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I'm fairly new to kit cars and body kits for cars. I've seen quite a few replicas and loads of custom works. I started paying more attention to it when I saw this recommended video on YouTube, about a guy who built his own body kit (Vaydor Bodykits).
I found this very interesting and thought of the concept of building my own custom car. Everyone likes those Bugatti Veyron replicas, the Lamborghini Murcielagos, and the classic Ferraris, but a custom car, one that you can call yours, and no one else in the world will have it, now that is something beautiful in deed.
Obviously most of us isn't a billionaire with enough money to order the manufacturing of a custom built supercar (like a Lamborghini), so we're left with rearranging the design of already built cars into something different and unique.
I'm from the UK. I would like to know if I bought a car, let's say an Audi A5, or a Mazda MX-5 (depending on the style of car I would want to go for), and I wanted to remove the exterior and interior of it, and rebuild it, or ask someone to do it for me (since my skills of building are below zero. Damn I can't even assemble IKEA furniture), how much would that cost me?
We're talking about completely new exterior, possibly a material like fiberglass or so... New windows, mirrors, leather seats, new dashboard and obviously a navigation console and perhaps even some Bose speakers for that beautiful sound whilst driving really long distances. New tires and wheels, possibly some modding like suspension and brakes.
Someone else would build the kit (maybe a company), and assemble it. It is an interesting concept, and obviously expensive one as well. I would be looking at at least £50K-80K, if not more. Obviously, due to my lack of knowledge in these things I wouldn't know, hence why I'm asking you people for an overall estimate, simple and easy straightforward question
A rebody of an Audi A5 sized car. I want something with 5 seats for more people capacity... Details of the body, likely like a bugatti chiron type of thing. So a really nicely made and detailed body. Probably could get a few parts (smaller) 3D printed for ultra extra detail. Would be cheap and probably better than doing it by hand.
PS
In the true spirit of this forum, you can also have a more constructive reply too…
Dragil wrote:
A rebody of an Audi A5 sized car. I want something with 5 seats for more people capacity... Details of the body, likely like a bugatti chiron type of thing.
Using an A5 as a worked example, even though it has 4 seats, illustrates the points RedRatBike made about the rebody rules and bolt on panels.
In the UK, if you start off with something that looks like this:
You have to keep the original factory monocoque 100% standard/unmodified to qualify for a rebody.
Which makes turning it into something that looks anything like this a “challenge”.
There are other ways of building a one off special, but they lead down the BIVA testing route.
However, just to illustrate what can be done, here are some rebodies based on RedRatBike’s Z3 example.
Where you can start with one of these…
Remove the bodywork…
And end up with one of these cars instead.
Note:
Even though they are all different, key parts such as the standard Z3 windscreen frame have been retained (unmodified) to qualify for a rebody.
Yes, I am indeed based on the UK. I saw the Vaydor Bodykits that sparked my attention a lot... It is quite a viral video on YouTube, due to it appearing in the movie.
What I don't understand here in the UK is the laws regarding bodykits.
What is legal? What isn't legal?
Can someone build a replica car, eg a Bugatti, or a Lamborghini?
And, if someone can build a replica car, why can't they build their own?
By the word "build" I mean re-body. So, if I wanted to assemble (or have assembled) my own custom car, the size of an Audi A5 - not necessarily the Audi A5, hence why I'm asking your thoughts in the forum -, how could I do it? What would it take?
Both in engineering terms and legal terms?
Obviously a Z3 turned into a classic car is beautiful, definitely something that would catch the eye. But I'm looking into more modern, into more supercar, into more sports car year 2020 - if that makes any sense.
I have always appreciated the beauty in the classics, but there's simply this call that modern things give me that just pops my heart (like a big navigation console). Basically a futuristic luxurious spaceship inside, and a modern Bugatti Chiron (obviously my own design though) outside.
But what cars would be acceptable? Which cars are good enough to do such a thing? Would a rebody be too expensive? Would anyone be able to do it? How much money would it be?
Those are all my questions.
Thank you for reading, and very thankful for the kind replies. They are all read and appreciated (and taken into consideration).
As above, Tribute have done this for a couple of customers as I understand.
I also know that DNA actively do this for people and I fact, their latest car - the DNA 250 was a project for a customer doing such a thing. They are currently developing another F based car that I think will be made available as a kit or fully built in future. They have also developed kits for other people to make and are not produced by them as a kit.
It might be worth giving them a call or looking at their website. Though I do know that Brian currently has his hands rather full! They are based in the Midlands.
If the DNA is a bit rich for you, the Tribute kits look like a lot of fun.
I've built a few different kits in my time, and can tell you the Vaydor is way beyond anything I could hope to complete. Oh and the guy who makes the kit (Matt) isn't making any more kits either!
Depending on your skills , there is nothing stopping you from having a go yourself.
There are lots of ways of going about it, from carved foam blocks, plaster over mesh, clay , wood strip over formers or wheeled aluminium.
Have a look on youtube, lots of people have done one off cars with these methods.
Most methods are cheap to do but time consuming and the results will depend on your vision and skills.
I've seen this guy before ! Just goes to show its not that technical but you do have to get the buck right regards fit and finish otherwise all the flaws are replicated in the finished part. Just take your time !
Quite fairly, we can tell this guy has a lot of experience. I've abandoned this project of mine for a while but we'll be focusing a lot more on it in 2018. I can't do it atm, just too busy. I'll be drawing more sketches and getting 3D concepts soon to what I really want.
Truth is, it's rather difficult for someone like me who has no experience, so I'd rather pay someone to do a great job than try and do it myself, especially because then I'd be able to have what I got in mind, not some 5-year old horrible job (what would happen if I did it).
I also have quite a busy life, and if paying someone meant getting the car at a much faster rate I'd pay the person without thinking about it.
In the UK things like this are very difficult I suggest you take a look at the dvla documentation. You cannot alter the monocoque construction of the body shell like you are suggestion the car would the need an IVA test it would more than likely end up with a Q registration plate.
This is the reason tribute do what they do with replacement of body panels on cars with a similar shape.
A late Toyota celica is crying out for a make over.
Windscreen rake and roof line suggest a super car shape.
just design the lower half without modifying the panels that cant be unbolted
