Mark covers a variety of topics for HotCars, from the latest pickup trucks to obscure Japanese sedans. Ok maybe a weekend is a stretch for most people, but no reason you and a few of your buddies could not tackle this as a pizza and beer fueled project in 2-3 weekends. We list the greatest original kit cars that are both affordable to build and incredibly cool. The Goblin is a home-built kit car designed to be fast, fun and easy to assemble without any welding on your part! Based in Atlanta, Georgia. It's a custom kit that channels influences from Ferrari and Lamborghini but manages to keep a unique look all the same. With kit options ranging from Jeeps to Audis, if youre looking for an easy project that will transform your vehicle into something unique, one of these conversion kits could be your ticket to small pick-up stardom. As no fiberglassing is required, the high-quality kit is easy to assemble and you can choose from a couple of body, frame, and suspension options to get your hot rod set up just the way you want it. The replica starts with a CAD-designed semi-monocoque chassis with a full integrated roll-cage, and rather than using the models original Ferrari Dino V6, the UK outfit allows the replica to be powered by anything from a modern 190hp 2.5L Alfa V6 to a 350hp 3.5L supercharged Toyota- derived 2GR-FE V6 the same engine found in the Lotus Evora or Exige. I get lots of horn honks -thumbs up-head lights flashing.Stock brakes are almost to good at 95mph. border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; The abundant use of fiberglass allows for a surprisingly nimble vehicle, despite the limited power coming from the VW powertrain. The kit is fairly cheap and the Cobalt donor cars are relatively cheap and common at places like Copart. RELATED: 10 Sickest Cars Built By Chip Foose. Putting together a kit piece by piece is arguably one of the best ways to learn exactly what makes a machine tick, and how the different components relate to each other. Today, the original Stratos can easily fetch over half a million dollars. And if you have the money to burn, there are four other Seven models to choose from. To further confuse the topic, what about a 818 coupe? Kit cars are sold as a set of parts that the buyer assembles (or has the manufacturer or a third-party assemble) into a functioning vehicle. So, without further ado, here are ten of the best kit cars on sale right now. Turn-key cars come with modern conveniences like air conditioning and a central locking system as well as safety options like a six-point roll cage. And your kit car can even be worth a good chunk of change too. Speedway Motors suggests either a Ford 2300 cc 4-cylinder or 60-degree Chevy V6 engine, as both have lots of aftermarket performance support. Few kits have had as complicated a history as the ADD Nova, which was originally a kit car sold by UK-based company Automotive Design and Development. HICONSUMPTION is reader-supported. Its made to get down to business and do it at an affordable rate. Though Superlite Cars have a solid history of producing race-focused road-goers, the company has more recently branched out into the rugged off-road sector with its Moab model. . For an additional $7k you can get what Factory Five calls the 'complete kit,' which still requires a donor engine and transmission but comes with all the other bitscomputer, driveshaft, fan shroud, etc.that you would have had to source yourself with the less expensive setup. If youre looking for a little piece of motoring history along with your kit car, RCRs D-Type kit car hearkens back to Jaguars golden age of 1950s Le Mans victories. I'm about to have both. Sign up for more restomod content to add horsepower to your inbox. You can easily get your hands on a used roadworthy unit from just $1,200! It is mostly a styling exercise built atop a donor chassis. margin-left: 0; Related: Check out these 10 Kit Cars that you can build at home. For one it's got a roof -- yes, putting it up is much more akin to putting up a tent than a convertible to, but it makes the difference between being willing to drive it somewhere and park it when it might rain vs leaving it at home. And, in addition to further modifying and customizing Manx DualSport specimens, its fairly common to see owners utilizing other, more powerful engines. The DF Goblin is a kit car in every sense of the word. The Exocet makes you want to set your hair on fire and just drive like a lunatic - I don't know why. Heck, you can get the whole kit for about $13k if you really ball it up. With an equally