£10k Ideal vehicle build dream thread - what would YOU build?

[Joey spud]

I would spend on converting my pick up to 2.2 Legacy running gear,having a/c and power steering would be nice too. And also get the body totally rust/dent free before repainting again.

There is a company in Aus called Subarino that produce some excellent kits to achieve this and if there's anything left then maybe look at fuel injecting Boris the Morris.

[Cheezey]

I always thought a modern cruiser Capri build would be cool. Rather than the usual ‘stick a V8 and wide arches’. 
Mk3 shell. Painted lightish metallic blue.  No spoiler. Modern lights. Maybe a few chrome or brushed bronzey coppery brass trim touches (those would need careful consideration).

Almost tan interior. Modern comforts, electric everything, air con, nice radio etc.

1.6 Ecoboost engine and maybe even an auto box.

A push for £10k. You need to start with a junk shell and DIY every last bit. 

[320touring]

3 hours ago, Cheezey said:

I think I would be fairly safe and possibly boring with this. 
MGB GT. Chrome bumper or rubber bumper and convert. 
Upgrade suspension and brakes. Nice steering wheel, nicely trimmed interior, DAB radio with hands free. 
 Nice wheels. Maybe some modern lighting. 
The big thing would be drive train. Some sort of modern multivalve four cylinder engine, 5 speed gearbox and an LSD. 

Excluding labour, if you can get a half decent base car for £5-6k it should be achievable. 

Sounds brilliant - like a hard top MK1 mx5. In the same way an MK1 mx5 is a reliable mgb

3 hours ago, Cheezey said:

For a number of years I also fancied building a mk2F Polo Coupe. Painted pinky raspberry, colour coded bumpers but black rubbing area. Ronal turbo wheels. Lowered. Red tinted rear lights. White front indicators. Nothing too wild engine wise, 1.6 or something. 
Interior would be some nice Recaro recliners from the Demon Tweeks catalogue. 

1!!111!Ronal Turbos!!11!!

2 hours ago, rml2345 said:

Pre facelift Rover P6, ideally an Estoura but a saloon would be fine. Converted to run a 3.9 litre EFi Rover V8 with a ZF 4HP22 or 4HP24. Probably uprated brakes just to be on the safe side but the rest left as stock as is practicable.

If there's anything left over it can be spent on fuel.

You always were a wrongun!

2 hours ago, 83C said:

I’d spend it on my L322. 

Base vehicle: £2500

Gearbox overhauled/uprated: £2000

Bodywork: £3000

Suspension/air system renewed: £1500

Engine given a bit more go: £1000

Not the most exciting project but it’d see the car good for another 10-15 years.

Sound logic there. A sorted, reliable L322. The holy grail

1 hour ago, Tickman said:

Volvo Amazon estate then make it just 100% reliable and as economical as possible with a few comfort focused pieces added.

Then just use it as a car.

#mrpractical

1 hour ago, w00dy said:

I'd turn my 645 into a sort of CSL

£3k for the car

£1k wheels/tyres

£500 brake upgrade (4 piston calipers from an F30)

£2k Interior upgrades (Cobra Nogaros (re-trimmed, throw away rear seats and some i-drive crap etc) 

£1k LSD and new hardware to suit

£1500 suspension Eibach springs/Bilstein shocks/Meyle HD arms etc.

£1k various engine refresh bits (maybe a remap if any funds left)

Interesting concept - almost like a reverse restomod

1 hour ago, cort16 said:

I'd have an SD1 with an LS1 v8.

Find a rotten Monaro and get the engine, 6 speed box and engine management system out of that.

Find an  unloved 2600  SD1 with a blown up engine.

Find a v8 Diff

Mash them together with a vitesse front bumper.

I also always quite liked the idea of an SD1 with a tuned t-series turbo in it. I was infact offered all the bits to do this conversion including the gearbox when  had my SD1 but I didn't take it as I knew I'd never do it.

Does that make you Tony Pond's more debonair cousin?

