Newbie looking for unfinished project & advise

[Sptwoman]

I hope someone can help me on my quest to build a Strat rep. As you'll appreciate I've been to the doctors and have my certification as proof of my insanity so here goes. Some questions:
A Hawk or a Corse and why?
Is it worth looking for a part finished or start from scratch?
Does anyone know of any part finished projects for sale?
Is the sourcing of all the additional bits a pain?
Recommended links for help?
Overall estimated costs?
Any other advise appreciated...

Regards,
Allen :rolleyes:

[strat6v]

Hi Allen,

Just some very brief answers to your questions.

Hawk or Corse? Both manufacturers sell good products, The Hawk is more of a close replica to the original, The Corse is perhaps a touch lighter, and not as authentic but still a well accomplished machine. It generally comes down to personal preference.

Part finished or new kit?

If you have the skills and the time, go the new kit route, If not, buy one complete or nearly complete. These kits are not easy and take a lot of time and patience to complete. If you want to actually build one then you will need a decent garage preferably a double that has good lighting and a good selection of tools etc.

Part finished cars for sale.

They do crop up occasionally, i think there are a couple for sale at the moment. Take a look on previous threads or in the buy and sell section. Generally a bit like rocking horse sh-t!

Sourcing parts.

All the bits are available, some are easy to find, some a bit more tricky. Many of the forum members have duplicated parts over the years and may sell them on.
The most widely used engine is the alfa v6 but others can be accomodated. Lancia beta, Lancia volumex, Lancia thema turbo, Honda v6, Ferrari v6 and v8's. Probably a few others too.

Overall costs.

A sensible estimate would be £25000 ish, maybe a little more depending on spec. But it can be done for a fair bit less. Both cars are serious bits of kit, not toys, so you would probably need to spend this sort of money. Keep an eye out for more info from others here, they are a helpfull bunch. If you want to talk to the owners and have a look at a few cars then pop to the donnington show in a few weeks time. There should be a mix of Hawk and Corse models to look at.

Regards.

John.
(chesterfield).

[SUSIT]

Hi Allen and welcome, all your questions have been asked before on this forum. If you have the time use the search engine and the answers will be there.
some quick answers but only my opinion/thoughts
Hawk or Corse - if you want a faithful replica of an original - A Hawk- its more accurate. But order a left hooker if you want to be really accurate.
Otherwise a corse is a very sound kit with good engineering in my view.
not much difference in price but Corse may be just a bit less exspensive, note I did'nt say cheaper as these are not cheap cars.
Part finished would usually be a cheaper option but be prepared to take it all to bits and start again.
Once more this forum is a good place to look but be warned again they are not cheap and dont come up for sale very often.
sourcing bits is not a pain as such but can be time consuming. ebay can be particularly useful.
Links for help? You have found the most useful link in this forum and most of its active members. It really is second to none for advice in all things Stratos.
Cost - As much as you are prepared to pay but no less than around £20000 for a kit to completion but usually more. If you could source a part built for around £5000 then £15000 may be possible but I think part builds go for around £9000 and above depending on what bits and spec it comes with.
In theory buying a completed car is the cheapest method to get the finished article but the down side is you dont get quite what you want and spend the same as it would have cost to build changing it. ( very much my own opinion ) They are few on the market and it may take you a few years to find one of the right spec at the right price.
Hope all this helps
Regards
Stephen

[chris.richard]

In theory buying a completed car is the cheapest method to get the finished article but the down side is you dont get quite what you want and spend the same as it would have cost to build changing it.

