Monster Garage
Discussion
v8thunder said:
I just like the idea of a car modification show which isn't about unsightly bodykits and big bills. Something that makes people think twice about the potential of the Sierra sitting rusting away on their drive.
It all came from an episode of Driven where two teams of tuners were given a budget of £1000 for a car and £1000 for modifications, then went away to a big warehouse garage to prepare them for racing.
I suppose the format could be:
-two teams of enthusiastic amateur car tuners a week
-a set budget for a car and modifications
-two cars and how they are modified, modifications explained
-a race to see who's mod job was the best
-winning car retained by the series for the final race
-losing car to be won in a competition
In this way, you have your 'garage staff' as a group of enthusiasts who don't need paying, useful information, modifications against the clock (give them 3 days), and a race each week.
Followers of the show would know that not only could you win a competiiton car, but there would be a big race at the end of it all.
I suppose the only regulation to place on the modifyers would be that you couldn't modify a car that has been done previously.
Sounds like that programme on Discovery where there are 3 teams and they have to build a cetain type of vehicle then race it.
Incorrigible said:
IMO the ideal hovercraft candidate would have been a cheap beach buggy from the classifieds of Kit Car magazine - have you any idea how rare they are
have a look in the classifieds of kit car magazine, check out ebaymotors and findit.co.uk, and flick through Classic Kit Cars by Peter Filby - I think you'll find they're very common in the kit car world, very cheap and not very sought after.
Unless it's a GP buggy (the original beach buggy), or a Baja Bug (Chevrolet Corvair Monza Turbo-powered big-wheeled dune-racing beast, as owned and enthusiastically driven by Steve McQueen.
hi ya said:
'fraid so!!!
The idea of taking someones car, modifying it and giving it back to them has already been done i'm afraid. ("Better Cars" on ITV in the NW)
I saw that show - it wasn't all about racing - they made surf wagons and load-luggers too. Plus, the car wouldn't be 'given back' to an owner, it would be bought to race.
I'd just like to see different team's attitudes to performance and handling, the myriad types of car that can be raced and the eventual outcome.
Rovertron said:
I think you guys are having some misplaced rose tinted glasses for the Europa.
It's not about how wonderful the cars was (or wasn't), It's about breaking things for the sake of amusement (or not amusiment in this case).
All Loti were badly built, which is why there are more Lotus re-builders than any other marque.
I'm sure that there are Rover 3500 fans out there moaning about the one they ripped the V8 out of for the toyota, but if it's rusted out then you can't do much about it.
I have friends and relatives who still talk about the cars that got away (was £120 a lot for a d type jag in the early 70s). I wonder if we'll be saying similar in a few years about this one.
>> Edited by Alpineandy on Friday 28th May 15:28
Alpineandy said:
I think you guys are having some misplaced rose tinted glasses for the Europa.
It's not about how wonderful the cars was (or wasn't), It's about breaking things for the sake of amusement (or not in this case).
All Loti were badly built, which is why there are more Lotus re-builders than any other marque.
I'm sure that there are Rover 3500 fans out there moaning about the one they ripped the V8 out of for the toyota, but if it's rusted out then you can't do much about it (a little more care would have been nice!).
I have friends and relatives who still talk about the cars that got away (was £120 a lot for a d type jag in the early 70s). I wonder if we'll be saying similar in a few years about this one.
- there is a friend of the family who bought himself a Jaguar SS100, an AC Ace, an Aston Martin DB2/4 and a Lotus 6 when they were dirt cheap, because he was an enthusiast who liked sports cars and wasn't bothered about 'newness' Now the contents of his garages are worth more than his house
The idea of the show is to take a cool looking car/van/ambulance/nascar racer/cop car transform it in some way (street sweeper/hot air balloon/jet car/doughnut shop) but keep looking stock as possible.
Shame about the lotus but it was only a lump of 30 year old fibreglass anyway.
>> Edited by rodsmith on Friday 28th May 15:32
Shame about the lotus but it was only a lump of 30 year old fibreglass anyway.
>> Edited by rodsmith on Friday 28th May 15:32
V8thunders idea:
I also love the idea of a car modification show which isn't about unsightly bodykits and big bills.
