DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Hi

Bit of a wide open question for anyone who can help. I have seen a RSK 718 replica for sale - recently completed, 1.8l engine, pro street rancho performance gearbox (??). I don't know much about the cars or which kit it is built from at the moment. I do know it looks very well put together and a lot of fun.

Could anyone give me a few pointers - which kits out there are any good, which to avoid. what things to look out for etc.

I'll post some more details when I get them but anything to help me do a bit of research would be helpful.

Thanks

Feroz

Alloy or GRP body?
Space frame chassis or cut down beetle pan?
Mid engine or rear engined?
Fully road registered (IVA) or not?

So I have a few more details.

1970 cut down beetle chassis - tax free
Fibreglass body - don't know which manufacturer but he said there is only one company that supplies them in the UK?
1776cc modified flat four engine producing about 125bhp
650kg weight
MoT & tax
Painted silver with red leather interior
<1000 miles since completion

I'm guessing it might be one of these http://www.718-rsk.co.uk/index.html

What's it registered as?

Hi Bootsy

Not exactly sure - 1970 VW Beetle I think although I'm told it can be registered as a Porsche for a small additional fee??? Not sure how that works.

What do kits normally get registered as?

Thanks

Last Replica kit I had - a 356 Speedster - was an Apal, and registered as an Apal.
HTH

The first grp 718 RSK replicas were offered by GP in Isleworth (previously known for their Beach Buggies) & I think most (if not all) subsequent UK RSK & RS60 replicas evolved from the GP version.

I built a LHD GP Spyder in 1984 ...

yoda wrote:Hi Bootsy

Not exactly sure - 1970 VW Beetle I think although I'm told it can be registered as a Porsche for a small additional fee??? Not sure how that works.

What do kits normally get registered as?

Thanks

If it was to be registered as something other than the donor vehicle you're probably going to have to go down the SVA route which would be far from a small fee and probably attract considerable work.

Kits get registered as all sorts of things but I'd be a lot happier if I was buying one that it wasn't just registered as the donor vehicle.

In my experience, having built a kit car or two, I'd suggest that much of the quality of the end result is down to the skills, ability and budget of the person who put it together. As a result, two cars built from the same kit could vary considerably (CKD Caterhams possibly excepted). I've seen some real frighteners, like too-short fixings used in the suspension, poor located components or weak seat belt fixings.

A lot of this stuff is checked if the car is SVA'd, but if I were considering a purchase I'd want it very carefully looked over by an engineer or skilled technician with knowledge of such things.

C>

Thanks all for the feedback, very useful. I'll check what the car is registered as but suspect it is as a VW given the comment about being able to change it to Porsche for a fee.

Car comes with approx £30k of receipts and looks to have been finished well. Will definitely get it checked out before seriously considering a purchase.

Very useful feedback, thank you.

I would not want to be in one of these cars in an accident!!! No side protection etc. I have worked on these cars and they are very flimsy. Also check those bills carefully as £30k is a lot of money to spend on a car which rarely gets above £10k when sold.

Had a GP version in the early nineties - where is it now?


Built by Autofarm in 80s for somebody with deep pockets! But never properly shaken down, before I had it.
Shortened Beetle pan, 356B running gear instruments etc., 912 motor, straight through pipe. It used the 356 chassis plate! Think reg from from Beetle. The rear clam had been modded to smooth all joints.

It was scary, even with spare mounted up front and full tank, the fronts would lock at any opportunity, probably needed bias adjuster fitting. You definitely felt exposed and needed helmet/googles - that low screen provided v little protection, and your head was well above rear hump, despite low mounted seat and me being pretty short. Got hit in the face by a large moth one night at about 60 mph - that stung.

Was a lot of fun, but use was a bit limited.

Ian

Ian 2.2S wrote:Had a GP version in the early nineties... Built by Autofarm in 80s for somebody with deep pockets!

First owner was a pilot if I remember correctly. I saw it in build as I had a Saturday job at Autofarm back in my school days. I remember it looked great

I know a bloke called Geordie Jeff who rebuilt one recently. Snot him is it?

/longshot

I had this one for 12 fantastic years. Sold it to a guy the ran a paint shop in the Northampton area in 2003 who sold it a couple of years ago to someone in France.