Good and Bad ponits on Kits

Hi fellas

Could you guys tell me about your findings while building your kits. Every kit has good and bad points, and its always best to talk to the guys that build the kits, and not just the guys that sell them. Anything that you know now that you wish you new when you started the project would also be helpfull.

 

[Mike Dozier]

Lee

GT40s are signicantly more complicated than simple roadsters
such as Cobras or Sevens. The unique doors, the mid-engine
arrangement, the cooling and AC needs, etc...all add up.
So plan on LOTS more time and money for a GT40.

Regarding kit vs kit comparisons...you can create fine or poor examples of any make basis your work quality and attention to detail. Riding in a demo car
from each of those you consider helps...but again the
quality of the experience can be different as much from the execution as well as by the basic design. You an install stiff suspensions and brutal engines in any of these cars
and not be happy on the street.

Finally...purchasing as complete a kit as possible from the maker is a great way to reduce the time/effort needed for completion. As a minimum...I'd buy the kit with all panels
hung, aligned, and latched. Best of luck.

MikeD

 

Thanks for your comments MIke. You make sensible and valid points which I will keep in mind. I am still at the planning stage yet, but from experience with building the Cobra, the more research and planning you do before you start the better. So come on guys please make any suggestions no matter how small, they all count.

 

[Simon]

Hi Lee,

from MY experience of building a Cobra, I'd say talk to as many owner builders as you can. Ask them what they suggest, things they would do differently, things to watch out for etc etc.
Building up your own info BEFORE you start (as you say) is invaluable.
Good luck

Simon

 

[Howard Jones]

I have said this so many times that it has become a mantra. Make a completely informed decision on the gearbox you want in your car.

Then select the chassis builders that your gearbox/motor has been designed for.

Next study the body fit issue as if it were a religious conversion. A well fit body will save you either hundreds of hours or thousands of dollars. This is not a exaduration.

I would pick the "kit" that is designed to take my selection in gearbox/motor and has the best body fit. All of the rest is pretty much a part selection process. The one exception would be if you expect to install something other than a Winsor based ford motor.

In the end I think all of the current kit builders make a pretty good product. If you do a very good job of execution then the end result will be very good.

 

[Mark Worthington]

I will say this about the Roaring Forties kits: the fast-build option makes a whole lot of sense if you do not have a lot of experience building replica cars. Just the fact that the body is fitted and the door hardware has been installed is worth more than the cost difference in my opinion. Also, RF has continued to improve their kit over time. I am building chassis #36, and they are building chassis numbers in the hundreds now. I've noticed many small improvements along the way, such as the newer door handles are now drilled for a shoulder bolt, and several big improvements - the standard brakes (pedals, MCs, calipers and rotors) are much improved over earlier versions of the kit.

 

Here is one Lee! If you can afford a specialist in any part of the build, hire him to do that job. In building my Daytona Coupe, I hired a guy that really knew wiring to wire up my car. The pay off for me was when I turned the key, the engine started right up and all the lights worked even the turn signals. He saved me a ton of time and aggravation!

 

[David Morton]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

For any kit - Double the budget estimate, quadruple the time estimate (at the very least ), measure everything three times, assume you know nothing, ask, ask, and ask again.
I still know the square root of sod all and I'm contemplating my second build - and the first is still needs finishing properly.
As for which kit - I think you pay your money and get your choice. The best advice of all is from most of the guys on this forum. I echo the sentiment get an expert whenever you can. It really does save loads of time and it usually gets done much better.

 

[Mike Dozier]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

Lee

I suspect some members are disappointed when they don't get a "straight" answer to your question. Part of the reason
is because there has been a huge change in GT40 kits over the past two years.

Other than Tornado and ERA, whose products seem to remain stable for many years, others now available for sale are either new to the market or significantly improved
versions. And unlike the thousands of Cobras sold...the number of GT40 kits under construction is so small that
there are not many data points for the latest kits sold today.

Hopefully that will soon change and we'll have FINISHED cars from each company on the road racking up miles for evaluation and owner satisfaction reports. Meantime you can catch drifts of some of the trials and tribulations faced
by reading some of the older threads on the Forum.
There is a lot of history represented here.

Mike D

 

[Charlie Farley]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

I personally, think spaceframes have had their day.
i wont be surprised if their value starts to fall within the next six months/year.
When an alternative is available, it will always pressurize the resale price.
Take a look at monocoques and weight up the options.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dead_horse.gif

 

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

Lee,
I could have built a kit if I had about 7 years to do it. Fortunately I didn't have the time. I decided on the CAV because it came finished except for the installation of the motor and transaxile which the dealer did for me. In other words, for me it is more fun to drive than turn a wrench. Good luck,
Joseph /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[David Morton]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

Andy,
"I personally, think spaceframes have had their day".

