theduck

I'm having problem accessing the website on my home broadband and on 3G, though I am able to get on if I use a proxy server. Help?

real shame, lets hope that they bring it back for 2015

1) Why did you build/buy a Kit Car over…for example, a more weather-proof fast car/track day car? I attended an event at Milbrook Prooving Grounds with the High Performance Club, at the time I owned a Clio 197 Cup, of which I was very proud, especially its magnificent on track performance and superb Brembo 4 pot brakes. Even more so after being shown by Andy Morrison what it could do with a really good driver behind the wheel! I spent the day getting coaching from various quality drivers, including Andy Morrison as already mentioned, also Don Palmer and a few others whose names will mean little to anyone not involved with the HPC. I learnt more about driving that quickly and smoothly while doing it all safely, than I have on any other driving day. Then, right at the end of the day, I was asked if I had received any passenger laps. In my desire to learn as much as I could from the expert drivers on hand I had completely forgotten the fact they all had their cars there and were offering passenger laps as well. There was a whole host of cars from other hot hatches like my own, to BMW M3s, and even a brand new Porsche 911 GT3RS. However, there was one car I had always been fascinated with, and that was the Lotus 7 and all the replicas it had spawned. Mainly this is because I grew up in Stourbridge, and in my early years my dad had worked for a company based out of the Pensnet Trading Estate, opposite the Westfield Factory. These cars had mystified me, especially when I was told that you bought them as a kit and built them yourself! So back to Milbrook, and I say I'd love a passenger lap in a Caterham or similar. Straight away I get two offers to take me round the Alpine circuit, unfortunately the seats in one were too narrow, but I was quickly strapped into the other option, a baby of the Caterham range 1.4 K Series roadsport. I was extremely excited, though a little disappointed I had not been able to fit into the quicker car, and almost worried I may disappointed by the speed of the Caterham with "only" 110bhp. After all, I drove a nigh on 200bhp pocket rocket on a daily basis, this cater ham with half the power surely couldn't be that impressive! How wrong could I have been? By the third corner of the Alpine route I wanted one, by the end I NEEDED one, and then when I asked if we could go around a second time, to be told, "Sure, we'll of a QUICK lap now" I literally couldn't speak! I thought we just HAD done a quick lap! 2) What do you look for in a kit car? (Aesthetics, performance, comfort) Essentially, what is the biggest contributor when it comes to this type of vehicle and/or choosing which to do? There was no question over the style of kit car I wanted, it was a Seven-esque car. Unfortunately at the time of deciding this was what I wanted, I was in the middle of planning (and paying for) our wedding. Despite this I spent a lot of time researching the various kits available on the market, the pro's and con's of each etc. I then narrowed it down to 3 or 4 manufacturers who were all exhibiting at Autosport that year. I went along and looked at the offerings up close and was unimpressed by the quality of 2 of the kits, welds on the chassis of one were messy, and i thought if this is what you have brought to show off as your best, then what happens if I get a friday afternoon weld on my chassis.... One manufacturer stood out for quality of kit and their willingness to spend time talking to me on the day and go through lots including making me a drink and letting me sit and read through their build manual All this despite knowing I wasn't ordering for a couple of months at best, let alone that day! We then went and used some of the wedding budget to put down as a deposit on our house. The house was great, it got me a garage to put a car in, but left me with no money to buy a car. Roll on stag do (part 1) and me and my 2 best friends arrive at a guest house in Dollendorf, Germany, run by a Brit who as it happened, was originally from near where I live. As you would in that part of the world (we were near the Nurburgring and that being that point of our trip) we got talking about cars, and the owner of the guest house mentioned he still had a kit car part built in his dads garage back home. I mentioned this to my then fiancé when back home, and she suggested I ask him if he was looking to sell, that email led to me going to see, and agreeing what appeared to me at the time an absolute steal of a price to buy a part built Robin Hood S7. Not my first choice of car, but I thought Id have it on the road for £2.5k including IVA and so price, and the ability to begin immediately rather than waiting what would have ended up being 2 years to start on a new kit won out, and the Robin Hood came home!

Bike And dellorto very similar. Eurocarb (dellorto uk) will be able to supply the part you need. Excellent customer service from them. Whichever carbs you chose to use, is recommend a proper rolling road setup, anything else will just be a best guess.

What kind of budget are you working with to buy a car? There was a supposedly good quality S7 for sale on here for £3995 beginning of December.

TBH thats what I should have done, but then I should have researched the model I was buying more before I bought it, but then if I had done that I would never have bought it, and because of the way it came to be mine, I might not have spent the last 2 and a bit years with a kit in the garage that i can work on and tinker with when the wife allows!

Bit like my wives idea of a "full day" in the garage. I'm made to do things either for or with her until midday and then expected back in for any long list of reasons by 4! Ordered a polo expansion tank yesterday which arrived today! Less than 20 hours between order time and delivery time! eBay does occasionally bring up top suppliers!

Seat and lower harness mounts need some reinforcement as well. Edit to add. The reinforcement is just bolting in some metal plate though so nothing scary.

On top of the £1k I paid for my s7 it will be £2k in bits and then the test etc after that.

Don't worry Alan, we even let steamer park with us, even with THAT spoiler

I wasn't so lucky either

Welcome! You won't find a more helpful club than rhocar!

Had a package of bits from CBS today with almost all the last little bits I need (he says...) Going to see if I can get a cheeky bit of time in the garage tonight. Wish me luck lol

Have to agree. Sorting the wiring for example on the rear lights was a right faff and took far longer than it should have. I'm getting through them though and hopefully won't be too long before I'm only left with the bits i need the midlands lads to come and watch me do while drinking my tea and eating my biscuits. Lol

Have you considered going for a flared side panel/vent instead? I'm considering that as a post IVA mod on mine and intend to cut a hole in te side panel, then add a flare over it, so the air is drawn out through the hole by air passing over the flare, if that makes any sense? I'll find a photo of what I mean. Edit: bit like the one in this thread http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=157523

Finished making the support for the steering column bracket and fitted it today. its improved matters but still some flex so may need to make another to go across the other side, which I thought might be the case. Also sorted out the black bolts for securing the aero screen properly so secured that. Lastly, my IVA ok steering wheel arrived, smaller than a sierra one but bigger than my mountney, which I have fitted as well. Not a lot done as I had to prepare the Clio for its new owner to collect this morning but a couple of jobs off the list. As long as I can keep knocking little jobs off it won't be long until I'm getting the final bigger bits done.

The list on the site is from the 2012 show

Now the battle with DVLA for a numberplate! Well done on the pass

As biksz says, all down to the original builder, though mines also welded.

25th and 26tg October. http://www.malvernkitcarshow.co.uk/

Oooh I might be ready for that one jez and its only down the road!

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-9th-january/ In store a week today, few useful bits and pieces that may be of interest. Personally will be getting the storage plus wall hanging solution.

Nipped out today and fixed the wiring to the rear light cluster (the driving light and brake light wires were the wrong way round) and replaced the lenses as well because one was damaged. Didn't have time to get on and do much else but did measure up and mark out the parts I need to make for bracing the steering column support.

Happy new year all and here is to 2014 bringing many IVA passes!

Happy birthday!