1 hour ago, Stinkwheel said:

Well now, theres a question, first thing that springs to mind is get an olds delta 88 Royale (just like my old one)

Drop in a LS1 with a TH350 and a pro charger

Maybe band the wheels but keep same hubcaps. QA1 suspension/shocks all round with disc upgrade

Should be do-able for 10k fairly easily.

Mainly because i loved that car, you hardly ever see them in the UK and it would be fun

FILTH

51 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I would build my dream Mercedes fintail. If you're lucky, you can buy a 4 cylinder petrol cheap here for around 5 to 6k, that leaves 4 to 5k for modifications, which would be a newer 4 cylinder Mercedes diesel engine and better diff gearing.

I would of course keep the manual gearbox with column gear shift and the engine would not get major performance upgrades, I just want a reliable and a nice fintail with adequate engine power.

Woaft, that sounds GREAT!

[83C]

54 minutes ago, grogee said:

I think Mini too, I'm sure this is way out of budget but:

Heritage Clubman shell if such a thing exists

snip

(I've overspent, haven't I?) 

Budget (sadly) blown at this point in the build:

Does sound like a cracking build though. I’d really like a Mini.

 

[straightSix]

I always wanted to put a 2jz into an xjc with a big snail and the upgraded Bilsteins you can get. With prices now it'd more likely be the same engine into a series 3 xj

Or maybe an xj12 with twin centrifugal superchargers...

[LightBulbFun]

another one i'd possibly go for is get a ULEZ exempt (1987~ or older for me) FX4 black cab  and just get it really well sorted and tailored to fit me and my needs (get an automatic self folding/sliding wheelchair ramp fitted etc)

but im not sure you could do that with just £10K, I imagine you would blow at least £7K of that on welding alone LOL

 

either that or just do a Furious driving and import a really nice Crown Victoria from the US.

 

or maybe some Australian "Yank" Tank, 

actually I know, I would buy WGU18E the Ford Timelord replica and waft around London in it, using the £10K just to maintain it as is LOL

but yeah some Yank tank of some description would be a potential option

 

for me personally my wants and needs are not that expensive so if someone chucked £10K at me and said "go buy/get something built" i'd have quite the hard time debating what to go for!

 

well I say that I would really like a Checker Cab or Checker Marathon, but I think one of those would be beyond £10K?

[quicksilver]

3 hours ago, rml2345 said:

Pre facelift Rover P6, ideally an Estoura but a saloon would be fine. Converted to run a 3.9 litre EFi Rover V8 with a ZF 4HP22 or 4HP24. Probably uprated brakes just to be on the safe side but the rest left as stock as is practicable.

If there's anything left over it can be spent on fuel.

Absolutely this. I'd paint it Nightfire Red or Amaranth and I think it'd look awesome, as would an SD1 to the same spec.

Or as a more modern equivalent, a Rover 75 V8 Tourer with supercharger, Monogram paint, Personal Line leather and all the nice stuff from the early cars that Project Deprive removed (and the original front end styling - thanks LBF). I fear that might blow the 10 grand budget though.

[LightBulbFun]

1 minute ago, quicksilver said:

Or as a more modern equivalent, a Rover 75 V8 Tourer with supercharger, Monogram paint, Personal Line leather and all the nice stuff from the early cars that Project Deprive removed. I fear that might blow the 10 grand budget though.

Oooh yeah Rover 75 V8, but I'd want one with the normal original front end fitted, never been a fan of the V8 or post facelift Rover 75 front end IMHO

[quicksilver]

1 minute ago, LightBulbFun said:

Oooh yeah Rover 75 V8, but I'd want one with the normal original front end fitted, never been a fan of the V8 or post facelift Rover 75 front end IMHO

Good call! I agree the original front was better so I'd definitely choose that. Basically I want what the V8 would have been if it was launched early on in the 75's life.

[eddyramrod]

Ford Corsair...

