominator didn't fail as is described. it was the mounting points for the diff unit, this unit was completly unsuitable for the vehicles design and this was put to the builder most vigurously several times. I have produced several TS400s with Busa engines and had no problems what so ever with the chassis. as for the suspension bracket it is amazing what lengths someone will go to with a grinder when their bottle has gone.
Incidently the chassis of the dominator didn't fail as is described. it was the mounting points for the diff unit, this unit was completly unsuitable for the vehicles design and this was put to the builder most vigurously several times. I have produced several TS400s with Busa engines and had no problems what so ever with the chassis. as for the suspension bracket it is amazing what lengths someone will go to with a grinder when their bottle has gone.
dominatorF1 said:
I was the guy who just sold the TS400 project. One of the problems for the kit car industry is that it is nearly impossible to build a kit at an attractive price and make a profit, I ran Dominator sports cars for 3 years and wasn't able to draw a penny wages. The basic dominator kit sold for 3. 5k but should have been around 6k to make a profit.
Incidently the chassis of the dominator didn't fail as is described. it was the mounting points for the diff unit, this unit was completly unsuitable for the vehicles design and this was put to the builder most vigurously several times. I have produced several TS400s with Busa engines and had no problems what so ever with the chassis. as for the suspension bracket it is amazing what lengths someone will go to with a grinder when their bottle has gone.
Out of interest, how many cars were you selling or would you have to have sold to turn a profit?Incidently the chassis of the dominator didn't fail as is described. it was the mounting points for the diff unit, this unit was completly unsuitable for the vehicles design and this was put to the builder most vigurously several times. I have produced several TS400s with Busa engines and had no problems what so ever with the chassis. as for the suspension bracket it is amazing what lengths someone will go to with a grinder when their bottle has gone.
I've heard that companies like MNR, MK, RAW etc (who probably make up the 3rd tier of the industry following a long way behind Westfield then Caterham)make about 40-50 cars a year.
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