LamboClone - The Premier Site for Lamborghini Replica Builders
The Forum => New Member Introductions & Bio's => Topic started by: FastEddy on September 15, 2012, 09:26:16 PM
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Well, after thinking and dreaming about it for years, I am finally going for it. I have been reading the forums (this one, MadMechanics, & Pennocks) for months now, getting ready. I started the build with the idea of giving it to my now 13 yr old (who LOVES cars, especially Italians) when he got his license, thereby giving myself a fixed DUE DATE. I figured building it together would be a great way to teach him about cars and hoped that when he saw all that went into it, he might take good car of it. After discussing this with the wife (but not before the boy told all his friends at school, LMAO), she...I mean "I" quickly realized what an absolutely HORRIBLE idea this was. Too much temptation for a teenage boy, plus the overall cost involved for a "First-car", PLUS plus the lack of safety features for a crash-prone age-group of driver. Now, for helping me build it, he might get to use it for his Senior Prom. Plus the experience working on cars. And if he's lucky, he'll get a $1500 used civic to learn on.
So, who am I?
My name is Ed. I work for the Federal Gov ::usa as a low-level-lacky. I'm a disabled vet ::salute , a volunteer fireman, and a part-time stand-up comic. I've been around cars my whole life. My dad worked at Dana and my parents owned a Auto & 4-wheel drive repair & parts business when I was growing up. I spent more summers in junkyards with my dad then most kids spent in a pool or playground. I am very good at building stuff with my hands, and my kids think I can fix anything. However, I have never attempted anything on this scale. I would say my skill level is above average, but not "mechanic" or "body man" range. I do have resources though. My dad has tons of mechanical experience working on cars, mostly muscle & drag cars. I have friends who weld and do body work (probably even for a 6-pack) ::beers. One other draw back, I'm not rich. So my build will DEFINITELY be on a budget. But I'm not shooting for OEM, just nice. I don't need to fool any experts or dealer/owners, just something that people like and gets noticed. Definitely don't want it to look cheap though. I have an empty garage, a tolerant wife, and a dream, DAMNIT!
So what am I building....a Lambo Merc. So far, I got the complete teardown/rebuild manual for the Fiero (by Haynes I think). I also picked up a total Prothane Bushing Kit for complete car for a really good deal on Craigslist. If all goes as planned, in the next few weeks, I will be picking up my donor 86 Fiero. With it, I'll be getting a 3800 SC series 2, ready to be installed. I plan to upgrade the brakes and suspension and stretch the frame, polishing and paint and generally rehabing/replacing everything else along the way. Then, at a much later date, I will be getting my body kit from CarKitsInc. I'll probably use some aftermarket seats, do so custom interior work, etc. Pick up some nice aftermarket rims off Tire Rack or ebay or craigslist, etc. I plan to use junkyard and parts store as needed along the way. Finally, I am thinking about "wrapping" it. They say it looks as good as paint, hides poor body work, and is cheaper than paint. Right now, I'm think Matte Black with Yellow accents.
Sorry this was sooooo long, but that's it in a nutshell. Would love to know your thoughts, advice, tips, etc. But only if its positive and useful. That other poopie you can keep to yourself. ::toothy
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Welcome to the forum Ed. Looking forward to seeing your build. And thank you for your service to the country ::salute ::usa
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Well, looks like you've got all your spare time for the next couple years spoken for LOL!
Good luck with your build, and dont be to proud to ask questions here!
For the wrap on your car (in order for it to look decent), it will need to be painted first before its wraped so that might not be much of a money saving idea. Also, no matter how well a car is wraped, it will never look as good as paint, even if its just for the reason of the seams and edges which dont exist on a painted car. There are also compound curves the wrap wont cover in a single piece, and areas that are to tight to reach to apply the wrap. Its your car and your choice, and just my 2 cents lol ;)
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Welcome ed!
May I reccomend you take this project in two stages- first make a fiero with the 3800 motor , and make it into a nice running /driving car. That will be a "test" for you to make certain you have the skills to try the next stage of the build - the stretch and rebody
By doing it this way, you should have a nice driveable sporty fiero after a few months work, instead of a torn apart hulk sitting in the garage for years/ and then down the line when you get the money to buy the body you can start in that stage of the project
Also know that no one has ever built a murci for less than $30,000- even using their own labor . Don't believe what cki says on their website
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Also know that no one has ever built a murci for less than $30,000- even using their own labor . Don't believe what cki says on their website
The builder on here called Mitchmurcy or something like this says he built his under $20K and maybe even less than that. However, he's not finished completely yet. So it can be done. But you gotta score nicely on your parts. For the majority, you will go WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY over budget. So be prepared.
Not to discourage you but most builds fail over a period of time due to the two most sought after commodities TIME & MONEY......and then there is the wife and kids thing.
