Which FR Coupe to strip?

[OlberJ]

Thinking about building up a kit car from the Mx5 to make a sub 1 tonne coupe. Rather than building from the ground up, possibly better to strip down.

Criteria :

• Has to handle well and if it makes a nice noise, even better.
• max 1100kg's end weight.
• Must be a coupe/hard top, no rags.

So far i've got 944 and some sort of BMW. Any other/better suggestions? Actual weights would be nice too.

Road legal track car is what i'm going for. Existing kit car coupe would do too. Hit me with your best shot.


Cheers,

[EDLT]

Fashion some sort of coupe roof for an MX5?


Budget?

[Papa Hotel]

EDLT said:

Fashion some sort of coupe roof for an MX5?


Budget?

Is the soft-top still in place underneath that??

[Stu R]

S13 200sx.

[OlberJ]

EDLT said:

Fashion some sort of coupe roof for an MX5?


Budget?

Aye, well that's kinda my thoughts for the Mx5 kit car (MEVX5 on a superlight chassis, poor mans G40R)

Budget, £5kish.

[Papa Hotel]

I don't think you could do much better than the MX-5 for this one to be honest, it doesn't actually have that much direct competition that would meet the criteria you're after.

Fiat Barchetta maybe, I just can't visualise a pretty hard-top on that though.
I like the white MX-5 posted above, it's sort of got something of the Cayman about it.

Edit: Barchetta is FWD.

Edited by Papa Hotel on Thursday 6th September 22:47

[OlberJ]

Stu R said:

S13 200sx.

Do they not weigh an awfy lot? I have no idea, always assumed they did.

[davepoth]

I reckon an MX5 would be the best bet too - carbon wings, bonnet and boot and doors are available, bung a full cage on and then a fibreglass roof on top, job jobbed. Looks like it could be doable for less than 5k all in if you mould the roof yourself, and a (nearly) full carbon car would look pretty boss.

[Eighteeteewhy]

Papa Hotel said:

EDLT said:

Fashion some sort of coupe roof for an MX5?


Budget?

Is the soft-top still in place underneath that??

No

[Chrisw666]

GTM Libra?

Something based on an MGF\TF?

[OlberJ]

Chrisw666 said:

GTM Libra?

Something based on an MGF\TF?

FR means front engined rear wheel drive. No mids.

[Kolbenkopp]

Just a childish request: please spare the transaxle Porsches if possible. Not exactly that many left and IMVHO it would be a waste to strip out a decent example to go racing. Classic E30 choice would be a 318is? Probably also getting rarish in the UK so same might apply.

Quite like the idea of the hardtopped MX5, preferably one of the ugly NBs. If the 2 door thing is optional, maybe a Jaguar S-Type or a Lexus IS200 as leftfield choices? Sure there is lots and lots of weight to be taken out in either of these and the supply of very cheap donor vehicles is only going to increase.

[OlberJ]

I did come up with my own similar Mx5 coupe one day while bored in work.



Roof comes off completely and leaves you with a half cage to stretch a G string over.

Fancy something stiffer (snigger) and an actual coupe instead though.

[s m]

OlberJ said:

Stu R said:

S13 200sx.

Do they not weigh an awfy lot? I have no idea, always assumed they did.

About the same as a new GT86 - 1248kg

[vdubbin]

What about the MevX5?

[Papa Hotel]

vdubbin said:

What about the MevX5?

Weirdly nice. One small issue though, you'd come out in the morning and there'd be a homeless bloke sleeping in the wheel arch. How big is that gap?

[GravelBen]

s m said:

OlberJ said:

Stu R said:

S13 200sx.

Do they not weigh an awfy lot? I have no idea, always assumed they did.

About the same as a new GT86 - 1248kg

My brother's NA S14 weighed in around 1060 on a weighbridge IIRC. Even the S15 turbo Silvia is quoted from the factory at ~1250 from memory so I imagine the S13 is a bit lighter.

Edited by GravelBen on Friday 7th September 13:04

[Sexual Chocolate]

Is that an Elise rear clam on the green thing?

[aka_kerrly]

Opel Manta?

A shade over 1000kgs but close enough, RWD and a Coupe.

[OlberJ]

MEVX5, aye that's the coupe kit car i was referring to.

All in that's gonna cost me a fair bit. Thinking of the option to buy a coupe for half of that and then strip it out.

E36 M3 bare bones? How light could we get it?