Kit Cars

As is probably well known to our readers, cars built up from kits of parts are not liable to purchase tax if assembled without professional help. As these cars are almost entirely limited to the rather small and specialised sports-car market they will obviously interest readers of Motor Sport. The following directory covers those cars which can be assembled from complete kits and semi-kits, and gives brief mechanical details of each model. The majority of the cars mentioned here are complete kits but some, such as the Ashley Sportiva, Rochdale Olympic and Tornado Typhoon can be supplied as a chassis and body to which the customer’s own running gear is fitted. Usually in these cases the equipment is taken from the Ford 8 and 10-h.p. series, which enables a buyer to complete a car for around £300 if secondhand Ford components are used.

So far we have only road-tested two of these kit cars, the Rochdale Olympic and the G.S.M. Delta, both of which reached a very high standard of finish and performance, but road tests of some of the other cars mentioned here will be made in the near future. Many of the manufacturers listed in this feature have been supplying kit cars for some years and have reached a high standard in design and workmanship and, bearing in mind the very reasonable prices of most of the kits, deserve more attention than they have received in the past.—M. L. T.

Manufacturers’ Addresses

Ashley Laminates Ltd., Bush Fair, Harlow, Essex.

Elva Cars Ltd., Sedlescombe Road North, Hastings, Sussex.

Fairthorpe Ltd., Station Road, Gerrards Cross, Bucks.

Falcon Shells Ltd., 23, Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey, Essex.

G.S.M. Cars Ltd., London ‘load, West Mailing, Kent.

Gilbern Sports Cars and Components, Pent wyn Works, Church Village, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, S. Wales.

Ginetta Sports Cers, Campshca Ashe, Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Lotus Cars Ltd., Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Herts.

L.M.B. Components Ltd., Weyford House, Guildford, Surrey.

Rochdale Motor Panels and Engineering Ltd., Littledale Mill, Littledale Street, Rochdale, Lancs.

Layton Sports Cars Ltd., (T.V.R.), Hoo Hill Works, Bispham Road, Layton, Blackpool.

Tornado Cars Ltd., Rickmansworth, Herts.

Turner Sports Cars (Wolverhampton) Ltd., Pendeford Airport, Wolverhampton.

 

Ashley Sportiva

Chassis : Steel ladder-type chassis with bonded substructure.

Bodywork : Four-seater in glass-fibre reinforced plastics.

Suspension : Front : Transverse leaf-spring and lateral links. Rear : Rigid axle with trailing links; Panhard rod and coil

springs.

Brakes : Ford. Supplied by customer.

Steering : Ford. Supplied by Customer.

Engine : Ford 1,172 c.c. Supplied by customer.

Price : Body and combined chassis/substructure, £267.

 

Elva Courier

Chassis : Tubular steel ladder-type frame.

Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-reinforced plastics.

Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs. Rear : Rigid axle, with trailing arms, Panhard rod and coil-springs.

Brakes : Front : 9-in. drum. Rear : 8-in. drum.

Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : M.G.-A 1600. Price : From £650

Construction time : Approximately 15/20 hours.

 

Fairthorpe Zeta, Electron & Electron Minor

Chassis : Steel ladder-type frame.

Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-fibre-reinforced plastics.

Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs. Rear : Rigid axle, with trailing wishbones and coil-springs.

Brakes : Zeta : Front : 11-in. disc. Rear : 9-in. drum.

Electron : Front : 9-in. disc. Rear : 7-in. drum.

Electron Minor : Front : 8-in. drum. Rear : 7-in. drum.

Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : Zeta : Ford Zephyr.

Electron : Coventry-Climax 1,098 c.c. or 1,220 c.c.

Electron Minor : Triumph Herald.

Price : Zeta, £757; Electron, 7.35; Electron Minor, £498.

 

PAGE EDITED UP TO HERE

 

Falcon Competition

Chassis : Multi-tubular space frame.

Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-fibre-reinforced polyester resin.

Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs. Rear : Rigid axle with trailing arms, ” A ” bracket and coil-springs.

Brakes : Front : On. drum. Rear : Sin, drum. Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : Ford tosE, M.G.-A 000, Ford 109E. Price : £452, less engine and gearbox.

FALCON CARIBBEAN

Chassis : ladder-type chassis.

Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-fibre-reinforced polyester resin. Suspension : Front : Tubular leading arms and coil-springs. Rear : Rigid axle with radius rods and coil-springs.

Brakes : drums all round.

Steering : Worm and nut.

Engine : Ford 105E. Price : From /750.

4— G.S.M. DELTA

(Road-reyted, 0,tobo. 1961 ismte cf moroix SPORT.)

Chassis : Tubular steel ladder-type frame.

Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-fibre-reinforced polyester resin. Suspension : Front : Transverse leaf-spring, with lower link and anti-roll bar. Rear : Rigid axle with trailing arms, ” A ” bracket and coil-springs

Brakes : 8-in, drums all round.

Steering : Burman, al turns lock-to-lock.

Engine : Ford tosli. Price : With 6o-b.h.p. engine, 1696; with 90-b.h.p. engine and

racing modifications, /997.

GILBERN

Chassis : Multi-tubular space frame.

Bodywork : Four-seater in glass-fibre reinforced plastics. Suspension : Front : Wishbone and coil-springs. Rear : Twin

radius arms, Panhard rod and coil springs.

Brakes : Front : 81 in. drum. Rear : 7-in. drum.