easy build and a starting base price of $8,000, this kit car could be your ticket to hours of off-road fun. All of the kit contents and options in the Goblin Kit Car have been summarised below. When mated with a modern engine, the compact and lightweight RT4 is sure to become your go-to daily driver. #gallery-1 { You don't take the engine out, hell, you can do everything but the fenders with the wheels installed. Although technically road legal if registered as the Miata from which its running gear was lifted, Exomotor's creations thrive on the race track due to their miniscule mass and go-kart-like handling. Carroll Shelbys fabled Daytona Coupe is another highly-coveted elite American-made model that few of us will ever have the pleasure of owning. And while the last majority of the motoring population will never own a true GT40, Cape Advanced Vehicles is offering the next best thing with a highly-detailed exact replica that maintains the original models insanely-competent performance. They are currently doing a Beta release. Quite simply, the goblin is the best bang for the buck out there. Like car restoration projects, its a big job that can be overwhelming. float: left; There's such a variety of cars out there that it's almost impossible to narrow them down, but this list celebrates kits that have original designs rather than replica kits. Adam also included a few photos for our readers. ; RELATED: These Classic Muscle Cars Look Insane With Body Kits. I will be following JSATX's carefully; curious about how the sway bar tuning works out. Theyre usually built around a donor engine, transmission, and sometimes a chassis from a regular production vehicle. Fortunately, there are plenty of car kits available to help make the job go as smoothly as possible. The seller is asking $28,000 for the car with extras. The Catfish should feel exactly the same, but it doesn't. Sign Up There are so many great options out there right now. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. The Kick-Out SS Manx body is fitted to a classic VW chassis that needs to be shortened by 14.5-inches. Is it possible to put together a supercar on your own? Replicas can be great, but we've already written about the best ones on the market. this kit car should be great for the street or the track. The TSC GT40 is quite the value, with the basic component package starting at around $11,000. But in spite of that, the fun quotient of both these machines is at par and that is what makes the Goblin Kit Car highlighted here. I'll probably never give mine up. Unfortunately, most of them are too pricey to be grasped upon. Smyth claims that their conversion kit is simple enough that even amateurs can make the conversion with a few weekends of elbow grease. Cobras aren't the only vintage cars that have long attracted kit car fans seeking to put together a vintage vibe. However, that has changed in recent months now that the state's DMV seems keen on enforcing Texas Administrative Rule 217.3 (Section 6). Factory Fives top-notch engineering makes the 818S relatively easy to build in your home garage. Buy the Goblin kit. Like any prospective buyer I am hungry for current owner's opinions and I would greatly appreciate your feedback! The latest creation from the British manufacturer is the RS, an absolute track day beast that can reach a top speed of 250 mph and pull 0-60 in 2.3 seconds. You bolt the entire sub frame with motor attached to the provided goblin frame. Factory Fives 33 Hot Rod kit offers an expedited path to hot rod ownership at a reasonable price, including everything needed to build the car, except for the engine, which can be any Small Block Ford 4.6L or 5.0L Coyote, and Chevy SB or LS engine. Two wheels or four, I'm all in. The kit also maintains the authentic appearance of a depression-era hot rod, with hand-laid laminate composite bodywork and CNC-cut 6061 T6 aluminum chassis panels, though contemporary components such as the brakes from a late-model Ford Mustang allow for more modern performance. Sevens vary a lot more, but generally they have a light (and fairly narrow) front end with the driver sitting on the rear wheels. Riding on forged alloy rims and sending power through a Porsche six-speed manual transmission (with machined billet quick-shifter), the EVO Coupes cabin is no less impressive, with a finely finished and thoroughly plush cockpit. Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more Email *. Enthusiasts looking for an exciting and inexpensive kit car will get a kick out of one of these. Broadly speaking, kit cars designs fall into two categories. This longitudinal mid-mounted flat four gives excellent balance from being both low-slung and mounted behind the driver's compartment 0-60 MPH in Under 4.0 Seconds with 265 HP. To accomplish this, Mills Extreme Vehicles designed a cutting-edge lightweight tubular fully triangulated space frame chassis and an accompanying suspension and linkage system thats made to accommodate one of the least expensive, most widely-available cars in existence, the Mazda Miata. The car is based on the full race chassis, which includes full door bars and additional bracing, adding stiffness and safety to go along with the extra power. How much Factory Five Roadster does $25K get you these days? The original XK-series engine is an inexpensive and authentic drive-train option that you can find to finish out your replica. Furthermore, in lieu of traditional tubular control arms, the Moab calls on a laser-cut boxed plate design thats said to be markedly stronger and lighter. Which ones are worth your time and money? Interested in checking out a few easier DIY garage projects? You can get the Naked Kit for $4999, The City Goblin (with body parts) for $6999, and the Track Goblin (with full cage and more) for $7499 . No kit car list would be complete without a Pontiac Fiero-based vehicle. Watch A Toyota GR86 Drift Around an Abandoned Mall, Drive Away in One of the Best Used Cars Under 4000, The 35 Coolest Car Names Ever And Their Meanings, Copyright 2022 Autowise. Antique & Collectible Autos specializes in classic Ford, Chevy, and Willys kit cars and trucks, offering some of the more unique old-school classic kit cars on the market. I never could bring myself to track the Exige even though I intended to when I bought it. DF Kit Car If you want big power but cant afford the performance upgrades today, you can start with a stock motor and upgrade later as finances allow. Loads of room inside in all directions. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I look forward to watching AutoWise grow as part of the AllGear group. In regards to challenges for the build. Welcome to the home of Grassroots Motorsports, the hardcore sports car magazineand your home for car reviews, tips, and road racing news. The Exocet is literally an order of magnitude easier to build. Aldino wasn't happy with just copying other companies' designs though, so they made the K/O kit for the Fiero. The latest scoot buggy from Manx is the Kick-Out SS. Many kit cars companies are long-established, international car manufacturers with substantial full-time staff. The ETV, or Extra-Terrestrial Vehicle is a sci-fi-esque kit car that can be built around a number of Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, Porsche, or even electric vehicle donors. The DF Goblin is a high-performance, mid-engine car you build yourself, using minimal tools, in your home garage. Don't ride my gold wing trike any more.NO problems at all.I cruise at 80 mph on hi way. Using a Ford or Rover V8 powerplant, TSCs version is also available as a turn-key car built to exact customer specifications. The Exocet kit is a reengineered chassis of tubes and metal floors designed to accept the Miata's many excellent bits and pieces. Love it or hate it, it is a looker! The STR offers better interior space and dependability than the original Stratos, while still being plenty peppy. Pricing on the Ultima RS starts around $50,000, with top-spec assembled builds topping out around $120,000. Cape Advanced Vehicles also builds a modern replica of a late-model Ford GT40. But thats where the Goblin Kit Car from DF Kit Car based in Texas comes in. Many of the Goblin's final specs come down to donor car specification, as the base model Cobalt makes a modest 145 hp, while the SS Turbo model makes a healthy 260 hp. 2 Ultima RS Via Ultima Is this the fastest kit car on the planet? But the sweetest motor of them all is the third one of this bunch which is a 2.0L unit coupled to only the 5-Speed manual unit. I recon 100 would have been 3 seconds later as it was still pulling hard. How do you compare the Exocet and the various Sevens you've driven? While slightly pricier than some of the other purist drivers cars, the timeless appearance and genuinely competent performance of this adult-sized go-kart have made the Seven something of an icon in this space. DF claims that in less than 100 hours, with a basic set of home garage tools and basic mechanical skills, anyone can turn a pile of parts into a mid-engine fun machine. With the option to build your own engine to your own