It's best to find an incomplete build and buy it for much less than what they have into it, plus it will save YOU the time on the things that are already done. For ex. someone might have the body already and a stretched fiero chassis with 3800 motor already installed.
Make sure when your dad and buddies are helping you that you learn how to weld and work w/ fiberglass and bondo as well b/c you don't want your friends to stop answering your calls b/c you need help on your car on Sunday Football day etc.
Definantly don't believe what CKI says on their website vids about how easy this kit is and that one is. Every "kit" is difficult, especially Lambo "kits" b/c they aren't "kits". With the Lambo "kits" available from anyone they give you a body and some other miscellaneous fiberglass parts and YOU have to source all the parts that make it work. So the word "kit" is used very freely here.
With that said, it's difficult of course, otherwise everyone would be doing it (maybe). And it sounds like you are prepared for the time aspect of it. What some think can be done in 6 months.....actually ends up taking them 3+ years. It can be done and it's Message boards like this that will help you through your journey. Good luck
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Thanks for all the comments guys. I really appreciate the feedback. You guys are the Experts afterall.
The wrap idea was just an idea. Guess it wasn't a great one. I read some write ups on it and watched some videos, and it seemed pretty cool. Guys were even wrapping brand new OEM Lambos and Ferraris, mainly to cheaply change the color and to protect the factory finish. When it's professionally done, there are no seems or edges visible. However, I see what you are saying. If it has to be painted regardless, why not spring to the real deal.
As for building it in stages, I might also do this. I am in no hurry. Money will dictate my pace. But if I start this, Lord help me, I WILL finish it. ::headbang
As for the budget build, I can see how things could get away from you, but with my wife holding the purse strings, I will be shopping around for the best deals. For example, the Prothane Complete Fiero Bushing kit I recently purchased, I only bought it because it was a great deal. $80 unopened. Craigslist. Guy had bought it for his car, deployed to Iraq before he got it installed, got severely injured over there and sold off everything when he returned. The 1986 Fiero I am planning to get, comes WITH a low mileage 3800 SC series 2, for $1000. Guy was in the process of swapping it in when his wife became seriously ill, and now he needs the money for medical bills. Geez, that all makes me sound like I am benefiting from others misfortune. Speaking of...anybody know anyone with a nice set of rims who is about to die?....j/k
Here's what I'm thinking:
86 Fiero with 3800 SC = $1000
Replacement bushings = $80
New Shocks & Strutz & springs = $600
New Brakes (Lebarron rotors, Camaro & Cadillac calipers, Blazer MC) = $500
Interior = $1000
CKI Body Kit = $3000
Steel, Misc parts for stretch & body mount = $1000
Aftermarket Rims & Tires = $1000
Body fill & Paint = $1500
Misc costs = $300
Total = <$10,000 (I know it seems like a pipe dream and undoable and I probably forgot a whole bunch of stuff that doesn't fit into any of my categories, but I can dream, CAN'T I?) Remember, I am not shooting for OEM or exact replica. Just a nice looking car that is fun to drive and gets noticed.
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If you come across a Fiero (any year) with a SC3800 in it for 1K let me know! You cant touch one in CA for under 7K!
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Never ever gonna happen at $10k. Never . Even buying an incomplete project at a steal and finishing it you can't build for $10k
Just some obvious categories
Lights $1000+
grilles $1000+
and about a dozen other $1000 extra categories
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I saw a 3800SC Fiero on Craigslist a couple of months ago. It was a high mileage series one with a broken belt for $2500. It was gone within an hour of the post going live. A grand for a 3800 project is a steal and you should jump on that ASAP.
It's best to determine what you want to build now and hold yourself accountable to it. Make the decisions now how accurate you'll want the interior, trim, rims, etc to be. OEM and "detail" costs money whether you are buying real or replica parts or even trying to make them yourself.
I started with a $30k budget and I'm tracking now at around $55k when my car is finished. ::LAMBO2
Chris
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::duh so you won't find a sc800 car through copart for less than a grand like you can any other car? ::scratch
and most of the cars on there seem to come from CA
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Welcome to the forum ::wave Guess ill put my .02 in on this a agree with everyones post here I do really agree with Tusabes post about building a driver and then going from there, at least if you decide to go another direction you have a good car that will be worth decent money. Another thing a Murci can be built fairly cheap depending on what you decide to do with it. You don't need oem grills, switches, tail lights, headlights, etc. For all purposes you can just do minor metal work on a stretched Fiero mount the body and hinge the doors and you have a replica Murci. The closer you make it to OEM the more money you are going to have in it bottom line. You can have $15 thousand or you can have $80-$100 thousand depending on who is building it and what parts you put into it. Don't get discouraged, look at build threads on here to see how others have over came there obstacles and if you can fab it stay away from OEM parts, they will break the bank..
