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Hi,
Just want to know if anyone has had dealings with some of the replicas out there, which are good, which are bad, things to look for, etc.
Ideally I would like to get a bike powered one, or one that can be changed to have a high bike/car engine installed.
Cheers,
G
have a word with Pete, am sure he'll point you in the right direction.
Nah - bugger off! ;)
Ok ok.
Biggest decider is budget? Also is it a street car or just rack beastie? Why a bike engine? Low torque and complete loss of all creature comforts to save weight. (When I say creature comforts I mean carpets, windscreens, c/f everything, remove the wheels etc.)
Bike powered track beastie - the Dax Rush (http://www.daxcars.co.uk/rush/) motorcycle version looked exellent with a cool camber correction setup rarely seen outside of race cars. Very light and designed just for bike engines.
The Tiger B6 (http://www.tigerracing.com/cars/tiger-b6-main.php) is another good choice, again designed with bike power in mind.
Westfield and Caterhams are always fantastic quality with good build manuals and tech help...but £££'s.
MK Indy (http://www.mksportscars.co.uk/indy.htm) is gaining popularity and seems a good consideration, although not as cheap as I remember it being.
Luego went bust but is being taken over - just be wary of them at the mo.
Robin Hoods are utter pants, but very very cheap.
Lo Cost forums is a good place to hang out at. http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/
Personnally I'd like to build an S2000 powered Westfield similar to that on the trackday & car conversions mag this (last?) month.
I'm looking at the moment as well, there's a V8 powered one on eBay!!!!!
I'd prefer a bike engined one as well for some reason.
We ( me and a group of friends) had a Dutton ages ago - bloody good fun. Fitted with a 2.1l cross-flowed Ford Pinto engine and a hill sprint gear box it absoultely flew!! Would only do about 90 tops but got there quick as you like (if you could stop the rears from spinning themselves to death). Not much use as a run-around though as the back end would swap even in third!!
Best thing was it was cheap as chips - I can't remember how much we paid for it but all 4 of us chipped in and it wasn't a huge amount!
Yeah seen a few Dutton Phaeton chassis on eBay too, no space for me to build it but my mate was interested in making a drift car.
I'm looking at the moment as well, there's a V8 powered one on eBay!!!!.
Too heavy really, handling is the key reason you buy a car like this and that's kinda out the window with the V8.
When I built mine I was concerned about having a car I could drive around in, visit places, have all weather gear. Bike cars are just mayhem noise makers screaming around at high revs all the time. Great for the track.
LoCost is fine - but you'll be doing an awful lot yourself. I wanted reassurance of a brand and knowing it was tried and tested.
Dutton Phaeton - horrible looking - that's all I know about them to be fair.
Fitted with a 2.1l cross-flowed Ford Pinto engine
Pinto isn't crossflowed? A Ford Kent Crossflow is, a Pinto is just a pinto.
Even a Ford crossflow isn't a true crossflow though is it? Look at the port positions! :p
Even a Ford crossflow isn't a true crossflow though is it? Look at the port positions! :p
:tongue:
Whats a good choice for a Rover T16 Turbo lump, i have one laying around doing nowt :D
Was thinking maybe an old Elise as another choice.
Well no reason for bike engine... It really doesnt matter, but would like something that has a lot of go, but not a big V8... too big, too heavy... Kinda defies the point, or light weight...
Will be road and track... Havent fully decided yet.
There are a couple of toyota and honda engines that I like, something supercharged, maybe. I thought that the s2000 would be too big... Is a rather large engine.
Have seen a few pieces on a 2.0l V8 engine, lightweight, high revving (around 13000RPM), 320BHP normally aspirated, but the £££s was too much...
Thinking of maybe something second hand, that is road legal, that has a good chasis design and can have the engine removed and a new one installed.
How about a 2JZ in a Cobra?
I'd love to build a kit myself from scratch.
Pete who and what would you recommend to buy a complete kit package from for a first time builder?
my friend formula 27 is for sale at 9k, it has a zx12r engine and is very fast
he might have a buyer coming over next wensday but if your intrested pm me and ill give you his number:)
vid http://media.putfile.com/zx12r-car
Whats a good choice for a Rover T16 Turbo lump, i have one laying around doing nowt :D
Was thinking maybe an old Elise as another choice.
This (http://www.shelsley-cars.com/)had a rover donor
How about a 2JZ in a Cobra?
Sacrilege! Everybody knows you can only run a V8 in a Cobra.
Pete who and what would you recommend to buy a complete kit package from for a first time builder?
I chose Tiger as it was a mid range budget car and had a great club with lots of technical help, loads of online build diaries etc with pics.
Was a very steap learning curve for me and the manual was very poor. It's not too difficult if you take your time and read lots.
I'd suggest a Westfield if you can afford it. Marvelous manual and high quality kit, all new parts, no scratting about for this and that, cleaning old bits of sierra etc.
my friend formula 27 is for sale at 9k, it has a zx12r engine and is very fast
he might have a buyer coming over next wensday but if your intrested pm me and ill give you his number:)
vid http://media.putfile.com/zx12r-car
Have thought about that one... But its a little too early for me to buy now, got to research first!
