Hello All,

I am new to the forum, and seriously thinking about building a Locost. i am only 18. so need to be a bit careful on the insurance front. i was thinking about using a Mini 1275 engine. has this been done? if so what problems were there in the build?

Also being an Accountant i am not masively mechanically minded, but am looking for a chalenge. any help would be great.

also i have seen companies selling pre made chassis, are these really worth going for?

Joe

the mini has it's gearbox in it's sump. I don't know how it's (FWD) diff is connected. It might make conversion to RWD difficult.

Kitcar insurance tends to be cheap so a 1.6 CVH out of a sierra may not ba a bad starter.

Joe, as the mini engine is a transverse unit it woun't work in an inline application with out considerable mods. The 1275 from a midget or similar will work however. (that is what I am using). Now if you wanted to build a mid engined car the you could use the mini engine.transmission et al.

D.

If you want to keep the cc down for insurance reasons why not consider an 1100 or 1300 out of mk2 escort. Would make a tidy almost single donor option. Could then be easy to upgrade to 1700 xflow later (check this out first, im more up on pintos).

If you fit a 600 / 750 / 900 bike engine what does this do to the insurance. Do they look at it in cc terms or power terms??

I am torn between two projects at the moment, one of which is the rear engine mini option, if you want info Jody U2U me
Cheers
Mark

Thanks for that. are there any particular models of sierra to look out for?? and what sort of price do they appear for??

hi,
after phoning loads of insurance companies a year or so ago (i was 20) they all said as long as the engine is no bigger than 2L, then the quotes are all the same as long as it isnt fuel injected.
i have been quoted £475 for mine, no no-claims etc... and im only 21.
hope this helps.
Tom

Jody,

I bought a ready made chassis job and can say yes - they are worth going for. The problem is choice. Start at a show and see some in 'the flesh'. They all have pros and cons. The price lists are very confusing as no two are like for like, however after doing your homework you can try some bartering with your top 3 choices (thanks to Mac#1 for the free shockers). I shortened my choices to 3. I did this as 2 of them were very close together and one was on the way home. I spoke to them all and got a feel for what they were offering and how much help i thought they would be when problems arise etc. To be honest the final choice was very difficult but im now enjoying the build and my chassis and extra bits are going together very well.

One tip, take a look in the classified adverts. The same names keep appearing for sale, often unfinished. Ask yourself why, i have my own oppinions.

In terms of technical skills - my father is a production planner and whilst having some skills etc hes by no means a time served engineer. He has just completed a MK Dedion and loved every bit of it. careful selection of the kit and talking to people who have built them can make the difference between an enjoyable hobby and a nightmare.

If funds are extremely tight then dont be put off the true locost route, just do your homework first.

It sounds like engine choice is pretty open. Try getting some quotes first. Any of the standard 2wd Sierras will make good donors. Mine was a late dohc version - a good example of what not to buy. The engine was terminally ill and every part bar the diff needed major overhaul / replacement. It had been stood on a farm for over 2 years. I got it for nowt but it has cost me more in the long run. I would have been better off getting a Pinto (SOHC) runner just out of test for a few quid more. Chances are it might have had recent new parts fitted etc.

Sermon over (phew) I hope it all helps.

Darren

PS i too was a complete se7en novice 6 months ago - the crew on this forum have helped me enormously, even if only be reading the discussions.

Why not look at the 1.4 Cvh mated to Sierra drive train not that diificult

I got my insurance for £298 at 21 with no no-claims, and that's with a 2L pinto, so I shouldn't worry too much about the insurance side. My insurance is with Sureterm Direct.

I've posted all my insurance quotes in THIS THREAD.

As for not being mechanically minded, I had never so much as changed a wheel on a car and I managed to build my MK Indy without too much trouble so I'm sure you'll be fine!

Pete

Tom, when you say the quotes are the same for any carb-fuelled 2L engine, does that mean that the insurance on a twin weber Vauxhall XE would be the same as my standard 2L pinto? If so I'd better get cracking on my engine conversion!

Pete