Guidance for a kit car newbie
Discussion
Gidday folks,
I am interested in getting into kit cars primarily as I like the look of a couple of kits (notably Cobra replica, Caterham, Dax Rush & Westfield) however I have a very limited budget and will freely admit I’m not mechanically minded so will have to get all work done at local garages. I know the Cobra replica and Caterham are out of the question as my budget is under £10k and ideally I’d like to only spend £5k-£7k.
I would be really keen to hear from those who’ve got the experience and can help me get into a used kit without too much pain.
So to my questions:
- Can I get a decent road car (not looking for track at the moment) for under £10k
- What type of paperwork/certificates should I be looking for (I’ve heard of IVA & SVA tests but don’t know if they are certificated)
- As a newbie would you recommend any particular model of the ones I’m looking at or any other similar models which I may have overlooked
- Anything else you can advise to help
I am interested in getting into kit cars primarily as I like the look of a couple of kits (notably Cobra replica, Caterham, Dax Rush & Westfield) however I have a very limited budget and will freely admit I’m not mechanically minded so will have to get all work done at local garages. I know the Cobra replica and Caterham are out of the question as my budget is under £10k and ideally I’d like to only spend £5k-£7k.
I would be really keen to hear from those who’ve got the experience and can help me get into a used kit without too much pain.
So to my questions:
- Can I get a decent road car (not looking for track at the moment) for under £10k
- What type of paperwork/certificates should I be looking for (I’ve heard of IVA & SVA tests but don’t know if they are certificated)
- As a newbie would you recommend any particular model of the ones I’m looking at or any other similar models which I may have overlooked
- Anything else you can advise to help
First you need to confirm you are in the UK. If you are in Aus. then the regulations are a world of pain.
If you are looking for a registered car then it will need to have been through IVA (or the earlier SVA). If it has then this will be stated on the front page of the V5 in the notes section.
Don't consider a car that has not been completed and not IVA tested as your budget will go straight out the window trying to get it completed. I would say this even if you were fully confident on the tools...that car is not complete for a reason.
I would think you are very unlikely to find any of the cars you quoted falling within your budget so you will need to lower your sights. Best you can do is start looking and come back and ask specific questions on what you find.
You will need to learn fast as garage bills will mount quickly.
Steve
If you are looking for a registered car then it will need to have been through IVA (or the earlier SVA). If it has then this will be stated on the front page of the V5 in the notes section.
Don't consider a car that has not been completed and not IVA tested as your budget will go straight out the window trying to get it completed. I would say this even if you were fully confident on the tools...that car is not complete for a reason.
I would think you are very unlikely to find any of the cars you quoted falling within your budget so you will need to lower your sights. Best you can do is start looking and come back and ask specific questions on what you find.
You will need to learn fast as garage bills will mount quickly.
Steve
Steve,
Thanks for the quick response. I am an Aussie but I live in the UK (more specifically Scotland).
I've looked at a couple of Westfield's and one Dax within my price range however being new to the game I didn't have the knowledge to take a chance. I've now found the Westfield buyers guide on the forum so will use that as a start.
Thanks for the quick response. I am an Aussie but I live in the UK (more specifically Scotland).
I've looked at a couple of Westfield's and one Dax within my price range however being new to the game I didn't have the knowledge to take a chance. I've now found the Westfield buyers guide on the forum so will use that as a start.
Do you have a domestic garage? (I ask because most kit cars don’t fare well, left outside.) Caterfield-type cars are comparatively small (meaning that there’s ample room to move around them even in a single garage. And they are constructed from simple components that are readily available.
Why not buy a scruffy but usable car and perform your own rolling restoration? This is where, in between driving and enjoying the car on the road, you tackle one small area of the car at a time, dismantling it, cleaning it, renewing worn items, repainting and reassembling. In this way, several things will occur at the same time: You’ll steadily acquire a selection of all of the basic hand tools that you’d need in building a full kit later. You’d learn the basic mechanical skills that you’d need to later assemble a comprehensive kit. You’d gain the confidence to tackle some jobs that initially you’d think way beyond your skills and knowledge base. You’d learn what IS beyond your ability and needs to be farmed out.
