Kit cars

iPete

I don't need a car.
I'm saving money for a house deposit or something equally sensible and boring.
This is nothing more than day dreaming but the hooligan and petrol head inside me is whispering in my ear, buy a Caterham, own it for a year or two and sell up.

Anyone here fortunate enough to own a weekend car. Looking around interweb there are some better budget options like Tiger.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/index.asp?c=70

veronese68

I don't own one, but they can be the bain of my professional life.
My cousin does some press work and took me for a spin in a Caterham 500R. That was utter lunacy, I'd love one of them.
There is a book about building your own car from scratch as I recall. Bloke round the corner is building a Jag XJ13 replica. That looks like fun too.

team47b

I haven't owned a car for six years, don't need one, don't want one, I have bikes, trailers, trains etc.

So just recently I bought this BMW Isetta 300...




...It's not technically a car, it's got 4 wheels but is classified as a trike, it is 1957 and has a BMW R27 300cc single cylinder air cooled motor bike engine, needs some fettling, bought it for fun as I don't actually need a car, does 50mph and about 70mpg, makes everyone smile.

Good weekend car

SimonAH

Love the Isetta!

iPete

Epic little thing, has sure made me smile

veronese68

Love the Isetta, that really is very lovely. Saw a gorgeous Messerschmidt bubble car a while back. In line seats and zebra striped interior, very cool.

team47b

Yep, I love it too!

Bit of a pig to drive though, but fun, 4 speed box gear stick on left, normal layout but inverted so first gear is where 4th normally is etc easy to forget and trying to put it into 1st when you are doing 35mph is not good!

And you have to park nose in to the kerb incase someone parks too close and you can't open the door. The sunroof was a design feature in case you were in an accident with another car, you could still get out!




sorry for stealing the thread :oops:

iPete

No, do tell us more! Not sure as a 20 something its what I had in mind but looks fun!

Veronese68 wrote:

I don't own one, but they can be the bain of my professional life.
My cousin does some press work and took me for a spin in a Caterham 500R. That was utter lunacy, I'd love one of them.
There is a book about building your own car from scratch as I recall. Bloke round the corner is building a Jag XJ13 replica. That looks like fun too.

You work in a classic car garage don't you? Are the kit cars generally cheap and easy to service? Guess its the kind of thing you can learn yourself. Mind I can only just rebuild my bike, let alone an engine!

Stevo_666

iPete wrote:

This is nothing more than day dreaming but the hooligan and petrol head inside me is whispering in my ear, buy a Caterham, own it for a year or two and sell up.

+1 for Caterhams, fantastic little cars and the 'R' series are full on petrol head lunacy :twisted: The only problem with Caterhams is the price (even if you get most of your money back when you sell). Another option that's bit lighter on the wallet is a Westfield - not quite Caterham build quality but the bike engined versions are great - esp the Hayabusa version with a sequential gearbox 8) .

veronese68

iPete wrote:

You work in a classic car garage don't you? Are the kit cars generally cheap and easy to service? Guess its the kind of thing you can learn yourself. Mind I can only just rebuild my bike, let alone an engine!

I sell parts for classic cars to the trade, have done for over 20 years. We used to have a workshop and I have worked on many cars.
The problem with kit cars is that they are only as good as the build. A really good kit can be ruined by poor workmanship or skimping on small components. There's no point having a great engine if it's constantly konking out because of poor wiring and bad connectors. Unfortunately a lot of people think the small bits that don't show aren't important, so they skimp.
We sell 2 or more qualities of many parts, good or cheap. Cheap outsells good by more than 10:1, even on brake stuff. Yet the forums are full of people complaining about poor quality parts.
You can definitely teach yourself to build a kit. It's just big Meccano. You need to be methodical, and know when to ask for help. Engines are easy to build, just check everything and keep it clean. Gearboxes are more of a knack.

team47b

Sorry, didn't realise your age and forgot what the term petrolhead meant, so is this more your idea of a weekend Isetta...

veronese68

The wing on the back looks like the handle on an old lawnmower, if only the car were green.

team47b

Veronese68 wrote:

The wing on the back looks like the handle on an old lawnmower, if only the car were green.

You are right, the more I look at it the more it looks like someone has rear ended an Isetta with a lawn mower! That's some grass box :shock:

t4tomo

We used to have a Nissan Figaro which as s econd car, but became a 3rd car when a change of jobs meant we need 2 "proper" cars for commuting. Good fun weekend car but sold it this year when i realised I was averging less that 1000 miles per year in it (at least it wasn't depreciating). Spend to proceeds upgrading an ancient Volvo Estate to a V70R - pracicaility and petrolheadedness in one package!

iPete

That Isetta is insane but does look better suited to garden duty! Have seen some mean old school fiat 500s with big engines shoe horned in, mega fun.

Dribbling over this today, http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/4025108.htm

If I find myself without a ball and chain in the coming weeks, someone hide my bank cards! Perfect, fast, looks great and has wet weather kit!

twist83

Playing Devils advocate here! But have you considered taking your bike test (assuming you havent!) and getting a Motorbike.

