Replica Guide

340 pages - perfect bound - top quality!

Can you imagine the thrill and excitement of owning and driving such an exhilarating machine? Imagine the look on the faces of your friends and colleagues when you tell them “I built it myself!” Well you can join the thousands of people who’ve had such experiences. Believe it or not, such cars are designed to be built by ordinary blokes and some extraordinary gals, in normal domestic garages, using commonly available tools.

We’ve departed from conventions of previous years. For example, it used to be the norm for a kit to be based on a single donor car, but these days the majority of kits require mechanical parts from diverse sources. It’s therefore simply not possible to specify the ‘donor’ car.

Costs of building have become ever more complex to express too; on account of manufacturer’s offering choice of components and levels of mechanical work already completed. These choices lead to massive variations in cost.

So, our new guide contains more verbiage about each vehicle under headings like Background, Impressions, Engineering and What Does it Cost?

In some cases we’ve included full product feature reprints to fully explain what’s what.

The guide’s primary purpose is to whet appetites and direct customers towards manufacturers. To that end we’ve included all the usual contact details.

Take a look at the Replica Guide entries in the May to September 2007 editions of Kit Car magazine. The complete new Replica Guide is now available.

Many of these fabulous cars are given extensive colour features so that you can really gauge what they’re about. A full feature list is printed below.

Sandwiched between all these glorious guide entries and colour articles are display advertisements from everybody who is anybody in the world of kit cars. That means tool and parts suppliers, builders and reconditioners, electrical and paint specialists, tuning and track day specialists, insurance companies - basically everybody you’re ever likely to need to help you build and enjoy the car of your dreams!

In all, the Classic Replica Guide contains around 340 pages - that’s nearly twice the size of a normal Kit Car magazine - all for just £12 including p&p.

This publication, in common with all our publications, is the biggest and best in its class. There’s no other Classic Replica Guide that comes even close to matching its size, range or detail. The entries have been written by our genuinely expert staff; who report out of the depth of their knowledge, practical experience and out of enthusiasm for and love of replica kit cars.

Take a look through this guide and be astonished at the sheer range and variety of replicas available today. Some have been around for decades: others are brand spanking new, but one thing’s for sure… this kit car industry sector has been growing.

There’s been a shift in the nature of kit cars: those of today are generally better designed. Commercial considerations mean they’ve moved to meet the technical demands of today’s customers. Legal considerations dictate that they comply with the stringent registration requirements imposed by the SVA (Single Vehicle Approval) test. Practical considerations mean they must utilise the mechanical parts from increasingly sophisticated up-to-date donor cars. Engineering limitations dictate that their parts often have to be adapted in ever more creative ways: sometimes they’re purpose-made. These factors have conspired to make better kit cars, but they’ve become more complex to understand.

There was a time when kit cars were so simple “take a Beetle floor-pan: bolt on a body shaped like anything between a buggy and a Bugatti: bung in some trim: and drive” was the extent of what needed explaining. Padding such words with a few general observations concerning fit’n’finish, prices and (predictable) driving impressions could be done by almost anybody. It was, and astonishingly still is done by people without technical knowledge and with no kit car building experience. Even in earlier ‘simple’ days, would-be builders were none-the-wiser as a result of reading such press reports. Given the increased sophistication of modern kit cars, such writing has become even less useful; not least because the dynamic performance of manufacturer’s mechanical recipes can’t necessarily be taken for granted, whilst mechanically inexperienced journalists can’t assess the pros and cons of what’s been done, let alone evaluate the results.

Journalists in this classification tend to down-play the vitally important technical aspects, but instead point to their great photography, stunning artwork and the glossiness of the paper on which their words are printed. Thankfully, readers such as you haven’t missed the point; which explains Kit Car’s popularity compared to other magazines.

Hardly any kit cars, save for a few old-school types and an increasing number of new body panel replacement kits, can be described as simple. In most cases their assembly involves adapting an engine, made for FWD transverse mounting, for RWD in-line use. Some involve transplanting an engine, designed to be at the front of the car, for use in the back. Yet a great many others require the picking and mixing of complex mechanical components from a vast array of sources. There’s plenty of scope for confusion: so, surely these complex subjects cannot be meaningfully explained other than by experienced kit car builders like us. You wouldn’t seek medical advice from a journalist - would you? Neither would you go to a journalist for legal advice! So, where are you going to find out about replicas and how to build one?

