"The Homemades"; Build Your Own Sportscar for £1000 ($1800)

[Dave A]

A friend of mine used the engine and transmission from a Ford Escort to build one of these, but he endnded up taking his a bit above budget, but willingly so. He had racing seats, fiberglass bodywork, it was supercharged and had a professional roll cage fitted, built for Seven's. I also used to know a guy who actually builds these for a living, he spends about 2 months building one, registers it and then advertises it for sale in various kit car magazines for between 7-11 grand depending on what he's built it on and the spec etc. He used to live near me but he's moved out into the hills and I haven't seen him or spoken to him for almost 2 years now.

 

[YSSMAN]

I think it would be great to start a business where you could build the cars and sell them, but the payoff between time invested versus that of returns may not be that great.

God, it must be great building one in Europe. You folks have such a wide range of engines and transmissions to choose from, parts must be a dime-a-dozen over there.

Idea!

...Has anyone tried to build a diesel-powered Seven?

 

[niky]

I wouldn't be surprised... but it would be an unconventional choice. A small capacity diesel from an old Isuzu Gemini (70's RWD version) would be an interesting fit... at the expense of straight line speed. I don't know of very many other small capacity diesels.

RE: 4AGEs and SR20s... they're relatively easy to get a hold of over there if you know the right people. It would actually be slightly more difficult to get a naturally aspirated RWD SR20 as the Silvia market demands SR20DETs... but you should be able to get one no problem.

Ford Escort engines would be an obivous choice. Very cheap and easy to find, I suppose. But I'm not sure how easy parts would be if you live in the US.

 

[Jay]

How about fitting two (one in the front one in the rear) of the 'big four' Japanese 1000cc motorcycle engines, that would be some fun high revving goodness.

 

[niky]

Not possible in a LOCOST, I'd think. But it's been done in a Mini (the old one). Should be good for a laugh, but probably hardly driveable.

 

[Jay]

I wasn't specifcally referring to a Lotus 7 style kit car but rather in any home made cheap sportscars.

 

[Dave A]

I think it would be great to start a business where you could build the cars and sell them, but the payoff between time invested versus that of returns may not be that great.

It would depend heavilly on demand at the time, during the summer he sells them pretty soon after the ads go in the mags, but during the winter he has held onto on up until the next summer before it's sold. You sell 3 or 4 a year and it's a well paid full time job.

God, it must be great building one in Europe. You folks have such a wide range of engines and transmissions to choose from, parts must be a dime-a-dozen over there.

I'd love to have a go, my knowledge and expertise don't extend as far as would be ideal but I'd still like to try at some point. and yeah we do have a lot of engine and transmission choices that will fit, I have seen people with two motorbike engines in one, I've seen everything from V8's thorugh to rotary powered Sevns.

Idea!

...Has anyone tried to build a diesel-powered Seven?

But I've never seen a diesel, but that's a very interesting concept, especially now that diesel technology has improved so much in the last 5 or 6 years.

 

[YSSMAN]

@ The Motorcycle-powered idea: There was one tested in the Car and Driver article, as it used a Honda CBR powerplant. It was quick, but it broke before it could be completely wrang out.

@ The diesel question: It makes me wonder how much the performance of the car would be compromised given that many diesel powerplants now make more power than their petrol counterparts. Granted, they aren't built for speed like the other high-rev petrol engines, but it would be interesting to see one done. Maybe steal the powertrain out of the 130d?

 

[Jay]

@ The Motorcycle-powered idea: There was one tested in the Car and Driver article, as it used a Honda CBR powerplant. It was quick, but it broke before it could be completely wrang out.

Got anymore info on it? What size CBR engine?

