Discussion
Hello!
I post a fair bit in the kit car forum but thought I'd do a little on on here!
This is my third car to date, and will be staying!!
It is a GTM Libra.
Now the boring, misty eyed bits..
In 1998 when the Libra first hit the market, I was 8 and I remember looking through my dad's kit car magazines thinking how absolutely fantastic it looked. It is a credit to the design now that it still does look brilliant and quite current. I also remember thinking 'I want one of them when I'm older!' - This stuck with me!
I raced karts since I was 8 so from that moment I always had a heavy interest in cars, driving, engines etc..
These are a few pics from my last races, 125 gearbox kart, ICC, some pics at 3 sisters and some from rissington.
I did this till I was 18, progressing through the different classes finishing up in the 125 ICC (pictured). Costs of doing this sport and the numbers dying out to make the racing really worth entering anymore made me lose interest in karting so after 10 years I called it a day.
Anyway getting back on topic. I hadn't had my hands dirty for a while, this is one of the things I enjoyed the most as well as the driving, as I maintained the kart and engines myself with my dad and got into the setting up of the chassis too and really missed this. Plus I hadn't driven anything so raw and frantic as the ICC kart for a while. Sure, there are production cars out there with fabulous performance and feel but way out of my reach at the time being 18.
Then I came across a totally tatty Libra that had been damaged and left to stand for a year or so and was in need of some serious TLC, to most people it made no sense to buy it, but to me it was a no brainer. I had a nice, reliable, low mileage car and within a week it was sold and I went down and picked up the sorriest looking Libra going and a load of bits. It looked a total mess, but I wanted it, because I looked at it and saw the end product, now pictured above.
Some reasons for wanting the Libra were that I wanted to get back on the spanners and also drive something more raw, demanding, and less practical, as the car I had before that was more of a family car than a young lads! Plus the fact that they are very rare, I have only ever seen one on the road apart from going to shows etc. The main reason though is I remembered looking at one 10 years ago in a tatty kit car mag and thinking that looks awesome, I want one. I looked at the car and saw that picture. I couldn't afford to just buy one at my age and on my wage so this is the only way I could get it, the very bloody hard way! I was off the road with no car for a year as I couldn't afford to insure a car on the road and build this at the same time at my age.
I bought it at 18 in March 09 and it was rebuilt from the ground up, and on the road again Jan 2010, me being 19 when I got to use it. There are many kit cars about, and not all to everyones taste, but for me though, the Libra was the one I saw and wanted as a kid, so to have one at 19 (now 20) that is exactly how I want it and has all been built completely off my own back means that no matter how hard it has been and how much effort it has demanded, it's been worth it.
I think that's pretty cool.
I have lots of pics of it all over facebook etc and am regularly told that 'I am in love with my car' or 'I am sad!', which I guess there could be some truth in. But it's more that I'm ridiculously proud of it because it is not just a car, it's an achievement. So I hope even if you don't like it you can respect that! Hope I haven't bored you all too much!
Some more pics
I post a fair bit in the kit car forum but thought I'd do a little on on here!
This is my third car to date, and will be staying!!
It is a GTM Libra.
Now the boring, misty eyed bits..
In 1998 when the Libra first hit the market, I was 8 and I remember looking through my dad's kit car magazines thinking how absolutely fantastic it looked. It is a credit to the design now that it still does look brilliant and quite current. I also remember thinking 'I want one of them when I'm older!' - This stuck with me!
I raced karts since I was 8 so from that moment I always had a heavy interest in cars, driving, engines etc..
These are a few pics from my last races, 125 gearbox kart, ICC, some pics at 3 sisters and some from rissington.
I did this till I was 18, progressing through the different classes finishing up in the 125 ICC (pictured). Costs of doing this sport and the numbers dying out to make the racing really worth entering anymore made me lose interest in karting so after 10 years I called it a day.
Anyway getting back on topic. I hadn't had my hands dirty for a while, this is one of the things I enjoyed the most as well as the driving, as I maintained the kart and engines myself with my dad and got into the setting up of the chassis too and really missed this. Plus I hadn't driven anything so raw and frantic as the ICC kart for a while. Sure, there are production cars out there with fabulous performance and feel but way out of my reach at the time being 18.
