In search of advice! - Page 2

Scott · 02-19-08, 02:48 AM

I would love to hear from other people who have built or are in the process of building a car from these guys and why they chose that particular kit. They both seem like excellent kits but it's a large investment in time and money to find out 6 months later that there are issues with the car.

Scott · 02-19-08, 11:46 PM

I got a general quote from DRB for approx $200,000 for a turn key...
Does this strike anyone as a little excessive?

Pete. · 02-20-08, 01:12 AM

Given the quality of the work they do, and the amount of hours involved and dependent on what your requirements are.
No.

Craig White · 02-20-08, 07:20 AM

Good advice from Trevor Booth on talking to an engineer early.

David/Scott, if you want to talk with an engineer in your neck of the woods, I can certainly recommend Enkleman in Braeside SE Melbourne. I will be talking to them soon in relation to the RCR vehicles for Vic customers.

Peter D · 02-20-08, 07:46 AM

At last !! Someone is looking at a realistic estimate of the true cost !

There are lots of figures quoted around the traps (particularly the "rolling chassis" setups - mostly under $40k) - all designed to suck you in.

BUT, when you rigorously add in all the extras, you are starting to look at more like $90k - $110k (and that is assuming that you do ALL the labour).

I did all the labour on my DRB except the EFI wiring, exhaust, final paint, & 2 x engine builds : I reckon it now owes me around $130k in terms of actual money spent. If I then factor in almost every spare minute of my time for 3 years, the estimate of around $200k from DRB starts to look fairly good.

Another "BUT" - be very wary of going with a "turnkey" car here in Oz. Some states here (NSW & VIC) are getting a bit picky over the definition of an ICV (Individually Constructed Vehicle) - you may need to prove that YOU were the actual builder - not DRB or RF or RCR.

So, my advice would be to :

- Take Trevor Booth's advice & pay some dollars to the most reputable engineer in your state. He will be able to give you the good oil on the definition of an ICV, what engines will automatically meet the emissions criteria (& until when), & what other mods might be required for rego.

- Armed with that info, talk to DRB / RF / RCR (Craig W) about how their offerings will stack up against the above.

- Ask more questions of those brave (foolhardy) souls who've been there

- Bite the bullet & sign a cheque

- Fasten seat belts - you are in for one big fun ride !!!!

PS : Some of the above might seem a bit negative - but after you & the car have been "processed" by the system & pop out the other side, you will have :

a) Won the battle
b) Have the best car on the planet
c) Feel soooo good !

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

Dimi · 02-20-08, 02:26 PM

I can only agree totally with you Peter.
I am still waiting to be "processed" and after 3 weeks the RTA has still not given me any indication of when they might get off their butts but I still have the biggest grin on my face from the few occasions I have been able to drive the 40.
Dimi

Trevor Booth · 02-20-08, 05:07 PM

only three weeks Dimi !!

Pete. · 02-20-08, 05:08 PM

Scott, if you are considering a turnkey you may also like to consider buying a secondhand registered car. Then bring it up to your personal specs. They don't often come onto the market is one drawback.

Scott · 02-20-08, 05:25 PM

I was curios because both DBR and Roaring Forties claim you can get the basic kit done for between $70K -$80K.
A GT40 is worth every penny of $200,000... just that my budget won't stretch that far.
I'm happy to do as much as i can myself, i imagine there is immense satisfaction in driving a car you built yourself.
But how much mechanical knowledge do you need?
Will you only need general every day tools? or do i need to budget in a trip to autobahn?

Dimi · 02-20-08, 08:05 PM

Hi Scott

How much your car ends up costing you is like asking 'How long is a piece of string' because it all varies depending on your choices of parts and the level of finish you want to achieve and just how much of the work you can do yourself as opposed to having to farm the work out.

Always remember that everything you do yourself you don't have to pay for at commercial labour rates which you would have to pay someone else to do it for you.

These cars can be built reasonably cheaply or can cost you the earth depending on which way you go about it and the final finish you want to achieve.

Dimi

Scott · 02-27-08, 06:16 PM

Thanks everyone for all your advice

I'm off today to have a look at the Roaring Forties Factory in Melbourne, hopefully after today i will have a better idea about how much of the build i can do myself and get some important questions answered.
Dimi did you have trouble getting an engineering compliance certificate?

Dimi · 02-28-08, 02:23 AM

Scott

No, I didn't have any problem with the engineering cert due to the fact that I asked my engineer exactly what he required and the best way of going about the build BEFORE starting the build.

And then making sure I kept to the agreed parts and standards or better finish than he required.

The only unknown quantity is how the RTA processes these reports and how long they take.

Dimi

DAZPT · 02-28-08, 03:08 AM

Scott good luck with your decision making process. An older person once told me never hurry to buy or sell anything so may I suggest you take your time and look for what best suit your needs. I spent almost 18 months deciding what I wanted in a car and then picking the one that suited me.
As for build cost $70K/$80K can be a possibility as long as you are prepared to much of the build yourself assuming you are in a position to do so.

Darrell
DRB#46
LS1/G50
(Almost registered)

Craig White · 02-28-08, 03:20 AM

There is some great advice in this thread for people in Oz considering the GT40 way of life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by delaneyp

Another "BUT" - be very wary of going with a "turnkey" car here in Oz. Some states here (NSW & VIC) are getting a bit picky over the definition of an ICV (Individually Constructed Vehicle) - you may need to prove that YOU were the actual builder - not DRB or RF or RCR.

Due to demand we are currently investigating the turnkey options with RCR vehicles. In QLD a manufacturer can produce 3 ICVs per year under the Low Volume Production clause. The manufacturer must be nominated as the builder if they did most of the construction and the owner of the vehicle may have little or nothing to do with the manufacture of the vehicle. We will be releasing very competitive pricing for turnkey vehicles soon for QLD customers and we will look into what options we can offer to interstate customers.