The Zero…. Find out how a British Sports Car Is Made #swarfandchips 200th Episode.

We are excited to have been featured in the 200th Swarf & Chip Show which was seen live on their YouTube last month on 23rd October. In this very special 200th Swarf & Chips show the MTDCNC and Swarf & Chip team visited us at GBS to find out how our beautiful cars are manufactured from fabrication, CNC machining and all the way to the final assembly. We then took the Zero’s to Blyton Park race track for a Swarf and Chips fastest lap competition! See below some behind the scenes photographs from the filming days at GBS and at Blyton park and click here to watch the video - Find out how a British Sports Car Is Made #swarfandchips 200th Episode.

NEW DATE RELEASED - GBS Cars & Coffee (& Cake) Event 2021.....

We are excited to be planning our first GBS Cars of Coffee event of 2021.
The first Cars & Coffee event of 2021 is happening on Saturday 27th March.... As many of you know everyone at GBS has a strong passion for cars and anything to do with motorsport and we love our Cars & Coffee events and Track Days etc. But sadly, this year we have not been able to host and exhibit at any events due to Covid-19.

So we thought we would plan for 2021 and have something for us to look forward too, when hopefully the Covid-19 situation will be better and things are back to more normality. We will confirm next year that this event is safe to happen, but we hope you will be able to join us, we can’t wait to see you all and welcome you back!
 
The GBS Cars & Coffee event at GBS was created in 2016 and has since been a massive success & we have continued to hold the event again for several years now. Our Cars & Coffee ( & Cake) events often see our car park overflowing with many different sports cars, the event is also becoming renowned for its home made cakes!

Its an event that we have created that gives the chance for you all to have a ride out in your sports cars / meeting point and enjoy a coffee (plus biscuits/ cake of course) and chat about your cars, all are welcome to join us in any car (modern or classic including bikes).

Help us make Saturday 27th March the best GBS Cars & Coffee event yet & raise more money for two great charities…. We will be collecting for the Notts & Lincs Air Ambulance & Cancer Research.

We will announce more details next year, and will do all we can to make sure the event can go ahead safely, all the GBS team look forward to seeing you all.

Please follow our event page for more details, as we will announce any updates on there as well as the event on our GBS Facebook page, please see link button below.

We are currently still doing appointment only visits to see the Zero, so please contact us if you wish to arrange a visit.
The Kit Spares Shop and Show Room is open and orders can still be placed in store or online on our website www.kitspares.co.uk or please give us a call (01623 860990) to place your orders.

Book your appointment to come and see the Zero......

Since the 1st June this year we were pleased to be able to open back up for appointment only visits for you to come and look at the Zero. Which has been working really well and it has been great to see so many of you. We have put appointment only visits in place so we can control the volume of people to ensure minimum contact. With social distancing rules maintained throughout your visit.

We appreciate your patience and continued support through this difficult time. Small and independent businesses value your continued support now more than ever. We continue and will certainly be doing all we can to support our suppliers & partners in this time and most importantly look after our customers and staff. Please call or email us to arrange your visit. You can also Click here to visit our GBS YouTube Channel where you can see a full factory tour of GBS.

Whilst our Kit Spares Showroom and shop is currently open orders can still be placed on line on our website www.kitspares.co.uk or please give us a call (01623 860990) to place your order. We are also doing arranged collections for parts too.

Busy workshop.... See more video's on our workshop YouTube Channel...

Its great to see our GBS Workshop YouTube channel getting more followers each week, there are now several video’s on there. Including the most recent one which is a talk through the Zetec Lightened Flywheel Package along with several other video’s that cover products that we stock through our parts shop Kit Spares. Click here to see more video’s on our workshop YouTube channel and click here to visit our main GBS YouTube Channel.

We are able to offer a full range of workshop services for your GBS Sports Car and also other cars, please click here for more details about the workshop services that we offer.

Zero Self Build Collections and Upgrades…..