 

[YSSMAN]

The man used the .9L engine from the Honda CBR900, of which he bought for $600 here in the US. He mounted the engine on the left side of the car and placed the driver on the right, hoping to "balance" the car's weight distrobution between the two. The rear differential is from an old Merkur XR4Ti and the suspension was made from Miata bits and pieces. Given that the car weighed only 924 lbs, the engine was burdened with about 7.4 lbs/BHP putting it into Corvette territory with power-to-weight ratios.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I heard of the LOCOST idea a while ago. I've heard it turns into abit of a bumper contest after a while though.


One of the teachers (Who i know quite well) started making a Tiger Super Six in the D&T department. It came with the chassis and a few aluminium body panels that were no where near the correct size. There were going to power it with a 2ltr straight 4 from a Ford Granada.

A mate and I helped for abit but there was little we could do because under the school rules we were only allowed to use tools rated at a certain power.

Since leaving because of my exams my sis (who's still in the school) tells me they've finished it Gonna have to pop in and see it soon.

 

[Duke]

Pics please. I choose not to buy American auto publications as they are overly biased and etc etc.

Oh, puh-lease. This is quite possibly the most ridiculous statement I've read in the last 3 months.

First off, Japanese and European cars regularly beat American cars in American magazine comparisons. Biased against American cars, did you mean?

Second off, show me a non-American magazine that isn't biased. You may worship the leather Jeremy Clarkson's ass sits on, but that doesn't mean that the non-American press isn't biased.

Third off, watch 30 seconds of Top Gear or read one issue of evo that doesn't bash American cars or behave condescendingly towards Americans in some way. The most 'positive' thing I've ever seen about an American car in several years' worth of evo is a grudging admittance that the C6 Corvette could maybe actually be a somewhat nice car, but it's not available in RHD and isn't suited to British roads anyway (as if all American roads are perfectly smooth, a mile wide, dead flat, and have banked turns).

I actually had something on-topic to add when I came in here, but I just couldn't let an idiotic post like that go unchallenged.

 

[Scaff]

The baisic concept is to build what is commonly known as a "LOCOST," a spinoff of the word "Lotus" in reference to the fact that it is baisically a Lotus 7 on the cheap.

Almost right, the name is both a play on the Lotus Seven, but also LOw COST, as in cheap to build and race.

Third off, watch 30 seconds of Top Gear or read one issue of evo that doesn't bash American cars or behave condescendingly towards Americans in some way. The most 'positive' thing I've ever seen about an American car in several years' worth of evo is a grudging admittance that the C6 Corvette could maybe actually be a somewhat nice car, but it's not available in RHD and isn't suited to British roads anyway (as if all American roads are perfectly smooth, a mile wide, dead flat, and have banked turns).

Duke

While I would agree with you in regard to Top Gear and its (cheeky) comments regarding american cars, I have to defend Evo. Having subscribed since issue one and before that Performance Car, I consider Evo to be fairly even handed in its approach to American cars, but they do review them with the UK in mind.

To see a Dodge RAM or 'Vette on the road over here is really the only way to see just how 'big' they are on our roads, and how much of a nightmare 'wrong' hand-drive can be.

You should grab a copy of this months Evo, the review of the Shelby Mustang GT500 is gushing in its praise, if I may quote.

Comparing the GT500 to an M6 or AMG might seem laughable on the surface, but the Shelby gets under your skin. It's a big friendly giant of a car, and where its German rivals have got the seven speed gearboxes and precision-damped cup holders, the Shelby has something you can't engineer with all the technology in the world: character.

I personally consider Evo a lot more US friendly that some of the desciption of the UK I've seen in some US mags, who at times seem to think we are stuck circa 1955.

How about fitting two (one in the front one in the rear) of the 'big four' Japanese 1000cc motorcycle engines, that would be some fun high revving goodness.

Not possible in a LOCOST, I'd think. But it's been done in a Mini (the old one). Should be good for a laugh, but probably hardly driveable.

Here you go

Tiger Z100

Two Gixxer 1000cc engine in a 'Seven' style body, most certainly mental.

