Building a car from scratch

Hi Steve, It all looks fairly do able until you start to offer up the bits and they don;t QUITE fit ! In my case an MGB engine and overdrive box into an Austin Cambridge estate ! I knewI I would have to make a special prop shaft and the exhaust was different BUT the gear box rear mount was 1.5" futher back and the top of the box was higher so the tunnel had to be raised.

Your clutch problem, SO MUCH FUN when the rest say it CAN'T be done and you say OH YES IT CAN !

All of this was simple compared to your job, I just wanted it to work, it didn;t have to be pretty, what you did was beautiful. So many kit cars never get finished so to see yours was a joy. Best Wishes Noel.

I remember 14% mortgages ...

That'll test your household budgeting! I bought my first house circa 1986 with mortgages at that level. A modern car was out of the question, which meant that mechanical skills including welding were essential. How times change!

ETA: 5% MIR is normal.

Bought our first house in 1986 too, could only afford a complete wreck, mortgage took most of our income. Remember researching central heating using books from the library and then planning and fitting it myself. In some ways it was great, nothing felt impossible even though we were perpetually skint, you just had to be inventive and resourceful.

Built this a good few years back, in fact it was why i bought my first lathe a Cromwell 3.5”. Mr Sparey’s book was a well thumbed tome back then.

Kawasaki ZX900 engine, very lightweight car, approx 450kg with 140bhp and an 11,000 rpm redline.

Made my own rear brake set up using Motorcycle disks and homemade alloy bells. And a mechanical paddle shift system with a quickshifter for clutchless up and down shifts.

Had lots of fun with it once finished, did trackdays at most of the British tracks, Harewood Hillclimb, Curborough Sprint, also plenty of drag racing at York Raceway.

Eventually sold it to lovely chap who drove all the way from Hungary with a trailer attached to collect.