Discussion
I think this is what it is called, never having owned a kit car in my life I think I am very much in danger of being converted. I am in the process of buying my wife an Alfa 156 however we did toy with getting an Elise before deciding it was too impractical.
Just found GTM's Website and have fallen in love with the Libra in Black with the 2.5 v6, marvelous thing (it is making me all of a shiver just thinking about it)
My questions is there is no point in me buying it as a kit as it will never be built so if I was to get one allready built and my wife was to do 20k miles a year in it - with me erm borrowing it at the weekend, I just need to give it a run dear I am only popping to the shops honest. Would this be a bad idea doing this many miles in a kit car?
would it be worthless after 2 - 3 years and or a pile of pieces?
Just found GTM's Website and have fallen in love with the Libra in Black with the 2.5 v6, marvelous thing (it is making me all of a shiver just thinking about it)
My questions is there is no point in me buying it as a kit as it will never be built so if I was to get one allready built and my wife was to do 20k miles a year in it - with me erm borrowing it at the weekend, I just need to give it a run dear I am only popping to the shops honest. Would this be a bad idea doing this many miles in a kit car?
would it be worthless after 2 - 3 years and or a pile of pieces?
Don't know about its worth, but there have been a few for sale in Kit Car recently.
I reckon if you are going to keep it, it really doesn't matter how many miles you do as long as it is looked after.
There are a few Libra owners on here that could comment about it's quality and ability to last many thousands of miles.
I reckon if you are going to keep it, it really doesn't matter how many miles you do as long as it is looked after.
There are a few Libra owners on here that could comment about it's quality and ability to last many thousands of miles.
Is this my department? 
Hi Ben,
The original V6 is owned by Greg Stark and has done around 45k in three years including some wicked track work. He's a real campaigner for the V6 and if you spoke to him it'd be hard to not buy one, I think most of the people who own V6s were talked into it after being driven in Greg's. Can you make Stoneleigh on the Bank Holiday weekend?? Find TeamGTM if you can.
There is a V6 for sale at the moment...Yellow.
Cheers,
Ferg
Hi Ben,
The original V6 is owned by Greg Stark and has done around 45k in three years including some wicked track work. He's a real campaigner for the V6 and if you spoke to him it'd be hard to not buy one, I think most of the people who own V6s were talked into it after being driven in Greg's. Can you make Stoneleigh on the Bank Holiday weekend?? Find TeamGTM if you can.
There is a V6 for sale at the moment...Yellow.
Cheers,
Ferg
Like Ferg says, there's no reason a kit car should be considered any less reliable than a production car. I mounted up plenty of miles in a GTM and it was the most reliable car I ever owned (go figure).
In addition to this, the V6 would be a better bet than the 1.8 IMHO - a very unstressed engine and no head gasket issues (ahh, that old internet chestnut ;] )
If you go K, go for the 1.6 or else fit a competition head gasket...!
In addition to this, the V6 would be a better bet than the 1.8 IMHO - a very unstressed engine and no head gasket issues (ahh, that old internet chestnut ;] )
If you go K, go for the 1.6 or else fit a competition head gasket...!
That'd be nice Ferg. I haven't even unpacked all the boxes yet. Need to sort something out with the suddenly very small garage I'm working in. Then there's a load of stuff still to be picked up at Stoneleigh. Just little things like wishbones... Now, what's the first step in the build manual - ah, suspension.
I must admit this has put me in a real quandry, I am selling my 5 series BM because I have offered to buy one of my old company cars (W Reg 156 JTD) orignally we were going to sell the BM and buy an MGTF 135 (I get a very sizeable discount) however after looking at the figures I realised I could get a second hand Lotus Elise and lets face it would rather have a 2nd hand Lotus then a brand new MG. My wife wasn't overly keen on driving a car with no roof every day and felt it was a bit spartan inside.
I am paying significantly less for the ALfa than I would have done for the Lotus or MG. I do remember saying at the time (there was an MG ZS parked outside) to the salesman while pointing at it if he could get one with that engine in it I may well shake his hand there and then. There is so much to be said for 6 cylinders.
