Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

This is to judge interest in investing in starting a small sports car company. The product is going to be a small light open wheeled no frills unit like you see in the link below.The target price will be around $15,000 to start.

http://www.openwheelers.com.au/video...ll_segment.mpg

The current plan is for an aluminum frame and floorpan for weight savings. The Subaru WRX motor and trans will be used. This will offer three levels of performance, the base turbo motor, the WRX motor and the WRX STI unit for the top level of performance.The third gen Toyota Supra front suspension will be used up front,(It unbolts as an assembly) while the Subaru front suspension will be used in the rear. I decided to use production parts to keep cost and assembly time down to a minimum.

This post is for information purposes. I would like to know who is interested and I will answer all your questions. If we have enough interest I will go to a lawyer to get a contract drawn up before asking for any investment of cash. The funds will be placed in a escrow account to be used on the prototype vehicle. The profits from the sale of production vehicles will be divided evenly among the investors.

This may sound ambitious but it is doable if we try. All the parts are available from salvage yards or the aftermarket and this thing will market it self. The worst that can happen is we get a running prototype out of it and we never sell any units. If that would happen we would then sell the prototype on eBay and devide the sale price among the investors. I see this as avery low risk investment.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

how much are you looking for one to invest? ;)

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Is there a minimum that one can invest? I'm not saying that I would only invest like 50 bucks, but there's no like 2000 minimum?

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

I watched that whole video--DAYUM that thing looks fun... wonder if it would be street legal? O0

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Def would need more details on the whole scope of the project but I would be interested.

Is this a silent partner type of thing or do investors get to vote on ----, like what color it will be, what we call it :)

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

^^ what he said. will we get to come up there and test drive it also >:D

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

If it's anything like the one in the video, I don't think there's much to paint :P

I'm down, just need more details before I lay down some cash.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

I seen one in Miami, 2 weeks ago

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

I'd really like to see this take off. I'd be in for a grand or more. >:D Gotta talk to the wife.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Oh, and the only way I'd go in on this is if its COMPLETELY funded by HMT members. I dont want my money mixing with dirty ricers cash from mommy and daddy's wallet...

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

No minimum, but there wouldn't be much point in investing under $200. Investers would have a say in decisions to a point, just like any group, the majority share holder would be the final say. So if 51% say they want to paint it pink, well that aint going to happen. Test drives buy partners goes with out saying. You will all want to be in the promotional ads as well. And it definitely would be street legal.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

definitely interested when/if you get the ball rolling. how about multiple investements, say 500 here and there as it's available for instance ;)

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

You can drive anything with wheels in FL.

I saw that thing on SPEED or spike or smthn. Thats absolutely amazing! I love the part when he flies by the sportbike.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

It can be if it was a rebuild from a donor car like the Attack is.

Here more info EPA LAWS for IMPORT KITCARS:

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/kitcar.htm

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Good info. Another good reason to use the Subaru motor trans combo, it will be no problem geting them certified trough the EPA.

So am I seeing enough interest to start here? Should I go get something drawn up by a lawyer? How much do you think we can raise? $10,000 is where I would like to start but we can start with less and build as we go. Give me some feed back. This is really no different from any other project any of us have started in the past, just a little (a lot) more paperwork. How cool would it be to start something like this and get it going from such humble beginnings. That would be as much of a story as the car itself.
To promote somthing like this you have to think of all the angles, like giving one to Jay Leno in exchange for a spot on the Tonight Show. Or geting it in a movie or TV spot. Any good publicity will help sell it. We would definitly ------ it around all the car boards and web sites. Any other ideas?

Hey Jeff how about a sticky?

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

if all goes well i'll move up there and be a full time employee :D i would say stick with honda engines though. for the cost of a wrx motor, you could have a nicely turbo'd honda motor that would make more power and engine management would be much cheaper. hell, the s/c b16 in the video only had 300bhp, we could easily put down 300whp for a fraction of what it would cost for 300whp out of a stock turbo'd boxer

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

K series is the new B ;)

Well, if you put together some solid legal stuff and can prove that this will be a solid investment and not some flop you give up on after 2 months and run off with my money...you can put me down for $2G's. I've been meaning to buy more stock and I def have a thing for cars rather than the rest of the crap out there to invest in...

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

you want me to smack you?

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Good point, but you have to consider the EPA issue as well. A stock WRX STI motor maker 300HP and is a production engine. There would be no problem getting it certified. It can also be purchased as a salvage yard unit, motor, trans, wiring harnes and ECU. No hassels, just drop it in. As well as the point I made originally, the subaru image in the car world is more performance oriented than Hondas. In America anyway.(I know I am going to catch hell for that) To get the broadest market possible I would like to go with something the public can relate to. Not deal with coments and questions like " I didnt know you could turbo a Honda motor" and "Sure its fast, but the motor wont last". You know those ignorant people are out there.

I will look into the legal issue ASAP. I respect your caution in wanting to protect your investment. Any one who knows me will tell you I dont walk away from a project. And I dont take peoples money and run with it. I have been selling on here for a long time and have built up a good reputation all over the internet. I would not want to throw that away for a few bucks. But I can see why you would be cautious with all the scamers and thieves out there. Take heart that I am not one of them, I am dedicated to the big picture.

