Clan Clover

[auyt]

This isnt relly the correct place for this question but I couldnt seem to start a thread else ware.
Has any one here have experience with the Clan Clover.
On paper this looks like an interesting little car and would consider buying one.
I am interested in genuine owner comments only pease.
Rgds
Graeme

[auyt]

Thanks Guys
I have been reasurching these cars for a while.
I owned but sadly sold the only Crusader in Austrlia only to dicover later it was one of the Factory race cars!

The fact the Clover's frount Half Isuzu, Holden Gemini, and rear half Alfasud is quite appealing as the bits are comon in Australia.

I think there is a great potential in the car and could be a very quick little road car with only 615 Kgs.

I read about people upgrading suspension parts whats that all about?

I also know the power plants came from Australian Alfasud Sprints when they were removed to make the Giocattolo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giocattolo

Graeme

Edited by auyt on Sunday 24th February 01:41

Edited by auyt on Sunday 24th February 03:41

[auyt]

The Discussion about the Rope Roll Bar is interesting, as I said I unknowingly owned a Competition Clan Crasader. and for a Party trick I used to stand on the roff and jump up and down and the tyres and suspension flexed!!

There are a few pics on the web and I just found an article from 89 when they were new.

This one was on Ebay reciently, sadly should have bought it but...

[auyt]

witko999 said:

The car above is possibly the first (or an early one) one produced, which had wolfrace sonic wheels like that one. Afterwards they had a compomotive spoked type wheel.

I owned a Clover for a few years (chassis number 7 - apparently it's in Germany now), using it as my everyday car. They had great potential, but as standard the suspension geometry is not great at the front, although with some time and/or money this can be fixed. The Alfasud gearboxes are renowed for syncro wear, and indeed mine crunched on 2nd gear unless you nursed it in. The gearchange was also not helped by being actuated by a long rod running under the engine and gearbox which flexed and also reduced ground clearance. The steering racks were also too slow for a performance car being 3.7 turns lock to lock, although this isn't a major problem.

Compared to a Crusader, or an 'Irish' Clan, which I have also owned, the Clover is much more difficult to drive, as there's much less feel through the steering (although mine had worn out shocks aswell), and the gearbox is more difficult, but the straight line performance is much greater and they can actually corner quickly, you just have to be braver! They also sound great.

If you do a google image search, mine was the red one D680 YHK. Most of the photo's were taken by me.

Magic stuff thats Just the insight I was looking for.

Regards
Graeme

[auyt]

Adding on from that and midengine coupes besides the ALFA 33 Stradale
This is a car that needs to be cloned.
http://2000gt.net/JP6/JP6.php
http://www.automobiliac.com/automobiliac/tag/jp6

[auyt]

qdos said:

It was back in the 80s and was brought into the UK as the UVA Montage

http://www.fugitives.co.uk/m6det.htm

It was indeed a gorgeous looking car and you've now triggered my mind into thinking as I have the perfect chassis to go under that body....

Edited by qdos on Wednesday 27th February 08:41

The Montage was a shorted MClaren M6GT to sit on a VW chassis.
The Toytoa Brock JP6 is quite a different car.

Interesting one of the Key things to making a Car shape work is the correct windscreen and the Montage worked as It used the same windscreen.

[auyt]

witko999 said:

One more thing that I forgot to add about the Clover is that the stated kerb weight of 610kg's was wildly optimistic. I took mine on a weighbridge and it weighed 770kg without driver. Still light, but not massively so. An Irish clan weighs about 580kg for comparison.

Personally I wanted to fit the 16v 1.7 engine to mine, although it would require some glassfibre work and redesigning the crossmember. Either that, or fit a transverse inline engine in similar style to an elise.

I would imagine that the extra weight went into the Cast ion engine block and heavier gearbox.

I would imagine that the weekest point as far as a gruntier engine in this setup is the gearbox.

Where was glass work needed to fit the 16v?

[auyt]

TheLastPost said:

Yes, the Alfa engine and gearbox are both massively heavier than the Imp units - both engine and gearbox on the Imp are by far the lightest car items I've come across, with the exception of Reliant. The double wishbone front suspension and disc brakes add a chunk to the weight too - the Imp swing axles and drums on the Clan aren't perfect, but they are quite light in comparison. Even that lot wouldn't account for a 190kg weight difference, though.

Edited by TheLastPost on Wednesday 27th February 13:58

I took the pictures of the VOODOO at the Stonleigh Show in 1987 I thought what a pretty thing but had my heart set on a G15, which didnt eventuate sadly

Edited by auyt on Thursday 28th February 07:53

[auyt]

So from what your saying they made there own front control arms?
Did the car suffer from Bump steer?

[auyt]

The Chevette wich is Isusu based and was sold in Australia as the Holden Gemini which mean there are spares and performance parts still available.