One Piece at a Time: This Brit Is Building an F1 Car in His Backyard—Can You Help?

Dumpster diving yields better results when it's done in the correct dumpster. Kevin Thomas, a regular bloke living near Brighton, England, is surrounded by fantastic dumpsters. In his garden shed, Thomas is slowly putting together his own Formula 1 car based on parts from a 2001 British American Racing 003. The idea came to him after seeing an F1 car in a Renault showroom. Not long after, he saw an F1 tub listed on eBay. The auction ended with no bidders, so he sent the lister an e-mail. It worked. Thomas told Racecar Engineering magazine: "[The seller] turned up on my doorstep with a Reynard BAR  01 and a BAR 003. I paid him cash for the pair." Feature: Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix in Austin: Game On Interview: What I'd Do Differently: Humpy Wheeler Feature: The Well-Equipped Garage: Everything You Need to Create Yours Thomas isn't an engineer; his expertise is merely that of a hard-core fan's. But with two tubs in hand, he decided he had to put one on the track. He needed only an appropriate drivetrain, suspension, seat, and, well, everything else that makes up a modern Formula 1 car. Resources were—and remain—scarce. He says: "It quickly became clear that it was very difficult, or even impossible, to get the right parts. I have to use what I can get." He trades among a community of  F1 parts collectors, and he checks eBay every day. His shed is filled with F1 components, and he says making them fit has been part of the fun. His sidepods, for example, are from a later Williams-BMW. He learned to work with carbon fiber, chopped up the pods, and modified them to fit with a BAR engine cover. This resourcefulness has served him well: His total outlay has been only about $13,000, and from the look of it, you'd think he had a complete car. He doesn't. He's still short a drivetrain—among other things—and a 600-plus-hp 3.0-liter V-10 like the one that first powered the BAR is unlikely to show up on eBay. "I'll probably go for a Formula Renault 3.5-liter engine," Thomas says. "That will be plenty fast enough to scare the living daylights out of me." Even a well-sorted Formula 1 car can be a nasty beast. One built from pieces scavenged from various sources and cobbled together in a shed on a shoestring will likely be downright evil. But that's not the point. It's the construction of the car—the sheer lunacy and joy of making diverse parts come together and work as one—that counts. You can help! If you think you (seriously) can get Kevin Thomas what he needs—or know someone who can—e-mail us at editors@caranddriver.com and we'll put you in touch. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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