Building a car

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:12 am

How realistic is it?
Caterham style, duratec engine.
Approx cost?

Think it would be great for learning and would be a great accomplishment. Then again, probably much easier to buy one built.

G

Post by **Shug** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:17 am

You'd get bored in 20 minutes and sell it.

/mystic meg

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:29 am

I looked at Fisher Furies for a while, and they worked out at around £6500 without a lump but SVA ready. Dunno about catering-vans.

Depends on the quality of the kit, some of them are renowed for being a diy build with some suggestions form the mfr where as some are just bolt togethers.

Rich

Gareth · Post by **Gareth** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:41 am

Shug wrote:You'd get bored in 20 minutes and sell it.

/mystic meg

Think you're looking into the same crystal ball as me!

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:18 pm

Gareth wrote:
Shug wrote:You'd get bored in 20 minutes and sell it.

/mystic meg
Think you're looking into the same crystal ball as me!

Hasn't one the chaps on here got a Westfield Megabusy thing? Those are meant to shift on a bit, or they also have a TVR v8 engined version???

ryallm · Post by **ryallm** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:25 pm

I looked into this years ago before I got my Westfield. Bottom line is that generally you will spend far more building a kit car than it will be worth when finished, so unless you are really into the idea of doing the build yourself you are better off buying good used one. The bike engine car fad looks to have faded a bit and there seem to quite a few Westfield Megablades around at attractive prices. Personally I am not really a fan of any of these 7 stylee cars - great on track but most of them are plain nasty as road cars, although I do like the look of that new Caterham CSR.

Mark

Baggy · Post by **Baggy** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:42 pm

I was thinking about a westfield a while back & had a look at a few bulid diaries online.

Put me off.... Too many cases of finer detail not being well enough developed.

rossybee · Post by **rossybee** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:59 pm

ryallm wrote:Personally I am not really a fan of any of these 7 stylee cars - great on track but most of them are plain nasty as road cars, although I do like the look of that new Caterham CSR.

Without trying to sound like I'm jumping on the defensive

a well-sorted Caterham can make a stunning road car

Admittedly, mine is set up more with a track bias, being too harsh for some on the road, but I quite like it that way

If I was touring (rather than track & balls-out road-blats) a nice circa 160bhp Roadsport with heater & windscreen would be very effective

[/gets off high horse]

<BG>

ryallm · Post by **ryallm** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:29 pm

rossybee wrote:
ryallm wrote:Personally I am not really a fan of any of these 7 stylee cars - great on track but most of them are plain nasty as road cars, although I do like the look of that new Caterham CSR.

Without trying to sound like I'm jumping on the defensive

a well-sorted Caterham can make a stunning road car

Admittedly, mine is set up more with a track bias, being too harsh for some on the road, but I quite like it that way

If I was touring (rather than track & balls-out road-blats) a nice circa 160bhp Roadsport with heater & windscreen would be very effective

[/gets off high horse]

Sure you are right as far as Caterhams go - I was thinking more of the Locost/Tiger/Westfield/Dax type clones. I have driven several different Westfields in addition to the 2 litre Zetec one I had, and all were fun for short blats, but would do your head in if you had to drive them for more than an hour. Not to mention the poor weather protection, zero security for parking anywhere, and suspect crash protection.

Mark