P1 thoughts

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Discussion

dcw@pr

Original Poster:

3,516 posts

244 months

Friday 27th February 2004
quotequote all
Having read the topic about not much going on in this forum there is a fair bit of talk on the P1. I have always admired this car a lot, and drove one a few weeks ago for the first time. Absolutely fantastic I thought, but then I haven't driven any other similar cars (other Scoobys Evos etc.) I have driven a Civic Type R and a Cooper S, but they are not really anywhere near being in the same league.

I was wondering what everyone else thought of the P1 who has owned one, or not. I've read the review someone wrote a while back about their year with a P1, which was interesting. But I wanted other people's views, maybe comparing it to other similarly priced cars? What about the pretty short service interval - does it come around too quickly?

I would love to own one of these cars in the next couple of years, main problem is insurance which runs well into the thousands (many thousands) due to my age and living in London. Would it be worth it?

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Friday 27th February 2004
quotequote all
dcw@pr said:
Absolutely fantastic I thought, but then I haven't driven any other similar cars (other Scoobys Evos etc.)
It's pretty much the best of the bunch of UK Scoobies - 22B is arguably better for track use. Compared to Evos, it's similar - has a longer service interval, more durable drivetrain, but slightly less direct steering, due to mild natural understeer (although this can easily be changed with a different front suspension geometry setting)

dcw@pr said:
I was wondering what everyone else thought of the P1 who has owned one, or not. I've read the review someone wrote a while back about their year with a P1, which was interesting. But I wanted other people's views, maybe comparing it to other similarly priced cars? What about the pretty short service interval - does it come around too quickly?
well the Evos are twice as bad
There's very little in that space that can do the same job: WRX STI import, Evo, Audi RS whatever, tuned Cosworth, M5...?
I find the services aren't that expensive - the real killer is if you have the Prodrive 330mm big brake upgrade - replacement pads & front disks come in at just under a grand!!

dcw@pr said:
Would it be worth it?
I think so

gazzab

21,108 posts

283 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
I have a P1.
Buy one today before EVO is out this week.
The prices will rocket!!!

I am replacing the disks and pads on my prodrive brakes. Am getting Godspeed discs and uprated pads for less than 500. so half the price of prodrive.

What a fantastic car. Spanks my cerbera except in a straight line over 70 mph.

smifffy

1,991 posts

267 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
The year with the P1 was mine, and the only criticism that I could find was the understeer. Well, Gatwick Subaru came to the rescue with a stiffer rear anti-roll bar and now understeer has been eliminated. It's now totally neutral, so it's up to the driver to provoke under/over steer as much as you like. Fan-fecking-tastic.

I've got the big brakes too and they're mightily impressive.

If you need any more motivation buy Evo this month. Lots of coverage of the P1 - and I think they have it spot on. The best thing about the car is the damping.

gazzab

21,108 posts

283 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
whats it cost for the rear arb?
I noticed that the understeer is severe and nearly forced me into a curb the other day.
Also - suprisingly poor in the ice and snow today!

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
gazzab said:
I am replacing the disks and pads on my prodrive brakes. Am getting Godspeed discs and uprated pads for less than 500. so half the price of prodrive.
Interesting - can you post/email me more info on this please?
A few months ago I replaced my Prodrive 330mm disks with a set from KAD (via Scoobysport). These were £540 + vat, although they are a 2 piece unit, so next time only the disk & not the bell needs to be replaced, shaving a couple of hundred pounds off.

So far, I am very pleased with them - they took a few hundred miles to properly bed in, and are a bit loud, but they work extremely well - even better than the Prodrive Alcons did when they were new.

gazzab

21,108 posts

283 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
This is what I was told on P1WOC site:-

"I have the godspeed discs on my Prodrive setup with Ferrodo DS2500 pads. The discs will set you back around £250 for the pair and pads around £130 for the set. Exactly the same performance as the Prodrive setup if not beter due to the pads IMHO.

Big Savings.

Check them out www.godspeedbrakes.fsnet.co.uk/frameset.htm"

smifffy

1,991 posts

267 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
Stiffer rear ARB was about 180-200 quid as far as I remember. It really does get rid of the horrible understeer.

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
gazzab said:
whats it cost for the rear arb?
I noticed that the understeer is severe and nearly forced me into a curb the other day.
Also - suprisingly poor in the ice and snow today!
I've found that tire choice is critical for both of these. Are you still running the standard Pirelli PZeroes? I found changing to Bridgestone SO3PPs dialled out a lot of the understeer. I'm currently on Goodyear Eagle F1s, but will probably go back to SO3s, as the F1 seems a bit "woolly" to me & reintroduces some understeer, even with pressures increased (as suggested by many)

As for snow, I've found SO3s OK - obviously stopping is difficult because of the ABS, but if you just use the gears it should be fine. (Obviously proper snow tires would make loads of difference)

gazzab

21,108 posts

283 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
I am on 215 40 17 S03s all round.

