I'm Thinking Of Giving Up On Kit Cars
Discussion
As some of you know I've been looking for a replacement for the Banham (once I've got round to selling it).
Sad fact is I can't find anything practical that I like. I don't have the time to build and we all know how variable the quality and reliability of kit cars can be (built by a pro or knocked up in a shed by someone without the skills to complete an Airfix model?) so I'm coming to the conclusion my next car won't be a kit.
Don't worry Den, my subscription to KC is safe
Sad fact is I can't find anything practical that I like. I don't have the time to build and we all know how variable the quality and reliability of kit cars can be (built by a pro or knocked up in a shed by someone without the skills to complete an Airfix model?) so I'm coming to the conclusion my next car won't be a kit.
Don't worry Den, my subscription to KC is safe
Flintstone said:
As some of you know I've been looking for a replacement for the Banham (once I've got round to selling it).
Sad fact is I can't find anything practical that I like. I don't have the time to build and we all know how variable the quality and reliability of kit cars can be (built by a pro or knocked up in a shed by someone without the skills to complete an Airfix model?) so I'm coming to the conclusion my next car won't be a kit.
Don't worry Den, my subscription to KC is safe
Sorry to hear this.
Out of interest, what do you count as practical?
Would that say go to the extreme of getting transporting shopping about on a icy winters morning or is that me going OTT ?
, it’s December after all
. 
you’ll be looking at kit cars differently
again. 
Practical = hardtop for winter, pref removeable for summer.
Don't do shopping
so that's not a problem
The GTM's are probably the nearest to my definition of practical that I can find but the asking prices (built) are around £15,000. For that money I can get a really good production sports car, TVR Griffith has my interest (5.0 litre, 350bhp!!!)
I think I'm just frustrated. I've done all I can with my engine and it's the sweetest I've ever known. I'd put it up against any other 1.4 but just want something new.
Don't do shopping
so that's not a problem The GTM's are probably the nearest to my definition of practical that I can find but the asking prices (built) are around £15,000. For that money I can get a really good production sports car, TVR Griffith has my interest (5.0 litre, 350bhp!!!)
I think I'm just frustrated. I've done all I can with my engine and it's the sweetest I've ever known. I'd put it up against any other 1.4 but just want something new.
I came to the same conclusion...
I had a GTM K3, and although it was great fun, it leaked like a sieve, and when the exhaust rusted through, it took 5 weeks to get a replacement!!!
The only thing that looks suitable is a Libra, and for a 1.8VVC one, the cheapest I've seen is £16k !!!
For that money I'll have a VX220/Elise/SupraTT/Chimera/Esprit/RX7 thanks!!
I think kitcars HAVE to keep their price advantage, otherwise they make no sense as cars (fun of building is a different matter).. either that or they have to be SPECIAL, and I mean really special.. Ultima GTR.
there's also nothing that you can really use as an every-day.. Libra is about it... and the companies insist on building dozens upon dozens of no-doors, no-windows, no-roof things...
I had a GTM K3, and although it was great fun, it leaked like a sieve, and when the exhaust rusted through, it took 5 weeks to get a replacement!!!
The only thing that looks suitable is a Libra, and for a 1.8VVC one, the cheapest I've seen is £16k !!!
For that money I'll have a VX220/Elise/SupraTT/Chimera/Esprit/RX7 thanks!!
I think kitcars HAVE to keep their price advantage, otherwise they make no sense as cars (fun of building is a different matter).. either that or they have to be SPECIAL, and I mean really special.. Ultima GTR.
there's also nothing that you can really use as an every-day.. Libra is about it... and the companies insist on building dozens upon dozens of no-doors, no-windows, no-roof things...
Pierscoe1 said:
The only thing that looks suitable is a Libra, and for a 1.8VVC one, the cheapest I've seen is £16k !!!
For that money I'll have a VX220/Elise/SupraTT/Chimera/Esprit/RX7 thanks!!
My thoughts exactly.
Pierscoe1 said:
there's also nothing that you can really use as an every-day.. Libra is about it... and the companies insist on building dozens upon dozens of no-doors, no-windows, no-roof things...
That's the trouble. Great as toys when the sun shines etc, etc but very few manufacturers seem to be bothered about that section of the market that wish to use their cars other than on the two weekends that are put aside for the British summer. "But there's no market for that" I hear them whine. Well try giving us the chance and you just might be surprised.
