Building A Kindred Spirit Part 1

Regular readers with copies of this mag under the bed need only look back to August 1990. This was when our Editor reported on his test flight in a Hudson Free Spirit three-wheeler. The car, which elated Ewan was the inspiration of Roy Webb, whose Hudson factory is no further than a misdirected penalty kick from Norwich City Football ground. Arguably, there's no logical reason to build a three-wheeler with no weather protection, no heater and not a lot of room for your sandwiches. But as our Editor reported, this is one of the most enjoyable little cars that I have had the pleasure to experience in a long time." Indeed if kit cars are about individuality, inexpensive ownership and unforgettable driving pleasure, climb aboard a Hudson. In this short series, we are now going to get grease under the fingernails and find out about building the beauty. To be strictly accurate, Ewan Scott tried a Hudson Free Spirit which is a single seater sold in kit form for £1,200 plus VAT. In this report, however, we look at the building-up of a tandem two-seater version. Aptly named the Kindred Spirit, this had proved slightly more popular and is priced at £1,450 plus VAT. An extra seat is fitted behind the driver, and although this only adds 300mm (l2in) to the overall length, the arrangement allows you to frighten a friend. The Donor Vehicle Apart from a Mini handbrake, a Mini exhaust and Allegro steering section, the Kindred Spirit S wholeheartedly a Renault 5 (from the 1972 to 1984 era). This usually means your local Vehicle registration Office will permit the original registration number to be kept. Nearly 40 other bits then supplement the single donor car And pieces which come with the kit - like the screen, mudguard stays, a purpose-made petrol tank, a coil spring for the rear, a master cylinder plunger bolt, and multifarious brackets and bits. It all adds up to a comprehensive package for your money and differs from many kits where 'starling price" is a far cry from the final bill. Mechanically speaking, Renault is a company with considerable engineering expertise - as any Formula 1 follower will testify. But the body life of a Renault Is unlikely to match Methusela. So if you watch the classified motoring ads in your local paper, a donor car won't take too long to -appear. Using this source of supply, my V registered GLT model was advertised as a good runner, no tax or MoT, bodywork needs attention hence £150." But no one wanted the vehicle and a month later the owners were pleased to accept my £50 offer. It you tail to find a good donor car when you want one, Hudson can usually supply one to your home at cost price, which is somewhere between £50 to £100 - plus transport. This is certainly a helpful incentive and lets you make an early start withthedismantling work