Discussion
Yes kit cars, I've been looking at buying a Tiger Cat E1. I'd love to build something like a GBS zero, but its more expensive and I haven't got the room sadly. Anyway, has anyone got any recommendations as I'm going to view one this Sunday, anything to look out for? Anything I should know? I know people say they're too heavy but for reference I drive a 105 bhp Alfa MiTo, and it'll be my first sports car, so let's face it a 2L pinto in a 630kg car is going to feel rapid.
Any extra info would be much appreciated, cheers!
Any extra info would be much appreciated, cheers!
Hi, I would highly recommend a tiger cat. I built mine when they first came out. It was my first kit car following a spell messing around with bikes. I had a pinto with twin webbers. Like all kit cars you need to do a bit of tinkering.
I know they are a bit heavy because of the Sierra wishbone assembly being bolted under the back. But they are great fun to drive and you have got to find a quiet carpark as they are awesome donut machines!
Like with any car just have a good look over it. If it looks tidy it probably a good car. Parts are cheap and they are easy to work on. Good luck and have fun!
I know they are a bit heavy because of the Sierra wishbone assembly being bolted under the back. But they are great fun to drive and you have got to find a quiet carpark as they are awesome donut machines!
Like with any car just have a good look over it. If it looks tidy it probably a good car. Parts are cheap and they are easy to work on. Good luck and have fun!
i'd disagree with the ' they're too heavy' - i had one for a few years and now have a tiger r6, yes its lighter, butnot by a whole heap. the difference between a westie with the same engine as a Cat would likely be around 40kg.
Practical car - the sierra beam gives a sensible parcel deck behind the seats.
Don't worry about leg room, space if you find it cramped ( most 7's are )...you can always raise the steering wheels or change the pedal box...i have pals that are 6'2+ lardy gits who can fit in theirs.
Unlike mainstream cars i'd say one of the keys to buyng a kit is has it been used, the more its been used the better really, that way you know its proven. Take power claims with a pinch of salt unless there's a recent dyno graph, same with 0-6o claims, at best that'll be an optimistic guess!
if there's a build history that'd be great - but otherwise, just have a good look over, and drive it....ie/ make sure you can reach the pedals, or that they arent spaced weirdly.....
most parts for kits are cheap as chips, until you want to change substantial components, so be aware that things like tonneau, seats that you like etc are worth having...otherwise you'll be parting with £'s rapidly after buying it!!
hope you like the car....
Practical car - the sierra beam gives a sensible parcel deck behind the seats.
Don't worry about leg room, space if you find it cramped ( most 7's are )...you can always raise the steering wheels or change the pedal box...i have pals that are 6'2+ lardy gits who can fit in theirs.
Unlike mainstream cars i'd say one of the keys to buyng a kit is has it been used, the more its been used the better really, that way you know its proven. Take power claims with a pinch of salt unless there's a recent dyno graph, same with 0-6o claims, at best that'll be an optimistic guess!
if there's a build history that'd be great - but otherwise, just have a good look over, and drive it....ie/ make sure you can reach the pedals, or that they arent spaced weirdly.....
most parts for kits are cheap as chips, until you want to change substantial components, so be aware that things like tonneau, seats that you like etc are worth having...otherwise you'll be parting with £'s rapidly after buying it!!
hope you like the car....
Cheers for the replies, there's a few things you mentioned that I hadn't thought. One more question though, should it be on a Q plate? Some are and some aren't? Or what's the deal? Will it being on a Q plate change the insurance in anyway? I've got a quote from Adrian Flux and waiting on an email from Graham Sykes, so both kit car insurers.
Cheers for the help all
Cheers for the help all
Q plate relates to a car of unknown age
age related ie/ 'D' plate - the builde rproved that he used 'x' number of parts from a D reg donor
New reg - as it says...builder proved 'x' number of new parts.
so doenst matter unless you dont like 'Q' plate conatation...
Try A Plan Insurance as well - only their Thatcham branch though. very competitive and great service. mine after a toal loss 3 years ago is something daft like £120.
age related ie/ 'D' plate - the builde rproved that he used 'x' number of parts from a D reg donor
New reg - as it says...builder proved 'x' number of new parts.
so doenst matter unless you dont like 'Q' plate conatation...