What a load of bullshit

 

[Pat Buckley]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

Got a spaceframe, eh?

 

[40 Bud]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

I am with you David. Yes I have a space frame - by choice.I have had several chances to change to a mono and my choice has always been to stay with the space frame!!

 

[Chris Martino]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

I'm going to go out on a limb here - Lee's question is so generic, so non-specific that it's virtually impossible to post an answer that doesn't sway from one GT40 camp to the next. Lee, not to imply "try the search button" but asking what manufacturer is the best or what makes a good car vs bad will get you sucked into a vortex that will leave you asking more questions.

Anyone who is a loyal follower of a specific brand of GT40 is always going to try to sell you on the best features of that manufacturer, whether it be a space frame or mono, Gulf colors or other etc. I would try to narrow down questions to ones that are very, very, very, very specific - I would bet you get a non-bias, direct answer that way.

Loaded questions will always inevitably give you a fire-storm of answers.

I'm certainly no expert but this forum is comprised of an analogy like the 'Old Boys Club' - "Come on in laddy and we'll learn ya a thing or two" Many members of this forum know the GT40 inside out so it's easy to get the pot stirred with a few generic questions. At least that's what I have grown to understand.

No harm or ill wishes intended- ahhh what the hell - Buy an MDA! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Chris

 

[Tim Kay]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

Mono.......space frame.....now, now girls /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/1poke.gif

 

[Chris Kouba]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

Back on topic, my opinion is the best advice is from Howard: Pick your transaxle and find a suitable kit that supports it.

There are SO many options for a car and how to build it that regardless of the manufacturer you will see a crap car or something phenominal. Pick something that supports the hardware you want.

When I pull the trigger, I want a ZF for the ratios and capacity and need a kit that will support that. Beyond that I am looking for something where the geometry is proven- and it seems that most brands can be made to handle well- GTD, RF, DRB, Tornado have all seen track time in some form. I personally can't wait to see one of Fran's RCR's moving under its own power to evaluate that package.

I am starting to ramble. My advice echoes Howard's: determine your budget, research your transmission options, select a transaxle/motor combo, find a kit to stuff it into.

Best of luck!!

Chris

 

[Peter Delaney]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

""[ QUOTE ]
I personally, think spaceframes have had their day.
i wont be surprised if their value starts to fall within the next six months/year.
When an alternative is available, it will always pressurize the resale price.
Take a look at monocoques and weight up the options.""


Charlie - From a purely technical point of view, I agree that monos are the way to go - after all, the major car manufacturers figured this out back in the '50s.

HOWEVER - I think that very small production quantity cars like the 40 are a different kettle of fish from a practicality point of view. When it comes to a prang, I would have thought that a space-frame is an easy fix when compared to a mono.

What are your thoughts on repairs ?

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

 

[David Morton]

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

I've seen one mono that came in for repairs in High Wycombe after a minor off at N-ring. Similar front end damage to Simons. Welded back into the jig, loads (tons) of dosh and 3 months later it surfaces again. Mono's are, by far, notoriuosly difficult and expensive to repair - if you have a jig !
You pay your money and you take your choice. Peter D put it well.

 

Re: Good and Bad points on Kits

Hi Guys

Thanks for all your input. If I gave the impression that I wanted an answer to which is the best kit, than I'm sorry that was not my intention. What I was looking for was honest opinions from builders on how they found their kit went together and how they felt supported by the manufacturer. From this I was going to make a best choice for me decision. The comment Howard Jones made about choosing your power plant and gearbox combo and then look at which manufacturers support this option was exactly the type of advice I was after. Now I guess you know my next question. I know the engine will be a ford with a power output of around 400 BHP but then I don't know which gearbox I want. The car will be used mainly on the road with maybe the odd track day (max 2 a year). So guys I'm going to ask a specific question and maybe gat slated because its been covered before. If I know what I'm going to use the car for and which power plant, how do I decide on which gearbox I want? Is this to do with what ratio's I'll require or is it to do with how much power the car will put out, or both? When I built the cobra it was an easy decision, chevy 350 with around 380 BHP and tremec tko. I get the impression that it may not be such a simple decision for a GT or am I wrong?
Thanks again guys for your help.