Kit cars

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by mike the snake

I stand corrected then.

I figured a bulletproof chassis with 5 point belts in just about any car would be safer than what we have today.

Now I see that a burly cage would make for such an unmoving structure in an imoact, that the driver would then take the brunt of the impact (snapped neck) unless the rest of the safety equipment were utilized.

So I'll amend my statement. If all cars today had burly roll cages, and 5 point belts, and proper air bags, and drivers were to wear helmets and HANS devices, then cars would be a lot safer. But we all know that won't ever happen on street cars.

So again, I stand corrected.

Looking at the chassis of those kit cars does make you think you'd be pretty safe in a crash though.

I could arrange to crash test your Pantera if you want. (joke)
The full car tests are amazing to see in real life. The videos you see do zero justice as to just how fast and violent those tests are. They can also be very scary when they do "abnormal situation" tests and you see exactly what can go dreadfully wrong if the design is just off by a little or something is placed in the wrong spot.

[EAGLE5]

I find the slow motion crash videos scariest. You can see exactly where structures fail and people impact the interior. The small offset test is definitely an eye opener.

[53Driver]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

I find the slow motion crash videos scariest. You can see exactly where structures fail and people impact the interior. The small offset test is definitely an eye opener.

I remember when I was in high school, our next door neighbor was a California Highway Patrol officer. We used to go over and hang out with him when he wasn't working. One of the most vivid magazines I have ever seen was the one he got from the CHP. It showed different wrecks from around the state over the last month. The one that stuck out the most to me was the guy who drifted off into sleep, veered off the highway, hit a sign and when the pole bent over the hood it came through the window and impaled his head like a giant tooth pick. The picture showed the guy hanging from the pole as they extracted him from the car. To this day I would rather lock up the brakes and take a chance hitting an animal that was crossing the road rather than try to veer off the road to miss the animal because that image has always stuck out in my mind every time I get into a car.

[EAGLE5]

Yes, hit the animal. Going off road is terribly dangerous, and while a cow is big and heavy, a tree will stop you dead.

[pushrod]

Safety is definitely a concern, but I wouldn't be driving said vehicle in rush hour traffic. Further, we don't all need to drive cars that turn into bouncy castles in accidents. Anyone here ride motorcycles?

[Kiske]

So far I've built 3 kits cars. First one was a glass bodied Suncoast chopped 32 Ford 3 window and the other 2 were Factory Five daytona coupes. Did the coupes at the same time. One is still unfinished and will likely remain so. These kits are not fun. There is so many hidden expenses and shortcuts you will bang your head trying to figure them out. The bodies on the factory five stuff IMO were junk. 4-5 guys and easily 200+ hours each trying to make them straight.

The main reason other than the work was I wasn't happy with the final product. They feel like an project car or racecar very unfinished and cheap in areas, even when we went way above and beyond what the booklet had for instructions. You can easily spend years and thousands improving them and I don't think I'd still be happy. With the amount of time and labor the only reason I could reccomend getting one over buying a project production car is if you liked the design or cannot afford an original. The 818 really peaked my interest when it was announced however I shudder whenever I think back to the long nights spent on the coupes.

[ls1ac]

Just a FYI when you go to a show and look at a beautifully finished kit car, the first question coming to mind is how much? The first answer is "oh the kit cost 18k". the next question should be how much do you have into the car? If you can get a strait answer it will be more like 60k. That fancy paint job is many hours of prep not including the cost of many coats of very expensive paint put on by an expert. That is just the start of the after kit costs.
Having been involved in several kit. May I suggest to get your feet wet look for someone's unfinished kit. they often come in two basic flavors; one, someone's hopeful pride and joy asking twice what it is worth because they have a pen and pencil set with the cars name. Two, someone who is a realist and sees they will never finish and want the garage space back, they are willing to talk.
This will give you a chance to learn about the ins and out of kit building. You should be able to sell this project and then do the one you really want with working knowledge of how to get it right. Friends with experience are invaluable.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

I find the slow motion crash videos scariest. You can see exactly where structures fail and people impact the interior. The small offset test is definitely an eye opener.

To see it live and then watch the video is the ultimate experience since you get to witness the pure force and violence involved that is totally lost in both the real speed and slow motion videos. Then you see the video and can watch the finer points of what actually happened. Believe me shit goes everywhere but where you would expect it to go.

[EAGLE5]

I think the right question for a kitcar is not how much it cost but how many hours it took. This is why I don't have a kitcar. This is why I may never get a proper race car. I don't have the time to fix it all the time. Guy in a radical? He's fixing it. Guy in a 7? He's fixing it. Guy in an Exige? Well, come on, it's like a kitcar. It's a Lotus. He's fixing it.

[EAGLE5]

I would love to see a crash test in person. Get me an invite.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by pushrod

Safety is definitely a concern, but I wouldn't be driving said vehicle in rush hour traffic. Further, we don't all need to drive cars that turn into bouncy castles in accidents. Anyone here ride motorcycles?

That puts things in a different light. I think we all sort of thought you were talking more of a DD then just a toy.
I am currently in a casual search for just the right 60's Dart or Duster as a weekend toy, street/strip car. I know fully well that these are not as safe (not even close) as a modern car but expect the frequency of use to reduce the risk to an acceptable level in my eyes at least.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

I would love to see a crash test in person. Get me an invite.

Probably a better chance of getting you into a nuclear reactor control room. I can't even take my cell phone in because internet.

[53Driver]

Originally Posted by pushrod

Safety is definitely a concern, but I wouldn't be driving said vehicle in rush hour traffic. Further, we don't all need to drive cars that turn into bouncy castles in accidents. Anyone here ride motorcycles?

Have when I was younger, won't anymore unless I'm on some empty back roads or on a dirt bike out in the country. I just watched a guy yesterday morning get taken out by someone not paying attention when I was coming to work. He was doing everything right, had all the proper PPE on and yet some jack bag in a SUV pulled right out in front of him and he locked up his brakes just prior to slamming into the side of this guys SUV. Fortunately he walked away from it, but was limping really bad. It's just not worth it anymore to me. I guess I'm getting old.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by 53Driver

I guess I'm getting old.

No, just smart. I used to ride hardcore - dirt, street... It's only a matter of time.

Still have an old CB650 in my garage waiting for the resto.