New Member/owner With A Big First Question

[Guest jonnytdi]

Hello all, I hope you can help. I have aquired the bare bones of a RH S7 kit car with dolimite suspension, the engine (rover v8), gearbox, seats and 90% of the interor has long gone. The bodywork is fine apart from a slight bend on the engine cover. The main problem is the box bar chassis, around the floor and cross bars there is next to nothing left, and the suspension is sieved solid. Would it be viable to cut out and renew the box frame, the body is welded to the frame and free off/ replace as needed the suspention, or is this a non starter. It was free from my father in law but has no documents so would need a SVA once done. Any advice and opinions would be much apriciated.

Jonathan.

[speedtripledan]

Lot of work! And money to get rd legal. you could buy a road legal 7 for 3k upwards

[theduck]

Certainly sounds as though it would take a lot of time and money to complete. Don't think many of those kits were built though as it is from the sounds of it a pre-monocoque car.

[nelmo]

The bodywork is the relatively cheap part of a car. Sounds like fixing the chassis will cost as much, if not more, than buying a new one. And then you will have a fixed but obsolete chassis. Then all the usual costs for everything else...

 

Unless you've got an emotional attachment to the car, and assuming you would rather build than buy, then a new kit is the way to go...it will be much cheaper and easier than starting with a wreck.

[Guest 2b cruising]

As already stated £3000 can buy you a good car, completed and legal.

To put the cost of IVA into your costings, the test is very near £500. After you think you have completed the build, you should allow another £500 to put things right to pass the test which is very stringent.

Cost of building can be many thousands. Costs very quickly run up.

If you want to build a car, it's best to start with a new one from scratch. Even then you will never see your money back.

Take a look through eBay, people selling recently completed cars thee have cost them £20,000+ for as little as £10,0000

Be very careful.

All the best and good luck on whatever your decision might be.

Help is always on the forum and the actual help is free.

[Guest jonnytdi]

Thanks all for the response. I think I'm going to go for a rebuild, I work in a HGV workshop so have a big welder and enough box and plate steel to make 3 cars so the chassis should be cheap enough to re work. Looking at the car I'm not sure if it is a monocoque or not, the frame only seems to be there for the seats, bulkhead and rear subframe, not a full chassis? I'll post some picks when finished work tomorrow.

RichardL can I ask what Stoneleigh is? I've not herd of it.

Thanks for all the reply a so far, if it is a dog once properly striped it will be sold as parts, if there is signs of life in the old girl meany more questions will probably follow.

Cheers jonny.

[theduck]

Stoneleigh is the national kit car show https://www.nationalkitcarshow.co.uk

[Guest Radders]

Well done Jonny...that's fighting talk and great to hear someone actually prepared to put in the effort and money to save an old English lady! Just make sure you weigh up the costs before you proceed...I've seen many old girls pushed to one side and left standing for years after the owners have lost the initial enthusiasm... Good luck to you. I guesstimate at least £4k to put the old girl back on the road. Are you sticking with a V8?

[Guest 2b cruising]

Come along. You don't need a kit car, just more expensive to get in.

Lots of members bring tin shed or cloth houses.

Others use B&B, others just come for a great day out.

If you decide to come pop and meet club members and their cars. You can then have a look around other makes of cars, new and old. Completed new and used cars for sale. New and used parts.

pleanty of things for the family, young and old, male and female. Yes even swimbo would enjoy herself.

Sunday night the club has a hog roast.

[Guest jonnytdi]

Thanks theduck, sadly I have a wedding that weekend so can't make that show.

 

Thanks Radders, I think it's nice to keep a old car going, and it will be completely mine. I was initially going to put a 2L pinto in it but there getting harder to come by, so a Mazda engine or newer ford unit, a V8 is too big for the roads round here, I live in the borders near Kelso and its Jim Clark road rally territory. You need a light nimble car not tones of torque.

Thanks for all the comments. Jonny

[Guest Radders]

Good man....if you do decide to go pinto or zetec then let me know...my father in law has his own garage and I can source them quite easily. Cheers.

[Guest 2b cruising]

Ha ha, ask Steamer. Apparently he knows all about that on the track.

[Guest Radders]

I have a V6 Ford Cologne in mine....I love it!!!

[Snapperpaul]

My initial thoughts are that parts for the Dolamite suspension will be hard to find

If you have the skills I would seriously consider buying the Haynes Roadster book and using the plans and the jigs to fabricate a front and rear double wishbone setup with Sierra hubs that way you engineer out unobtainable service items

[Guest jonnytdi]

Thanks Radders, I'll have to get the base sorted befor thinking about the engine.

Some pictures as promised,

Just need to get it to the workshop and start getting the rust cut out. Hope the suspention isn't too bad, Rimmer bros seem to have full sets of standard and modified shocks, springs and bushes front and rear so hopefully no problems there but I will be looking at upgrades along the way.

Cheers jonny.