Decisions, decisions...

"DamnTheNoise" (damnthenoise) 11/05/2016 at 15:04 • Filed to: None

1

27

I need help. I’m seriously thinking of doing the absurd, and building a kitcar, and thus I’m looking for input. I’ve narrowed it down to a few options, but if I’m going to really do this, I need to stat getting serious, and pick one.

And this, dear Opponauts, is where ya’ll come in. We make constant jokes about Fauxrraris, and I while I’m not beyond putting my creation out of its misery if it does wind up a monster, I’d rather start with something where I have a chance of having a great ride that makes me smile. I’d like your help (or ridicule) in deciding which way to go.

What I’m looking for is something with 2 seats, a manual transmission (or sequential), street daily driver, and enough room for a weekend bag or two. Here’s what I’ve narrowed it down to:

A modern Stratos, with an Alfa heart. Tiny, nimble, probably kill me in the back woods of MA.

Lister Bell STR - Stratos anyone?

A fiberglass bodied 356 coupe, with a watercooled subie motor. I’ve always liked the body lines of the 356, but the rust issues, the value of used ones, and limited power are kinda sad. A speedster would be fun too, but seems over done.

Kitzkrieg 356 coupe - it won’t rust when I look at it

RCR/SLC GT-R. A Robertson Racing Ford GT, as a kit car. If this thing had any damn ground clearance there would be no question.

Race Car Replicas GT-R. None more $kay

So what say you, and be realistic. Street car, back road bomber. Not a track car, well not more than once a year.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:07

1

Do the Stratos! and then let me drive it!

The Lurktastic Opponaught > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:07

0

I like the 356.

Nothing > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:14

2

I’d build a Daytona Cobra Coupe. A few options out there.

jimz > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:15

0

if I had “fuck you money” I’d probably do an Ultima or Factory Five GTM. But among your choices I’d probably go with the Stratos.

71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:23

0

I think the 356 would be awesome. Is an Ultima in the cards or no?

MM54 > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:30

0

All three are good options, and having no idea what they cost (in general and compared to eachother) I’d be tempted to say screw practicality and go for the GT(-R). The Stratos comes in a close second; while I really like the look of a 356 something about the kit just seems weird to me.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:32

1

The Stratos is the most appealing to me out of those options, but daily driving it would be misery. A Lotus Seven clone with a hardtop would be a decent option although uncomfortable like the Stratos. Maybe one of the decent quality gt40 kits with coilovers to raise the ride height for DD duties or an AC Cobra and invest in a decent roof set up.

LongbowMkII > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:34

2

anything but a cobra kit.

Frenchlicker > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 15:50

1

If I had a choice of replicas I would love a 550 speedster. Of yours I like the 356 with the Stratos being a very close second. A 356 seems a bit more liveable though oddly enough. Also, that company has decent prices for a good looking replica in my books.

Edit: I have a new dream, get an RCR Monoposto and make it road legal.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 16:25

0

Stratos or 356 Coupe!

DamnTheNoise > 71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors 11/05/2016 at 16:29

0

Hadn’t thought of the Ultima’s. For some reason the look feels dated to me, which is funny considering the ones I’m looking at. Maybe I’ll take another look.

My bird IS the word > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 16:39

1

I’ve made it no secret that absolutely love the idea of kitcars. my suggestion is to get a kit with the best quality you can afford. The Lister Bell is on that level I believe, as it is not only designed as the original car was, but they have improved the passenger compartment as well. That one is on my potential list:

caterham 420s

Factory five type 65

Ultima evolution:

+the lister bell.

Its generally hard to tell from pictures what the materials quality is like, but I think that is going to be a large determinate of whether you like the car or not. Even cars like the factory five GTM look kinda cheap in person. it works on the daytona because its supposed to mimic a race car, but I would probably do a whole custom interior on that car if it were me. I think of your choices the LB will look the most like a manufactured car, so it will be all that sweeter when you tell people you built it yourself.

Just food for thought.

71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 17:07

0

I happen to think they look really good and I know they’re fast as stink. They also think they have spyder version which looks awesome too.

Not as cool as the old CanAm version but still

DamnTheNoise > My bird IS the word 11/05/2016 at 17:58

0

I’ve always liked the Caterhams, but I’m leaning away from convertibles. If I could get a roof like the Donkervoort, it might change my mind (hell if I could get one of those in this country I don’t think I’d even bother with a kit.

I’m right there with you on kit quality being paramount. I’ve heard really good things about SLC, and seeing the build threads on the GT-R makes me both impressed, and nervous. All the parts seem the be there, but you still have to do a bunch of fab work. I’m not mechanically inept, but I’m also not an automotive engineer.

