My 7L LS7 Ultima GTR - Ultimate Christmas Present?
Discussion
Hi,
I thought I'd use this thread to document the changes I'll be making to my new car – a 7L LS7 powered Ultima GTR. I've wanted an Ultima since I saw a pair of black cars at a track day at Knockhill in 2007. It’s taken me 10 years, but in December 2017 I got one.
Ultima 8 by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Warning – There will be a lot of photos in this thread!
For the past 7 years I've had bike engined kit cars, including Honda Blackbird / ZZR1400 / Hayabusa etc, and I also race in the 750MC Locost Championship in this car:
Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr
I've been a bit obsessed with fast 'seven' style cars, but over the last year I've got a little bored with them and wanted to move on. Tin tops just don't excite me for a 'special' car, so Ultima was always going to be the choice. I put my Hayabusa MK Indy up for sale (which was a very well known car, and was absolutely fantastic) and started looking around for Ultimas.
Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr
I met some Ultima owners, looked at a few cars, and then stumbled across an Ultima owner on Pistonheads who was considering selling his car due to a back operation. To cut a long story short, we ended up doing a deal with him taking my MK Indy and some cash in part exchange for his Ultima. The Ultima is a 7L LS7 engined car, with a Porsche 993 turbo gearbox. A lot of Ultimas have the SBC engine, which makes a fantastic noise, but it a little older and can be temperamental. The previous owner had it well over 200mph, and owned the car for 9 years. It’s had a lot of money spent in the right places, and I knew it was the car for me as soon as I saw it.
The problem with this particular car, was that it didn’t have the dropped floor (which makes the drivers seat 3cm lower than a standard floor) and since I am 6’4” I physically didn’t fit into it. So without actually test driving it, I bought it and met him at a friends welding / fabrication business, where my mate Joe (who also has an Ultima) set about cutting out the floor and fitting a custom made dropped floor. We made the drop 5cm as opposed to the standard 3, just to give me that extra bit of headroom.
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
So with the new floor in, I still didn’t fit with the Ultima seat, so we looked at options, and Joe set about making me a custom seat, which meant I finally fitted in the car.
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Unfortunately while it was in the workshop, it had a little bump and needed a small fiberglass repair, but we ran out of time before I needed to take it home, so I drove it a couple of hours back home with some primer on the front
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
So finally, 2 long weeks after parting with the cash, I got it home, and finished the bumper repair straight away
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
I had some Christmas shopping to do, so obviously took the Ultima:
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Then did my first ‘mod’ – The interior is all alcantara, but the steering wheel was leather. I had an alcantara wheel hanging about and it happened to have the same mounting holes:
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Then it snowed so I took it out for a skid
Ultima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on Flickr
So that brings us up to now.
I’ve just bought some carbon side skirts and front splitter, and am planning to get a rear diffuser and some wing vents. Then I might paint the car Porsche Riviera Blue. I was set on this before I took delivery, but the yellow is growing on me, so I might just keep it yellow and do some black accenting. First thing will be to paint the wheels black
Ultima 8 by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Ultima 8 black wheels by Olly Olly, on Flickr
Also the noise it makes it quite muted, due to the old owner fitting large, trackday friendly silencers. I’m planning to unbolt them and have an X pipe decat system made, so I have the option to bolt each one on and off.
I’m racing Locost again in 2018, but I also dip in and out of a sprint series, so I intend on doing a few sprints in the Ultima. A group of friends and I do a Euro trip each summer, and this year will be touring Spain, so I’ll be taking the Ultima. I can’t wait to get it on track, as with the roads so wet at the moment, it spins its wheels in 5th gear at 60mph so I’ve not managed to really give it the beans properly.
I thought I'd use this thread to document the changes I'll be making to my new car – a 7L LS7 powered Ultima GTR. I've wanted an Ultima since I saw a pair of black cars at a track day at Knockhill in 2007. It’s taken me 10 years, but in December 2017 I got one.
Ultima 8 by Olly Olly, on FlickrWarning – There will be a lot of photos in this thread!
For the past 7 years I've had bike engined kit cars, including Honda Blackbird / ZZR1400 / Hayabusa etc, and I also race in the 750MC Locost Championship in this car:
Untitled by Olly Olly, on FlickrUntitled by Olly Olly, on FlickrI've been a bit obsessed with fast 'seven' style cars, but over the last year I've got a little bored with them and wanted to move on. Tin tops just don't excite me for a 'special' car, so Ultima was always going to be the choice. I put my Hayabusa MK Indy up for sale (which was a very well known car, and was absolutely fantastic) and started looking around for Ultimas.
Untitled by Olly Olly, on FlickrUntitled by Olly Olly, on FlickrI met some Ultima owners, looked at a few cars, and then stumbled across an Ultima owner on Pistonheads who was considering selling his car due to a back operation. To cut a long story short, we ended up doing a deal with him taking my MK Indy and some cash in part exchange for his Ultima. The Ultima is a 7L LS7 engined car, with a Porsche 993 turbo gearbox. A lot of Ultimas have the SBC engine, which makes a fantastic noise, but it a little older and can be temperamental. The previous owner had it well over 200mph, and owned the car for 9 years. It’s had a lot of money spent in the right places, and I knew it was the car for me as soon as I saw it.
