It all started back in the early 1990's when myself and good friend Fred Causer; who now runs Top Gear Race Management in Canada, were Licensed Karting Instructors and Examiners helping people achieve their Karting Race Licence with the RAC Motorsports Association (now Motorsports Association UK) the governing body of all four wheeled motorsport in the UK. Running courses at the old South Wales Karting Centre (now home to Llandow Kart Club) next to Llandow Circuit which was at that time just restarting its rejuvenation after many years of neglect. As part of this rejuvenation, the race school originally located at Pembrey Circuit near Llanelli moved to Llandow and became the Cardiff Motorsport Centre running courses in Racing and Rallying. With an obvious link between us all, Andy Murdock who was running the school at that time asked for our help when we were not busy which suited Fred and I just fine. Help run the cars, do a bit of instruction in Formula Renaults, Escort MkII/Sierra Rally cars and paid off by having a play in the cars at the end of the day...why not???

As part of the instructional days, circuit rides were provided for the guests giving them an idea of what their friend or partner were doing throughout the days instruction. Somehow Andy managed to blag a Fisher Fury from the factory to fill this role and that is how the seed was sown. Helping out in the workshop, the car was gradually built for circuit use and I remember the feeling driving it for the first time and thinking...one day I would love to build one of my own, finally now after all these years I will hopefully fulfil that wish.

Moving on several (ok lots) of years (2009) and having moved somewhere I actually have the space to do this, the serious investigation work began. Visits to various local car shows invigorated my wish to do this again and in 2010 a visit to the Newark Kitcar Show allowed me to take a look at how much things had really moved on in the world of Kitcars.

Although I like the look of the Se7en, Westfield/Caterham style cars there are an awful lot around and I fancied doing something a bit different from the norm, I think my memories of the Fury had already made up my mind really. The numerous Cobra kits did appeal but then the price was a bit restrictive on the budget I had set myself and the Ultimas - utterly fantastic and most definitely out of my price range, as well as probably not for a novice builder. The new Jeremy Philips Sylva J15 looked fantastic and being mid-engine, rear wheel drive an ideal drivers car but with one downfall being no real way it could be weatherproofed as it only has an aero screen. If I was going to do this project and with the state of the British weather the car really had to be able to be driven all year round and on a typical summers (read rainy) day, so another tick in the box for the Standard Fury.

Wandering around outside at the owner cars on display my next stop was to the Jeremy Philips Sportscars Club Jeremy Philips being the original designer/owner of the Fury) where there were several versions of the Fisher Fury and also a Sylva (now SSC) Stylus which I had not seen before. Very similar in appearance to the Fury, the Stylus looked ideal as it had a boot area and a lip around the edge of the cockpit to make weather proofing that little bit more effective, a bit more investigation work to be done.

Once home I tried to find out a bit more about the Stylus Kit but all the links to both Sylva and SSC proved to be dead and the kit no longer appearing to be available, one up again for the Fury.

Further investigation was carried out throughout the rest of the year and a visit to the Stoneleigh Kitcar Show (2011) with an opportunity to speak to the new owner of Fury Sportscars (although long time employee of previous owners Fisher Sportscars) Steve Hughes convinced me it would be the Fury I would be building. Step one sorted, several hundred more to go... Check out the latest news or go straight to the Build section for specific items

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