Terse reply from Tornado!
Discussion
Having considered building a kit car next year, me and my son wrote a nice letter to Tornado cars (TS40).Apparently no one else on this sight is building one, which does not look good. However, the reply went, thankyou for your enquiry, please send £3.50 for a full imformation pack, end of email. Now, call me an old sceptic, but is this normal after getting all excited to find that they are allready after my dosh before I've even started. All we wanted to know was if the rolling chassis kit was x what would we be realisticaly be looking to spend to finish the thing ( within reasonable leeway)
Am I nieve to think that thay might give me some idea of the cost or is this a secret only to be given out to customers for the some of £3.50 and then I might not build the car.
gadgit.
Am I nieve to think that thay might give me some idea of the cost or is this a secret only to be given out to customers for the some of £3.50 and then I might not build the car.
gadgit.
Looks like you got a standard letter, ie some chimp at the other end didn't read the letter properly. I would give them a phone call and ask about prices etc. Lots of kit-car firms charge for brochures and price lists etc. as they are often bombarded by people that simply want nice posters for their wall. I wouldn't take it personally. Hope that helps.
Gadgit,
I'd be interesed in your findings. Following Mungo's post about 'New toy for next year' and his current plan to buy an already built GTD40, my interest has been tickled. It has to be said (IMHO) the GT40 is still one of the most stunning cars on the planet (save the Griff of course
)
Cheers Dan
edited cos I spelt the name wrong Doh!
>> Edited by dan on Friday 20th September 08:13
I'd be interesed in your findings. Following Mungo's post about 'New toy for next year' and his current plan to buy an already built GTD40, my interest has been tickled. It has to be said (IMHO) the GT40 is still one of the most stunning cars on the planet (save the Griff of course
) Cheers Dan
edited cos I spelt the name wrong Doh!
>> Edited by dan on Friday 20th September 08:13
As with most of these people building these kits they are reluctant to tell you what they really cost to build. thankyou Mr 501 for the info. And if I decide to build one you have booked your ride!
As for Dan, yes the griff is a stunner, but after lying underneath my S2 for a year I'd like to work on something clean and when finished I'd end up with a GT40. Mr 501 has written a copy of what appears a short report on the TS40 (Tornado) It seems if you go for the 3.5 rover engine version it will cost somewhere between 12- 15K. Some people have spent a lot more than this and this is what is worrying Me ( and the wife). I am hoping someone else will be watching and say if it is possible to do a nice copy for under 15k. I'm not looking to race the thing!
I've just emailed Tornado again for a accurate price.
Anyone else out there?
gadgit.
>> Edited by gadgit on Saturday 21st September 18:49
As for Dan, yes the griff is a stunner, but after lying underneath my S2 for a year I'd like to work on something clean and when finished I'd end up with a GT40. Mr 501 has written a copy of what appears a short report on the TS40 (Tornado) It seems if you go for the 3.5 rover engine version it will cost somewhere between 12- 15K. Some people have spent a lot more than this and this is what is worrying Me ( and the wife). I am hoping someone else will be watching and say if it is possible to do a nice copy for under 15k. I'm not looking to race the thing!
I've just emailed Tornado again for a accurate price.
Anyone else out there?
gadgit.
>> Edited by gadgit on Saturday 21st September 18:49
Hi Gadgit, that report is a word for word copy of the write up in Which Kit? Guide 1995 and so the prices are now some 7 years out of date, so your more than likely to be looking at more money. But given a reasonable amount of skill and ingenuity, anythings possible, just depends on what sort of quality of finish you require. To my mind, why spoil the ship for a Ha'penny of tar.
Be very very careful on "Which Kit?" estimates of builds. My experience is that they are sometimes way out. For example they had a few years ago that you could build an Ultima V8 spyder (the test car) for £25k and that they were as cheap as £15k (non-V8). I sat with the price list even with the cheapest options I worked out that the test car shown was at least £35k.
A estimate I've found to be fairly good at predicting a good quality build price is to double the kit-price. eg £6k kit = £12k car. This isn't very scientific my kit-car cost double the kit price (budget build), and when I talked to other builders the quality builds seem about that estimate.
Hope that helps.
A estimate I've found to be fairly good at predicting a good quality build price is to double the kit-price. eg £6k kit = £12k car. This isn't very scientific my kit-car cost double the kit price (budget build), and when I talked to other builders the quality builds seem about that estimate.
Hope that helps.
Well, you'll be pleased to know that Tornado have been back to me. Mr sheldon ( a leading light on the GT40) has written to me and has said that useing the rover 3.5 and 5 speed gear box it should be possible to make a nice car for AROUND! 15k. I would say that you would have to be careful to achieve this, but I might be prepaired to take the plunge in the spring next year.
Its good of him to put his name to this rough guide to how much it will cost, but now you have it from the horses mouth. I'll be off in the next few weeks to see the factory on a saturday morning ( as thats when they have the look round days).
In the mean time, anyone else been to Tornado?
gadgit.
Its good of him to put his name to this rough guide to how much it will cost, but now you have it from the horses mouth. I'll be off in the next few weeks to see the factory on a saturday morning ( as thats when they have the look round days).
In the mean time, anyone else been to Tornado?
gadgit.
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