Given the choice....
Discussion
I dunno, as a ballpark say £16k spend...
would you:
buy a newer elise, lower miles, as good a spec as you can afford etc etc
or
buy an older much cheaper, almost sh*tter, and spend the remaining on an engine swap job and some choice mods...
I'm not one for looks, it would be a track sl*g, the more stone chips the better kinda thing...
would you:
buy a newer elise, lower miles, as good a spec as you can afford etc etc
or
buy an older much cheaper, almost sh*tter, and spend the remaining on an engine swap job and some choice mods...
I'm not one for looks, it would be a track sl*g, the more stone chips the better kinda thing...
basic model, suspension upgrade, brake revised, DVA power upgrade, port & ECU maybe 4-2-1 maniforld, simple induction kit - remapping and GEO and you would be laughing.
Even if you get a low mile excellent condition unit ( as I did ) you'll evetunally want/need to do alot of those bits so why not put the cash towards the work you really want from the start?
Even if you get a low mile excellent condition unit ( as I did ) you'll evetunally want/need to do alot of those bits so why not put the cash towards the work you really want from the start?
Depends how much power you crave.
As bogie says you could probably get a Honda/Duratec/Audi powered car for that sort of money, probably with Nitrons and all the other goodies.
On the other hand you can take a standard car (£7-8k) and build it up yourself. Depending on how you are with the spanners will determine the final bill.
Say £500 - £1k on brakes, £2k suspension refresh and Nitrons, £1k ish for decent seats, £400 ish for harnesses and bar (all DIY prices). We've got about £3.5k left for the engine and that should be plenty to get yourself about 160-170 reliable horses.
Don't forget the Sport 160 either. For track use you really only need to sort the suspension and fit some harnesses. Might be the best way as you'd be unlikely to lose much (if any) money on a Sport 160.
As bogie says you could probably get a Honda/Duratec/Audi powered car for that sort of money, probably with Nitrons and all the other goodies.
On the other hand you can take a standard car (£7-8k) and build it up yourself. Depending on how you are with the spanners will determine the final bill.
Say £500 - £1k on brakes, £2k suspension refresh and Nitrons, £1k ish for decent seats, £400 ish for harnesses and bar (all DIY prices). We've got about £3.5k left for the engine and that should be plenty to get yourself about 160-170 reliable horses.
Don't forget the Sport 160 either. For track use you really only need to sort the suspension and fit some harnesses. Might be the best way as you'd be unlikely to lose much (if any) money on a Sport 160.
bogie said:
buy one thats already done - you could pick up an enthusiast owned minter with Honda/Audi in for that, if youre patient and wait for the right car/deal
very valid point...£16K is not enough to build up a decent spec converted car from scratch, however, if somebody else has already done the work, it's possible you could get one for this (although a good one is likely to be slightly more than this).
the question you have not answered is what kind of car you want in the end?
for £16K you could just jump into an early S2 Exige (2004/2005), or a 111R with decent spec, AC etc.
Looking in classifieds, there's this one for £17,995, looks a decent spec/condition one too.
mainly sprinting / trackdays, but enjoyable on the road. I dont track for times, I track for fun...
some good pointers there, depending on what happens will depends what i will do.
to early to say just yet, just trying to get a few options together really, deciding which way to go etc etc...
Still leaning toward S1 Exige at the moment... but... that rover engine does worry me.
Dare i ask everyones opinion on the VX??
or does that get me a punch in the face
some good pointers there, depending on what happens will depends what i will do.
to early to say just yet, just trying to get a few options together really, deciding which way to go etc etc...
Still leaning toward S1 Exige at the moment... but... that rover engine does worry me.
Dare i ask everyones opinion on the VX??
or does that get me a punch in the face
Don't build one yourself - there are plenty out there already done which will save you a heap of cash and hassle. £10k should get you a nice, very well sorted k series car with c160bhp, Nitrons and all the toys. £16k will get you a nice sorted Honda'd car if you are patient. To build either of those yourself would cost you far more.
£7K S1....£9K Duratec conversion.