Trouble is I now need to sell the BM to buy the Alfa so that I can sell that for a GTM.- Don't suppose anyone wants to buy them both as a job lot
Out of interest how much would a second hand (this would be the prefered option) v6 with say 20 - 45k miles on it?
I am paying significantly less for the ALfa than I would have done for the Lotus or MG. I do remember saying at the time (there was an MG ZS parked outside) to the salesman while pointing at it if he could get one with that engine in it I may well shake his hand there and then. There is so much to be said for 6 cylinders.
Trouble is I now need to sell the BM to buy the Alfa so that I can sell that for a GTM.- Don't suppose anyone wants to buy them both as a job lot
Out of interest how much would a second hand (this would be the prefered option) v6 with say 20 - 45k miles on it?
The Libra is one of the better kit cars on the market, but do bear in mind the it really isn't any more practical than an Elise and that you can probably expect worse residuals and more difficulty selling it when you do finally come to part with it.
I own an Elise myself (though I also own a Sylva, so I'm certainly not anti kit-car), and spent some time with the Libra assisting a friend of mine who was doing a test for the now defunct CCC magazine. We both concluded that in terms of ability and practicality, there really wasn't anything between the two cars, but that you would really have to love the Libra for it to make any sense buying a car that lacked the Lotus' badge, dealer network and residual value.
I own an Elise myself (though I also own a Sylva, so I'm certainly not anti kit-car), and spent some time with the Libra assisting a friend of mine who was doing a test for the now defunct CCC magazine. We both concluded that in terms of ability and practicality, there really wasn't anything between the two cars, but that you would really have to love the Libra for it to make any sense buying a car that lacked the Lotus' badge, dealer network and residual value.
For me the resaon for buying one over a Lotus Elise would be; a. it is a Hard Top, b. it has a V6 and c. it has a v6.
The main reason for buying the BM (I bought it for me and my wife inherited it when I got a company car) was that gorgeous silky smooth 6 cylinder soundtrack.
I personally did really like the Elise however I couldn't really afford to buy one and a Hard top and all the ones with Hard tops were out of my price range.
What I really wanted was an Exige, however there was no way that I would have been able to talk my wife into driving that (with a screaming 4 cylinder) to work everyday so I could steal it at the weekend. (the woes of a 2 car driveway and a company car etc.)
Edited to say and I couldn't afford an Exige either
>> Edited by andoverben on Wednesday 21st April 18:56
The main reason for buying the BM (I bought it for me and my wife inherited it when I got a company car) was that gorgeous silky smooth 6 cylinder soundtrack.
I personally did really like the Elise however I couldn't really afford to buy one and a Hard top and all the ones with Hard tops were out of my price range.
What I really wanted was an Exige, however there was no way that I would have been able to talk my wife into driving that (with a screaming 4 cylinder) to work everyday so I could steal it at the weekend. (the woes of a 2 car driveway and a company car etc.)
Edited to say and I couldn't afford an Exige either
>> Edited by andoverben on Wednesday 21st April 18:56
Martin_S said:
The Libra is one of the better kit cars on the market, but do bear in mind the it really isn't any more practical than an Elise.
I've been in plenty of Elises and test drove some back in 2001 and I think the Libra is a lot more practical. It's warmer, easier to get into, less road and wind noise, more interior space and quicker (with identical power). Also much cheaper when I made the decision. Residuals and dealer network have no interest for me and the GTM badge is much more desirable..... it's NEVER adorned a bad car!!
ferg said:
The Libra is one of the better kit cars on the market, but do bear in mind the it really isn't any more practical than an Elise.
I've been in plenty of Elises and test drove some back in 2001 and I think the Libra is a lot more practical. It's warmer, easier to get into, less road and wind noise, more interior space and quicker (with identical power). Also much cheaper when I made the decision. Residuals and dealer network have no interest for me and the GTM badge is much more desirable..... it's NEVER adorned a bad car!!
We drove the Libra and the Elise literally back to back. Yes there is slightly more interior space in the Libra and it's easier to get into. Road and wind noise seemed very similar, ditto heating with the soft top or hard top fitted to the Lotus; the GTM we drove had a few more bangs and crashes from body panels, but nothing to worry about in either case. The Elise was consistently quicker, though (again identical power - standard 118bhp K Series in both), so I'd be interested to know where you get your performance figures?
