Neil Emerton

The car is the RT version which will be fitted with a 1.8 Zetec engine with full engine management system, running with a type 9 gearbox to a live rear axle. I have chosen the full windscreen as it is intended for road use only; however I am already starting to look at the track day events with much enthusiasm!

I ordered the car after visiting the factory in March 04. I had quite a few problems very with delivery of the Chassis as Pete had jus sold the company to Tim so there was some confusion over who should supply what! Eventually I took delivery of the chassis and Pete very kindly drove all the way to Kent to drop off the last bits to my door. (Many Thanks to Pete Powell if you read this) I eventually started the build in September 2004.

The build has progressed very slowly due to the fact that I know absolutely nothing about cars! Might sound a bit daft, but I have always wanted to build a kit car since a family friend built a pilgrim bulldog when I was a child. After all these years it never occurred to me that I should actually learn something about cars!

The chassis part was fairly straight forward, although there were a few headaches trying to source a reasonable condition escort rear axle. Once all the parts had been stripped, modified and re-built it was just a case of bolting them on to the right places.

The engine install was pretty straight forward as the whole engine was supplied from Dunnell engines who very kindly spent a lot of time on the phone explaining in the ins and outs of an engine in a language that even I could understand. The gearbox was supplied by BGH who again spent time explaining his specialist knowledge to this idiot on the other end of the phone. I had initially set my mind on using a second hand engine and re-condition it all myself, however when my wife heard that I could buy one brand new, she decided that would be safer. (Not sure what she thinks of my skills!) So the increase in the build cost is entirely her idea! At least that is what I keep reminding her very time she checks the bank balance!

I have been progressing slowly but surely on the build but have been held up quite a bit waiting for parts to arrive. It has been quite depressing at times as you can spend long periods of time working on something but the build doesn't look any different at the end. Admittedly I have spent lots of time reading about what needs to be done and searching for advice before I started each bit (like I said earlier I really should have learnt before hand!)

Over the whole build so far the most satisfying part has been to put the body work on, as it finally looks like a car! Then came the depressing bit when I took a saw to the front of the car so I could chop it up and make a flip top bonnet. It certainly makes you want to keep your eyes shut when cutting but obviously you can't. The result is pretty good though and I am really glad that I did it.

The next stage now is to start fixing all the body work bits and recessing the lights and catches etc, in other words the messy bit!