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Thanks again for all the feedback. The amount of work and money ahead makes me a little nervous, but I am ready to get started. All those who say it can't be done cheaply just provide extra motivation. Also, they have never met my wife. Hahaha
Afterall, history is full of men doing things that others said could "never" be done.
I'll make sure to post a running total.
As soon as I get my donor, I'll be posting pics. Thanks again.
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Keep in mind that you won't build it over night, so it's not like your spending the total cost right off the bat. The total will slowly build over time and may not seem nearly as bad as it sounds. And even if it cost 50k +, what does it matter. You will have a ::LAMBO2 !!! ::rocker ::headbang
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With this being for your son, I am sure you will but, don't skimp on metal (chassis). Make it as crash worthy as possible.
I am making mine exact with 98% OEM parts and I have around $24k in mine. that included a lot of ebay and salvage exotic yards. I wont say it can't be done, but don't be surprised if you will need some extra money. You will need glass, window motors, wiring and a lot of other things not thought of.
Don't get discouraged and keep us updated.
Grant
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As for cost, you'll eventually get it done, right? It's only a matter of time. That's what I always tell myself. Not to say financial troubles won't come along. I wouldn't expect any specific time frame hell no.
You don't need close to oem to get noticed there's some low quality reps out there that still draw crowds it's crazy. Throw in carkitinc interior and people think it's real :S I do hope you get the mercy 2 and not mercy 1, though. It's worth the price difference to just avoid it and you probably won't have as much resources for #1 anyway as most of us have the mercy 2.
Standup comic?? Never met one of those before! Tell us a joke :)
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FastEddy,
I'm not sure what it is that you don't "get". You came here for advice from those who are or have been through the experience of building one of these. We have all been where you are now with your desire to build a Lambo. Many have told you, and I will repeat, you will not build a Lambo replica for 10k or less. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misleading you.
If you truly want to build a car for the experience and to have your son understand all things automotive, go with a true kit car. Look at Factory Five's offerings. Build a nice '34 street rod or a Cobra replica. Even there you will not be under 10K but it is a kit and you will finish and you will have a very nice car. MOST who try to build a Lambo don't finish. There is a very good reason for that. Yet everyone who starts their build expects to finish. These are NOT kits. They are very difficult to build. They will CONSUME you and most give up and sell off the uncompleted project at a great loss of money.
You came here for advice. We do not want to sugar-coat the process and lead you down a rosy path. Build a kit car first. Then if you feel ready for something much more difficult the Lambo will be there.
RT
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Some advice I can give you is save your money at first. What I mean is you do not need to buy rims, brakes, replica steering wheels at the beginning of your build. Concentrate on the stretch, mounting doors and glass, and the body. I remember being at inland exotics and some guy had brought a replica steering wheel while is fiero just layed there uncut-unstretched. The truth is that 3% of these cars get built and people give up on them after awhile. Save the expensive stuff for final build in case you have to sell the project. What good is spending money when you cant recoup it later. You should also look at half done projects out there. I love being the 2nd or 3rd owner. I come in with a fresh mind, wallet and energy. I can tell where the builder gave up or got frustrated.
Just my 2 cents brother.
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Hey Eddy wishing all the best on your build, you might want to also read more fine words of wisdom from Lambobuilder.com
http://lambobuilder.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/so-you-want-to-build-a-kit-car-part-1/ (http://lambobuilder.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/so-you-want-to-build-a-kit-car-part-1/)
http://lambobuilder.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/49/ (http://lambobuilder.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/49/) << part 2
http://lambobuilder.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/so-you-want-to-build-a-kit-car-part-3/ (http://lambobuilder.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/so-you-want-to-build-a-kit-car-part-3/)
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Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I really appreciate and value you expert info. You have given me more to think about.
I am in no hurry and plan to take my time. I will most likely be doing the project in stages, first being to complete the engine swap in the donor car. After that, I'll upgrade brakes and suspension. Once that is all sorted out and running good, I'll decide where and when to go from there.
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Good idea. We don't want you to start off with unrealistic expectations like the price quotes you see on cki website. Now you've seen how much real builders have spent so you have a better idea of what this costs in real life.
I bought my Ferrari 355 replica already built, because I knew about how easily and quickly the costs grow when building it yourself . Even though it was finished , I wanted to add my little touches- so it was $50 for gauges, and $50 for badges , and $100 for an intake , etc etc etc. Just buying little accessory items, for an already completed car, I spent $3000!!! It adds up so quick you don't even realize it
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When building your own car and you are anything like me.... it becomes a bottomless pit.... :)
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Welcome Fasteddy. Listen to RT. He is knowledgeable and honest. The 3% club is reserved for the Elite. If you want it bad enough, it will be there at the end of the rainbow. Take one step at a time. Read the forum items and study the pictures on the forum and build sites. You might want to save hundreds by purchasing a unfinished project such as on Ebay. This route can be great OR a disaster unless you are very smart about the quality of welding. Ask Nobull for advice. ::thumbup
Jim