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PostPosted: November 7, 2021, 6:28 pm 
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With a donor and a home built frame / body. For a daily driver, to the extent you can manage with a motorcycle.

I feel like questions like these often ask something like what's best. I've been exploring that for myself for a long time, and it has not resulted in getting something built. And I think just about any production car would be amazing to drive if you replaced it's body with something minimal, home built.

So, what would be cheapest? And what would be easiest? I realize this is two different questions, but I'm interested in exploring their relationship. I feel like it might be valuable to a lot of people.

What donor, what style? Locost, T-bucket (with a hood)? Miata, Mustang, Camaro, S-10, Ranger, Silverado?

It seems like it would be pretty easy to get an old running rear wheel drive pickup truck for about $2,000, take the body and frame off, throw a couple frame rails in there, maybe a roll hoop, maybe a body, and call it fun. Maybe move the engine back and shorten the drive shaft to improve balance.

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PostPosted: November 7, 2021, 7:02 pm 
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50+ years ago, it would have been a VW dune buggy on both parts. For a bit more performance, a step up would have been something like a Jamaican or other fiberglass body on a TR3 or MGA frame. Alas, those days of inexpensive body swaps are gone are gone.

A traditional Locost is about as cheap as one can get, so long as one follows the original theme of used parts. It is far from easy though. not hard, but certainly not a weekend build. And then there is a lot of decisions to be made along the way. Analysis Paralysis slows down a lot of builds.

Easiest is to buy somebody's 80% completed Sevenesque build with only 80% more to go! Or an old VW dune buggy that needs a refurb.

Maybe you are looking for a home built DD? If so, then licensing and insurance are the biggest hurdle IMO. Maybe 2nd hurdle , after including all the creature comforts necessary for a DD.

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PostPosted: November 7, 2021, 7:48 pm 
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Look at any of Perry's Locost builds. They are all single donors, and purely so. In the beginning we collectively were skeptical, with his first, Chevette based effort but 11 months later he had a car on the road. Perry has a crowd of converted admirers for getting it done. I think the next was S-10 based, and the one after that some sort of Ford. It goes on.

What you describe seems to call for emulating Perry. The donor is whatever comes your way ...

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PostPosted: November 7, 2021, 8:14 pm 
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Not the cheapest, but the easiest would probably be the Exocet.


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PostPosted: November 8, 2021, 12:24 pm 
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rx7locost wrote:
50+ years ago, it would have been a VW dune buggy on both parts. For a bit more performance, a step up would have been something like a Jamaican or other fiberglass body on a TR3 or MGA frame. Alas, those days of inexpensive body swaps are gone are gone.

A traditional Locost is about as cheap as one can get, so long as one follows the original theme of used parts. It is far from easy though. not hard, but certainly not a weekend build. And then there is a lot of decisions to be made along the way. Analysis Paralysis slows down a lot of builds.

Easiest is to buy somebody's 80% completed Sevenesque build with only 80% more to go! Or an old VW dune buggy that needs a refurb.

Maybe you are looking for a home built DD? If so, then licensing and insurance are the biggest hurdle IMO. Maybe 2nd hurdle , after including all the creature comforts necessary for a DD.

Agreed, though mine isn't quite 80%, but also agree on 80% to go.
90% complete frame, and all the wiring to do.

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PostPosted: November 8, 2021, 12:39 pm 
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I think exocars/exokarts belong somewhere in this list. Take an existing car and remove/cut away everything 'unnecessary' and throw a cage around it. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWIM8I_J4Cc

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PostPosted: November 8, 2021, 3:55 pm 
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Definitely a hot rod would be the cheapest and easiest to make from scratch.

Basically as you described the frame is just 2 RHS rails with a few crossmembers, you can bolt on the complete donor subframes for suspension, brakes and steering, buy a fibreglass t-bucket body and slap it on top if you want... there's not much more to them, really.

If you want to make a body from scratch as well then a Willys Jeep body is almost all just flat panels... It seems like I've ended up describing exactly what I'm building, because I was also looking for the easiest/quickest build possible from scratch (though I used a genuine frame just for legal reasons, I'd have made it from scratch if I was allowed).

In about ~10 weeks of working most evenings and maybe 4 weekends I made it from donor car to this:

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Still a way to go, but it's not a difficult thing to make compared to a Locost.

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PostPosted: November 8, 2021, 5:26 pm 
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Finding a running RWD anything sub $2000 seems especially difficult in my area right now.

Best thing I've found recently is a 2000 BMW 325 with a trashed body as a result of a tree through a garage roof.

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PostPosted: November 8, 2021, 11:21 pm 
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Okay, I have to say it.
Start with MG Midget/AH Sprite, MGB, or Triumph Spitfire.
Rough runners can be had cheap, the Spitfire even supplies a frame.
They are old enough to escape "SMOG" equipment and computers.
Super simple mechanically and most parts are pretty cheap.
Some original 7's used Sprite (Austin A series) engines.
Parts are also light weight, when younger a buddy and I would put Sprite engines in by hand.
Not hard to find, I just bought several Spridgets for under $500 each.

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PostPosted: November 9, 2021, 12:03 am 
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RichardSIA wrote:
Okay, I have to say it.
Start with MG Midget/AH Sprite, MGB, or Triumph Spitfire.


Sensible and fun option - you may also get to enjoy a whole range of new scenery intimately as they will be the ones where you breakdown! I loved my 78 MGBGT, best upgrade was a digital ignition coil upgrade, made it reliable and fun to own. Rally driving through London traffic in heavy snow was such a great experience.


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PostPosted: January 29, 2023, 1:52 pm 
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Some early lotus 7 had a the sprite engine, and i would add that those lotus 7 used the spitfire upright.. and i think the brakes.. all series 1, 2 and 3 if i remember correctly


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PostPosted: January 29, 2023, 2:57 pm 
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Darxus wrote:
So, what would be cheapest? And what would be easiest?...What donor, what style? Locost, T-bucket (with a hood)? Miata,...
Great mimes think alike...though you can't tell, because they don't talk, but as Beezleboss mentioned...
Beelzeboss wrote:
Definitely a hot rod would be the cheapest and easiest to make from scratch.
I'm in slow-but-steady process of building a hot rod style sorta Locost with a simple ladder frame a la hot rod, with Miata suspension components. I've been thinking a pre-V8 Track T banger would be a neat way to go. The main issue is, if equally stiffened, it'll outweigh a Locost by about 50 pounds. On the other hand, body swaps would be as easy as tinkertoys...Track T, Bucket T, Locost, Lotus 11, Lola Mk1...
RTz wrote:
I think exocars/exokarts belong somewhere in this list. Take an existing car and remove/cut away everything 'unnecessary'...
Right, like Michelangelo sculpted David by taking a big block of marble, and knocking off anything that didn't look like David.
RTz wrote:
...and throw a cage around it. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWIM8I_J4Cc
David is currently in the Accademia Gallery of Florence (Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze). It's not a cage, exactly, but the doors lock and they have armed guards.

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PostPosted: January 29, 2023, 5:39 pm 
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Cheapest/easiest is buying an already-existing unwanted project car.

The thread title is too vague. The OP needs to define the goal in more detail, and the key is what exactly "build" means? How much of the total vehicle are you planning to build? Does "build" mean creating the chassis from nothing, or does it mean bolting fenders to a purchased car frame and calling it done?

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