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Hi greetings from a very new and inexperienced member!
I am just on the verge of purchasing a part built Sportster kit.
Running gear including brakes and suspension are complete, as is the body, it has a Grenada Cosworth LSD fitted.
It requires wiring, interior trim and dash plus a V8 engine and gearbox that it has been set up for, It currently has a V8 fitted that is a show engine with Dragster exhausts and will be removed. It has an LPG tank already fitted so completing that conversion will be on the list of things to do.
I have never attempted a project like this and have limited facilities, though I do have a dry garage to store it in. with this in mind I will have to farm out most of the work,.
Before I actually make the final deal I thought I would ask you fine fellows your opinions on the Kit in question, here are a few Pictures taken by the seller Sportster part built
The nose cone seems different to most Sportsters I have seen, any thoughts on that?
The seller is a well known V8 engine specialist and has done the build to a high standard, he originally planned the car for showing and competition but can be continued as a road build.
I cannot afford to fit one of his engines as they are quite a high standard, and expensive, maybe later when my finances recover from the initial purchase.
From looking at your cars I see that BMW engines are preferred, I am sure this example could have its engine mounts modified to suit, any thoughts on choosing a Rover V8 over a BMW? I am looking for a comfortable tourer rather than a nervous screamer.
One last question, is there any way I could get a donor cars registration and tax status on this? or will it have to be classed as a new car with full road tax and insurance?
Loads more questions but they can wait for future posts.
Hi and welcome to this forum.
This might sound harsh advice but please do a lot more research before purchasing this part built kit. Others may disagree with me but I feel it is only fair to warn you.
I don't know what deal you are discussing with the company selling it but it has previously been advertised for some time on eBay at highly inflated prices.
This car would need a substantial investment (particularly as you will be paying someone else to do the work) to complete, not to mention the cost of IVA.
I have previously commented on this forum that I believe this unfinished kit is worth about £500.
You can get completed running, painted fully registered car for the kind of money they have been advertising.
I bow to your experience but where do you get the 500 pounds from? it has a complete body kit plus chassis and brakes etc, they alone are worth much more than that.
I have been looking for a part or complete kit for a while now and it seems completes in good condition sell for well over 7k, I haven't seen any Sportsters but NG-TC's seem more common.
I would be very grateful if anyone can point me in the direction of a well sorted Sportster for sale or about to be sold.
Bubble isn't burst but is a bit puzzled by the negativity.
Hi Sportster,
Sorry to be negative as well as Peter, but that ebay price is way over the top. I bought a road ready version of the sportster for the same money as your kit was advertised for. I also went and looked at a part built kit that was on the market for about a grand and it had all the body parts plus it had the engine already installed. The only problem was it had sat in a very damp lock up for several years and was not in good condition.
However, part built kits do come on the market a few times a year. If you are patient one will come along.
The guys that frequent this forum have all built their own Marlins and have a wealth of knowledge and experience and are only too willing to help others. I have benefitted many times from their help.
Have a look at past threads and take a look at their builds, you will learn much. There is also a few other guys who are building Sportsters at this moment and frequent this forum.
I was also earlier this year contacted by a person who had a part built kit and his friend had one as well but I never followed those up because my Sportster came along shortly after that.
But welcome to the forum and lets us know how you get on.
Dennis
The price on that Kit dropped to 5,500 which I thought was reasonable considering all the parts were as new plus the donor parts are new or refurbed as well as already assembled.
Oh well I guess I have to be patient as you say! I am booked in for the 2 days of the Exeter show, perhaps I can spot a car for sale in the car park!
I actually prefer a part build as the build is as satisfying as the final product. I just don't have the skills or room to start from scratch, no shortage of enthusiasm though
I think I would suffer from guilt if I bought some ones pride and joy for pennies! I can see that a well sorted big engined Sportster would cost in excess of 10k to build from scratch.
I have been scouring the forums and You tube for sights and sounds of the Sportster, There are certainly many beautiful examples out there.
What engine do you have in yours? The Bmw engine looks very refined.
Like other posters I think this kit is seriously overpriced and we had a good laugh about it on an earlier post.
Seriously though, I think this kit must have been hanging about for many years. I bought my BMW E30 based kit in 2003 (build on hold for family illness) but this appears to be based on a Ford donor which was an even earlier version.
Whilst the price asked for the parts may seem reasonable when compared to their cost new, it is a fact of life that part built kits sell for peanuts.
The other consideration is the IVA which is now quite demanding. To be safe you need a donor V5 and proof that you built the kit yourself. The rules for professionally built kits are different.
Looks like its unanimous then! what a shame.
I wonder what its fate will be, perhaps the owner will decide to continue the build and try to get some of his spend back. When I look at it I just see a vision of gleaming paint and stainless and hear that V8 burble in my minds eye.
Now back to the drawing board and my quest for hopefully a part completed kit! If anyone has any leads please message me. I will be at Exeter for both days scouring the car parks and "want to sell" section if there is such a thing.
Reading back a year of forum threads I see at least one other member who was starting out like me and he is now a proud owner so hopefully I can repeat his success.
