Ariel Nomad Turbo Conversion

[Caddyshack]

Great vid. I am a big fan of softer suspension with lots of movement when it comes to play time…much more progressive.

These look so much fun.

[scottos]

Awesome videos of the track day! I know of Elliot through messing around with old BMW's, he's always seemed a great guy with great taste! I guess the Nomad world is as small a one as old bmw 2002's!

Hoping i manage to see you in this up Hartside way next year

[ol]

deadscoob said:

Very cool Ollie, I’ll need to scratch the Ariel itch one day.

Thanks, would highly advise it. The factory are great, and everyone I've met through the cars have been really nice.

[ol]

Caddyshack said:

Great vid. I am a big fan of softer suspension with lots of movement when it comes to play time…much more progressive.

These look so much fun.

Absolutely agree. Softer is so much more fun, and predictable. I was really surprised just how good the nomad was on track though

[ol]

scottos said:

Awesome videos of the track day! I know of Elliot through messing around with old BMW's, he's always seemed a great guy with great taste! I guess the Nomad world is as small a one as old bmw 2002's!

Hoping i manage to see you in this up Hartside way next year

Thanks! Yeah hopefully have some more Nomad adventures with him and the gang next year. I've seen some photos of his 2002 and looks like a lot of fun.

See you up Hartside!

[ol]

I love the Geolander all terrain tyres, but going out with the other Nomad guys has made me lust after some proper knobblies. They make a huge difference on mud / gravel / fields.

As I wouldn't be using them much, I didn't really want to spend £1k + on a set of rims from Ariel, and then another £750 on tyres, so decided to try and do it on the cheap.

Lots of researching found that some MG wheels have the same PCD. as Ariel rims. It's a very random PCD so really limits what's available. I tracked down some wheels on Facebook Marketplace, agreed £50, then when I turned up to collect, the seller said 2 of the tyres had a slow puncture (I'd be binning the tyres anyway), so offered them to me for free! I gave him £10 beer money, and left with a nice set of wheels. The offset isn't quite right, so played about with spacers etc, and eventually got everything fitting properly. I have a friend who owns a tyre shop, so got a mega deal on some Insa Busa Dakar tyres, and all in the wheels/ spacers and tyres came in at around £300. Absolute bargain. I rubbed them down and painted them black.

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Took it to the local supercar meet to celebrate

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

[Caddyshack]

Great find on the wheels. The spokes look VERY close to the callipers on the front - I wonder if you will get gravel trapped and scratch the callipers?

[mattdavies]

What size tyres are the mud tyres ? thats is a bargain price for that set up.

One thing I would be cautious of, as its something I have seen on classic motorcross bikes, is mud collecting between the guard and the tyre and affecting the wheels ability to rotate

[RB Will]

It’s ok, the guards just break off with the lightest strain so won’t stop the wheels turning.

[MDifficult]

At, the joy of 4x95.25 PCD wheels that us Ariel owners have to endure

Apparently it’s some MGs and S1 Lotus Elises that use the same but it’s a huge pain in the arse.

I understand the US cars had lovely standard 4x100 hubs which is even more irritating. Think it’s perhaps Ariel’s way of making sure we only buy our wheels from one place?

Great job on the news wheels though - brilliantly done.

[ol]

Caddyshack said:

Great find on the wheels. The spokes look VERY close to the callipers on the front - I wonder if you will get gravel trapped and scratch the callipers?

Thanks! They are very very close (literally 1mm) but nothing has got caught so far, and I've had them on for quite a few trips now

[ol]

mattdavies said:

What size tyres are the mud tyres ? thats is a bargain price for that set up.

One thing I would be cautious of, as its something I have seen on classic motorcross bikes, is mud collecting between the guard and the tyre and affecting the wheels ability to rotate

Thanks - can't remember size off hand, they're 15's and a very similar in overall size to the original Geolanders. There is no chance mud will stop the wheel turning when in the arch - the tyres will just fling it out, and as Will below says, the arches are probably the weak point on the Nomad

RB Will said:

It’s ok, the guards just break off with the lightest strain so won’t stop the wheels turning.

[ol]

MDifficult said:

At, the joy of 4x95.25 PCD wheels that us Ariel owners have to endure

Apparently it’s some MGs and S1 Lotus Elises that use the same but it’s a huge pain in the arse.

I understand the US cars had lovely standard 4x100 hubs which is even more irritating. Think it’s perhaps Ariel’s way of making sure we only buy our wheels from one place?

Great job on the news wheels though - brilliantly done.

Thanks! Yes, S1 Elise wheels are the same, but it's such a rare PCD, and such shame they didn't fit 100PCD. I wonder what then cost would be to import some US spec hubs...

[ol]

Since doing the wheels, I've had quite a few more Nomad adventures. We met up at the Nomad field, and had another 'field day.' It was mega with the knobbly tyres, and we had an awesome day.

Short video edit here:

https://youtu.be/JvMT33qynlk


and some pics

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr



Car ended up pretty filthy

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Gave it a seats out wash and found the little guy had been living in it for a few days.

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

Untitled by Olly Olly, on Flickr

[RB Will]

I keep thinking of asking some of the local grass airfields if they would mind me having a play on the runway in mine then I see the pic of the field there and think maybe they wouldn't be keen

There is an awesome looking field out where walk the dog regularly, next to a great road that PH use for articles, I really need to find who owns it and ask if I/ other Nomads can play.

[ol]

RB Will said:

I keep thinking of asking some of the local grass airfields if they would mind me having a play on the runway in mine then I see the pic of the field there and think maybe they wouldn't be keen

There is an awesome looking field out where walk the dog regularly, next to a great road that PH use for articles, I really need to find who owns it and ask if I/ other Nomads can play.

Well you're always welcome up here for a play! We have just got permission to use some private tracks in Kielder which will be similar to Sweet Lamb. When the weather gets better we can arrange a Northumberland weekend taking in the field, then on to Kielder.

[pistolpete12]

epic build mate! Just read the whole thing through, I had seen you had a nomad. Didn't know it was a turbo
Hopefully cross paths again one day..

wheres the busa nowdays?

[mat205125]

Love this. It's almost an adult evolution of our Tamiya RC buggies we may have had when at school

[PhillipM]

Caddyshack said:

Great find on the wheels. The spokes look VERY close to the callipers on the front - I wonder if you will get gravel trapped and scratch the callipers?

I have seen this happen a lot with the racers - to the point a big rock will just completely wipe out or bend a caliper out of shape - on our rears where the calipers are fairly close, we just have some scrapers made out of old flexy mudguard material a little before the calipers, to try to knock anything big inwards and clear.

Might be worth thinking about here.

[PhillipM]

RB Will said:

I keep thinking of asking some of the local grass airfields if they would mind me having a play on the runway in mine then I see the pic of the field there and think maybe they wouldn't be keen

There is an awesome looking field out where walk the dog regularly, next to a great road that PH use for articles, I really need to find who owns it and ask if I/ other Nomads can play.

Yea I would doubt it for an airfield they're very particular about cross ruts for obvious reasons!
I tried Pickering but it seems they had too many noise complaints last year and are wary about letting cars run this year.

The AWDC does have a comp safari shakedown event at Walters Arena soon, which is technically not a timed event and supposed to be on fairly mild A/T tyres or worn M/Ts to limit speeds and allow some passenger rides - but I'm not sure if they'd let non competition cars run or not, might be worth asking.