Then I came across a totally tatty Libra that had been damaged and left to stand for a year or so and was in need of some serious TLC, to most people it made no sense to buy it, but to me it was a no brainer. I had a nice, reliable, low mileage car and within a week it was sold and I went down and picked up the sorriest looking Libra going and a load of bits. It looked a total mess, but I wanted it, because I looked at it and saw the end product, now pictured above.
Some reasons for wanting the Libra were that I wanted to get back on the spanners and also drive something more raw, demanding, and less practical, as the car I had before that was more of a family car than a young lads! Plus the fact that they are very rare, I have only ever seen one on the road apart from going to shows etc. The main reason though is I remembered looking at one 10 years ago in a tatty kit car mag and thinking that looks awesome, I want one. I looked at the car and saw that picture. I couldn't afford to just buy one at my age and on my wage so this is the only way I could get it, the very bloody hard way! I was off the road with no car for a year as I couldn't afford to insure a car on the road and build this at the same time at my age.
I bought it at 18 in March 09 and it was rebuilt from the ground up, and on the road again Jan 2010, me being 19 when I got to use it. There are many kit cars about, and not all to everyones taste, but for me though, the Libra was the one I saw and wanted as a kid, so to have one at 19 (now 20) that is exactly how I want it and has all been built completely off my own back means that no matter how hard it has been and how much effort it has demanded, it's been worth it.
I think that's pretty cool.
I have lots of pics of it all over facebook etc and am regularly told that 'I am in love with my car' or 'I am sad!', which I guess there could be some truth in. But it's more that I'm ridiculously proud of it because it is not just a car, it's an achievement. So I hope even if you don't like it you can respect that! Hope I haven't bored you all too much!
Some more pics
. Never driven an elise or mr2, I've heard that they're comparable to an elise handling wise if set up correctly. Same engine as an s2 elise 111s. Probably a bit lighter though. Went on a PH run and it certainly managed to keep up with the 111s that was there without screwing it to death. Has a boot and a fair bit of room behind the seats so more space than an elise. I'm 6ft2 and have plenty of headroom and have had enough stuff in the car to go camping. Wouldn't bother comparing it to the mr2 or mx5 to be honest they're totally different cars.
Engine in mine is a 160 VVC K Series with quite close ratio box. Better exhaust system and induction than standard in a TF or ZR so is probably a bit more than 160 in the GTM. Should be around 5-5.5 secs to 60, theres other vtec and VAG turbo cars about too but the standard tends to be VVC k series, 143 bhp version being the most common.
Engine in mine is a 160 VVC K Series with quite close ratio box. Better exhaust system and induction than standard in a TF or ZR so is probably a bit more than 160 in the GTM. Should be around 5-5.5 secs to 60, theres other vtec and VAG turbo cars about too but the standard tends to be VVC k series, 143 bhp version being the most common.
ManOpener said:
I love these things, seen a couple and never known what they are.
Bet they'd shift well with a 1.8T motor in them, how much to they weigh?
Around 750kg.Bet they'd shift well with a 1.8T motor in them, how much to they weigh?
Already shifts well but the one Audi Turbo powered Libra thats in existance is supposted to be pretty brutal. Something to the tune of 270bhp I think, currently undergoing DSG gearbox conversion, don't think he could make use of all the power. Stunning car.
Edited by yazza54 on Thursday 1st July 14:20
pokethepope said:
Have you done a build diary? I always like reading about bringing cars back to life.
Sadly no, just various posts on various different forums of me having various mental breakdowns while building it! 
I'll get some pics up of different stages of the build though, tonight probably.
Random pics, some from being built
Engine frame going in the shotblaster, as did every metal part that wasn't renewed.
Took this one when I got it back to the garage, took the back clam off and slowly realised what I'd gotten myself into
Oh, and some goodies came this week..
Also got new timing belts, tensioner and water pump to fit, rebuilding a new gearbox with uprated bearings anndddd I've got new front and rear anti roll bars being made up as well as shorter steering arms to quicken up the turns to lock.
Engine frame going in the shotblaster, as did every metal part that wasn't renewed.
Took this one when I got it back to the garage, took the back clam off and slowly realised what I'd gotten myself into
Oh, and some goodies came this week..
Also got new timing belts, tensioner and water pump to fit, rebuilding a new gearbox with uprated bearings anndddd I've got new front and rear anti roll bars being made up as well as shorter steering arms to quicken up the turns to lock.
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