A Car is Born

Mark meets Ian Stent from Which Kit? at the National Kit and Performance Car Show, before visiting the factory where his kit is manufactured.

Mark goes shopping for tools and a second-hand car to provide spare parts, taking the Owners Club secretary along with him for advice.

Volunteers from the local college strip the second hand car of spare parts, and the engine and gearbox are sent to a specialist for reconditioning.

The rear axle is reconditioned with some components being sent away for powder-coating, and Mark gets a progress report on the engine.

Mark installs axles, suspension hubs and brakes and engineer Dave Peters chips in with some tips as they succeed in creating a rolling chassis.

A reconditioned engine is built up and bench-tested, and Mark checks out extras from retro-look air filters to race-tuned carburretors.

Mark puts together the engine, gearbox, a new clutch and the exhaust, before testing to see if everything works!

Mark rivets the body parts onto the chassis, finding out about shut-lines, panel fit and GRP from engineer Robert Kemp.

Mark chooses an authentic walnut dashboard from a vintage gauge company before sanding and polishing it, ready for testing.

Mark puts his personal stamp the interior of his replica AC Cobra, buying everything from carpeting and door lining trim to seat belts.

Mark gets to grips with wiring his replica AC Cobra, installing a loom, connecting electric components and fixing that all-important car stereo.

It's all about basic aesthetics today as we learn how to finish off a GRP shell by masking and priming the car bodywork ready for finished topcoat.

Mark fits the hood, headlights, bumpers and racing wheels, and visits specialist suppliers for the badges to put his individual stamp on the car.

Mark's creation undergoes the Single Vehicle Approval test and we travel to Bristol for the vehicle inspector's opinion on how the car measures up.

Mark takes his creation to a kit car show to see how it compares to other models, and gets feedback from the experts as the car is entered for a car club track day.