Am Trying to talk my old man into putting a 2jz engine in his YKC Romero kit car, it would be the ultimate sleeper!:d , as it is an old 'morgan'ish design.
It's got a Nissan Silvia 1.8 turbo engine in it at the moment, which isn't slow, but could do with being faster!!
Edit: the YKC will take the 2jz without a problem!
How about putting a RX7 twin turbo engine in, nice and light and small and plenty of go, could be fun, well in till it goes bang of course.
I'm still hoping to get my big hemi engined Cobra.
Try http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=107
I sold mine on there a couple of months ago (Westfield SE).
There's 47 on there at the mo including some bike engined models...
Have fun on the twistys..
Cheers
G
How about putting a RX7 twin turbo engine in, nice and light and small and plenty of go, could be fun, well in till it goes bang of course.
Has been done I believe... Have a look for Rotus7... All rotary engine based cars, some may have used the RX7 engine... I just think that the car would be a little to "twitchy" with that engine....
I used to build & race Caterham 7's,
1600 K series or 1800 vauxhall lumps with a few tweaks.....can go rather well:)
straightforward to build for a compenent spanner jockey, very good backup from Caterham themselves.
John
Pinto isn't crossflowed? A Ford Kent Crossflow is, a Pinto is just a pinto.
Hey, gimme a break - it was over 20 years ago :) :)
It was a Dutton Cateram 7 copy thing that some guy had built for hillsprints - I think we bought it for about £500 (a fair amount for a second-hand motor back in 1980ish:Pling: ):)
I chose Tiger as it was a mid range budget car and had a great club with lots of technical help, loads of online build diaries etc with pics.
Was a very steap learning curve for me and the manual was very poor. It's not too difficult if you take your time and read lots.
I'd suggest a Westfield if you can afford it. Marvelous manual and high quality kit, all new parts, no scratting about for this and that, cleaning old bits of sierra etc.
Westfield are WAAAY more money than I'd want to spend on a kit car. Tiger's seem pretty good and cheap :)
Other options?
I used to build & race Caterham 7's,
1600 K series or 1800 vauxhall lumps with a few tweaks.....can go rather well:)
straightforward to build for a compenent spanner jockey, very good backup from Caterham themselves.
John
So exactly how many beers would it cosst to get you building them again?? Group buy from a couple of the members here....
I dont know about the rest, but there is a very good/valid reason for me being in IT!!!
I dont know about the rest, but there is a very good/valid reason for me being in IT!!!
I'm an IT guy and I built the entire engine up and car myself with naff all previous knowledge in a year and a half.
I'm an IT guy and I built the entire engine up and car myself with naff all previous knowledge in a year and a half.
A year and a half... dont think I have that much patience...
I dont have the patience for that... I run around kicking servers after 10 minutes of problems...
My friend has one for sale right now and its mint, forgotten what exactly it is, but it has a 2.0 Zetec Turbo engine. Its Exremly quick. Hes after about 10k.
I dont have the patience for that... I run around kicking servers after 10 minutes of problems...
Oh I do that too ;)
Oh I do that too ;)
Ok, well, then, maybe its only me that is sh!t with cars...
I must admit, that if I did manage to put a lotus 7 together, I doubt that it would ever make it 1 mile down the road without something falling off...
Just wouldnt trust the car... if I built it!!!
What field in IT? I am a DBA (SQL)...
as long as you pay attention & RTFM:), Caterhams are very straightforward,
I think the recommended build time is around 100-150 hours.
check out caterham.co.uk
They are NOT cheap, but probably the best around.
Graham.....It would take pallet loads:D
John
geoffvalenti
08-07-06, 07:26
I'm still hoping to get my big hemi engined Cobra.
I know you're only joking Trev, but have you seen the price of hemi engines these days. They never were the budget option, but these days they're really silly money :(
I must admit, that if I did manage to put a lotus 7 together, I doubt that it would ever make it 1 mile down the road without something falling off...
That stops after a while...when there's no more bits to fall off! :rlol:
Obviously there are teething problems, but that's all part of the 'fun'.
SVA was undoubtledly the worst part of the build, sticking to their outragous specifications was tricky.
Caterham are indeed the mutts nutts, but way too £££ for what they are.
I know you're only joking Trev, but have you seen the price of hemi engines these days. They never were the budget option, but these days they're really silly money :(
I know apparently there aren't many around and the ones that work are all alcohol fuelled drag racers now!! Would still be cool though!!
I'd settle for a 454. :D
Graham.....It would take pallet loads:D
John
Not sure I would trust that car after you had finished with it, after pallet loads of beer.... :p
Trust myself a little more!
That stops after a while...when there's no more bits to fall off! :rlol:
Obviously there are teething problems, but that's all part of the 'fun'.
SVA was undoubtledly the worst part of the build, sticking to their outragous specifications was tricky.
Caterham are indeed the mutts nutts, but way too £££ for what they are.
I am just worried about what bits fall off... :p Steering wheel, brake pedal...
Makes sense, that is half the fun...
Will have a look!!
First I need to finish the supra, then get a garage, then this toy!
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