We at Kit Car magazine are firstly kit car enthusiasts who’ve acquired expertise through practising what we preach. We also happen to be journalists, in which field we’ve earned respect. So, we are qualified people from whom you may reliably seek guidance. For my part, I was a prolific designer and builder of kit cars. I made my first, of about 15, kit car designs in 1983. Most went on to be manufactured, in huge numbers, under the Pilgrim brand from 1985 onwards. My last design, the Pilgrim Sumo Mk3, has continued in production without even the slightest modification since I sold Pilgrim in 2002. I think that speaks volumes concerning my engineering credentials. There really isn’t much concerning kit car design and construction that would go over my head. Kit Car editor, Ian Hyne, has built a fair few kit cars too. His recent build of a Caterham, a Quantum Xtreme and a Toylander have been well documented in Kit Car magazine, but these are just his most recent exploits. Technical editor, Nigel Dean, has not only built a dynamic DAX, an ultimate Ultima and a show winning Westfield and more, but has gained the enviable reputation for setting the standard against which others willingly measure their own kit car building efforts. Let’s not leave out Iain Ayre either who has built a Cobretti, a Midge and a Jaguar XK120 (which he produced in kit form until his departure to Canada). It’s like I said, all Kit Car’s staff journalists are experienced experts.

Kit Car magazine really does address the practical issues of kit car building and ownership. If you’re seriously wanting to build a kit, rather than just look at them, you’ll value Kit Car’s maturity, down-to-earth practical assistance and sound engineering advice. Manufacturers recognise Kit Car as the market leader; which is why we carry so many more of their advertisements. Shops do too; which is why you can buy Kit Car magazine from far more outlets. Readers know it as well, which is why we sell two out of every three kit car industry magazines.

Take a look through these guide pages; there’s bound to be a model of interest to you. Back in 1982, I was where you are right now. I was reading the Kit Car Guide of that year and the rest, as they say, is history. I sincerely hope that, in reading this Classic Replica Guide, you’ll experience a similar infatuation. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as turning up at your pub or club in your newly constructed car and being able to say “I built it myself”. Just remember that Kit Car magazine will be out every month to keep you inspired, educated and in touch with developments. Ours is the only title that imparts all the technical know-how on every aspect of building from engines to electrics, from wheels to windscreens, from clutches to coachwork and from trim to transmissions – and when you’ve built your very own kit car, with our help, we might even publish your story.

Let us inspire you!

Den Tanner

INTRODUCTION - FORGERY OR FLATTERY?

Ian Hyne examines the pros and cons of building replicas and asks whether the industry enhances or detracts from the reputation of the original cars.

RAW DEAL - TESTING TIMES

Rob Hawkins shows you how the pre-registration Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) test works in practice. Using a RAW Striker as his example.

ABOUT US

Den Tanner reckons we’re people who know what we’re talking about – but he would: wouldn’t he?

BE PREPARED

The decision to build a replica generates excitement, as it should do but there are a few practical aspects to consider that will make the project flow far more smoothly.

BUDGETING FOR A REPLICA BUILD

An early consideration is how much the project is going to cost. You may not build a top show car but Nigel Dean’s check-list covers everything you need to consider.

NOSTALGIA IS A GREAT DEAL BETTER THAN IT USED TO BE

The kit car industry has come a very long way in the last twenty years. Along the way there have been many no-hopers as well as worthy cars that never made it.

A KIWI IN KENT

The MG TF has been a popular replica target but none has really delivered sports performance. The MX5 based TG puts that right as Ian Hyne discovers.

ARC WELDING

Fancy having a go at welding? Plenty of people have built their own Locost chassis using Ron Champion’s book as a guide. Here we give advice on buying the key piece of equipment, a MIG welder.

