GTM Libra/Murtaya

[Easydude]

Hi,

I'm new to the whole world of kit-cars so I don't really know what to expect.

Those of you guys who have either a Murtaya or a Libra/Spyder for a while, what are they like to live with? Mpg, practicality, do they break a lot?

It would be my second car. Would it be quite expensive to run and insure (I'm 18).
Thanks

Easydude

[rdodger]

See here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

And here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by rdodger on Wednesday 27th August 17:47

[Ferg]

I have a GTM Libra.

It's never broken down.
It's really practical.
It's great to be in.
It looks fantastic.
Insuring one at 18 may well be VERY difficult OR VERY expensive.



Ooh look. There's one on the PH stand at the Lavenham Rare Breeds Motor Show on Monday.....

[Paul Drawmer]

You are certainly a Rare Breed Ferg!

[Ferg]

Thanks Paul!

Check out the cars we managed to pull in on the PH East Anglia Stand on Monday!!!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[kylemrushall]

The Murtaya is absolutely stunning imo....

Subaru reliability, with 4 wheel drive and an awesome soundtrack!! I currently have an Ultima GTR and when i went in the Murtaya it blew me away with its power, poise and practicality.

You cant compare the two cars you mention as they are so different..

the Murtaya will be quicker, safer and a lot easier to drive quickly, but you will have issues insuring either i would think??

[dugt]

the insurance for my spider is very reasonable at about £500 a year for a 19 year old

[tomTVR]

Depends how your build it. You could put a 1.6 in the Murtaya (if you were mad!) but you can also have a big V6 in a Libra. Generally speaking a Libra shoudl be chaeper though.

Unless you were thinking of buying a used one but you would struggle to get hold of a Murtaya.

[Easydude]

I've got a wide range of answers about the insurance, some saying that I won't cost much more than my current insurance with the my fiesta and others saying I won't be able to get any!

I would almost definately use the 1.4 if I did get it.

I don't know that much about the Murtaya. Are there smaller engines you can put in that to make the insurance affordable?

[Furyblade_Lee]

I would stick my neck out and say you WOULD get a 1.4 Libra insured. There was one lad in TeamGTM, cannot remember his name, bit of a swordsman with the laydees, who had a GTM Rossa with a 1.4 metro GTi engine in. He got in insured cheaper than a regular car. I doubt an insurance company would treat a Libra and different to a Rossa, and there are several 1.4 Libras out there starting at about £5k.
750kgs and 100bhp would make a fantastic 1st kitcar, and it would teach you a lot about oversteer....
you could always try the Rossa, they start at about £1,500.

[Ferg]

Furyblade_Lee said:

There was one lad in TeamGTM, .......bit of a swordsman with the laydees,

[oh feck]

And footman james will be your only/best chance of getting insured.

[kylemrushall]

Easydude said:

I've got a wide range of answers about the insurance, some saying that I won't cost much more than my current insurance with the my fiesta and others saying I won't be able to get any!

I would almost definately use the 1.4 if I did get it.

I don't know that much about the Murtaya. Are there smaller engines you can put in that to make the insurance affordable?

you could fit a non turbo engine to the Murtaya and at a later date fit a Turbo monster!!

i dont want to be negative but the old k series is a poor poor engine, i changed a head gasket 3 times in 6 months on one i had the mis fortune to own.

[Ferg]

kylemrushall said:

i dont want to be negative but the old k series is a poor poor engine, i changed a head gasket 3 times in 6 months on one i had the mis fortune to own.

I don't want to be positive, but I love my 'K'. How else would the Libra get down to it's fantastically low weight. If done properly the head gasket shouldn't go again, if a 'k'-series engine blows it's head gasket it should be hardness tested before having a new gasket fitted because annealing of the head material reduces the clamping forces on the fire rings....repeat failures are sadly too common.

[Furyblade_Lee]

I ragged my 2003 VVC k-series for 15,000 miles and it never missed a beat, and hardly drank any oil. The issues were sorted on the later ones, and can be retro-fitted to any K. For power / torque / WEIGHT / space / cost they have NO equal in kit cars. I wouldnt hesitate to own another. Incorrect cooling, low coolant, old plastic dowells and high revs/inaccurate balancing causes the death of them. There is an amazing in-depth artice somewhere on the net about them. But a bomb-proof, 160 VVC with upto 170bhp is hard to beat for about £750. That is Caterham R300 power levels remember. Stick to the factory rev limit, monitor levels regularly and you will not break it.

[kylemrushall]

Ferg said:

kylemrushall said:

i dont want to be negative but the old k series is a poor poor engine, i changed a head gasket 3 times in 6 months on one i had the mis fortune to own.

I don't want to be positive, but I love my 'K'. How else would the Libra get down to it's fantastically low weight. If done properly the head gasket shouldn't go again, if a 'k'-series engine blows it's head gasket it should be hardness tested before having a new gasket fitted because annealing of the head material reduces the clamping forces on the fire rings....repeat failures are sadly too common.

it was pressure tested, the head and block skimmed on the first change but it still went!!!! The quality of the internal galleries etc were horrendous, i think the Libra is a lovely looking car but not with a K a nice Honda would make it a great package.

[Ferg]

kylemrushall said:

it was pressure tested, the head and block skimmed on the first change but it still went!!!!

Skimming 'K' heads is a big problem. If mine was out of flat I think I'd chuck it rather than skim. Skimming can easily get down to softer material. There's no doubting that BMWs cost cutting on the 'K' gave it issues all of it's own, but the knowledge base is out there to prevent repaet HGF.


Incidentally, the Libra is a far better car with a 'K' rather than a Honda.

[Bertram]

kylemrushall said:

...... i think the Libra is a lovely looking car but not with a K a nice Honda would make it a great package.

Audi Turbo anyone ??

Bye,

Bertram

www.gtmlibra.nl

Edited by Bertram on Friday 29th August 21:17

[kylemrushall]

Ferg said:

kylemrushall said:

it was pressure tested, the head and block skimmed on the first change but it still went!!!!

Skimming 'K' heads is a big problem. If mine was out of flat I think I'd chuck it rather than skim. Skimming can easily get down to softer material. There's no doubting that BMWs cost cutting on the 'K' gave it issues all of it's own, but the knowledge base is out there to prevent repaet HGF.


Incidentally, the Libra is a far better car with a 'K' rather than a Honda.

umm ok

[rdodger]

Bertram said:

kylemrushall said:

...... i think the Libra is a lovely looking car but not with a K a nice Honda would make it a great package.

Audi Turbo anyone ??

Bye,

Bertram

www.gtmlibra.nl

Edited by Bertram on Friday 29th August 21:17

No thanks.

Far too heavy! Especially with a DSG box!