Kit Cars..

[tc-rolla]

Hey guys,

Was watching some top gear the other night and one of the episodes had the Caterham kit car on it, which i think looks fantastic, and was thinking what be involved after purchasing a kit car (not nessesceraly a caterham) like, can they street registered in aus, compliance plates, etc etc and had a clarkson moment of "how hard can it be?"

Has anyone here done something like this, or know whats involved to getting it streetable?
i like the idea of having basicly everything in bits and doing it all yourself. (sounds stupid to most)

i know australia's laws are different to most, and i cannot get onto the caterham aus website.
so can anyone shed some light on this?

cheers, ben.

[Todd]

well to start with, i can say they most definately can be road registered.
my engineer builds them and sells them to get some money as a hobby.

[chrisjjanfd3s]

Hey mate,

Yeah kit cars are pretty cool I know a little bit about them. Todd's right most kit cars can be legally registered as individually constructed vehicles. What kind of kit are you interested in i.e. what budget or what’s it for.

One car that is totally awesome is the RCR superlight coupe check it out

[Nicko]

The main thing these days is that you must meet emissions specs with your engine when you get it engineered, but with stuff like the F20C and 2ZZ-FE these days, you don't exactly need an SR20DET in an open wheeler for it to have decent poke.

I would even look into the locost ones that you can build from the shell of a MK1 Escort

Or if you have enough dough, do whay Ray Vandersee did... And make your own carbon fiber shell and prepare for win.



I have pics of this thing when they were still making the plug for the mould out of a giant block of styrene foam.

[Gunner]

there is also a radical copy availble, with a 4g63, not road registrable unfortunatley

[dustyae86]

PM if you are interested, and can give you some details, few peoples views on kit cars on here is pretty poor, so cna't be bothered getting involved with the rubbish

[Mr Awsome]

NEVER owned a kit car, but have worked on quite a few done ruffly 1500+hrs on them.

costs $20,000-$100,000+. now costs all this depends on you and your skill and the size of your wallet. "SKILLS" (making, building, finding parts at the right prices.) "WALLET" (prebuilt shell, drivetrain, parts, etc.)

NO kit car is ever the same EVER! doesn't mater how much you've spent on the kit it self. there all ways out here an there. some time cost a lot to get 100% correct.

I worked on one where we had to correct a guard that was 3inch's out. took fucking for ever to get 100%.

all the little bits and pieces needed are ridiculous. but this also depends on what your building and how far your willing to go.

some stages can cost 5-10-15-$20,000 and then its just going to sit there for god knows how long.

from what i've learnt and from what the people i know and have worked with/for. they all say the same thing about theses.

YOU NEED TIME, YOU NEED MONEY YOU NEED SPACE!!!

these things take up alot of space for along period, a lot of time 1000's of hours and 1000's of dollars.

there very rewarding project's, but there a million time worse then building a hachi.

i would love to do an AC cobra but that will have to wait time im old and grey.

[Nicko]

Anyone interested in a one-off build should definitely read the Kimini build diaries...



Epic project

[Nicko]

Wow, he sold it and has a new project now!

[ke70dave]

that skelta car was at the mt cotton hillclimb last year, i think it was the fastest car over all. i was an official on one of the chicanes (spell?) and...yer...it was fast...

and then it followed me home along the riverside expressway....such a sweet looking car on the road.

but as for a kit car, id really like a caterham 7.....



not cheap though, not much change out of 30,000..pounds!!