Build Your Own Sports Car For As Little as £250

Build Your Own Sports Car For As Little As £250, by Ron Champion. Haynes, £14.99.

It is fitting that Haynes should publish this book, because John Haynes wrote a book about how he built his own such car, which led on to the present publishing collossus at Yeovil. Young enthusiasts will find the idea of making their own Caterham Seven or Lotus lookalike from odd bits and pieces irresistible. The book is by the motor engineering teacher at Oundle, the book goes step-bystep through the build process, and we are told that senior pupils at the famous public school have now built many of their own sports cars under Champion’s tutelage. Fine, and the headmaster must be tolerant or optimistic, as sooner or later the boys will surely indulge in races between their low-cost motor cars. However, using common-sense and following Champion’s instructions they may end up with desirable sportscars at this very modest cost. The book covers it all — skills and tools, getting the cars legally accepted for road driving, trimming the body, etc. Unless bad welding produces problems, I suppose it is worth having a go at making the space-frame, i f s, Ford Escort-engined car, which will take, we are told, some 450 to 900 hours to build and should give 50mpg with a 948cc engine, and 130mph if you install a twin-cam 2-litre Fiat power-unit. Well, enthusiasm is irrepressible and better to first read this book then mess about uninstructed. Do let me know when the first Oundle GP is to take place. W B