Has anyone here ever built a kit car?

I've just bought a Lotus 7 style kit from here (http://www.robinhoodengineering.co.uk)

Should provide some budget performance, and lots of big smiles
Cheaper than having my 900 fully Abbotised anyway.

You'll be pleased to know that no Saabs get chopped up in the process, though that gets me thinking - has anyone ever seen a Saab based kit car?

J.

Aah, a Robin Hood - nice one! Picked up a leaflet of theirs at a show a couple of years ago and have been sorely tempted ever since. I'm sure you could substitute the Ford lump for a B202 Turbo if you thought about it long enough

Good luck with the project and keep us posted on progress.

Julian

That does look interesting - wish I had the balls to do a job like that!

Definately keep us updated - I'd love to know how hard that actually is to do.

Whereabouts in Warwickshire are you?

Christ, Kevin - just think of your Carly engine in one of those!

One of my dreams ...
I would build the phantom gtr..
www.phantomautomotive.co.uk (http://www.phantomautomotive.co.uk)
but I would put in a 2.3 turbo motor into it
I have spoken to these guys and they say this is possible
Now where can I get £30 grand and a big garage...
good luck with the build...

A guy at my previous place of work built one. Very good value from what I remember and it sounded great .

MR

Cheers everyone.

I pick up the kit this Saturday (25th), I'll definately keep you all informed how it goes.

For the last few weeks I've been preparing the donor - the engine's just about ready.

http://www.joel.whittle.btinternet.co.uk/051.JPG
http://www.joel.whittle.btinternet.co.uk/052.JPG

J.

Ooh, suits you sir

have we got a red lump sir?, oooh suit you sir.

Nice job, Joel - if the rest of the car looks as good as that engine you'll have a pretty sh!t hot motor.

Cheers

James

i built a robin hood s7 about 6 years ago i still have it and it is great fun!!

Out of interest, what was the donor car / engine size?

Kevin,

The donor I'm using is an '87 Sierra. The engine is 1998cc ohc pinto. You could use the 1.8 or 1.6, though apparently the 2.0 is easier to modify.

It has fairly similar performance to the Saab 1985cc engine, about 100bhp carb and 120bhp injection.

I'll be running standard (carb) for a while, but I reckon you could get up to 150bhp for less than a grand, with a fast road cam and twin 40 webers.

Incidentally, the car weighs about 650Kg - I'll let you lot do the maths

J.

Yeah, my mate has an old Robin Hood Sierra 7. Basically the donor cars a Sierra 2.0 with the Pinto engine. Thats currently in bits and may end up being completely stripped for other projects.

I am planning another project myself with a few of my mates (the guy referred to above included), it's going to be a trackday toy and possibly a racer if we can get it well enough sorted. As everyone on this board knows, I don't don't Jack when it comes to Saab mechanicals so it shows how simple these kits are

We'll probably go for a 'hood as well, either that or the lolocost IRS chassis. Basically for starters I don't want to spend more than £2K, even though that will be split between 5 or 6 of us.

B202 engine, very nice idea but there's no way you could mount a transversely mounted engine as though it's a straight-4. It would be a mammoth modifcation job and the end result would probably be down on power ... but I doubt anyone was being serious there anyway! http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

B202/B232 turbo would go nicely in a mid-rear chassis tho .. leave you all to think ponder that one.

And for those of you who are thinking "Why didn't he keep the Carly as a track-day toy?". Well, the answer is non of my mates were interested

Made a Spartan once (1979). Dunno if they still exist - MG TF lookalike based on a Vitesse chassis and engine. I had the straight 6 1600cc, stage oned with straight through exhaust. Did a very hairy 125 mph.

And I sold it at a profit

Just in case you didn't know go to www.rhocar (http://www.rhocar) .org.uk Excellent site and the forum is very helpful

Jason said:
B202 engine, very nice idea but there's no way you could mount a transversely mounted engine as though it's a straight-4. *[/b]Tut tut - go and stick your head under the bonnet of a 900 . Transverse indeed http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif . The B202 is a development of the old Triumph Doloposhite slant 4. Should be able to fit with a bit of fettling, and a hole in the other wing for the exhaust. Weren't the original Robin Hoods based around Triumph running gear?

Nicely prepared engine by the looks.Give us some photos of the finished thing.
I'm currently in the pains of trying to find a good Mini that hasn't dissolved, to put an interesting engine into.Obviously my thoughts turned (after a bit of prompting from Mike..) to putting a 2.3 turbo engine in one..anyone ever heared of this? 225bhp through 2 mini wheels would be somewhere between futile and stupid..but hey!
Joel, how easy is it to mod the pinto block to cossie spec..now that would make belting power to weight ratio.Good luck
Ant

how easy is it to mod the pinto block to cossie spec..now that would make belting power to weight ratio[/b]Probably a little silly. A guy at work used to run a Caterham 7 with Hart prepared engine. He said that the "standard" tune was waaay to much. He ended up with, I think, around 170 BHP just to make it managable. That still equates to well over 300BHP/tonne !

enjoy!

MR

I built a kit in the early / mid eighties. Still have it.It's an 'NG TA MKII'. Uses MGB mechanicals. It's not a 'racing car' but a pleasant open top tourer. It's a bit harsh on the spine, and when you're doing 50 it feels like 90.

It looks like yours is going to look good Joe.

*B202 engine, very nice idea but there's no way you could mount a transversely mounted engine as though it's a straight-4.[/b]Durrrr, I didn't know the 900 T16 was the same unit only turned 90 degrees You live and learn I suppose.

I tried to build a Nova once, made by a Dewsbury firm in West Yorkshire, Remember them? the roof lifted to allow you,(and if it was raining 6 gallons of water)inside, once in you quickly heated up to over 100 degrees, you got hotter when you started the engine. but what the hell it looked good to me, and that was over 25 years ago.........

anyway I bought a donor VW beetle..........and bought the wrong one, so I just repaired the bug

He he, building this kind of thing is sort of what I make a living at at the moment (apart from being employed as chief go kart mechanic at a well known holiday camp - not half as much fun as it sounds and I will be getting a decent job soon honest ) I've built 3 Lotus 7 type copies in the past couple of years, and two of them are currently racing in the 750MC Locost Championship as seen on 5th Gear recently (yes I did meet V.B-H. and no I wasn't very impressed - oh and both cars cost well over 6K to build ) If anyone wants any advice on kit car building/costs/etc feel free to send me a private message and I'll do my best to help

Cheers
Dave