Your point about making people think twice about the potential of the Sierra sitting rusting away on their drive doesn’t add up & would not be a saleable point because most people do not have a sierra or scrap car rusting on their drive
in terms of your point of cost:
“A Big Warehouse” would have to be set up by the TV company or at least rented. It will also have to be rigged with cameras, sound & have production staff there to oversee everything, from H&S to sound & director etc etc.
Also a multiple camera setup is likely to be needed in a static garage (look at MG & how many different angles there are: clock, roof, hand held, locations etc etc); that is a lot of editing plus lots of post production editing costs. (around 10 hours for £500, can go up to £900 for depending on type of film).. and an audio dub can be more!
Before that, the tuners / enthusiasts will have to be paid. Would you take 1 or 2 weeks off work for nothing for a TV company?
Any racing has to be done in an area for H&S. Have you ever tried hiring a race tract (or even land) suitable? It costs a FORTUNE!!
Again, would people want to win an old Sierra??
I know I may seem a right git!! I try to pitch similar TV shows all the time & KNOW HOW FRUSTRATING IT IS!!!
I also love the idea of a car modification show which isn't about unsightly bodykits and big bills.
Your point about making people think twice about the potential of the Sierra sitting rusting away on their drive doesn’t add up & would not be a saleable point because most people do not have a sierra or scrap car rusting on their drive
in terms of your point of cost:
“A Big Warehouse” would have to be set up by the TV company or at least rented. It will also have to be rigged with cameras, sound & have production staff there to oversee everything, from H&S to sound & director etc etc.
Also a multiple camera setup is likely to be needed in a static garage (look at MG & how many different angles there are: clock, roof, hand held, locations etc etc); that is a lot of editing plus lots of post production editing costs. (around 10 hours for £500, can go up to £900 for depending on type of film).. and an audio dub can be more!
Before that, the tuners / enthusiasts will have to be paid. Would you take 1 or 2 weeks off work for nothing for a TV company?
Any racing has to be done in an area for H&S. Have you ever tried hiring a race tract (or even land) suitable? It costs a FORTUNE!!
Again, would people want to win an old Sierra??
I know I may seem a right git!! I try to pitch similar TV shows all the time & KNOW HOW FRUSTRATING IT IS!!!
A very happy ending. 
A rotten P6 3500 will go for £50, you can make that back by stipping the bonnet and boot and selling them on E-bay as they are Aluminium.
I'm not bothered in the slightest, the whole P6 spares industry and there are two good sized family firms offering spares do it by canabilising P6's. There were 330,000 sold after all.
Of restorers, there are again two main ones that will take a shell and build you for all intents and purposes a brand new P6 and relieve you of £12,000 for the privilege for a car that is worth £4,500 tops.
If that's your bag.
As for Europa's they are and always will be a footnote to Lotus of that era, the racing special concept was dying out and Lotus wanted to go into road car production with the Espirit.
Now if it was an Elan, it would be a different story.
A rotten P6 3500 will go for £50, you can make that back by stipping the bonnet and boot and selling them on E-bay as they are Aluminium.
I'm not bothered in the slightest, the whole P6 spares industry and there are two good sized family firms offering spares do it by canabilising P6's. There were 330,000 sold after all.
Of restorers, there are again two main ones that will take a shell and build you for all intents and purposes a brand new P6 and relieve you of £12,000 for the privilege for a car that is worth £4,500 tops.
If that's your bag.
As for Europa's they are and always will be a footnote to Lotus of that era, the racing special concept was dying out and Lotus wanted to go into road car production with the Espirit.
Now if it was an Elan, it would be a different story.
Ok, So Europa's aren't the most collectable cars on the planet, I still don't see how turning one, of the ~5000 EVER made, into a hovercraft can be justified.
Oh, and before I get called a sanctimonious git, you may want to look at my profile and website. I just might have a wee bit of knowledge on how to restore a Europa. If you're willing to put in the time, they aren't that expensive to put right. I wouldn't suggest restoring one with a plan of making a mint of money off of it, cause that won't happen.
