Anyone got a view on this race car?

[andy97]

As the title says.

https://www.racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/7377...

I'm day dreaming really as I'd have to sell something to buy but I was wondering if this might be a decent option for the CSCC Magnificent 7s series.

I have driven a 7, but it was a long while ago and never on track, and apart from general magazine test stuff I don't much about the detail of 7s. I have raced single seaters (not very well), fwd tin tops and now a Porsche 924S which is cheap and handles brilliantly. I am also hoping to race a front engined Clubmans single seater thing in the near future (a Phantom, similar to a Mallock if any of you are familiar with those - Vauxhall XE engined, slicks and wings) and it strikes me that something like the car in the link might be a good step between what I'm used to and the Phantom.

I want a robust car that's easy to work on and get bits for, and that is not going to bite on track. I like a car that's stable and not lively at the rear. Does this fit the bill?

If I wanted to return it to road spec (to get to a track day, I live close to Donington and Mallory, or to sell on), what is required and roughly how much would that cost?

Are the Vauxhall engined cars saleable and does the asking price appear realistic?

Thanks

[Mitch911]

I remember racing against the seller in what must be that car a few years ago. It was fast, faster than those specs might suggest. There should be some lap times available on TSL but I should think it represents very good performance per £

[andy97]

Have done a bit of googling and he seems to have raced mostly at Castle Combe Sports GT series and in the Welsh Sports Vs Saloons series at Pembrey. Some good results though. Also seems to have offered the car for hire and instruction.

Photos show it with the old triangular shaped JPE (?) roll bar rather than the full cage it's shown with in the advert.

[andy97]

Or is, perhaps, a 140 (ish) bhp Mega Grad (for example) a better bet for someone who has a reasonable amount of racing experience now, but not much of that experience has been in fairly high power to weight ratio cars.

My 924S has about 180bhp pushing along circa 1050-1100 kg!

Should I be thinking about a more "gentle" intro to Caterham racing???

[c9cwn]

You can't go wrong with a mega grad. There nice a reliable and a good starting point.
I used to race a k series roadsport A and now a R300. I had far more fun in the roadsport A than I do in the R300.

[andy97]

Well, I have put the Phantom Clubmans car up for sale, so we will have to see. When it goes, I will start looking around.

In the mean time I may hire a car from BaT for a track evening at Donington.

[Some Gump]

Andy,

No 7 I've driven is bad power to weight ratio wise. The higher the better, of course. It's a benign car - and if you spend time on the setup, they handle brilliantly. I've never had a Duratec car handle as well on a K, but it's almost certainly inexperience on my part - we never tracked the R500 and as you know you can only set up a car on the limit. Certainly all of the K cars even up to R500 aren't scary, there's no need for a "gentle into" to caterhams - they forgive mistakes and with it being F-R and so well balanced, you can have a Roadsport or an R500 equally tame or wild with a few turns of ride height, or a slight change on the ARB...
I'm lucky enough to have played with 8 sevens from 1.4 Roadsport to DR500 - start the scale on awesome and end on epic - all the way is great fun.

[andy97]

You are trying to tempt me!


Got to sell something first or the divorce will cost me and I can't then afford a Caterham anyway.

Edited by andy97 on Thursday 7th April 16:35