preparing to build first stratos

[doner21]

ive been intending to build a kit car for some time now.my original intention was to build a ford mustang 1969.that all changed when i strolled down camden town in london and saw my first ever lancia stratos.i fell in love instantly.i now want to get down to building one of these beuties but im at odds as where to start.
are there any manufactures of the body and chasis other than hawk? i cant seem to find what the general price of the kit is ie. the body chasis, suspension....is it a good idea price wise to invest in an old beta for its engine or buy the engine with the kit.what other doner cars can i use?i intend to spend at least 8000pounds on the thing is this a realistic price?
put simply how can i get started.

thanks

[mogul_x]

Having been in your position myself about a year ago, I can appreciate what you're going through. Based on my experience, I can offer the following:

Regarding manufacturers - Hawk Cars is currently the only game in town if you're looking for a new kit. Hennessey is supposed to be offering an updated version of the CAE / Litton Corse, but it is not available yet. There are a number of unfinished Hawk and Corse kits floating around out there, so you may have more choices if you're willing to buy secondhand.

Prices on used kits are whatever the market will bear. I've seen unfinished Hawks for sale as low as 7000 Pounds, and an unstarted Corse was just sold for somewhere around 4-5K not too long ago. For prices on new kits, you should contact Hawk Cars. They used to have a price list that was published, and was included in their sales literature, but the prices went up at the beginning of this year, and I don't know if they have been updated.

Personally, I think 8000 pounds is a little on the low side, unless you opt to fabricate a lot of the "extras" yourself, or get a good deal on a used kit. I just ordered a new HF3000 about this time last year, along with most of the optional parts, and the total came out to about 12000 pounds. Factor in the donor engine, wheels, tires, paint, and the menagerie of donor parts needed to complete the build, and the cost of a running car can top 20000 Pounds without too much difficulty.

I'm figuring on US$35000 for my car, and I think it would be tough to bring a new kit in under 15000 Pounds. If you get a good deal on a used kit, I think 11000 is probably not unrealistic. So much of the cost is dependent on what donor parts you opt to use, that there is a pretty wide range of finished costs.

As for donor cars - Hawk Cars makes standard kits for the Beta, Alfa Romeo 164 v-6, and Ferrari 246. Other engines can be fitted, but somtimes require a little effort to make run, since they are not supported from the factory. Honda V-6 and Ferrari 308 v-8's have been successfully installed, but it's simplest to stick with the Alfa or Beta. Lots of them running, and all of the parts are ready made. There have also been a lot of 164's for sale lately on this forum - cheap!

You'll need more than just the engine and tranny from a donor car. Regardless of which engine you use, you'll still need a few Lancia Beta components to finish the build. I can give you a fairly comprehensive list if you like.

I'd recommend contacting Hawk Cars for more info on a new kit. Their phone number is (01892) 750341. They can probably quote prices, or mail you some literature. You might also find them online at www.hawkcars.co.uk

If you want to look into used kits, keep a lookout on the For Sale / Wanted page on this Forum. They show up periodically, both as unfinished kits and complete cars.

You've already done the best thing possible to get started - you logged onto this forum!

Cheers,

[chris.richard]

Visit the Hawk website:- http://www.hawkcars.co.uk/ it'll get you some prices and info. There the only kit source just now. Realistically there's no chance of putting one on the road from scratch for that money, I'd guess £20,000 more like. You can get a part-built or perhaps a rough finished one for £7000 upwards, but it's a rare car. The more you source and refurbish yourself, the cheaper you can do it - the less you wan't to do, the more you have to pay. Alfa V6 engines cost from £300 straight from a scrappy, to £7000 for a race prepared engine on throttle bodies.
It's a great dream though, but it can take time to realise it - some have taken 15 years to build, I took 13 just to get started from your stage!
Where there's a will, there's a way. You've already found the best place for information, try also the yahoo forum can someone else post the address?

Good luck!

[chris.richard]

Scott - you type quicker than me!!

[JohnB_SPY8808053]

Hi & Welcome to the forums.

There is currently only one kit available new - that being the Hawk HF series. These kits re-create the original Stradale & Group 4 cars. The Group 4 kits are availabel with both early curved & late square arches. The Hawk kits are generally regarded as emphasising accurate reproduction of the original cars and a well prepared Hawk can be VERY hard to tell from the real thing. You might also hear about the Transformer kits. These are really just older versions of the Hawk. There are a few small differences but they were produced by the same company and all of the parts are interchangeable with the Hawk. The Transformer and Hawk are the more popular kit with several hundred having been produced.

The other popular kit is the Corse. Like the Hawk, all the original body styles are available. The Corse is generally considered to emphasize performance over authenticity. To this end, the chassis has been re-enginered several times to improve stiffness, suspension, etc. The newer revisions have the best preformance but also look the least like the original. Unlike the Hawk, a Corse is easily identified as a replica once you open the bodywork. You might also hear of the Allora kits. These are essentially older versions of the Corse. My understanding is that not all of the parts are interchangeable between the two. The Corse is currently out of production but might be available again in the future. That said, there does not seem to be a great shortage of parts or support from current owners.

There is also Hennesy Racing who manufactures a reproduction of the Stratos Group 5 car. This is the extra long and wide track racing car. I am not sure what the current status of this project is. I had heard that Hennesy was considering taking over production of the Corse.

As for the cost to put one together... The consensus seems to be that the cheapest route is to buy an incomplete kit and finish it yourself. We have estimated that this could be done for as little as 20,000 USD. This would require some compromises but you would still end up with a fine car that you could improve later. A more realistic firgure would be 30,000 USD. If there's an upper limit to what can be spent, I haven't found it. You could easily spend another 30,000 USD to build a nice Ferrari Dino V6 in racing trim and double the cost of the car.

If you have never had a ride in one, I STRONGLY suggest you hook up with a nearby onwer. I'd bet you're not nearly as hooked now as you will be after your first ride. :D

Well, that's my .02 - I hope it was helpful.


John B.


PS - If I have botched any facts, somebody please let me know.

[JohnB_SPY8808053]

Darn - Scott & Chris both beat me to it! :p

John B.

[JohnB_SPY8808053]

Reading the other posts, I thought it was kinda neat how close our estimates and information are to each other.

John B.

[doner21]

thanks alot for both of your replies its good to see a forum where i can see such good support

cheers!

[mogul_x]

Originally posted by JohnB_SPY8808053
Reading the other posts, I thought it was kinda neat how close our estimates and information are to each other.

Especially since we were writing the replies all at the same time!

Not too surprising, I guess, since the three of us have all seen and discussed the same cost estimate that was worked up for Chris' car.