The problem with this particular car, was that it didn’t have the dropped floor (which makes the drivers seat 3cm lower than a standard floor) and since I am 6’4” I physically didn’t fit into it. So without actually test driving it, I bought it and met him at a friends welding / fabrication business, where my mate Joe (who also has an Ultima) set about cutting out the floor and fitting a custom made dropped floor. We made the drop 5cm as opposed to the standard 3, just to give me that extra bit of headroom.
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrSo with the new floor in, I still didn’t fit with the Ultima seat, so we looked at options, and Joe set about making me a custom seat, which meant I finally fitted in the car.
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUnfortunately while it was in the workshop, it had a little bump and needed a small fiberglass repair, but we ran out of time before I needed to take it home, so I drove it a couple of hours back home with some primer on the front
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrSo finally, 2 long weeks after parting with the cash, I got it home, and finished the bumper repair straight away
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrI had some Christmas shopping to do, so obviously took the Ultima:
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrThen did my first ‘mod’ – The interior is all alcantara, but the steering wheel was leather. I had an alcantara wheel hanging about and it happened to have the same mounting holes:
Ultima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR by Olly Olly, on FlickrThen it snowed so I took it out for a skid
Ultima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima GTR snow by Olly Olly, on FlickrSo that brings us up to now.
I’ve just bought some carbon side skirts and front splitter, and am planning to get a rear diffuser and some wing vents. Then I might paint the car Porsche Riviera Blue. I was set on this before I took delivery, but the yellow is growing on me, so I might just keep it yellow and do some black accenting. First thing will be to paint the wheels black
Ultima 8 by Olly Olly, on FlickrUltima 8 black wheels by Olly Olly, on FlickrAlso the noise it makes it quite muted, due to the old owner fitting large, trackday friendly silencers. I’m planning to unbolt them and have an X pipe decat system made, so I have the option to bolt each one on and off.
I’m racing Locost again in 2018, but I also dip in and out of a sprint series, so I intend on doing a few sprints in the Ultima. A group of friends and I do a Euro trip each summer, and this year will be touring Spain, so I’ll be taking the Ultima. I can’t wait to get it on track, as with the roads so wet at the moment, it spins its wheels in 5th gear at 60mph so I’ve not managed to really give it the beans properly.
Edited by ol on Sunday 31st December 13:34
An Ultima is about the only car that would see me selling my Westfield SEiGHT for - always loved them and a very special car
My Westfield also "suffers" from a mild exhaust due to the builder wanting it to pass the strictest track noise level limits, thinking about oing for an active system that will give me the best of both worlds
My Westfield also "suffers" from a mild exhaust due to the builder wanting it to pass the strictest track noise level limits, thinking about oing for an active system that will give me the best of both worlds
That's bloomin' luvverly 
I thought the car-park photo was great, really gives you the idea of the contrast between a car, and a car if you know what I mean, but then you did this.
I thought the car-park photo was great, really gives you the idea of the contrast between a car, and a car if you know what I mean, but then you did this.
ol said:
Sheer car porn, right there!
king hate you 
V Nice car, congrats. Known Joe for a while - his work is excellent, top bloke. You must be local ish then?
Interesting with regards to the floor, didn’t know there were different versions. Is your ground clearance still OK?
My old man has a sport but with a GTR rear clip, has a 4.2 Maserati Gransport V8 (Ferrari F136) in it and a 360 Modena 6spd box. He’s also building a 4.7 version at the moment although not sure what the plan is with that.
Interesting with regards to the floor, didn’t know there were different versions. Is your ground clearance still OK?
My old man has a sport but with a GTR rear clip, has a 4.2 Maserati Gransport V8 (Ferrari F136) in it and a 360 Modena 6spd box. He’s also building a 4.7 version at the moment although not sure what the plan is with that.
Yazza54 said:
V Nice car, congrats. Known Joe for a while - his work is excellent, top bloke. You must be local ish then?
Interesting with regards to the floor, didn’t know there were different versions. Is your ground clearance still OK?
My old man has a sport but with a GTR rear clip, has a 4.2 Maserati Gransport V8 (Ferrari F136) in it and a 360 Modena 6spd box. He’s also building a 4.7 version at the moment although not sure what the plan is with that.
errrrmm get him todo a build thread in the Ultima section right now! Lol never seen one using that engine! Nice work on your dads part! .) Interesting with regards to the floor, didn’t know there were different versions. Is your ground clearance still OK?
My old man has a sport but with a GTR rear clip, has a 4.2 Maserati Gransport V8 (Ferrari F136) in it and a 360 Modena 6spd box. He’s also building a 4.7 version at the moment although not sure what the plan is with that.
chuntington101 said:
errrrmm get him todo a build thread in the Ultima section right now! Lol never seen one using that engine! Nice work on your dads part! .)
There are no others, it’s all his own work, took a very long time to do but it seems to work well... anyway don’t want to thread hijack..!Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff