Elio Kit, Would You Still Buy?

[corvairbob]

i would think if they did make it a kit it would be somewhat assembled anyway. kind of like the kits car manufactures put together when they send there cars to another factory for final assembly. or even snowmobiles and motorcycles when they arrive at the retailers for sale. we may have to put the insides together like steering wheel? fenders body panels and maybe even the tires but for the most part the car maybe assembled. they would have to crate it and a half assembled car is much easier to ship that a box of parts. i would even expect to see the drive train in the frame all bolted in. may have to put the wire harness together as well but how hard could that be? most all harnesses have only one spot to plug into.

 

[NSTG8R]

Years back there was some pretty sketchy kit cars, most based on the VW bug platform. Factory Five makes some awesome kits with some serious engineering built into them. Gave this one (818S) some serious thought, and it's still on "the list" of toys I want in my toy box someday. Suby WRX engine and drivetrain. Ain't she sexy!

 

[Jerry Greif]

This additional delay sucks, I was hoping to have my Elio before I retire, I may still get it before then. I have a $1000 invested (number 2336) and I still want my Elio and I will wait. Another thing to think about for the mechanical inclined, if Elio can't get all of the drivetrain developed maybe they could get the rest of the car developed as KIT CAR where you could purchase it and add your Geo Metro or similar drivetrain. I am so impressed with the Elio that I would give $6800 just for the Kit and then I could get a junk Geo drivetrain, rebuild it and install it and drive down Elio road

 

[TexasElio]

I'm not so sure Mr Elio currently has enough R&D resources to even develop the Elio Concept as a $6,800 kit car...

Maybe a limited edition $12,000 kit car...available in 2017...

 

[Smitty901]

Could go with a Kit car but at a huge discount. Also if it were delivered as a Kit it should remain a Motorcycle. Far less regulation to comply with.

 

[wheaters]

I'd say that the original price of $6800 represents remarkably good value, even for a self build kit of parts.

 

[Hotscoots]

I would be down for an Elio "kit" , provided that it is a complete roller waiting for only for drivetrain . I would even pay $6800 for it . Deliver my Elio to my door , roll it into the garage and watch the fun begin ,

 

[wheaters]

Yes, me too. my drive to work car is a G10 engined, year 2000 Suzuki Swift with only 18,000 miles on it. It would make the perfect donor car for a kit build Elio P3.

 

[carzes]

This additional delay sucks, I was hoping to have my Elio before I retire, I may still get it before then. I have a $1000 invested (number 2336) and I still want my Elio and I will wait. Another thing to think about for the mechanical inclined, if Elio can't get all of the drivetrain developed maybe they could get the rest of the car developed as KIT CAR where you could purchase it and add your Geo Metro or similar drivetrain. I am so impressed with the Elio that I would give $6800 just for the Kit and then I could get a junk Geo drivetrain, rebuild it and install it and drive down Elio road

Those junked Geo metro motors might not be all that easy to find these days. Lots of people been snatching up the ones that ain't been melted down for various applications. Besides, what's the point of an Elio that only gets 45 MPG or so? That's good, but it's not great. I would love to get an Elio kit, for the right price. But it would have to be an 80 MPG kit, and that means Elio's engine, tyranny, ecu, fuel system, etc...etc... If they had all that they could start putting cars together and this would all be a moot point.
I guess it all depends on what you want the vehicle to do. If you don't care what the MPG is and you just think it looks like a fun drive, then what the heck... shoehorn a V8 into it and have a blast! Bear in mind though, we don't even know how the thing might handle on the road. It's never been built yet.

 

[charchri4]

Roger that ^^. And you know it's only a matter of time till an LS1 finds it's way in an Elio!!!