As for the GTM badge never having adorned a bad car, have you ever actually driven any pre-K-series GTM?!! The A-series models, both original coupe and Rossa, were both very good kit cars for their generation, but then their generation was epitomised by abortions like the Spartan and Karma! The gearchange was awful and grounded on the road at the slightest hint of a hump or pothole, the Coupe steamed up and rusted like an Italian exotic, and of course the A-series was its usual rattly and asthmatic self in both cases! And yes, I have driven both the Coupe and Rossa.
The GTM is, as I said, an excellent car - the equal of the Elise in many respects - but if someone has ruled out an Elise for being impractical, I would suggest that they think long and hard before taking the Libra on as an everyday car!
From a practicality point of view the main bug bear was the Canvas roof and being terrified every evening that some little scrote would try and cut a hole through it. ALthough I live in a nice area, it is unfortunatly very close to the town so we do get an element of singing lads rolling down the road at 2 in the morning (which I don't mind in itself - as occasionally I am one of them - however I have had the wing mirror kicked off my company car and on more than one occasion have gone out side to find that someone has carefully ballanced a McD's cup on the roof of my car) and the thought of one of them taking a knife to the roof, however unlikely, would give me sleepless nights.
We don't have kids and are both in our mid 20's we don't need a very practical car (we have my co. car for trips to Homebase) What I have got to do is convince my wife that she wants a GTM (I don't think it would be that hard as she is quite a keen driver)
Are we the only couple that if we ever have to drive anywhere we always end up racing neither of us willing to let the other win.
I suppose really we are the ideal age/situation for this type of car it is just making that transition from normal car to less so Normal car!!
I am not sure that I could quite strech to 16500 (I had a look on the teamgtm website) although would be quite happy if the car had done 30k instead, Any ideas what sort of price it would be? Plus having shown my wife a Yellow Elise I know her to think it far too girly a colour.
My WIfe is brilliant (What she actually wants is a Skyline GTR) and is a proper Petrolhead(She wasn't before she met me but has been converted)
We don't have kids and are both in our mid 20's we don't need a very practical car (we have my co. car for trips to Homebase) What I have got to do is convince my wife that she wants a GTM (I don't think it would be that hard as she is quite a keen driver)
Are we the only couple that if we ever have to drive anywhere we always end up racing neither of us willing to let the other win.
I suppose really we are the ideal age/situation for this type of car it is just making that transition from normal car to less so Normal car!!
I am not sure that I could quite strech to 16500 (I had a look on the teamgtm website) although would be quite happy if the car had done 30k instead, Any ideas what sort of price it would be? Plus having shown my wife a Yellow Elise I know her to think it far too girly a colour.
My WIfe is brilliant (What she actually wants is a Skyline GTR) and is a proper Petrolhead
(She wasn't before she met me but has been converted)Definitely agree about yellow Elises...
At risk of stating the obvious, solution to getting your hood slashed is to get a hardtop! Unfortunately, anyone carrying the necessary tool for slashing soft tops will then simply run it down the full length of your paintwork.
Looking on the bright side, I've owned a long series of silly cars and have never had any problem at all. When I was in my early 20's, I ran a Westfield (as my only car!) and kept it outside on the parking area of a very average Housing Association complex where I lived at the time, complete with full toolkit under the canvas boot cover. The scrotes never touched it, though perhaps in retrospect my local reputation might have helped!
At risk of stating the obvious, solution to getting your hood slashed is to get a hardtop! Unfortunately, anyone carrying the necessary tool for slashing soft tops will then simply run it down the full length of your paintwork.
Looking on the bright side, I've owned a long series of silly cars and have never had any problem at all. When I was in my early 20's, I ran a Westfield (as my only car!) and kept it outside on the parking area of a very average Housing Association complex where I lived at the time, complete with full toolkit under the canvas boot cover. The scrotes never touched it, though perhaps in retrospect my local reputation might have helped!
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