Try A Plan Insurance as well - only their Thatcham branch though. very competitive and great service. mine after a toal loss 3 years ago is something daft like £120.
Oh yeah? That's bloody good aha. Yeah I know its harder to insure a Q plate in the normal car world, but wasn't sure whether it made a difference when you're insuring kit cars cause theyre a bit niche anyway.
I did have A-Plan down on the list of compamies to try actually, but as I'm 19 I'm not think its gonna be so cheap haha
This would be the one I'm looking at BTW, love the fact its bright orange and hopefully it'll stand out a bit so I'll be seen on the road, I've heard stories of people being pulled out on constantly in darker cars. Ive also read that caterham strongly advise a bright colour for that reason so
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/141989053174?_mwBanner=1
I did have A-Plan down on the list of compamies to try actually, but as I'm 19 I'm not think its gonna be so cheap haha
This would be the one I'm looking at BTW, love the fact its bright orange and hopefully it'll stand out a bit so I'll be seen on the road, I've heard stories of people being pulled out on constantly in darker cars. Ive also read that caterham strongly advise a bright colour for that reason so
http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/141989053174?_mwBanner=1
Jackspistonheadsaccount said:
Yes kit cars, I've been looking at buying a Tiger Cat E1. I'd love to build something like a GBS zero, but its more expensive and I haven't got the room sadly. Anyway, has anyone got any recommendations as I'm going to view one this Sunday, anything to look out for? Anything I should know? I know people say they're too heavy but for reference I drive a 105 bhp Alfa MiTo, and it'll be my first sports car, so let's face it a 2L pinto in a 630kg car is going to feel rapid.
Any extra info would be much appreciated, cheers!
I will be selling my Tiger Cat E1 soon, 152bhp, goes very well indeed. A very pretty car and sounds great too!!Any extra info would be much appreciated, cheers!
Edited by F1 ASBO on Friday 24th June 22:50
I built a Tiger Supersix about fifteen years ago with a two litre Pinto and twin 40 Webbers...
The Pinto (Whilst being old skool, is a great engine, totally unburstable, but oil and filter changes every 6,000 miles are essential, as a blocked spray bar can wear the camshaft...(an easy cheap fix)
I have driven 250,000 miles over the years in various Pinto engine cars, (Cortinas, Granadas, Capris, Westfields,) with no issues whatsoever.
The Pinto (Whilst being old skool, is a great engine, totally unburstable, but oil and filter changes every 6,000 miles are essential, as a blocked spray bar can wear the camshaft...(an easy cheap fix)
I have driven 250,000 miles over the years in various Pinto engine cars, (Cortinas, Granadas, Capris, Westfields,) with no issues whatsoever.
So thanks for all the advice, you're all a very helpful bunch
So I bought the one I said I was going to, and I bloody love it :P
Spec wise; it seems to have been built to a good standard, but the other owners (all 9 of them) didn't look after it as it deserved with bodywork etc. As I said, 2L pinto, twin 40 dellorto carbs, Kent cams FR32 camshaft, type 9 'box. Disks all round, 13" wheels. Spax adjustable coilovers all round. Toyo 888's. High back GRP bucket seats. Removable steering wheel. Other bits and bobs like welded coolant tank and oil catch tank.
Came with a roof and doors and a torneau cover, but not the windscreen so the doors and roof dont have anything to fix to, and the cover doesn't fit due to the seats being the high back type, so I'll probably be selling those at some point.
Brakes are a bit pants, but start to get a little better when you get some heat into them, still needs new pads and fluid though, maybe disks too we'll see.
My idea is to drive in the summer (not going well at the minute) and tidy up/fix/replace or whatever in the winter, that said, if it's drivable and not raining what's a bit of cold eh?
So yeah, at the minute its sat on ramps cause I've been trying to sort the oil leak, its a tiny pin hole or two in the sump, just where its been welded (when it was shortened). But I've got some JB Weld on there to see if that does anything, just a hit quicker than taking it off and getting it welded etc. Plus cheaper too
When this is being done its having new oil and a new filter too. Hopefully I'll be driving it again soon!