I'll confirm that opinion! :rolleyes:

[guy mayers]

I'd have to agree with Chris on buying a completed car as being the cheapest route but there are downsides. Having bought it just how happy are you going to be with someone elses build standard? Invariably owners strip their cars to check everything over and it's a good way of getting to know your car. Also, a prebuilt car is unlikely to be the colour of your choice so budget for a respray. Unless you really aren't confident about building one yourself it's the only route but a big warning, if the car you are considering isn't legally registered then walk away and leave the onus on the owner to sort this out. Any car that hasn't been through SVA will probably be registered on it's donor plate/documents and might cost a fortune to put through SVA. You also run the risk of having the registration document confiscated and being forced through SVA with a resultant Q plate which may affect future sales values. Although not everyone is worried by this!
And don't buy the first you see either, get to know what you are loooking at first by visiting shows and talking to owners.
Guy

[chris.richard]

Part built kits are initially attractive. The previous owner might have sourced all the right bits for you which would save a huge amount of work. And if you're really lucky, it might have been properly registered and avoid the SVA. However, the reason that the previous owner has given up is probably that they found themselves out of their depth (these are complex cars to build, with no great documentary assistance) and the quality of the work that they've done therefore has to be checked - not easy to do before you buy it. As one sage here said, things rarely get better the closer you look!

[Sptwoman]

First of all thanks to John, Susit, Chris and Guy for your responses. I have been searching and reading the forums and your replies reinforce my initial views. The car's brilliant, the build is a challenge but the support very genuine.
You're all right. It's got to be a new first hand quality build, a Hawk. Estimated at 200 hours?
Initial plan of attack:
Visit Hawk cars. I've been working down in Tunbridge Wells recently so I'll have to arrange another visit ASAP and fit in a visit to their factory.
Work out the logistics!!! :eek:
John mentioned Donnington coming up soon, which would be worth a visit. A chance to see some of your cars in the flesh possibly? Is this the See Red event?
If all goes well I imagine I'll be back for help. Worrying for Guy as he appears to be in Liverpool - only up the road :rolleyes:
Again, thanks for the replies,

Allen

[SUSIT]

You're all right. It's got to be a new first hand quality build, a Hawk. Estimated at 200 hours?


Allen

Typo error me thinks try 2000 hrs. But all things come to he/or she that waits :)

[chris.richard]

Typo error me thinks try 2000 hrs. But all things come to he/or she that waits :)

Yes, think years for the build. One's just been done in under a year, but that is most definitely the exception. Sorry! :rolleyes:

[strat6v]

Bought mine in 89!! I take long coffee and fag breaks.

[Sptwoman]

OK a typo, Hawk reckon 300 hours in their brochure. I'll raise this fact when I visit. Don't put me off before I've even started!!

[Sptwoman]

What about Donnington?

[SUSIT]

OK a typo, Hawk reckon 300 hours in their brochure. I'll raise this fact when I visit. Don't put me off before I've even started!!

Not trying to put you off at all, just wanting to let you know the full story before you jump in. I think thats why a lot of kits never get completed. I think I would ask how many kits they have sold and how many completed cars on the road.

[chris.richard]

Not trying to put you off at all, just wanting to let you know the full story before you jump in. I think thats why a lot of kits never get completed. I think I would ask how many kits they have sold and how many completed cars on the road.

I agree! Not trying to put you off, just making sure you have a realistic expectation. The Stratos kits are in a different league from Lotus 7 clones, which can be done in a few weeks.

[John]

I don't like to use the forum to in any way promote Napiersport as i don't think that is what it's for, but feel that I can at least say here that it is unlikely that we shall be showing at the Sports and Performance Car Show this year due to commitments elsewhere outside of the business. But rest assured we are still here and able to answer any queries through email contact to the website (link on the links page).
Good hunting to all who are going and have a nice day!

[SUSIT]

I agree! Not trying to put you off, just making sure you have a realistic expectation. The Stratos kits are in a different league from Lotus 7 clones, which can be done in a few weeks.


Now you have me worried Chris, we have agreed twice in the one thread!!!! :p

[guy mayers]

If all goes well I imagine I'll be back for help. Worrying for Guy as he appears to be in Liverpool - only up the road :rolleyes:
Again, thanks for the replies,

Allen

No problem Allen - that's what we are here for and another car in the area wouldn't be a bad thing! I'll be at Donnington in October but feel free to drop me a PM if you want to come on by sometime sooner than that!
Guy

[chris.richard]

Now you have me worried Chris, we have agreed twice in the one thread!!!! :p

Oh no we haven't! ;)