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Im going to be building my own chassis sometime, probably just a basic miata one or something. Then after that experience im going to design and build by own chassis using a different donar etc.

Im also interested in making a Jig and everything, and producing my own body panels, nose, etc. so I can replicate everything and sell them.

Is there anything i need to know about this? Like how many kit makers are there and how many kits do they sell? Is it more of a hobby then a business? is there room in the market assuming the idea is different enough and semi cost effective?

anyone ever think of doing this?

The kit companies in NA are listed in the sticky at the top of the page. As for how many they sell I don't know how you could find that out. I believe that the Stalker is the best seller based only on the fact you see and hear from more stalker builders online than any other kit builder. To me it looks like a crowded market already. There are companies that cover all the bases pretty well, depending on what you want. Deman and Westfield and Brunton (stalker) sell some pretty nice kits, but they come at a nice price too. You can buy a basic "book" kit from Kinetic really cheap. If you want to do something off the beaten path this is IMO the way to go since it allows (requires) you to design and fit your own powertrain system. There's really to many to go through, but you get the picture, each company is aimed at filling a niche.

There are plenty of kit makers competing for the would be builder's dollar already. Unless you plan on doing it different (like a middy kit for instance) or better, it will be an exercise in futility. IMO, your best bet would be to develop a middy kit based from a cheap, plentiful, fWD four banger donor. Greenmark here was going to do something like this using the Dodge Neon. 133HP SOHC or 150HP DOHC stock with lots of aftermarket support, and complete running donors can be had for next to nothing. It would smoke a 100hp miata based build and could likely be done cheaper. I haven't heard anything from him lately, but regardless I think he was on to something.

The bottom line is I don't think you are going to make a living doing the same thing everyone else is doing. There is often a large reward for those who are willing to "stick it out there" and take the risk. Coming to the game with nothing new or diffeent probably won't get you far.

That's my $.02 anyway.

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

I have been doing a lot of research into Miata based kits, and there are 3 options already out there for NA, each seeming to fill a different niche.

FM Westfield- A very complete kit for top dollar. The strength of the dollar has really hurt the pricing of this kit, as everything comes from the UK. I think FM Westfield's biggest strength is the amount of information they make available about the kit and the build on the Internet. You can read their build diary on line, seeing over 200 pictures of the build, you get a complete list of what you need from the donor and what needs to be sourced on your own, they will sell you a pallet with all of the donor parts needed if you want, and they have a forum were they are very responsive to questions from builders and potential customers. It is too bad that other companies don't go half as far as FM with their online presence.

Coveland- They have the best prices, but it is difficult to tell really what does and doesn't come from the kit once you get beyond the the big stuff. The frame is a copy of the old CMC frame used in Keith Tanner's book and it is unclear if Coveland has fully addressed poor front suspension design and diff mount issues that Keith dealt with on the CMC. Their Internet presence leaves a lot to be desired, as do the stories of people having a hard time getting a hold of them.

Deman Motorsport- Deman seems to be right between Coveland and FM Westfield in just about all categories. Their price is in the middle of the two, their kits appear more complete than Coveland but not quiet as complete as FM Westfield, and the online documentation seems to be somewhere between the two too. I am not sure how their communication is, but I have heard that they are pretty responsive to people building their kits. There biggest plus seems to be the ability to buy the kit slowly, in different modules. I like this idea, as on top of the fact that money goes out in pieces, I am not thrilled about the idea of tripping over fiberglass body panels months before I need them while doing other parts of the build.


If you think you can find a niche in there, I say go for it. In my mind, the best way to be successful would be to take pieces from all 3 companies, offering FM caliber support and documentation, Deman style modular builds, and a competitive price.

IMHO Miata Westfeild has had some favorable press and the Burton Model is probably the best model so far. He built his kit and then raced it and and got a pretty good following that way. He also was smart enough to choose a really good donor at just about the perfect time when the donor were plentifull and cheap.

Check out Steve Grabbers built as a model too....Nice car accessible guy and documenting his build, opening his own forum test ideas, build a user base, and design ideas and of course he built a sexy car. (that helps)

Building a seven you would have to do something special to stand out in the seven crowd. (something like ultralight from texas)

Good luck to you ( There is still room in the At-om clone market and derivative market several have made prototypes but no one really marketing them yet)

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I'll keep an eye out for you!

To err is human...
I am more human than most.