Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
Some of you may be interested in this others not. My Old man and I are about to start a build on a Lotus 7 style kit car. Its a "Birkin" which is being imported from South Africa. We've gone for one of these rather than a Caterham or any of the other options mainly due to the high quality engineering involved with these kits. Its the best we've seen......and we've looked at them all. 
It has been a pain in the arse getting the kit imported, taken much longer than planned but theres now a UK agent so it has finally happened.
Below is what a Birkin looks like....so its your usual "7" style replica....just a whole lot better....
The crate arrived today with all the parts and the chassis is currently waiting to to be unwrapped, so i'll have pics as soon as it happens.
We have sourced a brand new 2L Ford Duratec engine which will run throttle bodies. It will be producing just over 200bhp when finished so in a lightweight kit car it will be plenty. Looking at 4 second 0-60 times etc.
Still finalising details but we are looking to do a blue and silver colour scheme, with satin black TD Pro Race 1.2's.
Plan is that once built my Dad keeps it for a few years then he's giving it to me.  It will basically be a weekend toy, but i'm planning the odd track day etc.
I'll keep this updated....things should move pretty quick......my old man is retired so he's got plenty of time to crack on with it!!
[Edited on 10-03-2014 by Ben J]
|
Ben G
Member
Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
|
very cool, will be keeping a keen eye on this.
that the fiesta st 2L duratech? respond well to all sorts of mods good choice.
|
Nick-S
Member
Registered: 3rd Mar 04
Location: Leigh. Drives: RS Megane 230 F1 Team R26
User status: Offline
|
one to keep an eye on 
[Edited on 14-04-2010 by GSi_16v]
|
Marc
Member
Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
User status: Offline
|
Cool.
|
Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
Tiny update.....
Chassis unpacked and on build stand ready to start...first job is putting together all the suspension. It will actually be ready for wheels quite early on in the build so Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2's have been ordered with Yoko Paradas. Yeah..I know these are common wheels now but they look the part and in Satin Black will suit our colour scheme.
Excuse my old man looking like a berk in the pic!Lol
[Edited on 17-04-2010 by Ben J]
|
FruitBooTeR
Member
Registered: 18th Jan 07
Location: Wolverhampton Drives: S15
User status: Offline
|
Great project will look forward to all the updates
|
Ste L
Member
Registered: 3rd Jul 06
Location: Manchester Drives: 106 16v Rallye
User status: Offline
|
gonna keep my eye on this one,
looking good
|
Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
Cheers guys....i'm going to update as much as poss. Theres 250 miles between me and my parents house so obviously most of the build will be done by my Dad. I'll be getting as many pics as possible tho and getting my hands dirty whenever i'm down there.
The end result should be great. Its going to be a no expense spared project and so I know it will be a bit special.
[Edited on 17-04-2010 by Ben J]
|
Graham88
Member
Registered: 16th Apr 07
Location: South East Kent Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
|
Wicked!
|
Ant B
Member
Registered: 4th Jan 09
Location: Woodford Halse, Northamptonshire
User status: Offline
|
i will be keeping a close eye on this,i love kitcars
|
Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
|
Ace!!
I may be being thick here, but did that chassis come as it is in that pic with your Dad or have you already built that out of parts from the pic higher up the thread where everythings all wrapped up?
|
MarkSport
Member
Registered: 22nd May 09
User status: Offline
|
Shaunmods dad has an amazing kit car.you should see his
|
Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Rich H
Ace!!
I may be being thick here, but did that chassis come as it is in that pic with your Dad or have you already built that out of parts from the pic higher up the thread where everythings all wrapped up?
Chassis came as it is.......
|
Rich H
Member
Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
|
I though that was the case, but couldn't see it in the top pic of all the bits so thought I'd ask lol.
Look forward to seeing progress on this one
|
Robin
Premium Member
Registered: 7th Jan 04
Location: Northants Drives: Clio 182 Cup
User status: Offline
|
How do these compare cost wise to a similar Caterham kit?
|
Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Robin
How do these compare cost wise to a similar Caterham kit?
The Caterham Superlight R300 is the closest comparison. It has the the 2L Duratec and costs £25,500 all in. Its only set up to produce 175bhp but will be a bit lighter than our Birkin, but ours will be about 200bhp, so it should balance out performance wise.
The Birkin we are building should come in at around £25k all in (This includes import costs etc). We've saved £3k because instead of getting the engine direct from Birkin as part of the kit we've sourced our own, so it would have been £28k!!
So to be honest theres not much in it cost wise. However we believe (and so do many other Kitcar geeks) that in terms of quality of engineering, the Birkin is far better. The company who are the UK Agent for Birkin http://www.rsperformance.co.uk/birkin.htm and have worked with alot of Lotus's, Caterham's and Birkin's also agree. So we think we've got a better product for similar money.
[Edited on 18-04-2010 by Ben J]
|
Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
Team Dynamics have just started producing the 1.2's in a Graphite colour (its what i'd call anthracite) so we have re-ordered in this colour instead of satin black. Can't find a decent pic. We've gone for Yoko Paradas. I wanted road legal track tyres like R888's but my Dad wasn't keen and was concerned that it would be lethal in the wet. I kinda agree, so Paradas are a bit of a compramise...Yokos are quite soft and sticky, so should be good for both road and track.
[Edited on 19-04-2010 by Ben J]
|
jr
Member
Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
User status: Offline
|
the semi slicks are amazing in the wet, so much better than paradas, which will go off on track very quickly
|
Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by jr
the semi slicks are amazing in the wet, so much better than paradas, which will go off on track very quickly
I've heard R888's are a nightmare in wet???
Tbh tho it won't be doing that much track work. May have to get a 2nd set of track wheels/tyres bought at some point.
|
DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
|
Nice project!
But finished painting your garage first!
A half painted workshop is "bad chi"
[Edited on 20-04-2010 by DaveyLC]
|
a_j_mair
Member
Registered: 23rd Jan 04
Location: Scotland
User status: Offline
|
ace project, will be keeping my eye on this
|
Ben J
Member
Registered: 31st Jan 05
Location: Cheshire
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by DaveyLC
Nice project!
But finished painting your garage first!
A half painted workshop is "bad chi"
[Edited on 20-04-2010 by DaveyLC]
Lol...its been like that since my parents moved in. Think the previous owner did it and never finished it. 
|
jr
Member
Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ben J
quote:
Originally posted by jr
the semi slicks are amazing in the wet, so much better than paradas, which will go off on track very quickly
I've heard R888's are a nightmare in wet???
Tbh tho it won't be doing that much track work. May have to get a 2nd set of track wheels/tyres bought at some point.
Nope, even in the poring rain at the MSV trackday trophy the ither week jim cameron won on R888 at brands
|
Fad
Member
Registered: 1st Feb 01
Location: Dartford Kent Drives: 330cd
User status: Offline
|
The general consensus they are great in the wet however awful in standing water as they will aquaplane which you only really get on normal road conditions.
|
chris_uk
Premium Member
Registered: 8th Jul 03
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Fad
The general consensus they are great in the wet however awful in standing water as they will aquaplane which you only really get on normal road conditions.
i can confirm that.
|