...with Handsome's engine and box, power steering and brakes!  I like this one on Revolutions but would have no objection at all to a set of 6" RoStyles instead.  And yes, I would absolutely leave them at 13" diameter, because I like a tyre with some sidewall for a comfy ride.

And can I have it in Peppermint Green please?

[Stanky]

I'd finish making my Sirion into the perfect car.

I'd have the bodywork professionally resprayed, the dinks filled and made perfect, wheels blasted and powder coated - £3500

I'd have the engine fully rebuilt by an actual grownup, but in standard spec to cure the oil consumption feature - £3000

I'd buy and fit a Compact Motorsport gearset for it, the close-ratio version to shorten 3rd, 4th and 5th gear - £2500

I'd spend the remaining £1000 on a few niggly little bits; swap the front springs over to standard ones, have a bigger silencer installed to cut the exhaust noise down a bit, get new carpets, maybe new headlights - basically just make it like new, but retain the suspension and handling modifications I've carried out which I love, while fixing some of the wear and tear, and make the gearbox indestructible, which is the only real weak point.

 

[320touring]

My one the second.

A much more  slapdash affair ..

Uaz 452

 

+

Fuel pin ALL THE WAY ROUND.

MAX FUEL FOR DAYS

+

HOLSET Hx50

 

= mild lolz

[Justwatching]

[Dyslexic Viking]

28 minutes ago, 320touring said:

My one the second.

A much more  slapdash affair ..

Uaz 452

 

+

Fuel pin ALL THE WAY ROUND.

MAX FUEL FOR DAYS

+

HOLSET Hx50

 

= mild lolz

I think putting a 6bt in these will fit as well as a pineapple in someone's arse.

[Matty]

5 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I think putting a 6bt in these will fit as well as a pineapple in someone's arse.

Speaking from experience pal? 🤣

[Matty]

I'm odd so...

Marina van in white with BL roundels on the sides. Mythical (?) Tele conversion for the front end and lowered a sane amount front and rear. Oselli 1950 B series on twin DCOE 40s. Mildly banded steels. Bliss

[RichardK]

Range Rover Classic with a Jaguar XKR supercharged V8, locking rear, torque-biasing front and loads of other upgrades...

(I think it wouldn't be possible in budget, the engine adaptor plate and ECU & loom is approaching half the limit).

My first dream £10K build was an FE Ventora. I owned the car, it was quoted at £2500 to replace the floors and fix the sills, another £2K to respray in metalflake purple with white vinyl roof, and the rest of the budget was for retrimming to match. It failed because the garage I trusted to do the work took my new old stock parts and trashed the car while "storing" it.

These days I think my dream £10K build in "ambition over reality" scale - i.e. assuming I could fabricate and had the workshop space - would be an ML55 AMG underneath either an SLK or PT Cruiser Cabrio. A suitable SLK is £500, ML55 with bad body under £3K, gluing the bits together is presumably not too difficult if you have hoists and tools. All of which cost way more than £10K 😂😂

I wonder how hard a C30 with 3.2 twin-turbo SI6 would be...

[Asimo]

Triumph Ajax hybrid: Two door Toledo centre with Dolomite long-boot, early 1300 front panels and interior, Triumph Rocket engine & ‘box,  (2.4 litre three cylinder)

[quicksilver]

6 minutes ago, Asimo said:

Triumph Ajax hybrid: Two door Toledo centre with Dolomite long-boot, early 1300 front panels and interior, Triumph Rocket engine & ‘box,  (2.4 litre three cylinder)

Or how about a 4x4 Triumph 1500 with a Dolomite back axle and a Saab Turbo engine?

[quicksilver]

A mad one that makes no sense other than confusing people: get a Maestro and a Montego and swap the front ends over to make a Monstro and a Maestego. That should be doable for a lot less than 10k so I'd use the change to create a Princessador in the same vein.

[Missy Charm]

This:

Plus the mechanical bits of this:

With the remainder to be spent on paint (purple flake with white stripes), wheels (normal size alloys with teal paint), adapted body-kit and sensible single exhaust setup.  A few tweaks ought to be made to the engine, too.  