£3-4K on a bike and then £2K to spend on track days for the year. IMO massive smiles per mile, relative safety (On track!).

It is a unique feeling being tucked behind the screen doing 180+mph down Silverstone back straight.

iPete

Went as far as getting my CBT in January. I'm insured on my house mates moped, ok not the same, and I've never taken it out, hated it! Motorbike might be different I s'pose. Am sure the buzz is on an even different level!

twist83

You cannot compare Mopeds and proper bikes. Also riding on the roads is ok but far too many idiots around to make decent progress.

With the relative safety of the track though it is something that is hard to match being on something that will our accelerate most Supercars and exposed to the elements. Also a unique sensation draging your knee on the concrete and being cranked right over!

veronese68

Going back to your original post. If you are saving for a house deposit you could buy a classic car. Most will have zero depreciation at worst, many will appreciate in value. Insurance is cheap and if you don't do a lot of miles running costs should be fairly low. If you choose something common and British parts are not too pricy, I've even heard there are some very good parts distributors.
When it comes time to buy a house it's easy to get your money back. The downside is it won't be a hugely exciting drive compared to a Caterham.

nicklouse

should be something in here to interest you

http://www.artcurial.com/en/asp/searchr ... le_no=2138

veronese68

nicklouse wrote:

should be something in here to interest you

http://www.artcurial.com/en/asp/searchr ... le_no=2138

Wow! There's some great stuff in there. There's so much I want it all. The posters are really cool, the Riva speedboat is beautiful, or the Hispano Suiza mascot bookends, or the Citroen Ami coupe thing (very odd), so much to drool over and some just really odd.

nicklouse

I know.

A few things I would like.

Must sort out the electrics on my weekend car though.

And find a red flash 20 or similar here in Germany.

Wrath Rob

I'm about to sell my weekend car. A MX-5. Slightly tuned. Well, more like turbo-charged and running 220 bhp. Hysterical fun and fantastic handling. I took it on an advance driver training day a month ago and aside from the Caterham, it put the biggest smile on the instructors face when he drove it. Cheaper and better built than most kit-cars too.

Unfortunately its a 2 seater and I need something that is fun but can take 4 people, so its having to go.

anonymousblackfg

Look for a cheap elise, they seem to hold up on values, I bought a 350Z as I don't do much milage and I wanted something I could take to the track. There just isn't much of a market for people wanting 3.5 litre engined machines so it was good value per bhp.

Back on subject, i've only driven a caterham on a track and it was fantastic, the same day I drove an XKR, 911 GT3, Clio Cup, Audio 4 pot single seater and a JP-LM. The caterham was the most fun by a country mile in my view.

iPete

Rob, be interested in some pics etc of your beast and blackfg more info on the track day you did?

mudcow007

Wrath Rob wrote:

I'm about to sell my weekend car. A MX-5. Slightly tuned. Well, more like turbo-charged and running 220 bhp. Hysterical fun and fantastic handling. I took it on an advance driver training day a month ago and aside from the Caterham, it put the biggest smile on the instructors face when he drove it. Cheaper and better built than most kit-cars too.

Unfortunately its a 2 seater and I need something that is fun but can take 4 people, so its having to go.

we had to sell our "5" a few months ago, ours was the svt with slip diff, it only had 130ish brake but you could embarrass so many people coming out of corners

MattC59

iPete wrote:

I don't need a car.
I'm saving money for a house deposit or something equally sensible and boring.
This is nothing more than day dreaming but the hooligan and petrol head inside me is whispering in my ear, buy a Caterham, own it for a year or two and sell up.

Anyone here fortunate enough to own a weekend car. Looking around interweb there are some better budget options like Tiger.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/index.asp?c=70

This is mine Pete, It's a Dax Rush (not the pink one, that's Mrs Cs). Under the bonnet there is a heavily tuned 3.5L V8, 0-60mph in 4 seconds. Marvellous !!!
If you're thinking of getting one, do it ! You don't have to spend a fortune, a 1.8L Zetec engine will give you fantastic performance and there's loads of potential for future tweeking. Be warned though, they become addictive

flipp

had a Tiger Avon for a few years,once I had finished it was a great car but the things that had to be done to make things right on the car took weeks extra on build time,have now got a couple of classics both tax exempt and only cost around £300.to run them both inc insurance and mot,servicing.

roger_merriman

One of the blokes at work has an Austin Healey, bit of a worn out old thing. needs rather a lot of money spent on it I wager.

But it's been like that for years so i'm sure it will keep rumbling on.

meanredspider

Bit late to this thread but this is my weekend toy (as I'm sure a few folk are now aware)



It's a little too hardcore for the road (though it's road legal) - whenever I drive it, I find myself on the wrong side of the road overtaking far too often - it's insanely quick around roundabouts too.

Caterhams are fabulous - my brother had a 1700 Supersprint. We often debated more power but that kinda misses the point. They hold their value brilliantly and cost nothing to maintain.

Wrath Rob

iPete wrote:

Rob, be interested in some pics etc of your beast and blackfg more info on the track day you did?

I've got some pics online, somewhere. I'll see what I can dig out