Its been a busy start to the month for us with Zero self build kit collections, and the workshop has been busy too with lots of very nice spec Zero’s with us for various works.

On Saturday it was nice welcome Ben Whitrow and his family back to GBS, as they came to collect their Mazda Zero race self build. Ben and his family visited us earlier this year on Ben’s 14th Birthday to place their order and finalise the spec of Ben’s Zero Build which was his birthday present. Ben has the Mazda donor car already and is very excited to start his Zero Mazda Build, which he very much looks forward to driving in a few years when he is 17. We look forward to following Ben’s build and seeing it progress and sharing with you all.

Nice to have this customer’s Zero with us last week that he has recently bought and has been enjoying and wanted a few upgrades doing to it. It was with us for a few days for the ATR Product Front Brake Upgrade Kit fitting which is now a very popular upgrade for the Zero’s. Also new seats, gauges and more have been ordered for it so it will be coming back soon for more upgrades. We are pleased to also have several IVA appointments booked for this month, so we look forward to seeing more Zero’s on the road very soon.

Zero Self Build arrives in Canada & another delivered......

Now that we can welcome to you GBS Factory (by appointment only) Kit collections are able to happen again and we are pleased to be now back on schedule with Zero self-build collections. We have had several Zero self builds collected over the last few weeks, including the delivery of a Mazda Self Build kit to GBS Customer Liam Anderson in Northampton. We always recommend when possible collection for self builds and a visit to the factory, but we realised that this is not always possible and often a delivery is better suited.
We were also pleased to have received an email from GBS Customer Colin Marzoff in Canada earlier this week to say that his Zero Mazda kit had arrived last weekend. Its all set out in his garage ready for the build to begin, we look forward to receiving more photographs and seeing these Zero builds progress.

Follow us on Instagram @gbs_cars to see more of what we are up to and click here for more details on the Zero Self Build options, or contact us to book your visit to see the Zero or for any other questions you may have.

What engine and spec would you have in your Zero….

The Ford Zetec / Duratec and Mazda are the most popular engine option for the Zero’s. We have specific engine mounts on the shelf for a wide selection of engines and have the capabilities to work with you to create a special instillation for an engine of your choice for your Zero.

The Zero is unique among Seven Type cars in having its engine mounted further back in the chassis giving much better weight distribution and balance to the car.

Currently in the workshop we have two very nice new factory built Zero’s one powered by a Ford 2.5L Duratec and the other by a Ford 2L Zetec engine, both of stunning spec and fitted with many optional extras and upgrades. One is due to be delivered to the customer anytime and the other is awaiting its IVA test which is scheduled for next week.

We are always keen to discuss your ideas and how they can be fitted into the Zero, so contact us today to discuss with one of the team.

Looking for a Fathers Day Gift.... Have you considered the Zero!

With Father’s Day happening later this month (Sunday 21st June) we thought you might be looking for that perfect gift? A GBS Zero Self Build or Factory Built Sports Car could be the perfect present & be something that you can both enjoy together! We also have finance available for the Zero range which makes it even easier to own a Zero or to make that dream of building your own sports car happen! Click here for more details about the Zero range.

It’s always nice when we get families order a GBS Zero self build and make it a project that they can all enjoy together. We get a lot of Father and Sons of all ages who purchase a Zero self build kit as a project to build and enjoy together, as well as others who go for the factory built option. If you have already got a GBS Zero or sports cars don’t forget our Gift Vouchers from Kit Spares might be a nice idea…. There is always something on the Kit Spares website that I’m sure you would like, just a few ideas below for you to consider. Including a nice GBS Enamel coated mug – Ideal to use whilst working on the cars in the garage & workshop!

Zero Self Build on the way to USA & another USA Zero build looking good....