When you’ve been through the whole car over the course of a couple of driving summers and tinkering winters, you’d have a smart, well-sorted, saleable car and the knowledge and skills and tools required to tackle a new kit from scratch. Particularly if you choose well now. Do this a scruffy example of the car that you intend to build later and you’ll quickly see what you’d change/modify for the better in your own build. I’d guarantee that you’d end up building a far better car than your local garage (because it’s for yourself, not for profit!).
Why not buy a scruffy but usable car and perform your own rolling restoration? This is where, in between driving and enjoying the car on the road, you tackle one small area of the car at a time, dismantling it, cleaning it, renewing worn items, repainting and reassembling. In this way, several things will occur at the same time: You’ll steadily acquire a selection of all of the basic hand tools that you’d need in building a full kit later. You’d learn the basic mechanical skills that you’d need to later assemble a comprehensive kit. You’d gain the confidence to tackle some jobs that initially you’d think way beyond your skills and knowledge base. You’d learn what IS beyond your ability and needs to be farmed out.
When you’ve been through the whole car over the course of a couple of driving summers and tinkering winters, you’d have a smart, well-sorted, saleable car and the knowledge and skills and tools required to tackle a new kit from scratch. Particularly if you choose well now. Do this a scruffy example of the car that you intend to build later and you’ll quickly see what you’d change/modify for the better in your own build. I’d guarantee that you’d end up building a far better car than your local garage (because it’s for yourself, not for profit!).
You can get a tidy Westfield for under £10k, and while I know less about them, expect the same would hold for the Dax.
If you are interesting in the Westfield, get yourself onto the WSCC forum, but to read through various info and or start a thread on there, but also to view the 'cars for sale' area which will have most cars up for grabs.
If the car is road registered, you do not have to worry about any IVA/SVA tests it may or may not have had to do to get there, because you already have a road registered car.
Check the V5C lists the correct make/model, registration, and chassis number which is on the makers plate and welded into the chassis at the front. I have not heard any direct horror stories about miss-registered westfields but anything ca happen and its certainly not unheard of with other kits.
Older cars will be 'narrowbody' cars either and SE (live axle) or SEi (independent) and will have a ford crossflow or x-flow engine, perhaps a pinto, ford CVH was also common in westfields, a few with Vauxhall redtops, unless re-engined with a newer engine such as the ford Zetec or Duratech
New cars will be a 'widebody' or SEiW which are slightly longer and wider (look for elbow scallops and slightly recessed rear lights) or might have one of the modern 'fw' body style at the rear. 1800 and 2000 Zetecs are very common (exhaust on left) or the new duratech (exhaust on right) as well as the 1600 Sigma engines.
As said, the cars do like being in a garage over winter, and using them on salt roads will require good washing and protection applying, although they will do occasional stints outside over summer, and my car lived in a tatty covered box trailer for three years which as a student was a cheap way of keeping in dry. Had mine ten years now since turning 21 and love it. If you are under 25 check insurance options, but otherwise, happy days.
Welcome to the fold!
Daniel
If you are interesting in the Westfield, get yourself onto the WSCC forum, but to read through various info and or start a thread on there, but also to view the 'cars for sale' area which will have most cars up for grabs.
If the car is road registered, you do not have to worry about any IVA/SVA tests it may or may not have had to do to get there, because you already have a road registered car.
Check the V5C lists the correct make/model, registration, and chassis number which is on the makers plate and welded into the chassis at the front. I have not heard any direct horror stories about miss-registered westfields but anything ca happen and its certainly not unheard of with other kits.
Older cars will be 'narrowbody' cars either and SE (live axle) or SEi (independent) and will have a ford crossflow or x-flow engine, perhaps a pinto, ford CVH was also common in westfields, a few with Vauxhall redtops, unless re-engined with a newer engine such as the ford Zetec or Duratech
New cars will be a 'widebody' or SEiW which are slightly longer and wider (look for elbow scallops and slightly recessed rear lights) or might have one of the modern 'fw' body style at the rear. 1800 and 2000 Zetecs are very common (exhaust on left) or the new duratech (exhaust on right) as well as the 1600 Sigma engines.
As said, the cars do like being in a garage over winter, and using them on salt roads will require good washing and protection applying, although they will do occasional stints outside over summer, and my car lived in a tatty covered box trailer for three years which as a student was a cheap way of keeping in dry. Had mine ten years now since turning 21 and love it. If you are under 25 check insurance options, but otherwise, happy days.
