Caterham = a bunch of metal welded together in your rafters.
AWD Focus = 83% put together vehicle + unique factor.
Plus, Focus you can recoup some $$ with those molds and a conversion kit.
Idk, I see the Caterham project as nothing more than a thought right now, whereas you have a Focus you’ve torn apart already, might as well continue.
Finish focus since its more obtainable. enjoy for a year, sell, use $ for cat-ham.
One day you’ll knock all this off and expect to enjoy any or some of the above… finish something and go play for a few.
yeah, I think I’ve more or less narrowed down to either making an offer on the Jag or not doing anything at all. The asking price isn’t much money at all…it wouldn’t kill me to aquire it, but at the same time I could probably spend the money better elsewhere…
I guess I’m really torn becuase I’m not certain I’ll find this car at this price, this close to home ever again. Jaguar x-types with a manual trans are fairly rare to begin with, let alone finding a wrecked parts car perfect for what I need less than 30mins away.
This is the only reason to go with the focus.
I voted Caterham. When you get done with the Focus, even if you go all out and make it AWD, it’s still just a street car. Yeah, it’s unique because of the euro body and drivetrain but it’s basically still just an AWD hatch, aka WRX/STi.
A Caterham on the other hand, that’s a pure driving machine. It’s something anyone who enjoys driving would look at and go, “yeah, I really want one of those”.
Caterham, all day.
LOL at it being 50/50 vote. I’m waiting on a back-pay check that I would use to buy one or the other…I’m gonna call on the jag first and see how flexible his price is. I already was able to obtain the ECU pinout for the jag ECU thanks to Pirite, so I’m fairly into making that work…if it’s gone when I call or the guy is a tool I might call on the other donor car and see what I can do there…if I get that far and he’s a douche, I’ll put the money on a bill or something instead.
Buy this, DD it, then part it when you are ready: http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/3016401838.html
FUCK. That’s perfect 
I no haz $4k to blow…and I have a brand new DD. Shit.
I vote Caterham (locost)… But im a bit Bias. The amount of work involved, is VERY high! You better be ready for it and think it out. There is a LOT of information out there, and even more choices. But you better start to study up on suspension design. There is a LOT involved in designing a suspension. Don’t get me wrong i’ve LOVED every step in building my Locost. Its taken WAY to long to get where im at. But life gets in the way. And you better have a DEDICATED work space for it.
(see the link in my signature) Feel free to ask away on question either here or thru PM
Thanks Ken, I know I PM’ed you quite a while back about checking yours out in person…I know what it’s going to take for the locost build, which it why I’m leaning AWAY from jumping into it right now. Suspension design is the ONLY aspect of the build that has me spooked about it…I really badly want to do it, but it doesn’t quite feel like the right time yet. I’d be worried I’d get into it with a timeframe in mind and blow right past that and get bogged down/discouraged and bail…so I somewhat want to wait until I have less on my plate so it can be the only project I focus on for a long-ish period of time.
I’m still waiting for my back-pay…I’ve decided that as soon as my backpay is in the bank I’m going to call on the jag, if it’s still available I’m going to go look at it and make him an offer. I can tear that car apart and keep what I need in a much smaller space then a caterham build, and slowly work on part design/fab while I still drive the focus until I have everything ironed out and ready for install.
that jag is awesome for $3999
I know 
You have a Caterham and you’re still working on the Focus? WHAT!?
Jag would make a nice hood ride but people may think you have bad credit. Yes even if you are just using it for parts.