Oh I forgot to mention the alternator plug was buggered so I had to get a new one of those too, however I broke down before realising that it was that big of a problem
at first it seemed to hold charge when driving so yeah
So I bought the one I said I was going to, and I bloody love it :P
Spec wise; it seems to have been built to a good standard, but the other owners (all 9 of them) didn't look after it as it deserved with bodywork etc. As I said, 2L pinto, twin 40 dellorto carbs, Kent cams FR32 camshaft, type 9 'box. Disks all round, 13" wheels. Spax adjustable coilovers all round. Toyo 888's. High back GRP bucket seats. Removable steering wheel. Other bits and bobs like welded coolant tank and oil catch tank.
Came with a roof and doors and a torneau cover, but not the windscreen so the doors and roof dont have anything to fix to, and the cover doesn't fit due to the seats being the high back type, so I'll probably be selling those at some point.
Brakes are a bit pants, but start to get a little better when you get some heat into them, still needs new pads and fluid though, maybe disks too we'll see.
My idea is to drive in the summer (not going well at the minute) and tidy up/fix/replace or whatever in the winter, that said, if it's drivable and not raining what's a bit of cold eh?
So yeah, at the minute its sat on ramps cause I've been trying to sort the oil leak, its a tiny pin hole or two in the sump, just where its been welded (when it was shortened). But I've got some JB Weld on there to see if that does anything, just a hit quicker than taking it off and getting it welded etc. Plus cheaper too
When this is being done its having new oil and a new filter too. Hopefully I'll be driving it again soon!
Oh I forgot to mention the alternator plug was buggered so I had to get a new one of those too, however I broke down before realising that it was that big of a problem
at first it seemed to hold charge when driving so yeahI can't work out how to resize an image so it posts so I'll have to make do with a link.
https://goo.gl/photos/jiVEJFgjQK1guJ5V9
https://goo.gl/photos/jiVEJFgjQK1guJ5V9
The car looks great! Welcome to the kit car world. Be prepared to never have any money and I hope you like the taste of flies!
As for the brakes, especially if they are vented, they will be pants when they're cold. Mine are the same but when pressing on they are very, very good. Having no servo takes some getting used to too.
There will always be something to tinker with but personally I enjoy that as much as driving mine.
Enjoy it mate!
As for the brakes, especially if they are vented, they will be pants when they're cold. Mine are the same but when pressing on they are very, very good. Having no servo takes some getting used to too.
There will always be something to tinker with but personally I enjoy that as much as driving mine.
Enjoy it mate!
CrutyRammers said:
Might be nothing wrong with the brakes, if it's got big discs and track pads on it, they will often require a bit of heat getting into them before they work properly. Mine are the same.
I don't know what pads it has, but its got the ford single pot girling calipers up front and so I'd say standard disks, again idk about the back yet. But yeah, I think that could be the case, cause cold they're basically none existent. But I'd does need new pads at the front cause they're low anyway, any recommendations? I've heard great stuff about some mintex ones, I can't remember which right now, but I can't get them for the girling calipers anyway -_- and greenstuff I've heard are a bit marmite, some people love them, some people can't stand them 
Resto157 said:
Mintex 1144 pads I run on my Westfield and they are great for track and road. I used to own his car when it was green and yellow.
Those were the ones! But yeah I can't find them for the calipers its got, idk if I haven't looked hard enough?I may have misunderstood, but you used to own my car? Cause I know mine started life as green. If you did, I'd love to know more about its history
Yes I was the 8th owner. Can't tell you to much as I didn't have it long and a friend of a friend was looking for one so I sold it to him as a wesfield I had my eye on came up for sale. I bought the car for a guy down in Cornwall who had bough it to race with his son. They had a few cars that they raced and fancied a change to a kit car. Unfortunately the guys wife died before they had chance to do so and the car had to go. I have a few pictures of when I bought it that I'll dig out for you. It did have the 4 pot willwood clippers up front and 15" wheels but I know Scott (guy I sold it to) wanted to run 13" wheels so fitted the original breaks
Adam
Adam
Ah right, now that is interesting, I bought it off Scott (or a birmingham lad called scott anyway, cause having looked at the V5 its had 10 previous owners, making me the 11th) and he said he had it for a year, the wheels on it look brand new, and I did think what had been done cause the calipers look recently refurbed. But yeah that all makes sense, I wonder why he wanted 13" s on it rather than having 15" s and the big brakes?
Cheers for the info
Cheers for the info
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