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
gazzab said:
This is what I was told on P1WOC site:-

"I have the godspeed discs on my Prodrive setup with Ferrodo DS2500 pads. The discs will set you back around £250 for the pair and pads around £130 for the set. Exactly the same performance as the Prodrive setup if not beter due to the pads IMHO.

Big Savings.

Check them out www.godspeedbrakes.fsnet.co.uk/frameset.htm"

Think that this price is for the standard brake replacement - for the 335mm disks (nearest to the Prodrive 330mm) they are quoting £595, which is about the same as the KADs

I'd be happy to be proved wrong.....

dcw@pr

Original Poster:

3,516 posts

244 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
Interesting stuff. what about the 18" wheels? I think I remember reading in autocar that they improved ride and handling? I have not seen many cars with them on though. do any of you guys use them?

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
gazzab said:
I am on 215 40 17 S03s all round.
OK, don't change or it could get a lot worse

Mr E

21,634 posts

260 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
Never driven one I'm afraid.

Have been spanked by one on a fast A road though. I thought the Four was a fast car, but this thing was very, very impressive.

Suspect the pilot was somewhat more skilled than me as well though.

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
dcw@pr said:
Interesting stuff. what about the 18" wheels? I think I remember reading in autocar that they improved ride and handling? I have not seen many cars with them on though. do any of you guys use them?
Not me guv - I'm old school, in that I think the only reason for big wheels is so you can fit big brakes.
I think big wheels just for the sake of it, is silly & just asking for potholes to come & break your wheels.
I mean the whole point of the P1 is to be a fast backroads point-to-point sort of car, and if you can't "press on" over these kind of roads, then it's a bit sad....

That said, I do live in Scotland, so my requirements may be a bit skewed...

gazzab

21,108 posts

283 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
CraigAlsop said:


gazzab said:
This is what I was told on P1WOC site:-

"I have the godspeed discs on my Prodrive setup with Ferrodo DS2500 pads. The discs will set you back around £250 for the pair and pads around £130 for the set. Exactly the same performance as the Prodrive setup if not beter due to the pads IMHO.

Big Savings.




Think that this price is for the standard brake replacement - for the 335mm disks (nearest to the Prodrive 330mm) they are quoting £595, which is about the same as the KADs

I'd be happy to be proved wrong.....



I have emailed godspeed to find out. I dont want to spend a grand !!! I asked a specific question and so I thought the response was re discs that would fit a prodrive set up. I assumed that Godspeed simply didnt mention them on their site. Will see. fingers crossed.

Edited to return the page to normal width

>> Edited by CarZee on Monday 1st March 23:45

gazzab

21,108 posts

283 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
CraigAlsop said:

dcw@pr said:
Interesting stuff. what about the 18" wheels? I think I remember reading in autocar that they improved ride and handling? I have not seen many cars with them on though. do any of you guys use them?

Not me guv - I'm old school, in that I think the only reason for big wheels is so you can fit big brakes.
I think big wheels just for the sake of it, is silly & just asking for potholes to come & break your wheels.
I mean the whole point of the P1 is to be a fast backroads point-to-point sort of car, and if you can't "press on" over these kind of roads, then it's a bit sad....

That said, I do live in Scotland, so my requirements may be a bit skewed...

Aparently the P1 was set up for 18s. For type aproval they went for 17s but the car is better on the 18s. so I am told. P1woc site is full of such info.

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Monday 1st March 2004
quotequote all
gazzab said:
Apparently the P1 was set up for 18s. For type aproval they went for 17s but the car is better on the 18s. so I am told. P1woc site is full of such info.
It may be better on a smooth road, but I have a hard enough time with my 17"s over bad ruts & bumps - my point is that in real world conditions (for me) the 17"s are better (Actually I would rather have had the 16"s that I had on my last Scooby, but the brakes wouldn't have fitted)

smifffy

1,991 posts

267 months

Tuesday 2nd March 2004
quotequote all
Craig,

How are you getting on with the KAD replacements? I understood you were getting a bit of a wobble last time you posted about them?

CraigAlsop

1,991 posts

269 months

Tuesday 2nd March 2004
quotequote all
smifffy said:
Craig, How are you getting on with the KAD replacements? I understood you were getting a bit of a wobble last time you posted about them?
They are now excellent. They did take longer than I expected to fully bed in (about 500 miles IIRC) - since then there has been no vibration at all.

The brakes are a bit louder than the Prodrive Alcons, with more of a racecar groan, but it's not that intrusive & sounds quite cool.

So far, they seem to have resisted rusting better than the old ones, despite driving through lots of salty water/spray etc. but only time will tell I guess.
Hopefully they will last longer in terms of judder resistance, but I'm not going to know for another year or so

I guess I don't really understand why the 330mm brakes on Scoobies are so expensive, when you can get them a lot cheaper for TVRs - just charging what the market will stand I suppose.