That said, IF it was a complete basket case, it likely wouldn't have been picked up right now, as there seems to be a few popped up for sale lately. On the other hand, fellow PH'er BobFrance was looking for one a few months back, and wasn't able to find something. They go in cycles, just like anything else.
In the end, this is just one more Europa that can never be put back on the road, and that is a shame IMHO.
So, I guess I may have been a bit hard on the TV guys, BTW nice to have you here HiYa, but Europas are special to me.
Gary
3154R Europa, was basket case, soon to be terrorizing the roads again!
>> Edited by gary_tholl on Friday 28th May 17:17
Oh, and before I get called a sanctimonious git, you may want to look at my profile and website. I just might have a wee bit of knowledge on how to restore a Europa. If you're willing to put in the time, they aren't that expensive to put right. I wouldn't suggest restoring one with a plan of making a mint of money off of it, cause that won't happen.
That said, IF it was a complete basket case, it likely wouldn't have been picked up right now, as there seems to be a few popped up for sale lately. On the other hand, fellow PH'er BobFrance was looking for one a few months back, and wasn't able to find something. They go in cycles, just like anything else.
In the end, this is just one more Europa that can never be put back on the road, and that is a shame IMHO.
So, I guess I may have been a bit hard on the TV guys, BTW nice to have you here HiYa, but Europas are special to me.
Gary
3154R Europa, was basket case, soon to be terrorizing the roads again!
>> Edited by gary_tholl on Friday 28th May 17:17
I don't know why we're all slagging off Europas. There are better cars in the world, but it's said to handle better than the Elan. Also, no Europa: No Esprit.
Also, let's not forget the variants of the Europa. The 47R was a superlight racing version with several victories to it's name, the 62S raced at LeMans, and the GKN 47D was fitted with a 3.5 (later 4.4) V8, which propelled it into the Miura league.
Also, and :michaelcaine: not a lot of people know this, but a Europa chassis formed the basis for the Ford GT40, hence the Lotus 30 - essentially a convertible GT40 also raced at LeMans.
With a little more development, that could be carried out a home, the Europa can be a seriously desirable car.
Unfortunate thing is I don't fit. If I get in bum first I can't swing my legs in, and if I try and get in the other way I find that one of my feet completely fills the pedal box.
I find the Esprit quite comfy, though.
Also, let's not forget the variants of the Europa. The 47R was a superlight racing version with several victories to it's name, the 62S raced at LeMans, and the GKN 47D was fitted with a 3.5 (later 4.4) V8, which propelled it into the Miura league.
Also, and :michaelcaine: not a lot of people know this, but a Europa chassis formed the basis for the Ford GT40, hence the Lotus 30 - essentially a convertible GT40 also raced at LeMans.
With a little more development, that could be carried out a home, the Europa can be a seriously desirable car.
Unfortunate thing is I don't fit. If I get in bum first I can't swing my legs in, and if I try and get in the other way I find that one of my feet completely fills the pedal box.
I find the Esprit quite comfy, though.
One of the stories I've heard is that Ford went around to a bunch of companies to design what would become the GT40. The Europa was Lotus' design for that, but Ford didn't like how small it was.
It runs suspension that came directly from the Lotus race cars of a few years before. It is quite antiquated now, but still performs quite well I would say. I autocrossed an S2 last year quite a bit. 80hp, and it was the second fastest car in the club, behind a bike engined 7. And I am not a fantastic driver, the cars are incredible.
If you're interested in what can be done with Europas, go to www.banks-europa.co.uk/
Richard Winters knows absolutely everything there is to know about Europas. His cars have been called 'The British Supercar you haven't heard of'.
Gary
It runs suspension that came directly from the Lotus race cars of a few years before. It is quite antiquated now, but still performs quite well I would say. I autocrossed an S2 last year quite a bit. 80hp, and it was the second fastest car in the club, behind a bike engined 7. And I am not a fantastic driver, the cars are incredible.
If you're interested in what can be done with Europas, go to www.banks-europa.co.uk/
Richard Winters knows absolutely everything there is to know about Europas. His cars have been called 'The British Supercar you haven't heard of'.
Gary
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