if i were to purchase an SL-C

[brad]

"It's sorta like building a home from ground up: My first home was "open checkbook" 10500SF under roof, top line everything. Any budget concerns went out the door with the 4 spas, Viking appliances.....etc....etc! My second "empty nester" 3700SF home fit within my more conservative budget but I did have to make more practical decisions along the way. But, I'm still quite happy and comfortable with the smaller home!"

Well i can certainly sympathize with that as i'm a general contractor and my business is building custom homes! hahaha ... after hearing what everyone has to say, i think its more about individual personality than anything as to what type of budget the SL-C can be built for.. for some only the best parts with a preconceive finish will be adequete for others.. it can be built for a much cheaper sum, with the expectation that it might not have everything but it gets the job that they want done..
for me i think even though i have never built a car from scratch before... i do understand the nature of building things from scratch and i have a wonderful support group of friends with the fabrication skills and enthusiasm to help me through the tough parts, and when the things get over our head, i have the support of a great shop that i know can handle anything i might not be able to... maybe i'm under estimating the car, but from what i've gathered from different people, its more about patience and problem solving than anything.. with enough in both i don't see any reason why i can go into this project with very clear performance and monetary goals and come out of the other side satisfied...
i'll just keep saving my pennies.. and learning from you guys and i'll be alright!

 

[brad]

just to clarify the first part of my post was a quote i guess i should have qutoed that correctly,, that looks quite confusing now.. haha

 

[Mike]

I don't disagree with anything said here. Even by EFNFAST. There are many temptations along the way that you can justify to yourself by saying, "well, it's just another $100", but those things will REALLY add up.

The only way to do a "budget" build is to actually have a budget and do everything you can to stick to it. If you think you are gonna do a budget build for $50k, I think there is no way that will be reality. If you budget for $75k and do everything you can think of to reduce costs, you will probably be pleasantly surprised. I also have to agree with EFNFAST on one particular issue. DO NOT skimp on the cooling system. Nothing sucks more than having to sit by the side of the road with an inadequate cooling system. Steam coming out looks really bad too.

IMHO, if there is one thing you spend extra on, it should be cooling.

 

[Jack]

Crash33 makes a good point. Spent your money wisely, critical systems require the BEST parts and should be paramount when planning your budget. I also agree with
sticking to it. It is really easy to go off on tangents and spend fifty bucks here and 100 bucks there on "stuff" not necessarily important for the build. I have done this tangential "stuff" too, but allowed for most of it initially. Still, it adds up much faster than you realize. I simply had to have carbon fiber this and that, made my own "stuff" but it is not cheap to do this and required an inordinate amount of time.

 

[Dan]

I simply had to have carbon fiber this and that, made my own "stuff" but it is not cheap to do this and required an inordinate amount of time.

Molleur,

what are you doing in carbon??

 

[Jack]

Dan,
Send me a PM

 

[John]

Brad, i agree with the statement it can be done if you dont get tempted by the bling, i built a 7 type clubman, not a 40 or an SLC i know but a damn site quicker,lol. the original car was built with stock engine and drive line etc on a budget 25k and got on the road and was driven and i do mean driven, but then that dreaded upgadeous bug set in and now its an absolute weapon, 0-100 in 2.8sec and over 4 years has cost more than the price of an SLC kit. but as Fran will agree 300hp in a car weighing 1100 lbs is well worth it.
My advice is build it first without the bling factor, drive it then upgrade as time money and SWMBO allows.
cheers Kaspa

 

[Jack]

John,

YEP!