I need some lessons from HandyAndy

[mark]

I started my build in january of last year. I already had 95% of the tools required to build a roadster so this wasnt really considered in my budget plan. I have kept every receipt since starting including consumables like grinding discs welding gas etc etc.

When i first met spud he told me that his car owed him about 5k, so i planned on hopefully spending about the same.

I havnt been penny pinching with my build but i havnt gone mad either. Although I have used new radiator, battery, clutch kit ,calipers, pads, drums, shoes, driveshafts and propshaft.

Its a 1.8 cvh with bike carbs, megajolt, full body set from saturn, triton seats and a very nice stainless exhaust silencer. I made my own fuel tank, used the sierra wiring loom and will be using a tarted up standard instrument cluster.

I have everthing i need like harnesses, mirrors etc to complete the build.

The only thing i still need to pay for is a set of alloys and my iva test, the problem is ive just totted up and ive already spent £5613 This includes everything including the donor sierra, engine oil, filters, gaskets, plugs etc

Maybe £300 of that has been on tools and consumables so the car is probably gonna cost me £6000 on the road when its done. I had hoped this would be the final cost once its got the zetec in later on. I suppose i should have added everthing up before now

Hopefully its gonna be worth it the first time i drive it down the road

How much has it cost other people so far?

How much has it cost people who have completed their cars and are on the road?

By the way dont be thinking im well off, i sold my bmw to fund towards my wedding and the roadster, i now drive a mundano v6

[Bonzo]

Hi Mark

As you may know, I started my buid just after Chris's book was published

My original budget was set at about the 2k mark ( On the road ) !!??

Everything was going to be made from stuff begged, borrowed & scrounged, in true " lo-cost fashion "

Got off to a flying start... Donor free... All plate cost next to nothing as it was all scrap off cuts... Steel for the chassis was reasonable at the time ( £95'ish )... Had every tool needed.

As time went on & after several lay off's due to ill health .... Time on my build became a precious commodity, spending money on the build has become of secondary importance !!??

The new IVA fees, blew my original budget clean out of the water.

Currently at about 3k'ish

Funny you should bring this up .... I have been talking things over with the wife this last week, we are both in agreement that the best way forward for me this year is to throw some more money into the build.

I am very lucky to have such a supportive wife ..... Bless her little cotton socks

Costs can really spiral if you get carried away buying things that perhaps, are not fully needed !!??

[HandyAndy]

I don,t know if i should feel smug or shamed

£6k .............. i,d have built 2 for that

mine currently owes me about £1600 & i think i,ve got about another £700 to spend ( need tyres/prop/headlights/seats/ali for cockpit) & then the dreaded IVA/road tax & insurance so i,m hopeful that all in my original self imposed £3k budget should be about right.

Tho if i may say Mark............. your car looks stunning & i,m sure the first time you drive it on the open road the £6k figure will be well forgotten.

get your IVA, once on the road put those receipts in a folder & put them away.
what other car is going to give you the smiles per pound value? & something that you will always feel with pride....YOU built it .

good luck at IVA .

cheers
andy

[mark]

Yeah im lucky in that respect too, my mrs has bought me some very nice things for the roadster at xmas and birthday

Spending a little on parts you could have made yourself does speed things up a bit and I must admit im wanting to be ready for the summer, also our baby is due in july so it needs to be finished before then and a nursery decorated

I know what you are saying about getting carried away though, but i have learned from previous projects that using new parts where possible from the start if possible saves alot of agro in the long run.

[twinturbo]

My projected is currently about £2970 including the IVA.

But I have all sortsd of bits and bobs lying arround ( see the wheel choice thread ), althoug I do operate an in house costing, so for example my engine cam free with My turbo XR sierra, but I have sliced £50 of the Sierra project cost and put £50 on the roadster.

The Chassis I am getting next week is a big bonus.

If only I only had 1 car to focus on. But I have 2 sierras and a MK1 Golf. Oh and the daily galaxy, and now unfortunatly an MOT failed Mondeo.

TT

[mark]

Originally Posted by HandyAndy

I don,t know if i should feel smug or shamed

£6k .............. i,d have built 2 for that

mine currently owes me about £1600 & i think i,ve got about another £700 to spend ( need tyres/prop/headlights/seats/ali for cockpit) & then the dreaded IVA/road tax & insurance so i,m hopeful that all in my original self imposed £3k budget should be about right.

Tho if i may say Mark............. your car looks stunning & i,m sure the first time you drive it on the open road the £6k figure will be well forgotten.

get your IVA, once on the road put those receipts in a folder & put them away.
what other car is going to give you the smiles per pound value? & something that you will always feel with pride....YOU built it

good luck at IVA .

cheers
andy

Definately smug

You have found some real bargains along the way

I dont know how you do it, everything i find that looks like a bargain is normally rubbish and thats why its cheap in the first place!

[HandyAndy]

Originally Posted by mark

Definately smug

You have found some real bargains along the way

I dont know how you do it, everything i find that looks like a bargain is normally rubbish and thats why its cheap in the first place!

i,ll be starting on a single seater when my Roadster is finished got the engine already, & wheels that i plan on using .

I still hope to make the trackday too, not having spud AND you having all the fun

cheers
andy

[AshG]

i started with a number in my head of around 5-6k. i added up all my receipts the other day prior to sending off my iva forms and i was presently surprised when the total was under 4k.

[les g]

Originally Posted by HandyAndy

I don,t know if i should feel smug or shamed

£6k .............. i,d have built 2 for that

mine currently owes me about £1600 & i think i,ve got about another £700 to spend ( need tyres/prop/headlights/seats/ali for cockpit) & then the dreaded IVA/road tax & insurance so i,m hopeful that all in my original self imposed £3k budget should be about right.

Tho if i may say Mark............. your car looks stunning & i,m sure the first time you drive it on the open road the £6k figure will be well forgotten.

get your IVA, once on the road put those receipts in a folder & put them away.
what other car is going to give you the smiles per pound value? & something that you will always feel with pride....YOU built it .

good luck at IVA .

cheers
andy

i,m saying absolutely nothing................................

[Davey]

When I started on project Dragon I kept a leger of spending and funds recovered by selling off stuff I didn't need from the donor but as with everything I've let it slip. I know my final build cost is going to be relatively high but then I am putting a near £700 Emerald engine management unit into it plus seats, lighting gear, wheels and tyres etc.

Current spend is somewhere around £700 I think.

D.