Robin Hood?

[Guest Rick]

Hi, since this is my first post, and it's relevant to my question, I'll introduce myself. I graduate from university this year, and providing I achieve the grade I'm hoping to, I've got a job lined up, which will enable me to get a car. I'm from a mechanically minded family, and I've always fancied a kitcar, and I've got a 3phase industrial workshop at my disposal.

 

The situation is simple - I'm after a kitcar, on as small a budget as possible, but I don't want to cross the budget line and end up in "spend cheap, get cheap" territory. The RH kits have caught my eye, and have led me to here.

 

Criteria - As cheap as possible (obviously)

- Must have "reasonable" boot space - I'm a keen rifleman, and as such I need to be able to get ideally a couple of cases in the car (4' long).

 

 

I won't say a price, simply because I'd rather get suggestions on suitability/options/even other cars from people, since if "the" right car is out of budget, I'd rather wait and aspire to it than throw away what money I have, and regret it later down the line.

 

Also, any tips, pieces of advice or similar would be more than welcome, since I'm a novice in this area. My parents both built many cars before I was born, but nothing since then, so they have knowledge, but not of what is available. I went to the kit car show at Stoneleigh a few years ago,and plan to return in '08, hopefully to gleam some ideas and rough figures.

 

Thanks in advance for any replies, and thanks for reading.

[steve in stockport]

Rick

 

if you've looked into kitcars you'll realise that Robin Hoods are at the cheaper end of the scale and are a way off what you get from a £27,000 caterham, but with an amount of time, patience and effort you can turn out a very nice example.

being mechanically minded and able is a must with a RH - they don't just fall together, you have to build them.

 

i think you might struggle to find something that will accommodate 4' cases in the boot in a seven type car and i'm not sure what other kits have a decent size boot either

 

anyway good luck with your search and i'm sure more knowledgeable people that me will give yo more advice

 

Steve

[Guest Takumi]

Look at the new Zero7 kit

 

Very nice chassis, basically a westfield/chapman chassis tweaked a bit..

 

 

you can always put your luggage in the passenger footwell.

 

 

-tak

[Guest Rick]

Thanks to both of you for your replies. Apart from the post on this board I can't really find any info on the Zero7 (http://community.rhocar.org/index.php?showtopic=17782), so I'll pick up some magazines next time I'm in a newsagent.

 

@Takumi - How is the Zero7 different from the lightweight? It sounds quite similar (to the completely and utterly untrained ear!) to the Lightweight in both build and cost?

 

I knew my practicality demands would probably cripple my chances of finding something suitable in budget, but since it would be my only car, I cannot compromise, so I may be forced into the secondhand mainstream market regardless...but at least I will have checked out the option!

 

Regards

[Guest outtolunch]

theres these just made to fit on the roll bar

 

 

 

I'll get me coat

[Guest Takumi]

The Lightweight, was basically a monocoque made form sheet alluminium ,you fold yourself and rivet together..

 

the Zero7 is a classic space frame locost/westfield chassis - tried and tested.! the company (RJHALL in particular - (Tech Dir)) is planning on racing one next year in the 750MC Kitcar series..

 

they have some pics on the 'News' page on the GBS website.

 

http://www.kitpartsdirect.com/page31.htm

 

or

 

http://www.greatbritishsportscars.com/news.php

 

 

The lightweight has been superseded by the Zero7.

[Guest peter2b2002]

as my disco was off the road last month i had to use my 2b to get to a local phesant shoot , it raised a few eyebrows when i arrived but it saved doging in the hedge rows as i drove past, a 12 bore + belt and munchies/flask fitted in the foot well fine. i used the roll bar to tie the birds onto for the trip home

pete2b

[Mitch]

Hi Rick

cant see a problem, they can be bought quite cheaply especially in the winter months, the boot could be altered to suit you purpose, as presume the guns will have to be secured in the car anyhow,

 

add your location, there could be a member nr you who could show you around there car so you know what to look for or avoid

 

HTH

Mitch

[Guest Rick]

Actually, I'm very close to you Mitch,lol. I'm Chorley, or Sheffield (uni).

 

@Peter, yes, the 4' length is the length of the hardcases I use for my guns .

 

@outtolunch - the irony is those are probably perfectly legal, but they might attract all the wrong sort of attention . But apart from that...(hands outtolunch his coat )

 

The more I look into things, the more I think that on my limited budget (and timescale) I may well be best off getting a secondhand mainstream car, and looking back into kits in a few years when I have a more flexible budget, and less urgent timeframe. Having said that, I'm not going to give up on the idea until I've been to the show next year

[Mitch]

in that case Rick, you have a choice of models to look at, theres Jims 3a in Euxton andin Blackburn, my 2b, Andys exmo,and Andy windows,witn a cobra but i think that could be pushing the budjet, but they would fit easily in the boot of that , your more than welcome to come and have a look, would take you for a spin ,but its off road at the mo, 4ft case hould fit, bring them over and we could see.

 

hth

Mitch

[DAVE CASTLE]

Hi Rick

Im in Chorley just off the Hartwood roundabout

Dave

[Guest gdc]

cheapest option would be s/ hand poss ebay

but be prepaired to strip and rebuild!

the hoodie way is to addapt and build to suit yourself.

if the previouse owner has spent a fortune to get to his state of build this should not infulence your bid.

the only way foreward is to pass sva.

 

there are some dodgy answers to how is it regestered?

dont be fooled.

 

ask questions, be prepaired to look at the car .

dont forget you and your deerest are going to be in that car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

regards graham

[Grim]

And if you're at sheffield uni the there is always the South Yorkshire/Derbyshire meet to come along to and have a look at whats on show there to see if they meet your requirements

And i live a few mins from eccelsall rd if you want to say hi, drop me a message.

[Guest shagster]

hi rick

i to go shooting and have gone in my kit a couple of times, my shotguns would fit in the boot ok, but i could not get them through the opening as the boot lid only opens between the two rollover support bars and there is just not the space to get the guns in, so i just put them in the passenger footwell.

good luck in your search but dont just buy the first thing you see, it takes time to BUILD one of these not like a westy or a caterham where you just bolt them together, these cars have soul,

hope this helps mike