Last week this very nice painted Full Component Zero Self Build Kit was collected and is now on the way to its new owner Sean Wally in USA. Its estimated to arrive in the USA beginning of July, we will share more photographs and updates of its arrival in USA and on the build as it progresses. We are now busy getting another Zero Self Build ready for collection that will be going to a new customer in Canada that will hopefully be collected end of this week / early next week.

Another GBS Customer Brandon Kemmerer over in the USA took delivery of his new Zero Race Self Build in January this year, and its great to see that it is progressing well.

Brandon said “Things are progressing very well. The body is nearly complete, I got the motor dropped in a few weeks ago, and I've been playing with wiring since. I'm waiting on a few items I've ordered to finish off the interior, namely gauges and harnesses but all the interior panels are fitted. Things seem to be going well. It'll be a little bit before it's on the road, but little by little it's getting there”.  

For more details on the USA Zero Self Build Spec please click here or to see the complete Zero range and options please click below.

Always great to see Father & Son's enjoying their Zero builds together.....

GBS Customers Mike and Dougie Spalding (father & son) Dropped their Zero Race car off with us earlier this week. Their Zero Race is going to be fitted with a 2L Eco Boost engine so its with us for all of the wiring and electrical set up to be done. Dougie had this Zero Race in July 2014 for his 14th Birthday and is now keen to get it completed and up and running to enjoy out on the track. This is their second Zero as Mike and Dougie built a road Zero which was completed in July 2012, which together they have enjoyed many track days and road trips including travelling around Europe. You may have also seen them in their Zero at many of our GBS Track Days and Cars & Coffee events.

Its also nice to see Jerry and Matt Haller who are another father and son building a Zero, their Zero build is progressing well with their Duratec engine recently being installed. Matt & Jerry’s Zero is painted in a stunning blue with a black stripe which you may have seen featured on our Blog when it first came back from paint. We look forward to receiving more photographs as their build progresses and seeing them out on the road enjoying it.

We are pleased to now be open for appointment only visits for you to come and look at the Zero. Please call or email us to arrange your visit. We have put appointment only visits in place so we can control the volume of people to ensure minimum contact. With social distancing rules maintained throughout your visit.

Whilst our Kit Spares Showroom is currently still closed, orders can still be placed on line on our website www.kitspares.co.uk or please give us a call (01623 860990) to place your order. We are also now doing arranged collections.

Wiring & Electrics on the Zero explained in detail......

Here is a detailed video talking through the wiring and electrics on the Zero. Richard talks you through the whole wiring loom in detail covering all the aspects including the Individual connections, the lower dash loom, Instrumentation & dash Board, engine loom set up and the ECU options and set up.

All products seen and mentioned in the video are available from our Kit Spares Shop.

Subscribe to our GBS YouTube Channels to see more videos including our GBS Factory tour and new products that we have released.

Open for appointment only visits to come & see the Zero....

As you may already know and have heard, car showrooms are allowed to open again from 1st June 2020.  We are pleased to be opening up for appointment only visits from Monday 1st June, for you to come and look at the Zero.

Please call or email us to arrange your visit. We have put appointment only visits in place so we can control the volume of people to ensure minimum contact. With social distancing rules maintained throughout your visit.

We appreciate your patience and continued support through this difficult time. Small and independent businesses value your continued support now more than ever. We continue and will certainly be doing all we can to support our suppliers & partners in this time and most importantly look after our customers and staff.

Whilst our Kit Spares Showroom is currently still closed, orders can still be placed on line on our website www.kitspares.co.uk or please give us a call (01623 860990) to place your order. We are also now doing arranged collections.
Orders are still being processed and dispatched every day and our next day delivery service is still available, but we ask you to please be aware there could be a slight delay this is due to the carrier but full tracking details will be issued.

We're looking forward to seeing you again soon! 

Warmest regards & best of wishes from the entire team here at GBS.

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NEW GBS Workshop YouTube Channel & new products for the Zero's....