I know it may cost a bit more over time as things need refreshing / replacing but you'd have a brand new engine and the other bits could be done over time.
The conversion doesn't add any real weight (approx 6KG) so no instant need for uprated springs etc.
I know it may cost a bit more over time as things need refreshing / replacing but you'd have a brand new engine and the other bits could be done over time.
The conversion doesn't add any real weight (approx 6KG) so no instant need for uprated springs etc.
noodleman said:
£7K S1....£9K Duratec conversion.
I know it may cost a bit more over time as things need refreshing / replacing but you'd have a brand new engine and the other bits could be done over time.
The conversion doesn't add any real weight (approx 6KG) so no instant need for uprated springs etc.
A boggo cheap S1 with a Duratec but no other modifications will be borderline dangerous IMO! You need to be paying for some brake and suspension work on top of that lot which isn't within budget.I know it may cost a bit more over time as things need refreshing / replacing but you'd have a brand new engine and the other bits could be done over time.
The conversion doesn't add any real weight (approx 6KG) so no instant need for uprated springs etc.
noodleman said:
Brake upgrade would surely only be pads...hardly likely to break the bank?
Just another option.
You could do the brakes without breaking the bank it's true, but you'd still need discs, pads, hoses and fluid, all to a good spec so you're talking about the thick end of a grand by the time it's all fitted and fettled. You could manage fine on the standard calipers though.Just another option.
You'd need to do the suspension too though, and that's the expensive bit (Nitrons, toe links and plenty of other stuff while you're at it)
And you'd need some decent wheels and tyres too compared to the original boggo items.
The OP wants this as track car, so these are 'must haves' if you're going to have that much power. You'd also need to look at seats, harnesses and harness bar.
In summary: it's going to be a lot more expensive than £16k if you do it that way. If you didn't it do it properly it would be a pretty dreadful track car. I say this as someone who bought an S1 with extra power but with no other mods. I found out the expensive way!
Fair points. I missed the bit about this being a track car. Doh.
I'm still not sure you NEED all those components for @ 200bhp though. Mine's being converted in a couple of weeks and will just have Pagid pads, EBC discs and S2 suspension. Total cost for all these (fitted myself) is about £850.
Will my car be a deathtrap? Place your bets.
Once the conversion is done I will upgrade anything else if I feel it is required.
I'm still not sure you NEED all those components for @ 200bhp though. Mine's being converted in a couple of weeks and will just have Pagid pads, EBC discs and S2 suspension. Total cost for all these (fitted myself) is about £850.
Will my car be a deathtrap? Place your bets.
Once the conversion is done I will upgrade anything else if I feel it is required.
noodleman said:
Fair points. I missed the bit about this being a track car. Doh.
I'm still not sure you NEED all those components for @ 200bhp though. Mine's being converted in a couple of weeks and will just have Pagid pads, EBC discs and S2 suspension. Total cost for all these (fitted myself) is about £850.
Will my car be a deathtrap? Place your bets.
Once the conversion is done I will upgrade anything else if I feel it is required.
I hear where your coming from, but the £6K S1 talked about to start with (and not seen any for that low recently - just paid £6,500 for one) will be a ~10 year old car, with all that implies...I'm still not sure you NEED all those components for @ 200bhp though. Mine's being converted in a couple of weeks and will just have Pagid pads, EBC discs and S2 suspension. Total cost for all these (fitted myself) is about £850.
Will my car be a deathtrap? Place your bets.
Once the conversion is done I will upgrade anything else if I feel it is required.
All the stuff that's tired will need replacing, even on a budget this is not cheap, change all the ball joints, bushes, toe links, wheel bearings, drive flanges, steering rack, TRE's, ARB links & bushes, and that's without doing stuff like cleaning up and re-coating the wishbones/brackets/links/etc.
then you get to stuff like the fuel pump will be knackered, as will the pipework, the tank itself is probably about rusted though, as will just about every bolt/fastener/clip on the car.
none of this stuff in itself cost a fortune, but it all adds up.
Last point, it's not the weight of the car that defines what spring rates you want per-say, it's how you plan on using it.
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