Steering : Worm and peg. Engine : B.M.C. ” A ‘ series, M.G.-A 1600, Coventry-Climax

1,098 c.c. Price : ” A ” series, /845; M.G.-A, £895; Coventry-Climax,

price pending.

GINETTA 04

Chassis : Multi-tubular space frame.

Body : Two-seater in glass-reinforced plastics. Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs. Rear : Rigid

axle with trailing arms, ” A ” bracket and coil-spring.

Brakes : 8,in, drums all round.

Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : Ford tot.

Price : £697.

LOTUS SEVEN and SUPER SEVEN

Chassis : Multi-tubular space frame.

Bodywork : Aluminium 2-seater with separate wings.

Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs. Rear : Rigid axle with trailing arms, ” A ” bracket and coil-springs. Brakes : Front : 7 in. diameter drums, Rear : 8 in. diameter drums.

Steering : Rack and pinion, 2?? turns lock-to-lock.

Engine : ” A ‘ Series, Ford 1051i and Ford 109li.li0 b.h.p. Price : With Ford losE, £499; B.M.C. ” A ” Series, 1,5 t ; Ford 109E, /599.

Construction time : Approximately 20 man-hours. Continued on page 38

4— LOTUS ELITE

4— Chassis : Unitary chassis/body construction in glass-reinforced

epoxide and polye3ter resin. Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs. Rear : Chap

man strut.

Brakes : (A-in. disc brakes all round.

Steering : Rack and pinion. Engine : Coventry-Climax, 1,216 c.c., 83 b.h.p. at 6,590 r.p.m.,

with M.G.-A gearbox.

Price : £1,299.

Construction time : 25 man-hours.

L.M.B. DEBONAIR

Chassis : Steel ladder-type chassis.

Bodywork : 2/4-seater in glass-fibre reinforced plastics. Suspension : Front : Tubular leading arms and coil-springs. Rear Rigid axle with radius rods, ” A ” bracket and cantilever

springs.

Brakes : drum all round. Steering : Worm and key. Engine : Ford ro5E, Ford ro9E. Price : Price pending.

ROCHDALE OLYMPIC

(Road-tested, June 19(51 issue of MOTOR SpoRT.) Chassis : Unitary chassis/body construction in glass-reinforced

plastics.

Bodywork : Two-seater. Suspension : Front : Wishbones and torsion bars. Rear : Rigid

axle with radius arm and coil-springs. Brakes : Front : 9-in. drum. Rear : 8-in. drum. 7-in, all

round with Morris Minor components.

Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : B.M.C. ” A ” series„ Ford tO5F., Riley 1.5, M.G-A ‘Goo.

Price : ” series and 10.5E, £598; Riley 1-.5, £670.; ‘Goo, £695.

Construction time : Approximately 50 man-hours.

Note : Semi-kits can ;as° he supplied for Morris Minor and Ford 8 and to-h.p. components. A complete body/chassis unit costs L256 for B.M.C.: parts and f,248 for Ford 8 and to-h.p. parts. These prices include cost of modifications to Customers’ components.

T.V.R. GRANTURA

Chassis : Multi-tubular space frame.

Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-fibre reinforced plastics bonded to chassis.

Suspension : Front : Trailing arms and torsion bars. Rear : Independent by trailing arms and torsion bars.

Brakes : Front : t-in, disc. Rear : drum.

Steering : Rack and pinion. Engine : Coventry-Climax 1,216 c.c., M.G.-A 1600, Ford 1°5E,

Ford ro9E.

Price : From L880.

Construction time : Approximately 40-50 hours.

4.__TORNADO THUNDERBOLT, TEMPEST & TYPHOON

Chassis : Tubular steel ladder-type frame. Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-fibre reinforced plastics. Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs (Typhoon : swing axle). Rear : Rigid axle with trailing links. Panhard rod

and coil-springs (Typhoon Panhard rod and coil-springs). Brakes : Thunderbolt and Tempest : Iron!: 8-in. drum.

Rear : 9-in, drum. Typhoon : Ford. Supplied by customer. Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : Thunderboh : “IR3. Tempest : Ford ro5E, Ford to9E. 1:vphoon : Ford 8/10 h.p.

Price : Thunderbolt, 055; Tempest, 55.5; Typhoon : body j;;130, chassis 470.

TORNADO TALISMAN

Chassis : Tubular and square-section steel ladder frame. Bodywork : Four-seater in glass-fibre reinforced plastics. Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil-springs. Rear : Independent by lower parallel transverse links, trailing links

and coil-springs.

Brakes : Front : On. disc. Rear : 7-in. drum.

Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : Ford to9E, 75 b.h.p.

Price : At present the Talisman is sold as a complete car to a standard specification for Lt ,299 31. Id. including pt., but kits will probably be available in the near future at around £890.

TURNER 950 and 1220

Chassis : Ladder-type steel chassis.

Bodywork : Two-seater in glass-fibre-reinforced polyester resin. Suspension : Front : Wishbones and coil springs. Rear : Rigid axle with trailing arms, Panhard rod and torsion bars.

Brakes: 8-in, drums all round (g-in. disc front wheel’s no model). Steering : Rack and pinion.

Engine : 13M.C. ” A” series, Ford to5E and togE, CoventryClimax 1,22:0 C.C.

Price : With B.M.C. and io5E unit, f.,550; Ford togE, £599; Coventry-Climax, aoo.

Construction time : Approximately 20 man-hours.