Ferg said:
For that money I'd have the Libra.
Exclusivity has it's price
I'd say those listed would be reasonably exclusive. No exactly belly-buttons anyway.
>> Edited by Flintstone on Saturday 6th December 21:12
Pierscoe1 said:
I came to the same conclusion...
I had a GTM K3, and although it was great fun, it leaked like a sieve, and when the exhaust rusted through, it took 5 weeks to get a replacement!!!
The only thing that looks suitable is a Libra, and for a 1.8VVC one, the cheapest I've seen is £16k !!!
For that money I'll have a VX220/Elise/SupraTT/Chimera/Esprit/RX7 thanks!!
Yeah, but the Chim would cost you £16,000pa in running repairs
Ferg said:
I know what you mean Fintstone, but there's exclusive and exclusive......
I know Ferg but at least when a 'manufactured' car goes tits up you've got some idea of what bits are meant to be where and what they're supposed to do.
With a kit (that you haven't constructed yourself) you spend the first year trying to find where the garden shed dweller that built it has hidden the fuse box/ballast/inertia switch or whatever.
And if you ever had to sell a kit-car as opposed to a 'known' one I'm pretty sure which you'd be counting the readies from quickest.
Sorry all, maybe it's the male menopause.
Wacky Racer said:
Yeah, but the Chim would cost you £16,000pa in running repairs
Sigh. Check my Chimaera's profile - 28 months of ownership, maintenance £1,621 incl. servicing.
>> Edited by JonRB on Saturday 6th December 22:19
Ex-Biker said:
Have you considered a 1.8 vvc for your Banham?
Hi Mark. Yes I have mate. Trouble is, underneath it all is still a Metro chassis. I've had the suspension lowered and stiffened but there's a limit to what you can do with hydragas units (cones shimmed and pressure increased)
I'm not sure the suspension could cope with a 1.8. Great straight line acceleration but I suspect a bit iffy on the bends. If I went that route I'd want to give the 1.8 the same treatment as I have the 1.4 (head, cams, balance etc) which should bring it somewhere near 190bhp, maybe more.
If I wanted to ditch the hydragas I'd would have to be shocks and coils which would mean having turrets welded in at the back end and I'm not sure how it would end up. Bit of an expensive experiment. There's a group who have done Metros like this and I have a good couple of sources for both the Metro side and the 'K' series.
What I had planned to do this winter was find a 1.8 in need of a rebuild, do the work over the next few months and then either slot it into the Banham or find a chassis to suit the engine. Elise maybe?
Don't know what to do, I just feel the urge to do something.
Sorry Ferg. To answer your earlier question....Puckeridge. 15 miles north of Hertford, 9 miles SW of Stansted (my god, that's almost...........ESSEX!)
>> Edited by Flintstone on Saturday 6th December 22:53
Flintstone said:
I'm not sure the suspension could cope with a 1.8. Great straight line acceleration but I suspect a bit iffy on the bends. If I went that route I'd want to give the 1.8 the same treatment as I have the 1.4 (head, cams, balance etc) which should bring it somewhere near 190bhp, maybe more.
MORE!!!!
I saw a website the other day where a guy had got 240bhp from a 1.6!!!!!
Mind you, it cost him a few grand.
Building a 1.8 eh? Let me know if you can't find anywhere to put it. I might be able to find a little Marlin that it would fit.
As for whether the 1.8 will fit the banham. I think you already answered this, but aren't GTM's based on a Metro. I think the answer is to do with yours beig based on an 'A' series not a 'K'???
Anyway, if you're loking for something practical, fun, open top for summer and a kit, you could always buy an MR2 and turn it into a Ferrari. . .
. . emmm, maybe not, they don't seem to have much street cred Ex-Biker said:
As for whether the 1.8 will fit the banham. I think you already answered this, but aren't GTM's based on a Metro. I think the answer is to do with yours beig based on an 'A' series not a 'K'???
It's a straight swop apart from a bit of jiggery-pokery involving a different gearbox (liddle gearbox can't handle bigger bhp).
Externally the engine's the same size so no problems there. My Banham's 'K' series based.
Mmmm, I'd sort of forgotten the build-a-serious-1.8-for-the-winter idea. Maybe I'll stick with it.
Anyone know anything about swopping hydragas suspension over to shocks and springs?
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