Racing Fan Builds Working Formula 1 Car in Garage

Kevin Thomas from Burgess Hill saw the mangled carbon fiber tub in front of him as a complete racing machine simply waiting for little TLC. Ten years ago, that tub was part of a Caterham F1 vehicle, and it was the focal point of a spectacular crash at the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix. After the team disbanded owing to financial issues, it was allowed to gather dust with three missing wheels and a critically damaged center structure. It was cleared out by debt collectors and then sold at auction, where Kevin purchased it.

You would think that buying a busted up piece of an F1 car is an odd thing to do, but for Kevin, the tub marked the beginning of a long adventure. He’d never attended technical college and didn’t have a large workshop to play with, only a small garage that essentially served as his factory floor. Over the next few years, he set about transforming the damaged tub into a rolling, driveable Formula One car using parts he’d acquired at auctions, internet sales, and via his own tinkering. He documented the entire process on his Boosted Lifestyle channel, capturing over thirty various stages of the build from scratch.

For Kevin, the work began by going back to the bare tub, and then spending hours inspecting every inch of it to determine where the crash damage needed to be reinforced. After that, he installed the high-revving Honda power unit, which could reach 11,000 rpm and served as the heart of the machine. Next came the engine and differential, followed by the rear suspension. The early stages of the build were all about precise measurements and getting the correct brackets built, as factory parts were no longer an option.

The first major test occurred when the engine ignited for the first time in the garage, a moment of triumph for Kevin. Then came a constant stream of component updates as he determined what worked and what did not. The automobile began to come together piece by piece. He created a rolling chassis and installed custom steering and suspension arms that looked exactly like the genuine thing. Eventually, the object started to move on its own. A chain drive system in the back kept everything running smoothly, while a unique fuel system kept the engine fed and happy.

Then came the exhaust pipes, which were designed in the same way as the original F1 vehicles and had a distinctly beautiful sound. Then came an air shifter, which allowed him to shift gears without using the clutch pedal… the kind of thing that makes all the hard work worthwhile. Kevin drove it for its maiden drive on the quiet roads near his home, and it handled superbly, snappy and responsive from the start. Later additions included a complete body, a unique nose cone, and wings. One of the rear wing sections came from his personal 3D printer.