On a more positive note there are very few Sportsters running V8's. The BMW S62 Engine, is the better BMW V8, which is the 4.0L V8 out of the E39 M5 (1998-2003). The E39 540i is the same block but more wiring and coding is needed to make it run on its own. To my knowledge there isn't a Sportster running a BMW V8.
The easiest route is Rover if your looking for a V8 as they are simple, plus you have no cat & emissions to really worry about.
My dad has a Sportster (Pearl Orange) running a Rover 3.5 V8 with a Sierra Cosworth back end. If you wanted to look around one etc it is in Swindon so only down the road from you. It will be Sorn & off the road at the end of September until the Spring so if you wanted to go out in it would have to be sooner.
Pictures of it are online in many different places,
I can send you contact details if you wanted to call etc.
It would be great to have another V8 close as most are BMW plus its what we are all here for. To help one another through the build and share the experience which I never get bored of.
I did some measuring as my dads 840Ci Sport has an M62B44 and its very, very, very tight in terms of fit on the sportster due to the over head cams the heads are very far apart. It's all down how far back you could fit it. Bell housing on the V8 gear boxes are quite big too, never got as far as measuring that (my dad was starting to look a bit nervous )
Hi Patrick thanks for taking the time to worry your dad
I think a BMW V8 will be a bit out of my league due to its complexity, as Jono has hinted at, the old rover V8 came out of the Ark and is relatively simple.
My goal would be a very relaxed tourer with little need to change gears etc, the basic SD1 engine only produces around 150 HP, but bags of torque so would fit my bill exactly I think. The other carrot would be the V8 rumble and side pipes of course.
I have made contact with Jono and hope to get a glimpse of his Dads Orange Beauty some time this week.
I am feeling right at home here already, what a great friendly bunch you all are And having so many living in "bothering" range is an added bonus.
Now all I need to do is persuade one of you to sell your pride and joy to me! otherwise I am "up a creek without a steering wheel" as it were.
To be honest it was all in jest It's something I measured up several years ago before my Sportster was on the road - typical idle afternoon ooo I wonder if that would fit Stock M62's are pretty easy to get but the manual box is not so much. I think something like an LS1 or Rover V8 would probs fit in much easier.
Straight sixes are still very good fun though, be it an M20 (E30/90's generation or later M50/52/54. The one that's probably most fun if you want scare the life out of yourself is the S50B32 M3 engine with 320 horses from the E36 M3 Evo. M20's like the on I have in mine in 2.5ltr form start with about 170 and you can get up around or just over 200 with some work and are relatively easy to increase capacity to 2.8lrs which really ups the torque and the power, the pics from my build are here: http://www.msportster.co.uk/question/m20b28-build-in-full/
I just finished reading about your build on your site when you posted, looks great! a lot of work to achieve a really tidy result.
You are right it is a shame the blue block isn't visible! I saw somewhere today on my meanderings someone fitted Motorcycle throttle bodies, I guess that would reveal more.
I think Its going to be a case of "beggars cant be choosers" in my choice of Engine, with the rarity of them on the market I will just have to take what's offered. I am sure I wouldn't have any complaints if I ended up with a Beemer
If I end up with a completed car It would be fine but to fit one myself would stretch my abilities I think.
Thanks I was / am in the process of bike throttle bodies but I've been busy with other things so have not touched it in a couple of years. This page has as far as I got: http://www.msportster.co.uk/itb-project
I would expect better airflow on the intake so much faster throttle response. Wouldn't really work with motronic so standalone ecu and alpha-n airflow meter instead of the barn door should all help to increase power. Hopefully not much loss of torque.
To be honest it's the sound that incites me and the fact that it's the fraction of the cost of the ITB dbilas intake. There's a lot more to do, not sure when I'll get back to it. R/C is taking up most of my spare time at the mo.
Sportster,
not sure if your still looking, but there is a part built BMW based Sportster advertised in the latest issue of the MOC's in-house magazine.
I have no personal knowledge of this kit, but it is described as "Full chassis and body" bought 6 years ago. Running gear fitted and BMW 2.5 engine and gearbox fitted. It's been in storage for 4 years but covered in dust.
He's looking for offers IRO £800.
Sounds like a real bargain at that price, Since I posted i decided to hold off on the project, I purchased a TR7 V8 DHC, initially to act as a donor for its engine and gearbox but couldn't bring myself to trash it.
I am currently rebuilding it, new suspension/bushes and brakes so far. Engine and drive train are in excellent condition, just needs some minor body work and a respray plus the interior tidying up.
I most probably wont keep it in the long term, it is a little too modern for my tastes. rather I am treating it as a learning exercise before tackling something more ambitious like the Sportster.
I paid a visit to the Exeter show, awesome experience!, after chatting to numerous owners I realized I really wasn't ready for the Sportster build, either technically or financially.
Anyway thanks for keeping an eye out for a kit! hopefully someone else can read the thread and take it further. I hope to be back on the hunt in a couple of three years after I complete the TR8.
Btw, that high priced RPI Sportster kit I was looking at finally went for 3,500 I believe.
) 
And having so many living in "bothering" range is an added bonus.
It's something I measured up several years ago before my Sportster was on the road - typical idle afternoon ooo I wonder if that would fit 