TOP CAT

The Autotune Aristocat comes under the spotlight once again. The fact that it’s more than 20 years old and bears testament to the fact that there will always be a market for kits that make room for builder ingenuity, originality and individuality.

HANDS ACROSS THE SEA

For replica manufacturers, the Daytona is a natural progression from the legendary Cobra – not as well known but certainly every bit as venomous. We interview Ian Briggs of British American Daytonas.

I COULD DO WITH A ‘D’ - Pt1

We tell the story of a man who loved the D Type Jaguar so much that he simply had to build one. As is often the case for kit car builders, it cost him more than he thought; and in more ways than he anticipated too.

I COULD DO WITH A ‘D’ PART 2 & 3

Peter Marsh completes his bitsa D Type and confesses that he’s bored. He likes C Types too but would need another garage. However, the land is there, but first there’s the thrill of driving this car.

CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW

Certain manufacturers within the kit car industry occasionally break ranks and join the mainstream motoring circus. One such testing of the water was at the recent Classic Motor Show held at the NEC, Birmingham. Nigel Dean checks up on them.

A DASH OF CLASS

If you’ve wondered how to make a quality finished walnut dashboard for your reproduction classic, at a price you can afford, then look no further. The kit car industry is full of companies like Veneer Restoration who can do all manner of complex jobs for you.

FULL CIRCLE

The DNA 360 is one of two Toyota MR2 Mk3 based replicas to follow up the kit-form success of the 355 copies. Ian Hyne has a close look.

ETB

Nigel Dean compares digital instrumentation with conventional analogue instruments in respect of cost and efficiency.

FOREARMED IS FOREWARNED

The Foreman Can Am lurks quietly in the background but is still available to those who care to seek it out. In fact the project is up for sale. Any budding replica makers out there?

LOLA LOVE AFFAIR

Nigel Dean gets to grips with GD’s awesome Lola T70 replica that bases 60s looks on a bang up to date mechanical mix.

STERLING SERVICE

Hallmark Cars is among the top names in used kit cars. Ian Hyne pays them a visit and finds a thriving company with a great deal to commend it.

NO. 59

Hawk Cars is the sole manufacturer of the 289 Cobra and this 289 FIA replica shows the superb authenticity that can be achieved.

IMAGE F27

The Formula 27 that started life as the first of the worthwhile plan-form projects and which later pioneered today’s bike-engined craze, has a new home with Image Sports Cars as Ian Hyne reports.

BY THE BOOK

Ron Champion’s book and the resulting Locost car have swept through the kit car world igniting a fire of enthusiasm that shows no sign of damping down. It’s been gathering pace since Kit Car reported on the prototype car way back in June 1994 and now spans the globe from Australia to America. Ian Hyne catches up with developments.

TIME MACHINE

SOME people say that producing a replica, rather than an original design, is taking the easy route. But to be successful, the modern replica has to comply with SVA regulations, sympathetically incorporate modern donor parts - and still conjure up something of the original’s appeal. No easy task. But it can be done and the Nostalgia XK120 and 140 replicas are living proof.

THE EYES HAVE IT

The Tifosi Rana is an old style Frogeyed Sprite replica on a very dated donor but it’s cute, affordable and above all, fun.

GOING LARGE

Ian Hyne tries a Dodge Viper replica for sale at Hallmark Cars. It may not be the best there is but it represents a great candidate for mechanical and interior upgrading.

WIRED AND WONDERFUL

Wire Wheels are essential wear for many 60s and 70s sports car replicas plus a great many of the kit industry’s period roadsters. Wire wheels are a great deal more than a very pretty face - Iain Ayre checks out what MWS have to offer Kit Car readers and finds a few surprises.

KIT CARS GALORE

Summer weather is bringing kit cars out of the garage and into the market-place to make way for new build projects. This month sees the largest selection of complete used kit cars offered for sale. There’s well over 120 at the back of this issue – which is far more than you’ll find anywhere else!

The Guide shown right was put together nearly 5 years ago: consequently it's a little outdated. That said, it still contains plenty of data and is available at half its original price. If you'd like a copy, please send £5. There's only a few left! A 'Buy Now' button is on this page.