[purplebargeken]

Hmm. Option 1.  MGF VVC in BRG, stripped, dipped and painted,  stainless manifold and exhaust, new belts and clutch. Reconditioned spheres, refurbed and painted alloys, updated brakes, decent rubber, black leather seats, new floppy top and glass rear screen.  Galvanised subframes and polybushed throughout.
Forgotten what happened to my green F VVC, seem to recall that it needed a head gasket and it was lying in a mechanic shitters yard. Probably scrapped by now.

Option 2. 
Triumph Toledo with a Zetec engine and suitable ‘box,  leather trimmed interior.  Updated suspension, trackerjack brake upgrades, sports exhaust, new headlights with upgraded wiring and relays.  Dolphin Grey paint. Gunmetal painted MGF steelies. Black crinkle finished dash with cream faced dials. Fully polybushed.

[garethj]

Defender 110 Tdi and spend the remainder on throwing away the Britpart components.

Possibly a Riley Pathfinder or similar Gerald Palmer design, mechanically overhauled, rustproofed and the most gleaming Bakelite switches ever.

Otherwise all my dream cars wouldn’t be possible for £10k.

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, Matty said:

Speaking from experience pal? 🤣

norwegian winters

[JMotor]

I'd finish the Corsa I have.

Then start developing the car further. 

I have another 1800 that would be the base for a throttle bodied set up. Set of cams, ARP rod bolts and standalone management. Larger diameter exhaust. 

Would also spend some coin on more suspension goodies, more brake upgrades and some good tyres. Hopefully go with a more fast road geometry, play with the camber and caster.

Still keep it a road car with interior and leave the stock look on the outside.

Hopefully it'll sound like this.

Or the other option I have actually done. Is buy an Altezza RS200. Chucked some good Coilovers on it and some quality tyres on it. Makes for a fun but usable car. 

Then again....

That Ital in the for sale section....

An 3SGE BEAMS would pep that fucker up no end! Sort some suspension, brakes and a AE86 rear axle or something Ford based. Done. 

Said Ital would be left with all the patina too.

 

 

[hairnet]

triumph 2000 estate with ls400 in it

original a class with a k20 or a glanza turbo

neue klasse with an e30 six in it

imp with a flat twin in it not a brick

[RichardK]

1 hour ago, quicksilver said:

A mad one that makes no sense other than confusing people: get a Maestro and a Montego and swap the front ends over to make a Monstro and a Maestego. That should be doable for a lot less than 10k so I'd use the change to create a Princessador in the same vein.

The Monstro existed in China

[junkyarddog]

Mk2 Golf GTD fitted with a later AZZ 1.9 Turbodiesel engine.

[Dobloseven]

I sometimes think I'd like to go all ARonline and imagine an alternative past.Where in 1980 BL sent Lotus some Ital bodyshells and 2 litre O series engines and told them to work their magic .Produce a halo model .A latter day Lotus Cortina sort of thing.There were some links, believe Lotus had some involvement with the Metro Turbo.Re engineered suspension with wishbones and coils/telescopic shocks.Properly located rear axle,perhaps TR7.Turbocharged engine,5 speed Rover gearbox.Body kit.Everything done in the spirit of the 80s,though,using technology of the times.So a car that actually could have been built.Then take it to car shows and confound the anoraks by telling them Lotus built 5 prototypes which were ordered to be destroyed when the project was cancelled.This one escaped however and was secretly kept by a BL engineer and registered as a 1.7 HL.When he died ,it was rescued from his suburban garage and lovingly restored.Could never be done though.I mean we'd need a suspension design expert,a fibre glass wizard,an O Series aficionado,...And where on earth would we get an Ital rolling shell......?

[andy18s]

Apart from the Manta 400 rep mentioned, I'd be buying something like this

Then throwing on a kit from MRS200 to make one of these.

https://www.mrs200.com/