Ariel atom type cars... But cheap

I love the Ariel atom but they're just not in my budget. I know there are some similar type cars out there, but can any of them be had cheap? ($10k-ish).

Open to suggestions and general discussion.

Cheers

You must be new if you haven't seen this before on here.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/exocet-xp-3/66618/page1/

singleslammer wrote: You must be new if you haven't seen this before on here. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/exocet-xp-3/66618/page1/

beat me to it I am slow tonight....

Everybody has their off days

Also, for the OP. The exocet that is being produced in the US is a vast improvement over the UK version, apparently. The guys over there have kept us WAY in the loop and I have this on my list for the next couple of years to build. They had 20k total and no time to work out the kinks and still did very well with that car at this year's ultimate challenge. 10k would get you one built on a stockish miata that would still be quick.

I think $7000 would be a legitimate budget for one if you could pick it up at the factory. Add in $700-1000 if you have to have it shipped to you.

Jeeze, with topics like these, you'll make it look like we're astroturfing the forums.

The term is "Exocars", by the way. Lots of options, mostly British (like the Atom).

We built a UK-Spec Exocet ( XP-2 ) and got it on the road for a real-world cost of under $8k with tax, registration, and insurance. Collector/kit car insurance is CHEAP! We kept the stock wheels and tires, didn't mess with the solid driveline, and reupholstered the NA seats with a kit we found online. The donor was a '95, we made a lot more off the unused parts than it cost (but we only account the donor back to zero to be fair). The car was great, nice and fast, and it made my case that every Exocet should have an LSD (it didn't).

These are the real deal. Having seen them in person, it's been very hard to resist the urge to sell my race car and start putting one of these together. We'll see what the next year brings.

Warren v wrote: Jeeze, with topics like these, you'll make it look like we're astroturfing the forums.

If I hadn't seen bigmackloud on the forums before I would have thought you were

Can you elaborate on collector/kit insurance? I thought this would be one of the major hurdles to building. Providers?

Wow, I have been living under a rock, haha. {excitedly reading the linked thread).

I have my project/nightmare insures through hagerty. $208 a year with a $10,000 agreed value.

Any mileage restrictions?

Not that my odometer works.....

Ask Hagerty. I have a few cars with them, and the restrictions line up nicely with my usage patterns. They're not thrilled about kit cars, though.

I have 5000 miles a year

I have Hagerty and have no mileage limits. There are usage restrictions, however.

I'll have to call them at some point- curious as to what their stand is on "highly modified" cars (engine/suspension swaps etc).

I know USAA isn't going to give me more than $3k for my Midget if anything were to happen to it.

Hagerty has no problem with my MG. They know exactly what it is.

They don't care what I do to my cars. I insure each for a certain value, so it really doesn't matter.

So as not to limit this topic to just the Exocet, anything else out there that could be bought, pre-owned for a reasonable price? Westfields, etc?

Most of these type vehicles aren't going to pop up on your local CL, so you have to go searching for them. The key is knowing what you're searching for so you can find owner forums, etc.

Cheers.

I see various sevenesques pop up on wirewheel.com for high 4/low-5 digits sometimes, and with the premium such a well-known site would command, you can be sure they'd go for a good bit less when sold by the owner.

There's the Factory Five 818 (Subaru powered, mid engined)

The Midlana (Honda K-series powered, the book will be coming soon)

The Stalker (GM V6/V8 powered, pretty reasonable I believe)

The Westfield (Miata powered, Flyin Miata is a dealer)

The various Locost 7-esque plans and parts floating around the 'net. check out http://Locostusa.com

For more money, there's the DPcars.net offerings.

Anyone know about the Mako VRF(TR-42)? There was a fella on LocostUSA making them. VW Type 4 and Subaru powered. http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=9904

There's a few of them in the wild now, there was one for sale in the Classified section of the GRM Magazine an issue or two back even.

Doesn't look like Matrix Motor Werks has a website anymore though, and in the LocostUSA thread the builder says he's quitting to focus on Euro cars, alluded to the possibility of having a buyer for the jigs & molds. No idea how many are in existence now though.

• Lee

Also the Catfish: http://bauerltd.com/

V-Storm: http://www.six-river.com/

Nemesis: http://superlitecars.com/nemesis/

Rocket: http://www.doveracing.net/cars/mev-rocket

All of those cars will be considerably more expensive than your budget, though. The Exocet is cheap not due to a lack of quality, but because it uses every major mechanical component from a single donor Miata. No custom A-Arms, no custom uprights, no bushing assemblies, no Tilton pedalboxes, no dune buggy steering racks, no fuel cell, etc.

Manufacturers of kit cars come and go. There's always an RM Classic frame waiting to be built somewhere, I swear they made about 2000 of them and only 50 were ever completed.

If I were to search, Locost would be a good keyword. So would Atom, actually, as it's the Hot Internet Car of the moment. I'd expect a good Locost to run $5-10,000. Caterhams start at just over $20k, Westfields are in the middle. Look for Birkins as well, they're a good option if you like the original Lotus.