couple of questions

[steedy]

Hi all, I am considering in joining the nobility, maybe a second hand 3R. I have a couple of questions if anyone can help.

1.Is there anybody on this site who knows if the 3R is now fitted with the improved gear box. I remember someone had it fitted but I wasn't sure if it was just a one off.

2.I would also like to know is it better to buy a second hand 3R from a dealer or privately.( bearing in mind the warranty topic which has just been discussed)

merci, thanks, grazie, danke, grasias .

[alex s]

Personally I would buy private, people on here and the factory can give you loads of info on most cars. You can take the car to a noble dealer like vegantune who will give it a good going over for £200ish. And you can buy a warrenty from a main dealer for 2 years for £1050. To me the idea of paying circa £4000 more to buy from a dealer dosent make sense.... But that is my opinion. I brought private and know a few others who have and have had no more problems than if they had brought from a dealer.....
Plus you actually get to meet the person who had it before you and get a feel of the way they treated the car... why they are selling etc. Where as from a dealer you dont get this....
Alex

[V6GTO]

All cars coming out the factory for the last few months have the slick gear mechanism (mine was the first 3R) and it's lovely

Martin.

[Mr Noble]

V6GTO said:

All cars coming out the factory for the last few months have the slick gear mechanism (mine was the first 3R) and it's lovely Martin.

What number is yours Martin, out of interest. That should tell me if mine has. I am R118 or 119 I think.

G

[V6GTO]

I'm R198. However, R199 won't have it, or quite a few after that, mine was a test exercise to see if it could be done properly. I'm sworn to secrecy on the other stuff! (allthough the cat's out the bag after Rockingham on one thing!)

Martin.

[joust]

V6GTO said:

I'm R198. However, R199 won't have it, or quite a few after that, mine was a test exercise to see if it could be done properly. I'm sworn to secrecy on the other stuff! (allthough the cat's out the bag after Rockingham on one thing!) Martin.

Yep - your appaling taste in colour was certainly out of the bag

[Mr Noble]

Martini Tell me tell me. So does that make your gearchange better than mine?

I think mine is fine, but then I did have an F reg Lotus Esprit for a time, and that has to go down in history as the harshest (and most dangerous) gearchange ever.

Please feel free to mail me offline and tell me what I am missing out on. I won't tell a bird!

Greg (secret keeper) Noble.

[DanH]

Ok let me reveal all. Martin has an M200, the downgrade from the GT03. It has 200 bhp/tonne and a special free floating ARB.

If he beat you on track you suck!

(I suck)

[steedy]

Ta Guys, nice one, very helpful.

So say I buy a 2004 low mileage 3R without the new gear linkage would the factory retro fit it?

Is it true that the 3R dosen't have the air filters fitted in the front like the 2.5 litre but they are stashed in the back and you don't get all the music.

Is it worth having all the whoosing of the turbos or does it get a bit tiresome after a while,

cheers guys

>> Edited by steedy on Friday 13th May 01:19

[DanH]

New linkage is an 1800+vat retrofit IIRC. Its nice but see what you think as its not 2k+ nice imho, may as well get the newer car if you want that so much.

As to noise, depends what you do with the car. You can get them fore mounted for not a massive amount.

[steedy]

Cheers Dan

I suppose I would use the car for long weekends and drives around Italy in the summer months and try a few track events.

I get the impression the M400 is more track biased or I could be wrong and reading on here it wears slicks which might make it only a warm weather drive

[DanH]

steedy said:

Cheers Dan I suppose I would use the car for long weekends and drives around Italy in the summer months and try a few track events. I get the impression the M400 is more track biased or I could be wrong and reading on here it wears slicks which might make it only a warm weather drive

I think the m400 is pretty ok on the road too. The tyres aren't so hot when cold and with standing water, but when warmed up its awesome. For road use though, you won't really be tapping into its abilities. I can more than scare myself with my GT03 on the road (wheelspin at 60+! when tyres aren't warm).

[Mr Noble]

steedy said:

Is it true that the 3R dosen't have the air filters fitted in the front like the 2.5 litre but they are stashed in the back and you don't get all the music.

Getting the Factory to move mine forward on Monday.
About £200 iirc. Well worth it if you don't drive it everyday.

Have heard some say that the 3R is a better road car than the M400 but I am sure both would be awesome as weekend/ occasional track cars, as mine is used.

Happy picking Sir.

GN

[robp]

danh said:

New linkage is an 1800+vat retrofit IIRC. Its nice but see what you think as its not 2k+ nice imho, may as well get the newer car if you want that so much

Had a 3R for 1 yr and M400 for 2 weeks (well, 1 week actually, rest of time it's been with the dealer being fixed, but that's another story).
Personally, I agree with Dan - the difference just isn't worth it. I had no real problems with the 3R gear change (reverse abit difficult on occasions, but nothing serious). Never had any problems with rapid down/upshifts on track. The M400 has a shorter throw but mine is very 'notchy' moving from 1st to 2nd (especially with cold engine)and is a bit 'at sea' selecting 3rd/5th (could be either gear-can't really tell till you let the clutch out). Maybe I was just lucky with the 3R and unlucky with M400 (or it needs adjusting).

[chillidog]

robp said:

I had no real problems with the 3R gear change (reverse abit difficult on occasions, but nothing serious). Never had any problems with rapid down/upshifts on track. The M400 has a shorter throw but mine is very 'notchy' moving from 1st to 2nd (especially with cold engine)and is a bit 'at sea' selecting 3rd/5th (could be either gear-can't really tell till you let the clutch out). Maybe I was just lucky with the 3R and unlucky with M400 (or it needs adjusting).

Rob, when the M400 was brand new I found that selecting reverse was hit and miss and the 4th to 5th was hard work. However I don't have the problem now, which I put down to a combination of being more used to it and that the box has simply got better with use.
--
Richard

[steedy]

Thanks guys for your help

>> Edited by steedy on Friday 13th May 18:38