We have a main GBS YouTube channel which I am sure many of you have subscribed to and have watched our recent GBS Factory Tour video that we shared on there. We are now pleased to have a new dedicated YouTube Channel for the GBS Workshop, on here you will see a selection of videos sharing what the workshop team are up to, as well as videos of new product installations and upgrades on the Zero’s and other sports cars.

Including the below which we are pleased to have released and shared with you, these are just some of the new products that we have been busy developing for the Zero range and other sports cars.

Seat Belt Bolt Finishing Kit - These replace the standard hex head bolt which you have to cover up with a nut cover for the IVA Test. The new finishing kit uses a counter sunk 7/16 UNF bolt that has an aluminium cup with a radius that both comply’s with the IVA and also enhances the appearance of your car.
These are available in Black, Silver and Orange and now available online from Kit Spares.

Heated Seats - Heated Seat Elimiment optional extra now available on our GBS Seats. Visit our new GBS Workshop YouTube Channel to see a short video running through the installation, these new seats are now available and can be seen on our parts website Kit Spares.

You can see more on the NEW Products that we have on GBS Workshop YouTube Channel, so make sure you visit and follow us. We have also created a new Alternator Bracket for the Duratec 2.5 which is now being installed in all factory builds and is a very nice touch to the engine bay. Next week we will share with you the installation of the new ATR Suspension finishing kit, that will be available from Kit Spares soon.

Website orders are still being processed and phone lines are open.
www.kitspares.co.uk

NEW GBS Zero Complete Component Build Package released…..

We are pleased to share with you the NEW GBS Zero complete component build package. This Ultimate Self Assembly package we have designed to be assembled and purchased in five different stages. This helps with planning, building and budgeting, or if you prefer it can be purchased as a whole package.
There are a range of optional extras and upgrades available along the way, so you will be building a truly individual sports car that is unique and bespoke to you.
Each phase has shipping in mind so it can be packaged up easily to be delivered directly to your workshop where ever you are around the world. Or can be collected directly from the factory if you prefer. Finance options are available on all or part of the packages.

We still offer the Zero Mazda single donor and Custom kit, allowing you to build a car from the ground up from a bare chassis and with the engine of you choose. Click here to visit our other Zero Self Build options or click the button below to see details on the NEW Ultimate Self Assembly Zero. Or please contact us if you have anymore questions.

Please note: Our parts shop Kit Spares online shop is still open along with our Kit Spares eBay Shop or call us on 01623 860990 to place your order. Deliveries are still being sent out on next day delivery services via parcel force and we are not having to many delays.

GBS Zero looking good in USA & another on the way soon….

GBS customer Dan Kincade in the USA has his Zero on the road for a while now and has made some modifications and improvements to his Zero. We made him some custom 42mm tubes to give more performance for his new high spec Mazda engine, Dan will be taking it to the Dyno soon to see how it performs. Dan also purchased the new adjustable rear wishbones for the Mazda and has them all fitted and working now. Dan says  “Between the accelerator, rear arms and headers I feel that my car has been transformed to the next level. I look forward to continuing to up rate my Zero with more GBS / ATR components.”

We have another Zero that has recently been panelled that will soon be off to paint that is going to become one of our new Zero demonstrator cars in the USA. We are currently just deciding on the paint scheme for it, we will share more on that over the next few weeks with you.

The GBS Workshop has some nice Zero’s that are currently being built, if you follow us on Instagram @gbs-cars then you will see more updates on them on there. We also have several Zero’s that have been with us for our IVA Service that we offer, and they are all now ready and waiting for the test dates to be confirmed. Please get in touch for more details about the IVA Service that we offer and other workshop services or to look to get your car booked in.

At this difficult time we are in, it’s been nice to see that a lot of you have been busy in the garage working on your Zero builds and doing upgrades and jobs to them. If you have any photographs, send them in to us we would love to see them and share them with others. Our parts shop Kit Spares online shop is still open along with our Kit Spares eBay Shop or call us to place your order. Deliveries are still being sent out on next day deliveries via parcel force and we are not having to many delays.