Regards

Scaff

 

[Dave A]

Duke

While I would agree with you in regard to Top Gear and its (cheeky) comments regarding american cars, I have to defend Evo. Having subscribed since issue one and before that Performance Car, I consider Evo to be fairly even handed in its approach to American cars, but they do review them with the UK in mind.

To see a Dodge RAM or 'Vette on the road over here is really the only way to see just how 'big' they are on our roads, and how much of a nightmare 'wrong' hand-drive can be.

I agree, TopGear is tongue in cheek, their reviews both in the mag and on TV have found that they do like a lot of the American cars, the Mustang, Viper SRT-10, Corvette C6 to name a few all ended up being given the thumbs up, they just have a laugh along the way, but they do that with most cars including from the UK, Germany, Japan, Australia and France. Evo is quite possibly the most reliable mag in the UK, it's certainly imo the best car mag I've ever read by a long shot, and that includes mags from mainland Europe and America.

 

[Keef]

Should have seen this earlier. I did get this issue, and though I haven't read the article yet, I think building your own 7 is an awesome idea. I don't have the talent or resources--besides money--to build one, but I sure wouldn't mind driving one! Some of them are pretty cheap and crappy, but ones like the forth one featured in the article--the expensive one--can be civilized enough for daily use and fast enough for weekend autocrosses. I'd put an S2000 engine in a 7-style chassis. Or maybe a Renesis. That'd be unique and sweet.

 

[Carl.]

I've always wanted to put a Hayabusa engine into one of these. Fisher Fury



Sub 4 seconds to 60 with the motorcycle engine. Around 1000 lbs.

That thing is gorgeous. Plus it's availible in North America. 👍

*starts saving money*

I hope I can fit all of my 6 feet in it though...

 

[Keef]

That car does look really good, but I still think I'd rather have a 7. You can see the front wheels and the suspension, so you may be able to guide the car more precisely. I don't know if you could pay attention to that while driving or not, but it seems feasable. I also just love the aura the 7 has to it. It's just happy and fast and awesome.

 

[Dave A]

A renesis engined Seven replica has already been done, but they certainly arn't the norm.

 

[opendriver]

Or maybe a Renesis. That'd be unique and sweet.

Or a 4 rotor from the 787B making 900+hp
You would most likely need TCS or some reaalllllyyy soft tires

--OR--

Go with a 3 rotor design like this:

 

[YSSMAN]

...Not to throw this completely off-topic, but I find it funny that EVO seemed to like the GT500 while Car and Driver (possibly the most popular American automotive magazine) was pretty dissapointed in the car. Granted, they still liked it, but for them, the price and performance difference between it and the Corvette is just too much to seriously consider the GT500 when looking for an American sportscar.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't want one though. They are pretty nice, but I like the old Cobra better.

---
Back to the Locost discussion:

A Subaru STi-powered (American-spec) Locost would be an interesting model, but I'm wondering how well it would work out in just RWD...

 

[Tornado]

I'd love to get an old 5.0 Mustang and try to build a Locost with a 302 crammed in it.

You can buy kits designed from the start to take Rover 5.0L's.
Personally, I like that one I read about in Automobile:
450BHP, quad-turbo, 13b-powered Locust with a foot-tall spoiler on the back and a full splitter on the front. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called, but I know they are built and sold in Texas.

 

[ExigeEvan]

...Not to throw this completely off-topic, but I find it funny that EVO seemed to like the GT500 while Car and Driver (possibly the most popular American automotive magazine) was pretty dissapointed in the car. Granted, they still liked it, but for them, the price and performance difference between it and the Corvette is just too much to seriously consider the GT500 when looking for an American sportscar.

The thing is they don't expect it to handle well. They go into the review with low expectations so any positives are great.

 

[YSSMAN]

^ Good point, I suppose that I didn't think of it that way.

 

[harrytuttle]

Of all the things I try to remember these days, this is where my memory fails to fail me.

