Wanting somthing special...

[MKS]

Hay guys I currently drive a Mitsi Evo 1..

i was thinking about getting rid of her then saving up for somthing special..
was thinking along the lines of a Lotus Esprit/911 or somekind of TVR... getting maybe around 10k to spend..

then i remembered about this place and that I always liked the stratos


I guess my question is how much on average do these cars sell for ?
or how much are the kits to get ?


and i guess how easy are the parts to get :) hehe



anyway thansk in advance guys..

[Chris J]

Hello Michael

You'll only find two or three cars coming up for sale each year. Or that could just as easily work out as six cars one year and only one the next. You might be lucky and find one straight away, but more than likely you'll need to have a decent amount of money ready and be patient.

Values for road going cars range from around £8000 to £18000 depending on spec and build quality. There are never two exactly the same though.

There are two kits still available and they've both been on the go since the mid to late 1980s.

The Transformer of Hawk HF new kit now costs £10,486.88
The Napiersport Superstratos Corse costs £9126.23

It's worth noting what you DON'T get with a kit though. Wheels, tyres, shock absorbers, springs, instruments, seats, steering column, lights, some spoilers etc. etc. Then you've got to build it and get it SVA tested!

The road going cars get snapped up pretty quickly and therefore you can't get picky with choice of colour, type of engine, trim etc.

[MKS]

well i gotta sell the evo fitsrt then save up a bit by buying and sellnig cars...
was just looking for some info :)
the colour dont really matter I have full spray booth and all the equipment :)

I know the stratos prob wont be as fast as the evo or as good on corners but it looks a hell of a lot better :)


thanks for the info man :)

[billwarrilow]

I have been enjoying the forum for a little while now as a "lurker"; hoping to buy into this club of enthusiasts when opportunity presents itself! I am a engineering duffer, so have major trepidation at the thought of building one (though am excited to think that perhaps I *could* build a working car as beautiful as a Stratos). I saw in a recent issue of Classic Cars that turnkey versions of the Hawk are available. ?do they do the SVA stuff for you, and how much to turnkey Stratos replicas go for? (I know, I should contact Hawk directly to find out, but I have been a little bit shy about taking next steps!). Any info appreciated!

[guy mayers]

You're probably looking at 30 to 35k from Hawk depending on spec. Gerry currently has a very nice red Stradale demonstrator, Alfa V6, coffin spokes etc and will be starting the next demo car soon (Gp4 square arch with 147 GTA motor) so his current demonstrator MAY be for sale soon. It's worth asking!
Guy

[billwarrilow]

Hm....10 grand or so for the kit, but 30 grand or so for turnkey? That's a powerful argument for developing some mechanical skills! Was the red Stradale at the Kit Car show at Detling? If so, it was the car that started this obsession of mine....I think I shall have to contact Gerry at Hawk motors and find out more....(thinks/plots/dreams on...). Thanks for the info, Gary.

[billwarrilow]

oops! Guy, sorry!

[guy mayers]

Yes, 10k ish for the kit plus VAT but that still leaves you with an engine and box, suspension, fuel systems, driveshafts, stub axles and brakes plus trim, instruments, electrics wheels and tyres to sort out before you've decided on paint! So, it's not surprising that the cost of a turnkey is so high. It's amazing how long it can take just sourcing some of the correct parts!
But it's worth it in the end - trust me on that!
Guy

[CorseChris]

Bill,

Depends hugely on spec, but to start fresh, I'd guess you should budget somewhere between say £18k and £25k. My own build went spectactularly over budget when I discovered that wheels & seats that I got with the original pile of junk were no use. A small thing you'd think...but I decided that I only wanted to buy these things once, so bought exactly what I wanted, which were expensive of course. Seats, wheels & tyres came to nearly £3k alone. Although the engine & gearbox only cost £35 to complete (it had been partially rebuilt), I then spent loads on hoses, plumbing & wiring. Amazing how it adds up.

...and don't get me started on the cost of the paint job.......

In all, I'd say paint, wheels & tyres came to more than my original estimate for the build. Pretty poor estimating on my part given that I'd already built 2 other cars in the past.

As it happens, I've insured my car for £30k. Probably hoplessly optimistic, but given these prices for a turn-key car, maybe not so far off the mark.

[billwarrilow]

Good point, Chris.

It seems that once you start building a Stratos, it becomes an extension of the builder/owner; each car has an individual stamp that reflects the nature and passions of the owner. The seating, setup and even the arrangement of cabin ventilation becomes an extension of the person building the car. I guess that even if the final self-build is little cheaper than a turnkey, you have in your hands a vehicle that is the sum of your decisions and ingenuity; and a vehicle you know "warts and all"!

Only question is....do you ever finish building it?

With a turnkey, you buy "it" and drive it as a finished product; I suspect that with a self-build, you never *quite* end up satisfied with the finished product, and tinkering continues as long as you own it (or it owns you!)

Makes the decision to buy "totto completto" or as a kit a larger question, really.

[Chris J]

You can take the yellow car that Nico had as an example of what the REAL value of a nicely prepared car is.
Probably half of what it would cost to get a professional to build you one.

[catswhiskers]

[QUOTE I suspect that with a self-build, you never *quite* end up satisfied with the finished product, and tinkering continues as long as you own it (or it owns you!)[/QUOTE]

To quote a saying I particularly like 'Quality is a journey with no final destination'
Just about sums it up. My own build has only been going for 5 months or so and already I'm over £20k. I was convinced that, after months of meticulous planning, I could build the car for about £16k.
Wrong. Like everyone says, it becomes a part of you. The thing I've realised when it comes to building a Strat. replica is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. Just the way YOU want to do it and no one can copy that.
Best of luck in your search.

Mick :)

[CorseChris]

You can get good cars for sensible money, but they are pretty rare beasts. The ex-Paul Clegg car that Nico had was certainly one such. I guess there might be a tendency to consider a turn-key car as finished, but that doesn't stop people modifying the heck out of production cars, so I guess that whatever the origin, the car will be as finished as you want it to be!

Speaking for my own build, after I realised I wasn't going to be able to do it on a budget, I decided that I wanted it to be as complete as possible, allowing for the fact that I have an engine/gearbox swap planned for the future. It may seem daft building it with the wrong engine & 'box, but like I mentioned, I had a 'new' engine ready to put in that only cost me a few quid, as compared to the no doubt many hundreds I will end up spending on refurbishing the 164 motor I have lined up ready. I don't plan on spending money on it, I just accept that I probably will..... There were a couple of other things that made it seem like a good idea at the time to go with the TC anyway..... I'm pretty sure that if I'd known then what I know now, I would have gone straight to the V6, but as the build progressed, it sort of made sense to stick with the TC.

All that said, I can't honestly think of anything other than the engine/'box swap that I'd want to do to it, except maybe fit some proper windows in the doors perhaps......Oh, and replace the rear struts with some adjustable units when the V6 is fitted as well...


..but I reserve the right to change my mind on that ;)

[catswhiskers]

Know what you mean Chris, I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure.

Mick :D

[Stratos]

I know the stratos prob wont be as fast as the evo or as good on corners


You may have to retract that statement when you buy one.