GBS Factory Tour…… You can’t visit us, so we bring the GBS Factory to you.

GBS Factory Tour…… You can’t visit us, so we bring the GBS Factory to you…..
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID 19) the GBS Factory is closed for visitors so we are unable to invite you to see us, but after getting a lot of enquiries we are pleased to share a video that we have created taking you on a full factory tour and behind the scenes of GBS including our manufacturing site which not many of you have seen before. The video is over 40 minutes and the sections it covers are - Introduction GBS / Kit Spares, Show Room, Main Stores, Bodywork, Manufacturing, Engineering, Clean & Assembly Room, Design Room, Workshop & Test Drive in our demonstrators. (You can skip sections, in the description) Please click here to watch the video on our site or click here to visit our GBS YouTube Channel.

We are working hard here at Great British Sports Cars to ensure the safety and well being of Staff and Customers to enable us to provide the same service and to continue to stay open.

The GBS & Kit Spares Showroom is now closed to the public to visit until further notice, but our phone lines are still fully OPEN as is our Kit Spares website and eBay Shop. Please see links www.kitspares.co.uk and Kit Spares eBay Shop. Also, good news is that our workshop is open for necessary vehicle repair and servicing, IVA preparation etc. Our staff have taken all necessary precautions during this difficult time, so if you are needing necessary work, please get in contact to see how we can help you and also look to get it booked in.

Those that are interested in a Zero self build or factory built car please still get in touch still via email or phone and we can send you details and answer all your questions that you may have, please do watch our factory tour video as that will show what we have available and what we are up to. As soon as test drives in our demonstrators will be available we will let you know.

We would like to thank you all for your co-operation at this unprecedented time. Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all again very soon!

Enjoy the Easter weekend.
Best wishes to you all from all the team here at GBS.

Please also follow us on Instagram to see more updates from the GBS Factory.

Our NEW Gen 2 Zero Demonstrator featured in this months CKC Magazine….

We always look forward to receiving our copy of CKC Magazine and it was nice to see that our new Zero demonstrator was featured in the magazine and on the front cover too. Adam from CKC Magazine visited us last month to view and test drive our new Zero demonstrator. Adam was very impressed “ It may not look that different to any GBS Zero that’s gone before, but the new Gen 2 has been through a thorough process of evolution” We are lucky to have a wide open A- Road close to the factory with well sighted corners so we can drive with confidence, so Adam was able to enjoy his test drive and put the demonstrator through its paces to see how it handled. Our new demonstrator is a very nice high spec car and has a lot of optional extras and upgrades on it. “There are thousands of changes – not that you would know just by looking” you can see and read more in the magazine which is out now and available to purchase online delivered directly to your door.

If you have any questions about the Zero self-build or factory build options, please get in touch we would love to hear from you. We look forward to welcoming you all back to the factory to see and have a test drive in our demonstrator very soon. Click here to get in touch.

In our last Blog post we gave you the chance to have a go at colouring in a Zero and add a creative background. It was great to see that many children have been enjoying colouring the Zero…. Here is 7 year old Amelia and 3 year old Lottie with their finished pieces that they have shared with us, they look great and thank you for sharing them with us. Click here to have ago at colouring your own Zero, we look forward to seeing more!

Looking for that perfect Valentines Gift…. How about a GBS Zero.

As Valentine’s Day is now fast approaching, many of you may still be looking for that perfect gift… Have you considered a GBS Zero sports car it will be enjoyment for you both, weather you go for the self-build or factory-built option we now also have them available on finance, making owning your dream car even easier!
Why not come and visit us and see how easy and enjoyable a GBS Zero Build would be for you, or if that doesn’t interest you how about come and see us and choose the specification of your sports car for us to build for you! A warm welcome always awaits you at the GBS Factory. Our new Gen 2 Zero demonstrator is always ready for passenger drives too.