Bike-engined:
http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk/megabusa.htm

Twin-engined (but not four-wheel-drive):
http://www.tigerracing.com/cars/tiger-z100-main.php


There's other twin-engined cars out there, but I couldn't find any Lotus 7 replicas with that configuration. There's the MTM/Audi TT BiMoto, the Hyundai I mentioned earlier (http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/features/0203scc_horsepower/), and probably lots of others out there.

But bike-engined replicas are pretty abundant, so long as they're not V-twins (which I'm sure are out there, too).

Basically, if you can think it up, someone's already done it by the time you've typed it.

Edit: Late!

 

[Omnis]

He claims that it can all be done for under $2000 by parting out the donor car, buying scrap yard material, and fabricating most of it yourself.

I'd love to see how it performs in the wet. I mean, if I'm not mistaken, isn't the tread design on the left two tires supposed to be running away from the car? Aren't those right-side tires put on incorrectly? When will people learn...

 

[harrytuttle]

I hate to take things further off-topic, but:

Oh, puh-lease. This is quite possibly the most ridiculous statement I've read in the last 3 months.

First off, Japanese and European cars regularly beat American cars in American magazine comparisons. Biased against American cars, did you mean?

Quite honestly, all the car magazines are biased to one direction or another. UK's Car seems to be heavy on the diesel estate binge since 2004. Evo goes with Porsche 'uber allen'. Top Gear just does whatever Clarkson says. Import Tuner is Honda heavy. Turbo is self-evident. Car & Driver (and Road & Track...basically the same magazine) are echoing the US market after the fact, not before hand.

There's nothing wrong with this, so long as the reader is aware ahead of time. There's ScoobySport, which seems tailor-made the the Subaru fan that is myself. Except I think it sucks. It's like going to AVN Awards and expecting bible study. Of course a Subaru will win the group test. What I want to read is held in the pages of Evo (mostly) and Car (less so these days). Why? I like the writing style, which is without question better than any US magazine that doesn't have Jamie Kitman. It also runs up cars that I think are interesting and would satisfy my "needs" in a car -- a fun car.

Oh, I miss Alexi Sayle and Rowan Atkinson. They were fun. Jay Leno in Octane almost makes up for it, but not quite.

 

[Jay]

Here you go

Tiger Z100

Two Gixxer 1000cc engine in a 'Seven' style body, most certainly mental.

Regards

Scaff

Haha, thats great, thanks for the link. 👍

I like that one I read about in Automobile:
450BHP, quad-turbo, 13b-powered Locust with a foot-tall spoiler on the back and a full splitter on the front. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called, but I know they are built and sold in Texas.

They must have two turbochargers per exhaust, that would be interesting to see.

 

[Duke]

Quite honestly, all the car magazines are biased to one direction or another.

That was my point entirely. To flatly state that American magazines are all biased (with the implication that other countries' magazines are NOT biased) is simply ludicrous.

I can't seem to find the site, but there is an American manufacturer that makes a Seven replica using S10 running gear that will accept GM's excellent supercharged 3.8 litre engine. With several million donors around for both suspension and drivertrain, it's fairly cost-effective to build.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I ...And this would be one of the as-tested "Locosts" (Built by Keith Tanner)

^ His cost just over $10,000 using a doner '91 Mazda Miata MX-5 with a few extra parts. The car is pretty fast for $10,000;

0-60 in 4.7 sec, 0-100 in 14.8 sec, 70-0 in 141 ft, .98 on the skidpad.

He lives by me.👍 I've seen that car in action several times. As a matter of fact, he'll be out at the track on Sunday.

 

[YSSMAN]

An S10 sports car? Are you sure you aren't BX in hiding? (LOL)

That is one wacky idea, but it does make sense with the parts available and how cheap they would be. But my only question comes to how they get the 3800 S/C to work with what I assume is a manual transmission. Given that it is designed for FWD cars, 4T65E (or was it the HD?) transmissions, there must have been a lot of work done to get it to work out right.