specific budget and preferences, the Ultima is a versatile track car that won't cost you more than a standard European sport sedan once all is said and done. Goblins supposedly live in grottoes but attach themselves to households, where they are believed to bang upon pots and pans, snatch nightclothes off the bodies of sleeping people, move furniture at night, and flee after rapping on walls and doors. You'll spend roughly $40k for the Caterham Seven kit, which provides around 135hp from a Ford-based 1.6L four-cylinder engine in entry-level models. For American buyers though, it's only available as a kit car, and it'll cost around $120,000 in top-spec form. The Exocet cools better as well due to the open engine bay. Of Factory Five's three Cobra designs, the Mk4 Roadster is the one that works to balance the demands of both the street and the track. Vetter is a custom car fabrication shop most known for its custom Porsche body kits. Originally designed back in 2014 by Lonnie and son Adam Doyle, they applied their skills as aircraft parts manufacturers to develop this open seat roadster. All rights reserved. Find a Chevy Cobalt. With the Alfa Romeo V6 under the hood and the cars light weight, this thing isnt slow. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Each Exocet includes hand-laid composite body panels available in 188 gelcoat colors, which dont require paint and provide a high gloss finish. With many of these small independent outfits popping in and out of operation on a regular basis, it can be difficult to get a sense of what the current market actually entails. Despite its confusing branding history, the kit has always remained much the same, being based on a Beetle donor car with a variety of engines from different manufacturers available. It really does look that simple. MEV claims that the Exocet is one of the cheapest kits to build, as a used Miata can be found for just a few thousand dollars and the kit costs 4554 ($6071). Weighing in at around 2,400lbs, the entire kit is broken down into 16 different stages (with the earlier more crucial stages consisting of the frame and bodywork while higher numbers deal with elements such as wheels and master cylinders), though even if you opt for all 16 parts, the grand total for the kit comes in at around $50,000, which is a steal considering the on-track capabilities of this street-legal machine. Nothing like a family owned car company. All the Miata friendliness and response is there, it's just amplified by the weight. We'd certainly buy them all if we had the cash to splash. I would throw out the 818 also. Hint: the Exo chassis cost about the same as a new Lotus clam. Except mine is an Exige/Exocet pair. Powered by the liquid-cooled four-stroke engine and automatic transmission from Suzukis Burgman scooter, the vehicle is built around an exoskeletal tubular space frame chassis with polyurethane bushings and Coilover-equipped front suspension arms and a five-piece GRP bolt-on bodywork set. The kit comes with all of the components to turn a Chevrolet Cobalt into a Goblin. Though not the cheapest of the replica cars out there, this one is definitely worth its weight in gold if you want a replica from the golden age of Rally Racing. Ultima RS Ultima RS - ultimasports.co.uk It features the turbocharged powertrain of a 2009-era Chevrolet Cobalt SS with 260 horsepower, and a curb weight of just 1,550 pounds wet. Modern kits are routinely designed and manufactured with efficiency and cost-savings in mind an aspect thats no doubt furthered by the reduced expenses tied to DIY assembly. Weighing in at around 1500 lbs, the Goblin is hundreds of pounds lighter than even the lightest of production sports cars, because it's as bare-bones as they come. Here Are The Greatest Kit Cars We'd Buy Any Day, These Classic Muscle Cars Look Insane With Body Kits, we've already written about the best ones on the market, Meyers Manx dune buggy has been around since the Sixties, A New Toyota Celica Concept Shows What A Pure Toyota Sports Car Could Be Without BMW, A Modern Plymouth Road Runner Like This Could Shake Up Today's Pony Car Market, EXCLUSIVE: This Toyota 2000GT Rendering Brings An Icon Into Modern Day, 10 Overrated European Sports Cars We Wouldn't Waste Our Money On, 10 Land Rovers That Could Bankrupt You Through Maintenance And Repairs, 10 Cheap SUVs That Are Tough And Reliable. And more Email * donor cars are relatively cheap and the cars weight... Its a big job that can be great for the Fiero are so many options! 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