RE: Ecoboost Formula Ford coming?

[kambites]

So for a budget option; how easy would it be to buy an old Formula Ford and get it through an SVA?

You can pick the cars up in decent condition for <10k; fitting lights, mudguards and number-plates would be easy enough. What else would be required?

[Skater12]

488bhp per ton, in a car that we all know corners like a house-fly, out of a main dealer showroom with a warranty!
Yeah ok, if i have to.

[wemorgan]

Many people talk the talk about owning such a car. But in reality it's very niche. Most people simply want two seats in their w/e sports car and even in their track cars to share the experience.

[alexpa]

would love one!!

[filski666]

How on earth would that even come CLOSE to passing any pedestrian impact requirements?

I hope Ford find a way around it - it would be awesome - but seems unlikely

[ceebmoj]

wemorgan said:

Many people talk the talk about owning such a car. But in reality it's very niche. Most people simply want two seats in their w/e sports car and even in their track cars to share the experience.

For a long time I have wanted something like this, for the daily grind. If no one else is going to build me something for what I consider to be sensible money I guess I should just get on with it myself.

[CDP]

wemorgan said:

Many people talk the talk about owning such a car. But in reality it's very niche. Most people simply want two seats in their w/e sports car and even in their track cars to share the experience.

But there's probably more than fifty of them.

Do you reckon they're eyeing the top spot of the Top Gear lap board?

[Skater12]

chuntington101 said:

Aizle said:

So, estimates on how much Ford would sell these at.

1) A limited run of 50.
2) Supply to meet demand (many more?)

I'll open the bidding at £30k

Ford sell the race chassis and 1.6ecoboost engines for about £50K at present! I would guess the price would be higher than £30.

My guess will be £49,995 otr.
It wont be priced based on production cost, simply because of the amazing promotion it'll give other models in the range that use the same engine.
If Ford lost £20k per car and did a limited run of 50 cars, that's only a loss of £1m, which in the realms of marketing isn't that much at all when you consider it won't be advertised in the same way. TV advertising, advert production etc etc, non of that will be done.
If anything, it'd probably one of Fords cheaper ways to promote the new engine and its capabilities.

[Frimley111R]

Looks brilliant!

[wemorgan]

filski666 said:

How on earth would that even come CLOSE to passing any pedestrian impact requirements?
(

That's a consumer test (EuroNCAP) not legislation (ECE).

[renrut]

If they were around the price of a new superbike I could see these being incredibly popular.

[kambites]

wemorgan said:

filski666 said:

How on earth would that even come CLOSE to passing any pedestrian impact requirements?

That's a consumer test (EuroNCAP) not legislation (ECE).

It's both - for type approval it would need certain clearance between hard-points and the body, for example. However I suspect they'd simply put each individual car through an SVA rather than going for type approval?

[wemorgan]

renrut said:

If they were around the price of a new superbike I could see these being incredibly popular.

Just look how expensive built, not kit, Caterham/Westfield are. (near £20k last time I looked)

[Skater12]

kambites said:

wemorgan said:

filski666 said:

How on earth would that even come CLOSE to passing any pedestrian impact requirements?

That's a consumer test (EuroNCAP) not legislation (ECE).

It's both - for type approval it would need certain clearance between hard-points and the body, for example. However I suspect they'd simply put each individual car through an SVA rather than going for type approval?

Agreed, individual SVA tests are most likely, but I reckon if they did more than 50 cars this would raise a few eyebrows and the examining body would say "you're starting to take the piss now guys".

[xRIEx]

chuntington101 said:

Aizle said:

So, estimates on how much Ford would sell these at.

1) A limited run of 50.
2) Supply to meet demand (many more?)

I'll open the bidding at £30k

Ford sell the race chassis and 1.6ecoboost engines for about £50K at present! I would guess the price would be higher than £30K.

This, as was mentioned in the Nurburgring thread a few times, despite people convinced Ford could do them for £25K because "they're small with a small engine so must be cheap."

kambites said:

So for a budget option; how easy would it be to buy an old Formula Ford and get it through an SVA?

You can pick the cars up in decent condition for <10k; fitting lights, mudguards and number-plates would be easy enough. What else would be required?

All edges would need to be radiused, fuel tank would need to be located where it cannot leak on to a heat source or into passenger compartment, seatblet mounts need to be at correct height, brake bias must not be adjustable, needs a handbrake (parking brake), anti-theft device (electronic or mechanical). Some of this may be OK already, I don't know the layout.

ETA: Meant to say, it's IVA, it's not been SVA for 3 years or so.

Edited by xRIEx on Wednesday 10th October 13:08

[kambites]

xRIEx said:

kambites said:

So for a budget option; how easy would it be to buy an old Formula Ford and get it through an SVA?

You can pick the cars up in decent condition for <10k; fitting lights, mudguards and number-plates would be easy enough. What else would be required?

All edges would need to be radiused, fuel tank would need to be located where it cannot leak on to a heat source or into passenger compartment, seatblet mounts need to be at correct height, brake bias must not be adjustable, needs a handbrake (parking brake), anti-theft device (electronic or mechanical). Some of this may be OK already, I don't know the layout.

I was actually pondering ripping out the engine and replacing it with an electric motor, then filling the side pods with batteries; which would solve some of the problems.

Would wishbones need to be radiused (is that even a word) since they're exposed?

[CDP]

kambites said:

I was actually pondering ripping out the engine and replacing it with an electric motor, then filling the side pods with batteries; which would solve some of those problems.

Would wishbones need to be radiused (is that even a word) since they're exposed?

The wishbones are most likely already radiused. It's the ends and exposed nuts that need covers.

These aren't that different to a Caterfield and the fuel tank will already be at higher standards than a road car.

[xRIEx]

kambites said:

I was actually pondering ripping out the engine and replacing it with an electric motor, then filling the side pods with batteries; which would solve some of those problems.

Would wishbones need to be radiused (is that even a word) since they're exposed?

They would need to meet radius requirements for external protrusions, but nothing in the picture suggests they don't already.

[hairykrishna]

Skater12 said:

chuntington101 said:

Aizle said:

So, estimates on how much Ford would sell these at.

1) A limited run of 50.
2) Supply to meet demand (many more?)

I'll open the bidding at £30k

Ford sell the race chassis and 1.6ecoboost engines for about £50K at present! I would guess the price would be higher than £30.

My guess will be £49,995 otr.
It wont be priced based on production cost, simply because of the amazing promotion it'll give other models in the range that use the same engine.
If Ford lost £20k per car and did a limited run of 50 cars, that's only a loss of £1m, which in the realms of marketing isn't that much at all when you consider it won't be advertised in the same way. TV advertising, advert production etc etc, non of that will be done.
If anything, it'd probably one of Fords cheaper ways to promote the new engine and its capabilities.

If they're only making 50 why wouldn't they price them higher? They still get the marketing and I bet they'd still sell at 75k. The BAC mono's going to be 80k+ and that's a similar market.

I'd love them to start producing enough of them that they could bring economies of scale and sell them cheaper!

[xRIEx]

CDP said:

...and the fuel tank will already be at higher standards than a road car.

I don't think the quality of the tank will have any bearing, it's the location just in case there's a leak (or rupture, in the event of an accident).

I don't know the requirements for race fuel cells, but part of me thinks the type approval for road cars would be more demanding.