Welcome to the fold!
Daniel
I would strongly suggest join locostbuilders.co.uk - it's free to join & there is a wealth of knowledge on there about all things kitcar, not just 7's.
You will also find cars come up for sale from time to time from members or friends of members & whilst there's no guarantee, I would say the bulk of members wouldn't sell anything on there that they knew had problems as they wouldn't want a public flaming! They tend to be generally slighter cheaper than most of the marketplace
There's also a good chance you may find someone on there relatively local to you whose car you could get a look at & they could probably explain much better how things work, what works & what doesn't & maybe look at any car you were thinking of buying with you
As well as the obvious 7 market there are Fury, Sylva, AGM WLR, MEV & many other cars out there, bodied & exoskeletal, plenty available for less than £10k, likely to be cheaper now than in a couple of months time when peak buying season kicks in
You will also find cars come up for sale from time to time from members or friends of members & whilst there's no guarantee, I would say the bulk of members wouldn't sell anything on there that they knew had problems as they wouldn't want a public flaming! They tend to be generally slighter cheaper than most of the marketplace
There's also a good chance you may find someone on there relatively local to you whose car you could get a look at & they could probably explain much better how things work, what works & what doesn't & maybe look at any car you were thinking of buying with you
As well as the obvious 7 market there are Fury, Sylva, AGM WLR, MEV & many other cars out there, bodied & exoskeletal, plenty available for less than £10k, likely to be cheaper now than in a couple of months time when peak buying season kicks in
Thanks for the info all. I do have a garage and it has plenty of room so no difficulty there. I’ve been reading a lot more and gaining a little more confidence I can get into this at the level I am.
I may have one unforeseen problem - recent weather has eroded the farm road I live on so road clearance on the cars maybe a problem as there have been a few deep ruts created which could damage the bottom of a low profiled car. Time to get the shovel & gravel out maybe 🤣.
I’ll let you know how I get on - thanks again for all your help
I may have one unforeseen problem - recent weather has eroded the farm road I live on so road clearance on the cars maybe a problem as there have been a few deep ruts created which could damage the bottom of a low profiled car. Time to get the shovel & gravel out maybe 🤣.
I’ll let you know how I get on - thanks again for all your help
RussBost said:
I would strongly suggest join locostbuilders.co.uk - it's free to join & there is a wealth of knowledge on there about all things kitcar, not just 7's.
You will also find cars come up for sale from time to time from members or friends of members & whilst there's no guarantee, I would say the bulk of members wouldn't sell anything on there that they knew had problems as they wouldn't want a public flaming! They tend to be generally slighter cheaper than most of the marketplace
There's also a good chance you may find someone on there relatively local to you whose car you could get a look at & they could probably explain much better how things work, what works & what doesn't & maybe look at any car you were thinking of buying with you
As well as the obvious 7 market there are Fury, Sylva, AGM WLR, MEV & many other cars out there, bodied & exoskeletal, plenty available for less than £10k, likely to be cheaper now than in a couple of months time when peak buying season kicks in
Cant fault any of that, I am a member of locostbuilders as well as WSSC. The forum software is dated and a bit poo on a phone but the content is as good as ever.You will also find cars come up for sale from time to time from members or friends of members & whilst there's no guarantee, I would say the bulk of members wouldn't sell anything on there that they knew had problems as they wouldn't want a public flaming! They tend to be generally slighter cheaper than most of the marketplace
There's also a good chance you may find someone on there relatively local to you whose car you could get a look at & they could probably explain much better how things work, what works & what doesn't & maybe look at any car you were thinking of buying with you
As well as the obvious 7 market there are Fury, Sylva, AGM WLR, MEV & many other cars out there, bodied & exoskeletal, plenty available for less than £10k, likely to be cheaper now than in a couple of months time when peak buying season kicks in
The Fury/Stylus is cracking car by all accounts.
Ground clearance is not as high as a lot of production cars, but unless its race-spec its often about on a part with any other semi-performance car, something like 4" and with no overhang front and rear. The westfield is on a par with my e46 330ci sport.
Where abouts in the world are you based?
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