Frequently Asked Questions

Both! – Tipo184 was conceived as an homage to the great Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta Grand Prix car and we will be organising a race series for customer cars both in the UK and the USA. However, there is no reason why (in most countries) it cannot be used on the road with some modifications. (See below).

IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) is possible and we will support the builder wishing to get IVA compliance with a “Tipo Road Kit”. We have now been through the UK IVA test process successfully and a video explaining what needs to be done to get your Tipo184 through the UK test is now available on our youtube channel or via the link on this website.

The answer to US street legality depends on the state in question. Some states will simply not allow it, whereas some states will require road going additions like lights, indicators and perhaps even fenders. Each kit is supplied with a chassis number and certificate of origin that will assist you should you take this route.

Please check on the DMV website for further information. There is a useful link here, however we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the contents on the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

Each car will have its own unique chassis number and certificate of origin paperwork, and separate rivited chassis plate.
NB: Regarding national registration each country has varying road registration rules that would need to be satisfied individually.

No. Each car will have its own unique chassis number and riveted chassis plate.

Yes! Initially these will be organised in the UK and the USA and then depending on demand we will look at what we can arrange in other countries. Details will be announced shortly but the plan is to have some track time and then a full one make race series. If you think you’ll be tempted to enter races, please ensure your donor car has the 1.8 engine.

The Starter Kit comprises the key bespoke components: chassis, 6 x hand-built body panels, aluminium grill, exhaust system, gear linkage kit, front wishbone plates, dash panel blank, steering column and chassis plate.

The Starter kit is £14,745.00 +VAT (+P&P).
We have broken the build down the build into bite sized kits to allow the home builder to tackle the build at their own pace. You can either buy the different kits in stages or all together.

The total of all kits including the starter kit is £27,400.00 +VAT (+P&P)

In the meantime you will need to source and strip a donor car which is the 1.8 litre MX-5 / Miata Mk2 (NB) produced between 1998 and 2001 (without the VVT engine) and with a 5 speed gearbox. These can be picked up relatively inexpensively.

We manufacture kits to order. Lead time is approximately 3 – 4 months from order date subject to material availability.

We are accepting orders for factory built. Please contact us directly for more information and to place an order. Please note, Factory built cars do not include IVA test or registration which we are able to do at the customer request and is priced subject to vehicle specification.

If you email us within 14 days of the date of the invoice to inform us you wish to cancel your order, we will refund the deposit to you if already paid. Thereafter ALL deposits are non-refundable as per our T & C

The website will be the source of build information including videos, pictures and instructions. We will fully support you at each step from start to finish. There is now a Video build tutorial on YouTube under “Tipo184 build” – tipo184 build – YouTube

Additional videos will be published giving more information about how to prepare the wiring loom and what is needed to successfully prepare your Tipo184 for the UK IVA test if you wish to use your car on the road.

We estimate that the entire build will take around 100-150 hours depending on your skill level

The donor car is the 1.8 litre MX-5 / Miata Mk2 (NB) produced between 1998 and 2001 (without the VVT engine) and with a 5 speed gearbox.

No. It has to be a Mk 2.
The Mk 1 suspension is different and the steering rack and column are also different dimensionally.

You need to salvage the engine and gearbox, the front and rear suspension units complete and on their subframes, the instruments, the wiring loom (this will be modified during the build), ECU, induction and a few other parts as listed below.

There is a picture on our website showing the major components that you need to use from the donor car.

• Engine
• 5 speed manual gearbox
• Propshaft
• Rear axle differential
• Braking system
• Pedal assembly and master cylinders
• Handbrake and cables
• Wiring loom (complete electrical system inc. ECU, fuse box, modules, etc)
• Instrument pod
• Front subframe and suspension components (right hand drive)
• Rear subframe and suspension components
• Steering column
• Righthand drive steering rack (power steering but power removed)
• V5 Logbook

We have been delighted by the demand for Tipo 184 from around the world. The car was designed in the UK using a right hand drive MX-5/Miata donor and because of this, you will need to use a right hand drive steering rack in your build. While these are in ready supply in the UK, we appreciate that in some countries they are not so easy to find and so we are pleased to report that we can source these for you and ship them as part of your consignment for a small additional cost. Please do contact us if you would like us to arrange this for you.

The other item that needs modifying is the front subframe. The left and right hand drive subframes on the MX-5/Miata are different, and some minor modifications to swap the steering rack mountings from left to RHD are required. Again, this is something that will be easy for a certified fabricator to carry out and exact instructions will be issued on our website next month.

In short, the answer is no.
At least not for this version.
The chassis has been specifically engineered to accommodate the Mazda MX-5 engine and transmission and any other engine would require substantial modification to multiple components that we would not be able to support.

Further, the build supports a one make race series which will require competitors to have the same cars.

Length: 4,500mm
Width: 1,860mm
Height with roll bar: 1,570mm
Wheelbase: 2,700mm

The unladen weight of the finished car is 750kg (about two-thirds the weight of an MX-5 / Miata).

Approximate 55/45% front/rear weight distribution. We would recommend corner weight setting up with the driver aboard for the best handling.

We will supply the kit in raw composite gelcoat without paint. It will arrive in the dark red colour shown on the Starter kit photographs on our website.

The maximum driver height is 6’3” including helmet.

Not exactly, but very close! As the MX5 engine and suspension are being used, there are changes underneath the skin. The main difference you will notice on the exterior is that the Tipo184 has a roll bar which it needs in order to comply with legislation, particularly as it will be raced by some customers.
Here are some photographs of a completed Tipo184 kit.

All shipping and transportation costs are borne by the customer.

UK clients can collect in person or we can use a local shipping company that charges per mile from our workshops in Hertfordshire.

In the USA we have a central hub in Phoenix, Arizona for personal collection or again we can arrange transportation on a per mile basis with our courier.

We now also have a hub in mainland Europe from which the Starter kit can be collected or shipped overland to your address.

The rest of the world is on a case-by-case basis.

Yes we are able to offer this service, on a one to one basis. Please note this service starts from £3,000 plus VAT and does not include rectification or modification of parts, assembled by the builder, to meet IVA standards, or the transportation of customer vehicles to our workshop. Please note on completion of a successful IVA test the customer is responsible for any registration fees from the DVLA, also be aware that the IVA preparation waiting times and administration can take up to 3 months. Please contact us for further information.