We have several events throughout the year that you and your partner and families can all join us on in your Zero’s like Track days, Cars & Coffee events, Open Days and much more. So whatever the journey you’re guaranteed a GBS Zero will turn heads, gather smiles and create new friends! (Our next GBS Cars & Coffee event is happening on Saturday 21st March)

Kit Spares have some very nice products that will also make nice Valentines Gifts…. If your not sure then a Kit Spares Gift Voucher could be the perfect gift! Please visit our parts website www.kitspares.co.uk

GBS Zero just in time for Christmas and our Christmas Opening Hours…..

Its been busy couple of weeks with lots of Zero kit collections and exports, last week we had a GBS Zero Race Self Build kit collected that’s now on the way to a new customer in America, this is the last kit of year to go to America the next one will be going in January. We also had a David Kerslake from Northampton come with his son to collect his new Zero Ford based self build kit, David has wanted to build a kit car for several years and now he is very excited that his dream has come true and the build is now actually happening.

Yesterday we had a Sweden Spec Zero kit collected that is going to a be an educational build for students in Sweden, and we also welcomed Ian Whitman back to the factory yesterday to collect his Zero Mazda kit.

Next week the final Zero self build kit of 2019 is being collected by two brothers, we will share more on that kit collection with you soon as there is nice story behind their build and spec of build.

Father and Son Jerry and Matt Haller also sent us some photos of some parts, the new ATR Products front hubs, brakes and suspension that are now assembled and were recently fitted to their Zero which looks like its coming along nicely. They both joined us on Saturday at our Christmas Cars and Coffee and said there build is going well and are both really enjoying it. You can now see more photos from our Christmas Cars and Coffee event last Saturday on GBS Facebook page. Please click here.

Christmas opening times for GBS & Kit Spares:
The GBS Factory and Kit Spares will be closed on Tuesday 24th December and we will be open again and back to normal opening hours on Thursday 2nd January 2020.
You can still place your orders online from our parts website Kit Spares and Kit Spares eBay Shop, but please note any orders placed after 23rd December 2019 may not be processed or dispatched until 2nd / 3rd January 2020. www.kitspares.co.uk

Busy time at the Classic Motor Show, the Zero's attracted a lot of attention…

Big thank you to everyone who visited our stand over the 3 days at this years Classic Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham.  This show is one of our favourite shows of the year both the GBS & Kit Spares stand were busy all 3 days particularly the Friday and Saturday, it was great to see so many customers over the weekend as well as meet many new customers that we look forward to welcoming to the GBS factory very soon.

Our stand this year was in the same location as previous years and on display was a nice collection of Zero’s. We had our new high spec Gen 2 Zero demonstrator on display with a very nice customer Zero build, GBS Customer Tim Dunlop kindly let us have his Zero on display for the 3 days, along with another 2015 factory built Zero that we were selling on behalf of a customer. We are pleased to say that all the Zero’s attracted a lot of attention over the 3 days and we have lots of factory visits and test drives booked. It was nice that Tim also joined us on the Friday on the stand and was able to talk to customers too about his experience of building his Zero.

The kit Spares stand was also very busy with all the parts that we had on display attracting a lot of attention particularly the Ford 2.5 Duratec engine and the show racks which were displaying electrical and wiring products, the ATR Product Range, Exhaust components, Seat Belts & Interior products and much more….Visit our parts website www.kitspares.co.uk or showroom to see more products and details.

This was our last show of the year, but we still have one event left, which we are all very much looking forward to which is our GBS Christmas Cars & Coffee event which is happening on Saturday 7th December at our GBS Factory, please click here for more details.

The GBS calendar for 2020 is already looking very busy with lots of new and exciting events scheduled in, the 2020 GBS calendar will be released later this year. We hope to be at more events, do more track days and much more! So make sure you keep visiting our event page.

Please note that the GBS Factory and Kit Spares Shop will be closed on Friday 15th November, but will be open 10am-2pm on Saturday 16th November.