A Beginners Guide to Kit Cars
June 3rd, 2009 by Alex Jeffery
Looking to build or buy a kit car? Our team of kit car specialists describe the components of a kit car and how to get it on the road.
Overview
A kit car is a collection of mechanical components and body parts that are assembled to form a road worthy vehicle. They can come in many variations, from basic to complete, which include every last nut and bolt.
A basic kit generally consists of the body and chassis components of the car with a few odds and ends thrown in for good measure to get you started.
If you purchase a basic kit from a manufacturer, you are then left to source the majority of the mechanical components yourself. This generally takes the form of purchasing a donor car (explained below).
The Body
In general the body will be constructed from GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic), also known as fibre glass which is then normally finished with a gel coat that sets hard and gives the smooth finish one would expect from a car body. Depending on what the manufacturer is offering, this gel coat can be available in many different colours which form the finished surface. If you opt to spray the body then the gel coat will normally be grey.
The Chassis
The chassis is generally fabricated out of various types of metal of differing gauges. Some form sheet metal to create the chassis and some use a combination of both.
The Donor car
The donor car required will be specified by the manufacturer. Popular choices are mainly mass produced cars such as the Ford Sierra and Ford Fiesta. These cars normally donate a large proportion of their mechanical components such as the gearbox, engine, suspension etc to be cleaned up and fitted into the newly purchased kit.
The Manufacturers
Manufactures of kit cars are normally small privately owned businesses run by people that are very enthusiastic about what they produce.
A typical manufacturer would have designed and developed the car they are selling themselves. The fabrication of the kit (the body, chassis and other specialist components) is normally either done in-house or subcontracted out to specialist firms. Some kit manufacturers for instance make the GRP bodies for other kit manufactures.
Besides the Body and Chassis of the kit, manufacturers often supply a large proportion of the remaining items that are needed to complete the build. Some of the components are specific to that particular kit, so you generally have to purchase these items from the manufacturer. Other items are more general and you can pick and choose where to buy them from.
Most manufacturers offer complete kits which just leaves you to find the components supplied by the donor car. A lot of manufacturers can also supply reconditioned donor parts. It’s really up to you as to how involved you want to get in the build of the car.
The Building
Various choices exist regarding the actual build of a kit car. One of the many reasons for wanting a kit car is the actual build itself. Many people find that this is the best part of the whole kit car ownership cycle – others would rather someone else did it.
It’s entirely down to you how you want to play it. You can build it completely yourself or get someone else to build it such as a keen friend or a specialist company.
If you are going to attempt the build yourself then a good starting point for your new build is a clean and dry garage with a workbench and mains electrics plus all the tools that every self respecting garage should contain.
Most people keep a record of the time it takes and the cost of the overall build. It’s important that you keep all receipts of the build, right down to the last tin of paint, as the vehicle licensing office will want to see them when the time comes to register your new car.
Registering our New Car
All kit cars with four wheels or over have to pass a Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) test. This test involves a thorough examination of your completed vehicle at an authorised testing centre to check that it complies with the latest regulations.
The Vehicle Inspectorate website goes into more detail as to what is expected of a vehicle to get approval.
Do make sure before purchasing a kit that the manufacturer can provide proof that his car, if built properly will pass the SVA test. Avoid manufactures that employ tactics that enable the car ‘to get round the SVA test’. This generally means that certain components are either missing from the car or are only on the car temporarily for the expressed purpose of passing the SVA test. These items are then removed afterwards.
Insuring your Kit Car
If you need a kit car insurance quote, give the team at Sureterm Direct a call on 0800 999 2030. They won’t charge you for the phone calls, but they will save you money on your kit car insurance policy.