This post sure could use a sticky.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

So what is this thing going to look like? What is its function all about, will it hold 4, I have some designs I have been making over the last little while of a tubular chassis, 4 door, 4 passenger, rear engine sports car with individual bucket seating that would be in the same class as a ferrari or other supercars, I wish I was wealthy enough to come up with a concept.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Definately interested... if it gets roll'n well, I'll definately toss in some capital. ----, I should have my new oven by this weekend... I'd be able to powdercoat most of the pieces for an extended share as well. wheels, suspension, all the trimmings, this will be sweet.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Whitey, get on that ---- ;)

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

This just goes to show you what a good idea this is, if this many people are thinking about it at the same time.
To answer your question it will look like the car in the video at the top of this thread. No doors two seater skeleton frame like a dune buggy. There will be some changes from the British car. A windshield and roll bar are necessary as well as a wiper and defroster for road cars. I can see people wanting to buy one just for the track and not wanting those things, but we should offer them as an option for the people that want to drive one everyday(like me). I can also see offering a top and side curtains for foul weather driving. There are lots of exotics that have no top at all. The Cobra replicas and a few Ferraris are like that, the first Corvettes where like that also, no side windows. I can see offering a four seat version later but not at first.
I have to talk to my lawyer about other things soon, I will see what he says about a limited partnership. A limited liability company with multiple partners is going to be the best way to go. No one person will be in charge or libel in case of a law suit.
Usually the more I think about things like this the more I can find wrong with the idea. In this case that has not happened. The more I think about it the more I like the idea and the more doable it seems. The idea of an affordable road/race car that will out perform any thing on the road is very exciting. The suit and tie guys that want to go road racing or auto crossing or even drag racing on the week end but dont want to give up there SUV or get there hands dirty will be all over this thing.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

I will be tied up with other things for a couple weeks but I will get the paper work done and lay out some blue prints/scetches for everyone to look at. I m not going to forget about this project.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

can't wait for more investor info! :)

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

My brother and I have had this same idea almost uncanny.

We wanted something that apeared like the atom, with the exoframe and then matching it with a WRX STI drive trane.
So a sub 1300 lb car with 300 HP and 4 wheel drive.
Can you say 0-60 in >3sec

We wanted to build it as light as posible and use it only for autocross.

I definatly would be interested in this. Sounds like a great idea.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

First where are you located.
second, a few things to think about. Using a supra front suspension is a bad idea (no offense), first there are not many donar supras, second its too wide, third if this is going to be an open wheel car, that ---- would be ugly as hell. and there are plenty of cars with removable front suspension. also making this work with 4wd I don't even know.
Also one major consideration is the price of the body work, although there wouldn't be much, unless it was incredibly simple ( read ugly) it would probably be fairly expensive.
But any way its a great idea and I would be interesed. I'll be getting my engineering degree pretty soon so I think this would be a great project. And please don't take any of my ideas as criticism, they're just suggestions.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Really interested. Need more detailed info. expected earning.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

I'll sticky this when Jeff lets me sticky a "Invest in Whitey's Miller Syncrowave 350DX TIG welder" thread ;)

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Damn :-\

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

And where would these be built cause i'm a metal fabricator and i would be down for something like this.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

The problem you run into here is that limited partners cannot be seriously involved in decision making. Limited partners are really only investors. If a limited partner becomes too involved, they may lose their "limited partner" status and could be held fully financially accountable. Be careful there! I'm sure your lawyer will be able to advise you better about that...

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Very interested in seeing this project come to life myself, and would be more than happy to take part in it. Using the WRX engine and drivetrain though might put you at a point where it wouldn't be a mid engine car because the drivetrain is so long. Just a thought though.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Great minds think alike. If this many people are thinking on the same lines it is only a matter of time before someone does it. It might as well be us first.
The cars would be built in my shop in Richmond Virginia.The major parts like the frame may be farmed out to other companies if that proves to be cheaper.

Earnings are based on sales. If you beleve we can sell the hell out of these things like I do then earnings should be high. But all that remains to be seen and depends on the overall cost of the finished product. We need to find out how much WRX front clips are selling for. JDM imports may be the best way to go here. A complete front clip with motor, trans, wiring harness and ECU and all the front syspension parts would give us everything in one package.

The Supra I am talking about is the third gen model, the big heavy ugly one before the last bodystyle. The salvage yards are full of these things because there is no interest in them. The front suspension is a complete unit with the same track width as the WRX. It uses cast aluminum upper A arms(very cool on an open wheel car, like formula 1) and has huge 12" rotors and four piston calipers as well as a power rack. Aftermarket parts are available for them as well, like sway bars and performance brake parts. I have given this a graet deal of thought, unless there is some unforseen problem I think this will be the best solution for the front suspension. Unless some one has a better idea? Also this would be rear wheel drive mid engine only.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Ah ok, so no heavy AWD stuff. This is going to be a fun project.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

'im on dial up so i didn't even bother looking at the clip. but I think i have an idea of what your building. You might want to search and see what the lotus 7 guys are doing just to give you some more ideas.

If you aren't familiar with the lotus 7, they are hand build tube frame cars usually fitted with Miata drivetrain.
similar to what this guy is doing http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/stalkerv6/

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

I love the 7s. The main diference is the 7s are front engine, rear drive where this will be mid engine, rear drive via WRX trans axle. This will cure the tail happy tendencies of the front engine cars. It should in theory be a 50/50 weight distribution.

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Is this something along the lines you were looking to do?

http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~...rester/ATV.htm

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

personally I think I would want to be strapped down to that thing

Re: Official HMT sports car investors post!
 

Anthony when you get this started I wanna come by and see it.