using a robin hood as an everyday drive?

[DucatiGary]

anyone done it?

thinking of getting a full weather kitted robin hood and using it as my daily hack, I dont need to worry about security as I live in the hills, i rarely park in a public car park and when i do its in nice well to do places where chavs are a rare breed.

so, I understand i must be a bit mad even thinking about it, surely it cant be too hard to live with?

can it?

I used to have an S1 elise and used that as my daily hack, so ive almost done the kit car thing before, this time i want to do it propperly

and like the lotus 7 idea, ohh and another thing, can you get other makes of 7 replicas that have the full weather gear?

thanks in advance!

[wiz 1]

DucatiGary said:

anyone done it?

thinking of getting a full weather kitted robin hood and using it as my daily hack, I dont need to worry about security as I live in the hills, i rarely park in a public car park and when i do its in nice well to do places where chavs are a rare breed.

so, I understand i must be a bit mad even thinking about it, surely it cant be too hard to live with?

can it?

I used to have an S1 elise and used that as my daily hack, so ive almost done the kit car thing before, this time i want to do it propperly

and like the lotus 7 idea, ohh and another thing, can you get other makes of 7 replicas that have the full weather gear?

thanks in advance!

Most 7 reps can be fitted with full hoods but driving with them on isn't great and as far as weather protection goes it's usually limited.

[anonymous-user]

You might as well just strip out any carpets and cover anything that might cause problems if it gets wet, then buy a pair of waterproof trousers and a decent coat and wear a crash helmet - you'll feel nice and snug inside the helmet.

I made a roof for my Tiger intending to use it when it rains, but having tried this I found I prefer driving without the roof but with a helmet on - it's just too noisy and damp and just generally unpleasant under the hood. The only problem is getting a wet arse as the rain hits the rear wings and pours down the seat back, but a pair of waterproof trousers and a jacket sorts that out.

Good gloves and 2 pairs of socks helps also. I used my Tiger (which doesn't have a heater) around the time we had snow this winter and the only problem was numb toes.

[Gingerbread Man]

People have done in over in the Caterham section. I'm thinking of doing it.

[tvralfagtv6]

Good luck , I have a seven drove it to work on a sunny day, 25 miles, totally totally different from a sunday drive, what got me was the noise on the motroway , unbearable with the sidescreens funneling all the noise into my ears, scammel wheel nuts at face level are normally something I look forward to. On A roads and emptyish dual carriageways great fun but on packed morning motorways with lorry side exhausts belching its an aquired taste. Longevity may also be an issue , I know my cycle wings regularly require looking at as do exhaust hangers, the rest should be ok. let us know how you get on, but it depends on your drive, 7miles on an A or B road would be great fun 25 on jam packed m4 stop and go isn't. Helmet would stop that but looks a little odd.

[Mr2Mike]

Something with a little more design and build integrity than an old RH would be a good idea for a daily driver.

[NeilE]

I use my Mojo for the daily commute, it gets used all year round and has been driven in some nasty conditions. Hood and sidescreens keep the worst of the weather out (just a few occasional drips get through...) but I drive roof off if possible. Most think I'm crazy but it makes the journey to work a much more enjoyable experience, 90% of the time!

Neil
www.mymojo.co.uk

[S7Paul]

There's nothing wrong with getting a Robin Hood, PROVIDED it has been built properly (i.e. not down to a minimum price, and with a reasonable level of build quality). However, as with all 7-style cars, if you're going to use it regularly in bad weather you'll need to check how well the hood & sidescreens fit - some are much worse than others, and many builders don't try too hard to get this right on the basis that they won't be using the hood very much. When I built mine, I put a lot of effort into getting the hood nice and tight, profiling the sidescreens to fit, and finding a way of sealing the sidescreens to the hood (velcro, but not as easy as it sounds). The end result was probably about as good as it gets with a 7, the only problem being a few spots of water that would find their way between the front edge of the hood and the top of the windscreen. I also had a decent heater with demister vents, so it was as good as most normal cars from that point of view. Lastly, depending on your size & flexibility, you may even have trouble getting into the car. Getting into a 7 with the hood on is like trying to insert yourself through a letterbox. So, in summary, check very carefully, and try before you buy!