Why GBS Zero?
If you have had a look at my car building history (on the About page) then you will no that the GBS Zero is not my first kit car. It is not even my first Lotus Seven inspired kit car, so why did I want to build another seven style car and what made me choose the GBS Zero kit?
The shortlist
I did not originally have my heart set on building another seven style car. Having been away from the kit car scene for several years, my first job was to take a look at what was out there and draw up a shortlist.
Unfortunately, I know I wanted to keep to a reasonable budget this time (somewhere in the £15k mark) so I know that Cobra replicas, Ultima's or GT40 replicas were never on the table. I also discounted Caterham and Westfields for the same reason (although Westfields are not that much more expensive than GBS).
I also knew that I did not want to build a trackday car and raw speed was not my primary goal (I have a Tesla for that!). What I wanted was a more traditional car that I could (hopefully) make look nice but not be worried about driving it or modifying it in the future.
Here are a few of the options I considered.
ANC Sportscars - Replicar
This Aston Martin inspired, traditional roadster was high on my list. It may look like a 40's race car but under the body is Mazda MX5, engine, subframe and running gear.
The Replicar also surprising can be comfortably built within my self imposed budget as long as you don't go crazy with the shiny bits.
Being honest, I can really close to ordering this kit but the manufacturer is located way down near Plymouth which is a long way to go to pickup parts or get advice!
Ultimately I decided it was not right for me this time...but maybe the next build!
MEV - Exocet
The MEV Exocet was always a bit of a wildcard as it is more track / performance based than I had in mind but like the Replicar, it is based on a Mazda MX5 (not surprising as MEV originally designed the Replicar) but with even more focus on using a much as the MX5 as possible.
On their website, MEV indicate that you can build a Exocet for as little as £5-6k by using as much as the MX5 as possible, selling the rest and excepting the most stripped out car possible (minimal bodywork and exoskeleton frame).
I was intrigued by the idea of trying to see how little it could cost but if I am honest with myself, the bit of building cars I hate is stripping and refurbing old parts so ultimately a project that focused on that was not for me.
Tiger Racing - Avon or GTA
Tiger Racing has been around for years and I seriously considered them for both my first build and this time round.
The cars are well developed and the kits look to be keenly priced.
The other thing I like is that the Avon (seven style) and GTA (60's road sports car style) are almost interchangeable so you could build a Avon and later change the body to be a GTA.
Personally I was leaning towards the GTA with the only thing in the negative column being the location in Norfolk which, whilst not as far as some of the kits I looked at, is still a fair drive (plus I grew up in Norfolk so know the roads are terrible!).
If I had not opted for GBS then Tiger would have been my second choice.
Great British Sportscars - GBS Zero
As I looked at all the different options, it became clear to me that I wanted to build a Lotus Seven styled car. I am not sure why but that is the conclusion I came to after many nights researching.
I was a little hesitant on the GBS at first as when I built my first kit, they were called Robin Hood (different car and owners but same company) and they did not have the best reputation, but the current Gen 2 Zero is a long way from those early Robin Hood cars.
The other massive positive was when I realised they were only about 30 miles from my house which is a massive bonus for collecting parts or getting advice.
I went to look around the factory and was sold. They manufacture a huge amount of parts in-house and the engineer in my was really impressed with the facilities and the attention to detail (especially with the Gen2 chassis).
So I placed an order for a kit, there and then!
My GBS Zero Kit Order
Having made my decision about the manufacturer, the next big decision was which kit version to order.
GBS only sell one car, the GBS Zero but they do supply two versions of that car and also two different sizes of chassis.
You can either build a car based on components mainly from a Mazda MX5 (SVD kit) or build use mainly Ford parts (Custom kit) but not from a single vehicle.
The also offer the standard chassis and the GT chassis which is a little wider in the cockpit. For me, the standard body felt right.
GBS Zero - Mazda MX5 SDV Kit
Like many of the kit manufacturers I looked at, GBS offer a single donor vehicle kit based on the Mazda MX5 (Mk1 or Mk2). The kit takes the following parts from the donor:
- Engine
- Gearbox
- Differential
- Front & Rear Hubs
- Brake Callipers (front and rear)
- Steering Column & Shaft
- Brake & Clutch Master Cylinders
- Propshafts & Driveshafts
Some of these items need modifications but GBS can do that for a charge.
The base kit includes the chassis (powder coated), full aluminium body panels, GRP nose and wheel arches, and wishbones.
I went for the Plus kit which includes everything in the base kit plus lights, wiring loom. radiator, dashboard blank, shocks (with bushes) and bolt kit.
I also added the build trolley, fuel system kit and a few extra bits.
The rest of the parts needed can be sourced from GBS or other parts suppliers.
I ordered my kit in April 2021 and was originally told there was a 9 - 12 week lead-time. My kit actually took just under six months from order to collection but in fairness I decided to add the GBS panelling service (where they run your fuel, wiring and brake lines and then fit all the body panels) and have the car sent away for paint prior to delivery, all of which lengthened the delivery time.
But eventually, in mid October 2021, I hired a van and made the short trip to the GBS factory to pickup my kit and start the build in earnest!
I wasn't totally idle while I was waiting for the kit. There was the small matter of getting the donor parts, making them ready to fit to the car and clearing enough space in the garage. So that will be the subject of my next post.