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[Ian_D]

Does anyone know where you can buy complete kits from? Had a quick look around, and all I can find are parts!?!

Thining about building one with a friend.

Any ideas? :-/

[Kevin Wood]

Well, they come in all shapes and sizes, so any idea what type of car you want at the end of it? Will it be an everyday car, a sunny day car, a race car, a track day toy?

Certainly the mainstream suppliers - Caterham, Westfield, etc. will sell you a complete kit of everything you need, a basic starter kit or pretty much anything in-between.

Get out to see a few in the flesh before you decide. Chat to the owners, blag rides, etc.  

Kevin

[Ian_D]

Well, they come in all shapes and sizes, so any idea what type of car you want at the end of it? Will it be an everyday car, a sunny day car, a race car, a track day toy?

Certainly the mainstream suppliers - Caterham, Westfield, etc. will sell you a complete kit of everything you need, a basic starter kit or pretty much anything in-between.

Get out to see a few in the flesh before you decide. Chat to the owners, blag rides, etc.  

Kevin

Yes we would go to a few meets before, just so we can see them and ask a few questions etc.

Would be a weekend car I guess, but we have limited funds. (prob looking at a couple of grand or so)

[Kevin Wood]

I would say get yourself along to Stoneleigh showground on the May bank holiday weekend (Sunday and Monday). Huge kit car show where you can see them in the flesh.

kevin

[Marks DTM Calib]

Your budget puts you outside the realms of the full kit.

You could consider the likes of a Robin Hood with a Sierra as a donor.

When I was loooking into this, the best 7 chassis I found was the Robin hood....or for a bigger engine the Dax Rush. Sadly Westfiled and Caterham had not developed thier setups nearly as well and were falling behind fast (and appear to still be in this state!).

Have often wondered how possible a Robin Hood using a 3.0 Manual Omega as a donor would work out (plus some Sierra parts)

[Ian_D]

Your budget puts you outside the realms of the full kit.

You could consider the likes of a Robin Hood with a Sierra as a donor.

When I was loooking into this, the best 7 chassis I found was the Robin hood....or for a bigger engine the Dax Rush. Sadly Westfiled and Caterham had not developed thier setups nearly as well and were falling behind fast (and appear to still be in this state!).

Have often wondered how possible a Robin Hood using a 3.0 Manual Omega as a donor would work out (plus some Sierra parts)

Yes, thats the way we would have to do it... Did cross my mind about using miggy running gear, but it maybe a bit tricky for a first time build?

Have access to loads of tools and a good MIG, so is it an idea to build everything from scratch?

If thats the case, I guess we would need to find the plans for the frames etc? :-?

[Ian_D]

Your budget puts you outside the realms of the full kit.

You could consider the likes of a Robin Hood with a Sierra as a donor.

When I was loooking into this, the best 7 chassis I found was the Robin hood....or for a bigger engine the Dax Rush. Sadly Westfiled and Caterham had not developed thier setups nearly as well and were falling behind fast (and appear to still be in this state!).

Have often wondered how possible a Robin Hood using a 3.0 Manual Omega as a donor would work out (plus some Sierra parts)

Yes, thats the way we would have to do it... Did cross my mind about using miggy running gear, but it maybe a bit tricky for a first time build?

Have access to loads of tools and a good MIG, so is it an idea to build everything from scratch?

If thats the case, I guess we would need to find the plans for the frames etc? :-?

something like this any good? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260302739274

[Marks DTM Calib]

Your budget puts you outside the realms of the full kit.

You could consider the likes of a Robin Hood with a Sierra as a donor.

When I was loooking into this, the best 7 chassis I found was the Robin hood....or for a bigger engine the Dax Rush. Sadly Westfiled and Caterham had not developed thier setups nearly as well and were falling behind fast (and appear to still be in this state!).

Have often wondered how possible a Robin Hood using a 3.0 Manual Omega as a donor would work out (plus some Sierra parts)

Yes, thats the way we would have to do it... Did cross my mind about using miggy running gear, but it maybe a bit tricky for a first time build?

Have access to loads of tools and a good MIG, so is it an idea to build everything from scratch?

If thats the case, I guess we would need to find the plans for the frames etc? :-?

I was thinking along the lines of 3.0 V6 plus manual box....with the rest from a Sierra,

Trouble with the Sierra is that they never realy used any decent engines....and I dont count the cossie because you wont find one!

[jim351]

the Lowcost can be good if u spend money on it, Haynes do the book about building it for £250 but its not that easy, some bits are from old 60's fords and others, me and a friend built one for about £2500, but it was great fun!

[Robin Hood]

This is a good site/forum for self builds and it’s not all Locosts  http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/

Also suggest you stick with a sevenesk kit as they appear to hold their value reasonable well – I built a Dutton 20 years ago when a Westfield was still a 7 clone and not much more expensive.    

[HerefordElite]

the Lowcost can be good if u spend money on it, Haynes do the book about building it for £250 but its not that easy, some bits are from old 60's fords and others, me and a friend built one for about £2500, but it was great fun!

i've got this book and it's great for ideas but as said you'll never find an escort now for pennies.

I know they updated this book to include plans using a sierra donor but even they are getting rare.

Plenty of stuff on the web just have a good look.

[Kevin Wood]

Don't discount the possibility of buying something 2nd hand or part built and finishing it to your requirements. TBH, unless you are particularly set on building it from the ground up yourself, this can be the best option if you are on a budget.

You really need to know what you're buying though.

Kevin

[Martin_1962]

Your budget puts you outside the realms of the full kit.

You could consider the likes of a Robin Hood with a Sierra as a donor.

When I was loooking into this, the best 7 chassis I found was the Robin hood....or for a bigger engine the Dax Rush. Sadly Westfiled and Caterham had not developed thier setups nearly as well and were falling behind fast (and appear to still be in this state!).

Have often wondered how possible a Robin Hood using a 3.0 Manual Omega as a donor would work out (plus some Sierra parts)

Yes, thats the way we would have to do it... Did cross my mind about using miggy running gear, but it maybe a bit tricky for a first time build?

Have access to loads of tools and a good MIG, so is it an idea to build everything from scratch?

If thats the case, I guess we would need to find the plans for the frames etc? :-?

I was thinking along the lines of 3.0 V6 plus manual box....with the rest from a Sierra,

Trouble with the Sierra is that they never realy used any decent engines....and I dont count the cossie because you wont find one!

I would add entire rear alxe as well - might as well try to use the front brakes and the electronics

[Kevin Wood]

the Lowcost can be good if u spend money on it, Haynes do the book about building it for £250 but its not that easy, some bits are from old 60's fords and others, me and a friend built one for about £2500, but it was great fun!

A more realistic figure! It was never going to happen for £250 even with a limitless supply of time, metal and welding consumables. It would cost more than that to get it inspected, registered and on the road these days!

Kevin

[Kevin Wood]

I would add entire rear alxe as well - might as well try to use the front brakes and the electronics

Problem is, you won't want to use the Omega rear subframe and trailing arms, which must weigh a ton, so you're into designing a chassis around the diff and hub carriers. You may as well just use the Ford bits that someone else has already engineered a chassis around. Sierra diffs are bomb proof and plentiful, including LSDs, which is obviously a requirement. 8-)

The engine and box is a different matter. You just have 2 engine mounts and a gearbox crossmember to bolt on somewhere.

I've seen a Westfield running an X30XE before. Looked a nice fit.

I would also look carefully at the weights of all the available engines and boxes first. I suspect you could do better than the Omega bits and weight is all important when the engine and gearbox is going to be a third of the weight of the car or more.

kevin