So, give Caterham $30k and they'll dump some car parts at your door?

"Burrito de EJ25" (alexcarrillo01) 01/31/2014 at 00:50 • Filed to: bishwhet, Caterham, crackpipe

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Kit includes all parts to assemble Caterham Classic with the exception of engine, transmission and all engine ancillaries. Customer to supply engine, transmission, installation parts and accessories.

Not even an engine, or a transmission!

From: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

#bishwhet #crackpipe

JasonStern911 > Burrito de EJ25 01/31/2014 at 01:12

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I've never understood how expensive kit cars are. I mean, I'm not saying the creators shouldn't be rewarded, but even the more questionable kits still run $10k. For the car featured in the book "Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250". :(

Soloburrito > Burrito de EJ25 01/31/2014 at 01:25

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The answer is Exocet Miata.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Burrito de EJ25 01/31/2014 at 01:36

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My hombre here will sell you a Caterham for whatever change you have in your pocket.

I_AmDeath > Soloburrito 01/31/2014 at 01:43

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Holy fuck yes it is indeed.

Orange Exige > JasonStern911 01/31/2014 at 11:50

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I mean, it's a lot of work and time to build a Locost for 250 pounds (couple hundred USD). Not to mention that it requires a lot of various skills like fabrication.

I can kinda understand why Caterhams are so expensive but at the same time I can't deny that they do definitely seem too expensive.
With a Caterham you are saving an incredible amount of time and work and you are also getting an authentic modern Lotus Seven. Definitely has a brand name premium on the price tag.

JasonStern911 > Orange Exige 01/31/2014 at 21:39

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Right, but most kit cars require salvaging parts off of existing cars. They also require zero crash testing, emission testing, and various other regulatory requirements that make purchasing a new vehicle so expensive. Presuming the kit manufacturers make a very generous $100 an hour, I'm not seeing 100+ hours of labor for a bare bones kit that the average person will then have to spend another 200 hours assembling.

Orange Exige > JasonStern911 01/31/2014 at 23:56

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200 hours of assembly?

I'm quite doubtful of that. Or at least I hope it isn't that high o_O

Eventually I do hope to get myself a Seven of some sort and I'm pretty much decided on not building my own Locost - it's just not for me, even though I normally am a big (super thrifty) DIY guy and it'd be crazy awesome to build a car from scratch. Caterham's got you if you really want a Seven of high quality and aren't willing to put all the time in yourself and frankly, I'm not willing to do so - not to mention I lack equipment and some skills/knowledge.

So one day will I splurge on a Caterham, even if it's hardly the most cost-effective thing of the sort? Certainly not unlikely. It's not like they're $100,000 at least... :/

I think it sucks that you can't source everything from them to really get a ready-to-build package but I do understand that they can't be selling the motor with it, lest it not be considered a kit car.

JasonStern911 > Orange Exige 02/01/2014 at 13:31

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200 hour estimates aren't specific to the Caterham kits, but rather some of the other "Stage 1" through "Stage 3" kits that run about $10k (which I still view is too high). I imagine a $30k kit would be much more complete.

Honestly, if I was going to drop $30k into a kit car, I would go with Factory Five's GTM Supercar.

But then, I am a sucker for mid-engined LSx powered cars.

Orange Exige > JasonStern911 02/02/2014 at 00:56

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You see, I'm a sucker for a classic Lotus that is utterly impractical in virtually every way possible.

Not a supercar, but honestly I don't even want a supercar. Besides those hideous wheels, that Factory Five looks sweet, but $30k and I'll take a Seven any day.

I don't think I'd spend any money on any kit car besides a Caterham truthfully, even if it were $10k and had the same performance as a Seven - it's just not the same.

JasonStern911 > Orange Exige 02/02/2014 at 01:04

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Is the Lotus Seven an impractical car, or a practical motorcycle? Either way, I get the appeal. They're just cost prohibitive, as denoted by the fact you could build a supercar with a Chevy LSx engine and Porsche transmission for the same cost as an authentic Caterham replica.

That said, I would look into a Factory Five 818.

At less than half the cost to build, plus a reliable, modern fuel injected Subaru drivetrain, the odds of completing such a project seems quite a bit higher.

My apologies for touting Factory Five over and over again. I'm not a paid sponsor or anything...

Orange Exige > JasonStern911 02/02/2014 at 17:02

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Like I said, supercar status isn't that attractive to me.
LS-powered Factory Five or an authentic 4-banger Caterham, I wouldn't bat an eyelash at that choice despite the price difference. In some cases it just isn't about money or power. That's the power of Lotus - and of course by extension, Caterham.

Agree to disagree basically ;)