Daily Kit Car for up to 4k???
Discussion
westfield type car=super-seven
super-seven+not getting wet=impossible.
therefore i recommend: a GTM or ginetta G26, G28, G30, G31 would be a kitcar with a fixed roof and you will ge them already for much less than 4k...so enough money left for fuel...
fisher/sylva fury with hard top should be within the 4k budget (even hardtop-ed cars are rare).
live-axle Ginetta G27 will be also within the budget...and hardtops are available, too.
and here, but recently sold: a Marlin: http://pistonheads.com/sales/3217519.htm
alternative: Reliant Scimitar SS, not really a Kit, but similar range of car.
super-seven+not getting wet=impossible.
therefore i recommend: a GTM or ginetta G26, G28, G30, G31 would be a kitcar with a fixed roof and you will ge them already for much less than 4k...so enough money left for fuel...
fisher/sylva fury with hard top should be within the 4k budget (even hardtop-ed cars are rare).
live-axle Ginetta G27 will be also within the budget...and hardtops are available, too.
and here, but recently sold: a Marlin: http://pistonheads.com/sales/3217519.htm
alternative: Reliant Scimitar SS, not really a Kit, but similar range of car.
Edited by Comadis on Monday 7th November 21:13
Yeah, in honesty, seven types are not dry.
Ive driven the field in the rain, with the roof on and the bottom of the doors stuffed up with rag, with the passenger manning a towel to keep my face and the screen roughly clear. Its a lot of fun but its not dry, fine if you can jump in a shower, but not so clever for commutting to work (tried it, but only once).
Water typically comes in over the screen, all around the front and top of the doors and with cycle wings, really pours in from the underside of the doors due to all the spray of the front wheels hitting the rear arches, i dont know if the old clamshell from archs would do better here but proberbly not much. I also dont have heaters in mine, so all its not cold due to the heat from the engine/transmision, there is no demist on the screen.
The other issue is that with the roof on its really very hard to get out of the car eligantly, if at all, and its certainly not at all uncommon to brush (sit on) the rear archs which can but end with muddy trousers.
Without the roof on, along with the above, the main issue is spray on the inside of the screen from your own wheels. Also most have small headlights, with a lousy beam pattern, which just exaserbates the low possition and makes night driving fairly lethal, and night driving in the wet deadly.
I know someone who has one as his only car, which he manages with an aero screen by wearing full bike gear, which is proberbly the best option, just the helment to keep clear. But its not what everyone expects from a car, adn he does borrow his other halfs car when he can!
Ive driven the field in the rain, with the roof on and the bottom of the doors stuffed up with rag, with the passenger manning a towel to keep my face and the screen roughly clear. Its a lot of fun but its not dry, fine if you can jump in a shower, but not so clever for commutting to work (tried it, but only once).
Water typically comes in over the screen, all around the front and top of the doors and with cycle wings, really pours in from the underside of the doors due to all the spray of the front wheels hitting the rear arches, i dont know if the old clamshell from archs would do better here but proberbly not much. I also dont have heaters in mine, so all its not cold due to the heat from the engine/transmision, there is no demist on the screen.
The other issue is that with the roof on its really very hard to get out of the car eligantly, if at all, and its certainly not at all uncommon to brush (sit on) the rear archs which can but end with muddy trousers.
Without the roof on, along with the above, the main issue is spray on the inside of the screen from your own wheels. Also most have small headlights, with a lousy beam pattern, which just exaserbates the low possition and makes night driving fairly lethal, and night driving in the wet deadly.
I know someone who has one as his only car, which he manages with an aero screen by wearing full bike gear, which is proberbly the best option, just the helment to keep clear. But its not what everyone expects from a car, adn he does borrow his other halfs car when he can!
I have enjoyed owned and driven Super Seven clones and originals not one has been in any sense weatherproof incuding my original 1960's Lotus super seven twin cam.
Wonderful cars but weatherproof? Not.
Still have two robin hoods and a Locust and NONE of them are weatherproof.
I always said you need a second wiper on the inside of the screen. They are that leaky.
There are several full bodied cars like the Midas, Cox GTM, and Quantum which are much less racing cars and much more weatherproof.
I had two Banham X21's based on the old metro K series engine. With a 1.4 twin cam these are really quick cars. With a 1.8 K series MG high output engine they will give the Super Seven's a run. Until the corners arrive when understeer is a real problem.