FF seems to have a decent product, and I do like the 65 coupe, but the reviews I’ve seen have made it clear, as you said, that it’s a race car.

I’ll have to look at the Ultima again. I haven’t looked at them in years.

I’m starting to lean towards the Lister Bell a lot.

DamnTheNoise > Frenchlicker 11/05/2016 at 18:08

0

That Monoposto is so hot! I’ve wondered about titling one through New Hampshire. The 356 would definitely have more interior space, and with a WRX motor, would go like stink. My only issue is that the kit is likely a bit more complex. The roll cage is fully inside the cabin, so figuring out how to do the interior up nice would be a bit of work. The bonus is Kitzkrieg is in the US, and uses 356 parts.

I love the 550. There is a company  in Florida that makes alloy bodies, and the price wasn’t that bad 10 years ago. God knows what it is now. An aluminum 550 with a Polopolis 912 engine (912 bottom end with heads based off of a 911), would be so sweet. I’d just like something I could use in the rain.

DamnTheNoise > Nothing 11/05/2016 at 18:09

0

Who is there besides FF? The interior/windows is what had me crossing it off my list.

DamnTheNoise > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 11/05/2016 at 18:12

0

Do you think the Stratos would suck because of the lack of storage, or just a brutal little car? I never liked the proportions of the 7s with a soft top. The only hard top I’ve seen are the donkevoort, which is dead sexy.

I’ve thought about the GT40's, they seem to have enough ground clearance without needing to be lifted, but the kits seem a bit incomplete. RCR 40s finish up beautifully, but I’m afraid my skills might not be up to the task.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 18:33

0

The stratos would be uncomfortable mostly because the cabin is so tight.

Yeah its true theyd take some care to complete, but thats true of many kits. Only the more polished stuff like the caterhams are simply bolt together affairs.

Frenchlicker > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 19:55

0

I remember when that company started making those, it was a big deal. I do think they have shot up in price. I also agree with the rain sentiments. Also Ehat I seen on the site for the 356 didn’t mention the wrx engine. Is that just something common for that kit? I know I’ve seen it on some other Porsche based kits.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 20:02

0

I would do the Stratos, I think they said the Hawk (was it?) that are exactly the same and real Stratos owners replace body bits with them. I also heard the driving position is a bit improved in the replica, along with everything else since the originals were pretty rough. Porsche and Cobras scream fakes to me, so many Cobras out there.

Although a 289 with the LeMans top is pretty awesome and rarer, I hate convertibles so this appealed to me:

If I didn’t have a 240Z I would build an MGB GT Sebring clone with the aluminum/Rover V8, and then you don’t have a kit car. But the Stratos is cool since it’s almost impossible to have a real one and they copies are pretty close to what you would get.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Nothing 11/05/2016 at 20:04

0

My main issue with those is they don’t really look like the real ones, especially in person. That and the modern wheels are awful on all these copies.

promoted by the color red > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 20:10

0

Stratos replica with a WRX motor.

AntiSpeed > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 21:34

0

Wow those RCR kits look awesome. Are they really as good as they look?

My bird IS the word > DamnTheNoise 11/05/2016 at 22:57

0

Of your picks, I think the lister bell will make the nicest finished project

DamnTheNoise > AntiSpeed 11/05/2016 at 23:10

0

Supposedly, but how much of that is the work of the builders, I’m not sure. I know the quality of the stuff they build is amazing, but that’s just the skeleton at the end. I’ve heard complaints about the RCR GT40 and the P4s, but the SLC has had great reviews. I’m hoping the GT-R would fall towards that end, but their own page says it’s not meant as a street car (though it has DOT glass).

It is sweet.

NYankee1927 > DamnTheNoise 11/06/2016 at 23:20

0

I have my heart set on a kit car as well, but I’ll be doing a FF Cobra. After seeing kit cars at shows from both ends of the kit price spectrum, I think the final product is most dependent on the builder. It is second dependent on the budget. So, I’d gauge your skill with the complexity of the car. The 356 would be the easiest to have an awesome final product. The GT40 could easily end up looking like a hot mess without a ton of meticulous work. This was my major motivation for staying away from the GTM. I couldn’t feasibly see a final product I’d be happy with without spending at least 100K.

My plan is a mid to high budget Cobra build, with some fresh engineering to make up for the shortcomings of the kit. By far my biggest expense (besides drivetrain) will be the bodywork. No matter what, my bodywork always ends up looking like hell, and I hate the work, so I’ll be paying a shop to do that.

DamnTheNoise > NYankee1927 11/07/2016 at 00:10

1

The budget is the hardest thing to figure out. Kit + drivetrain + ??? = holy hell I spent how much?

I’m with you on bodywork. Its way to easy (for me) to screw up.

Good luck on the Cobra!