Now live on eBay is something that’ll catch the eye of any hands-on enthusiast, a 2000 Ariel Atom replica project that’s part kit car, part engineering adventure, and all about potential. The seller describes it as an unfinished build based on a Honda rolling chassis, meant for street or track use, and it’s being sold with a rebuilt/reconstructed title.
According to the listing, a lot of the heavy lifting has already been done. The project includes a custom tubular steel frame, fiberglass body panels, and a running gear reportedly sourced from a Honda Accord donor vehicle. The seller notes that this setup includes a manual transmission and several bins of extra parts, mainly wiring and other components from the donor car. For someone who wants to dive into the world of lightweight, open-wheel cars, this could be a great head start.
The chassis measurements are included in the ad, roughly 77 inches wide at the rear wheels, 120 inches long overall, and with a 96-inch wheelbase, giving a sense of how compact and aggressive the final car could be. The seller says the chassis is still bare metal, which means it’s ready for any modifications, reinforcements, or paintwork a buyer might want before finishing the build.
Included in the package are the fiberglass tub, dash, rear cowl, and intake panels, plus a set of wheels and tires—though the seller mentions the tires will need replacement. The car will also need key items like shocks, wiring, lighting, and exhaust before it’s complete. Essentially, this is a well-started platform that’s waiting for the right person to bring it to life.
The seller, based in Denver, Colorado, notes that the project does not currently have a VIN or title, so buyers would need to handle registration based on their state’s kit car regulations, or keep it as a track-only vehicle. A bill of sale will be provided.
Projects like this are rare opportunities to jump in at a point where much of the hard fabrication work is done, but the creative control is still entirely in your hands. The seller even mentions that the frame alone represents hundreds of hours of work, something anyone who’s tried to build from scratch can appreciate.
Would you finish this as a faithful Ariel Atom replica, or turn it into something completely custom?
The Ariel Atom is a very cool and quick track day car that happens to be street legal. Although not in ANY weather! I would be suspicious of any frame like this not built on a jig/plate. I appreciate the time and effort that this chassis requires. And from what I can see, the welds look quality. BUT, is it straight? Also the Accord engine is a nice option for parts availability, and the light weight will make the package an interesting and fun drive. But, will really need some attention to keep up with another Ariel.
really feel we gotta show it (as is my usual):
https://www.arielna.com/history
I liked the arieal 4 square…
I know it’s not done yet, but the suspension doesn’t look easily adjustable to me. Also, I would have made the investment in a TIG welder, and probably some training for welding up a tube chassis. Those MIG welds might be OK, but they look cold to me. How are these welds certified? You can cut into the welds for inspection, but this chassis doesn’t give me a lot of confidence. To drive this thing hard, I want full confidence in weld integrity.
Nothing wrong here that a Spoon engine, T-66 turbo with NOS & a Motec system exhaust wouldn’t fix.
No guts, no glory!
I’m sorry but those welds look scary to me and I do not like that the main upper tubes are spliced, would be much more confidence inspiring if they were one piece. Aside from the weld quality, I also wonder how true all the various parts are – is it safe? The idea sounds great but this could be deadly.
$9000.00 worth of gocart fun.
Several comments regarding the welds on this one. Zoom in on the ebay pictures. Two different people with different equipment have been welding on this frame. Some of the welds are respectable. The other welds…. could have been done better with an undersized machine that had Chicago Electric printed on it. IMHO. The seller hints that he acquired the project. Do you want to be the third in line? Assuming the frame is straight, it would still be a tremendous amount of grind and weld over which is more work and still compromised weld quality.