£4000 is a good budget currently you should get a well sorted car for this money.
Proper weather gear on any of the above will give you a drivable dry car.
Take a good look at a few and shop around. The more you drive the more you will appreciate the differences in the cars. Enjoy looking and you should find the right car for that money.
Wonderful cars but weatherproof? Not.
Still have two robin hoods and a Locust and NONE of them are weatherproof.
I always said you need a second wiper on the inside of the screen. They are that leaky.
There are several full bodied cars like the Midas, Cox GTM, and Quantum which are much less racing cars and much more weatherproof.
I had two Banham X21's based on the old metro K series engine. With a 1.4 twin cam these are really quick cars. With a 1.8 K series MG high output engine they will give the Super Seven's a run. Until the corners arrive when understeer is a real problem.
£4000 is a good budget currently you should get a well sorted car for this money.
Proper weather gear on any of the above will give you a drivable dry car.
Take a good look at a few and shop around. The more you drive the more you will appreciate the differences in the cars. Enjoy looking and you should find the right car for that money.
dhutch said:
Yeah, in honesty, seven types are not dry.
Ive just read-read my post and it reads like a derge or reasons not to buy a seven type which wasnt really the objective.I bought mine three years ago at the age of 21 for just under 4k and havent regretted it for one minute. No matter what mood your in before you get in it, as soon as you turn the key you cant help but grin, ive driven it all over the country, done track days wth my mates, gone to owners meets and shows, and then this summer taken it to france for 10 days with my girlfriend. I also take it grass autotesting every other week thoughout summer.
Economicanlly, excluding fuel/tax/mot/servicing ive proberbly spent £600 on it in three years, new rear dampers (£200) fitting a electonic ignition in place of the worn dissy (£100), a pair of grp seats (£170) and fitting a rollbar (£120), and £50 on a diff i killed. And it should still sell for what I paid for it and does similar mpg to my peugote 306!
For the first two year i didnt have a garage so it lived in a DIY built box trailer i bought secondhand for £900 and still have for trackdays.
So all in all, while for daily driving if you can streach to afford a fury or simular i would (i love them, anyway) you wont be disapointed eitherway assuming you can shelve all expectations of practicallity!
Failing that, you can pick up a late merdian spec petrol 306 for £800 (£1200-1500 for a less refind but more economical HDi) which make cracking daily cars alongside the kit! (not that im biased)
Daniel
dhutch said:
Ive just read-read my post and it reads like a dirge or reasons not to buy a seven type which wasnt really the objective.
Not at all - it's just realistic and truthful.I've run a couple of 'Sevens' (a Westfield SE and a Caterham Supersprint) as my only cars, all year round, and I'm sorry, but if you are after something dry then you're onto a loser...
If you run them with full hood and sidescreens then you, personally, will remain relatively dry, but the cockpit will steam up, the noise with hood up is insufferable, the windscreen wipers ineffective and the rear 3/4 visibility non-existent.
As Paul Drawmer says, the only practical solution is motorcycle waterproofs (and a full-face helmet for when the weather is really cold and nasty); and FWIIW I'd suggest you forget about full screen and weather gear(the weather gear is useless and a full screen doesn't work running open 'cos the wipers are crap and water whips round onto the inside face of the screen when it rains, anyway) and stick to an aeroscreen.
But look on the bright side - I ran a 'Seven' as my only form of transport for almost 3 years, and went on to live a (relatively) normal and happy life.
My R300 weather gear worked perfectly. The only bit that leaked, was around the steering column. Fixed in 5 mins with a bit of silicone.
Caterhams have a heated screen too, so it didn't mist up. I found it quite cosy in the rain. And when it rains over here in Mallorca, Boy does it fall!
Anyway, your 4K budget puts a Caterham out of the equation. I've rarely seen one for less than 8.
I just wanted to point out that the weather gear on the newer cars (mine was 2005) works realy well.
Caterhams have a heated screen too, so it didn't mist up. I found it quite cosy in the rain. And when it rains over here in Mallorca, Boy does it fall!
Anyway, your 4K budget puts a Caterham out of the equation. I've rarely seen one for less than 8.
I just wanted to point out that the weather gear on the newer cars (mine was 2005) works realy well.
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