From where did you get inspiration to start your own build?

[mopple]

Hi to all. Being a bit curious here. Would like to know how you found your way to building your own roadster?
I personally got the nudge from my coworker, who started to build a Cobra replica. Some pictures of his build are here. Then I started to look also for various kit cars and found Chris's book. It looked perfect as already had two Sierras laying around. But how have you found your way to this magnificent hobby?

[twinturbo]

Always wanted a Robinhood as the kit price was very good when I was 16 20 years ago..

Then saw the ron champion book..

Then the roadster book.

And since I had lots of sierra experience the roadster made a lot of sense...

I had the book two years before we sat down one night with the kids, and the BBC had changed their childrens bed time schedule.. After a few days of trying to understand the program "weybalooo" we were all fed up..

I flicked for the first time to channel 38 "Quest" which was showing "A Chopper is born" where commedian Mark Evans built a helicopter. we watched that for a few days. Then it went on to "A racing car is born" where he built a Westfield.

I got out my Roadster book and my 5.5yr old and myself decided to crack on and build...



So my inspiration was a Robin hood, and the driver was a Dreadful American Re-regionalised crap kids TV show about some Monkey like floating freeaks that must be partaking in the smoking of some of Jamaicas finest herbal remedy.


TT

[locostkiwi]

i got my inspiration from this web site !!! was looking at building a hotrod but way TOO expensive!!
Just want a project that my son (14) and I can potter around with at nights and weekends.
Im a welder by trade so should be easy regarding welding ( I hope )
My son bought me the book for my birthday with the hint that when its finshed he will be able to drive it around, he still got to get his learners license yet.

[davidimurray]

Always had an interest in engineering things from my dad - used to do the headgasket by myself regulalrly on my sisters 1300 Skoda at the age of 12. Dad would never get a 'tradesman' to do anything so learnt lots from bodging back together various crappy cars on the drive (always remember using my skateboard to get the gearbox out of a Lada!)

Went on to work as a volunteer/staff on a steam railway for years. Also started doing my own model engineering and built my CNC machines up.

At uni I was heavily invovled in uni race team, which was great as you got to spend lots of someone elses money. I stayed on in uni doing my doctorate and acted as an advisor to the team. Soon realised that the way we had been going about things was wrong - it's no about high tech and fancy, it's about simple and lightweight. It was then that I decided that I would build my own car - do it my way, the way I want. I'd had the tiger and locost book sat on the shelf for a few years.

Then at the beginning of last year I found myself working away from home for 3 months (not a million miles from Saturn before they started up!). You can guess how it goes, browse the net, found the roadster book, pop down to borders to buy a copy. Before you knew it I was hooked - a car you could build everything yourself (I really wanted to build my own chassis) and I could make it mine. A quick look around on the net and found a big garage for rent - phone call to a mate who has an MGB and the deal was done. Also discovered that Armoto was on my drive home so picked the chassis kit up in my company car. So everything really fell into the right place at the right time!

[flyerncle]

Fancied a Westfield but never got one and got the book for Xmass one year and thats what started it,had the basic chassis built in a few hours and been at it for past 2 years.

[DStanley1809]

I was bored at work one night and picked the book up off the shelf and had a flick through. Started talking about it with a colleague and some silly suggestions for donor cars came up (V8 engines, Evo based 4x4, Supra twin turbo etc).

I ended up buying the book and then towards the end of my time at uni I realised I was really bored with everything and had no sense of achievement from anything I had done and had no proper job lined up for when I finished. I thought it would be great to have something I could look at and say "I did THAT!"

So just before my final exams I bought a Sierra and decided to build the car while I worked part time and looked for a decent job. Doing it now kind of makes sense to me. Still living with parents so bills are minimal and I have no serious work commitments. The only downside is a lack of money from working part time

[Davey]

Been fiddling and faffing with cars since I was three years old, taught loads by my Dad who is the world's greatest engineer, no really he is . Qualified as a light vehicle mechanic in '81 and have always fancied building a car. Fast forward to last April and I spotted a ratty Locust in my local breakers (150 Yds from my workshop ) and after a bit of badgering bought it for £150 then my son bought me the book. So I'm building the bastard spawn of the devil using the bible for inspiration .

D.

[RAYLEE29]

David where do you work to have the book on the shelf?
we have the book on the shelf where i currently work lol
OP my inspiration was ive always wanted to build a seven and i had loads of stuff waiting to go on a car
so i found the book then found half the stuff i had wouldnt be of use lol
2 years in and its sat on the floor looking 75% complete and nearly driveable
Ray

[spud69]

I always had a love for the cars but being 6'7" new i could never fit my lanky legs in one and be able to drive one. About 7 years ago i bought a Mazda Rx-8 because i thought the styling was very similar, in a kind of way, to a roadster - moreso in the way the front wings where sculpted around the front wheels. And the drive and handling was very similar, a very nice car.

THEN, on May bank holiday in 2008 was walking past WHSmiths and saw the book for half price, bought it and read it over the weekend - misses weren't to happy. Realised, due to the chassis being larger, could possibly fit in and drive the extended version at a reasonable build cost. Got stuck into building one and fell in love with the concept and build. First car on the road 7 months later, January 2009, and the rest is history. Plus it never really appealed to me to buy a kit and bolt it together, the confidence Chris's book gave me to build a car that i made myself cannot be underestimated - single seater too i'm sure.

Now just picked up the new donor car today, a mazda Rx-8, and about to combine the 2 loves into 1.....

Good luck new builders (it ain't hard).....AndyH

[DStanley1809]

RAYLEE29, I work in Halfords (cue laughter and ridiculing )

As much as I know Halfords get a lot of stick for employing lots of youngsters who don't know much about anything there are some of us who know a fair bit. I'm not claiming to be an amazing mechanic or anything (I'm certainly not as knowledgeable as you guys here!) but I get quite a few customers coming back to see me specifically because they are fed up with the staff in other stores.