Scott McGill now on SEC forum

Hi everyone,

Just posting to say I've made the leap onto the new club forum. I'm sorry to see the old forum has gone offline - hopefully it's a temporary problem, if only for the wealth of information that stands to be lost. It'll take years to reconstruct that information - if we can even remember it all now! ;)

For those who don't know me, I've been a member of the SEC (and formerly the Stratos Replica Club) since somewhere around the year 2000, and one of the few US based members that can be considered an 'active' club member. I've travelled to England several times since, usually in time for a club event, or at least a visit with fellow enthusiasts. I have a Hawk HF3000 Stradale that I bought in 2001, but the kit remains partially built due to other demands.

For those who do know me - I'm long overdue for a return to the UK, so I may try to get over in the next year for an event. Hope to see you all there!

Hi Scott, got your name from the Club forum...I am looking to buy a Hawk Stratos, and wonder if you or anybody you know can build the car for me from the Hawk kit
Bill from Michigan

Bill,

Since I haven't made much progress on my own kit, I'm afraid I'm in no position to offer a build service. However, you could try contacting Talon Sports Cars, which is hawk's Authorized build agent in the UK:

http://www.talonsportscars.com/contactus.php

They offer build services right up to a turn-key car - which unfortunately isn't an option for those of us in the USA due to import regulations. It'll be virtually impossible to import a complete car, so you'd need to have them do a partial build. They could get the body prepped and aligned, the mechanical build (i.e. wiring, plumbing, etc.) complete, even get the car on the road and driveable. However, you'd need to have the car dismantled to a point where it resembles an incomplete kit before you tried shipping it. That is - no engine, no wheels and tires, no installed interior, probably no paint.

This would dramatically reduce the amount of work needed to complete the car. Since it was already completed, then taken to bits, it would go back together again pretty easily - probably about the same level of effort as a Caterham 7 or Factory 5 Cobra. If I had it to do over again, this is probably what I'd do. In fact, I still might - it'd be cheaper to send my old kit back to England for the build than to buy a new one.

You could also try Chris Smith at Evolution Garage - provided he hasn't retired yet. He's built several customer Hawks, is a longtime club member, and a great fellow. I could PM you his phone number, if you're interested. I don't have any webiste info.

The professional build option isn't going to be cheap. Figure something on the order of $25,000 on top of the price of the kit.

hope this helps - let me know if you have any questions.