Who's the Daddy....????
Discussion
What sort of budget are you looking for?
For instance, by all accounts, a GTM libra is easy to live with day to day but they'r not really a cheap kit.
At the end of the day its going to be a compromise. A bike engined, bare bones, aero screened seven (or good replica) is going to be one of the quickest but not the best thing to commute in, in the darkest depths of winter
>> Edited by mr clive on Tuesday 18th April 10:43
For instance, by all accounts, a GTM libra is easy to live with day to day but they'r not really a cheap kit.
At the end of the day its going to be a compromise. A bike engined, bare bones, aero screened seven (or good replica) is going to be one of the quickest but not the best thing to commute in, in the darkest depths of winter
>> Edited by mr clive on Tuesday 18th April 10:43
GTM Libra sounds your best bet.
Ticks all the boxes apart from acceleration, which is reasonably quick but not 'mind blowing'.
If the Libra sounds like the right sort of car, though, consider a Lotus Elise...they are very similar in terms of performance and practicality, but the Lotus can actally be better value for money. People seem to be asking an awful lot of money for GTM Libras, whereas the Elise market is a bit more sensible at the moment.
Ticks all the boxes apart from acceleration, which is reasonably quick but not 'mind blowing'.
If the Libra sounds like the right sort of car, though, consider a Lotus Elise...they are very similar in terms of performance and practicality, but the Lotus can actally be better value for money. People seem to be asking an awful lot of money for GTM Libras, whereas the Elise market is a bit more sensible at the moment.
Budget 1: Westfield or Sylva
Budget 2: Westfield or Caterham
...but do a search on running Sevens as everyday cars. It has been discussed several times on this forum. It can be done (I did it myself for a couple of years when I was younger), but you have to be fairly committed/enthusiastic/mad.
>> Edited by Sam_68 on Tuesday 18th April 13:19
Budget 2: Westfield or Caterham
...but do a search on running Sevens as everyday cars. It has been discussed several times on this forum. It can be done (I did it myself for a couple of years when I was younger), but you have to be fairly committed/enthusiastic/mad.
>> Edited by Sam_68 on Tuesday 18th April 13:19
dern said:
Westfield seight. Zoom.
Price? - Theres one in the classifieds for £12.5k
Performance? - 0-60 in about 4 seconds I think, depending on engine/traction
Good noise I bet.....? - Barely silenced V8
What V8 unit is in them....? - Varies. Standard format is 3.9RV8 but there are any number of variables. I think some had the 4.6RV8 and I'm sure I've seen one for sale with a 4.5 AJP engine.
>> Edited by dougc on Tuesday 18th April 13:39
gorvid said:
Sorry - clueless....??
What king of performance are we talking and what do they look like???
GTM Website shows what GTM's look like and gives performance figures (top speeds given may be slightly optomistic.
Westfields and MK Indy's look similar to Caterham Sevens. Take a look in the Pistonheads Classifieds for examples.
Performance of the Seven type cars is very dependent upon engine fitted, but 0-60 times typically vary between about 7.5 seconds and sub-4 seconds. Top speeds are usually very limited by aerodynamics - the Seven shape takes an awful lot of horsepower to push through the air much faster than about 125mph (for example, Westfield built a car with a 330bhp TVR V8 a few years back that had a realistic top speed of maybe 145mph).
Robin Hoods look like the offspring of a liasion between a Seven and a stainless steel skip, with a few Cortina suspension components sticking out at random angles. They are usually powered by badly rebuilt or worn out Ford Pinto engines, so don't actually have any 'performance' in the normally understood sense of the word.
Unless your friend is very definite about wanting a kit car, it is difficult to make a case against the Elise in this sector, now that you can pick up a good S1 for £8K. They are not quite as quick as some Sevens (0-60 in 5.7 seconds, top speed about 127mph on standard car), but they are almost practical as everyday cars, reliable, handle well and are easy to sell on again when you get bored. Only real downside compared to a kit tends to be insurance cost.
gorvid said:Price: dunno, depends on the time of year. I got a bargain but more usually you're looking at 10k plus.
Westfield seight. Zoom.
Price?
Performance?
Good noise I bet.....?
What V8 unit is in them....?
Performance: depends on the engine but really really fast to really really really fast. I'm limited to the traction I can get until I get it in 4th gear. Overtaking on country roads is an absolute joy.
Noise: good.
Engine: standard is a 3.9 rover v8 I think, mine is a 4.6 rover v8 tuned by john eales with forged pistons and stuff like that (I'm told).
Basically it's the only car that gives me as much of a thrill performance wise as my fireblade. Really, it's that good. Test drove a chim 4.0 and an elise s1 and this makes them feel like the wife's mondeo.
>> Edited by dern on Tuesday 18th April 13:44
dern said:
Westfield seight. Zoom.
Good cars, and certainly quick, but if you are suggesting them for everday use, bear in mind:
1) With a tuned engine, fuel consumption will be <20mpg
2) They silly amounts of torque for their weight, so they go sideways as soon as you look at the accelerator pedal in the wet. This may sound fun, but as someone who has lived with a Seven all year round, I can tell you that it becomes tiresome when the car is trying to do it every time you pull out of every junction on cold/wet days.
Sam_68 said:If you run EFI you can get the fuel consumption above 20mpg. Mine has 300bhp and as much torque and while it's true that you do need to be circumspect in the rain it's not as lethal as is being suggested. I drove mine over the winter and the main problem is getting/keeping heat in the tyres after the sun goes down in winter, I didn't find rain to be as much of an issue.
Westfield seight. Zoom.
Good cars, and certainly quick, but if you are suggesting them for everday use, bear in mind:
1) With a tuned engine, fuel consumption will be <20mpg
2) They silly amounts of torque for their weight, so they go sideways as soon as you look at the accelerator pedal in the wet. This may sound fun, but as someone who has lived with a Seven all year round, I can tell you that it becomes tiresome when the car is trying to do it every time you pull out of every junction on cold/wet days.
I didn't use it every day over winter though because mine doesn't do too many miles to the gallon and prefer to use my bike.
gorvid said:
0-60 must be mind blowing
It's a BEC the isn't it ! Even a basic blade engined car will do 0-60 in 4ish seconds and the engine only costs £700 for everything you'll need. R1 slightly quicker and Busa faster still at 3.2 to 3.5 seconds, depending which car, tyres, road surface and who you believe
(Under 3s for a slick car with basic engine mods) Top speeds are all at least 120mph and fuel consumption with an injected engine will be 28mpg or more cruising on the motorway.
Gorvid,don't wish to sound condescending but A/You are a member of PH, B/You have posted over 2,000 emails in 9 months.Given that you are obviously a keen contributor and,one would assume,a petrol head,you do not seem to know very much about specialist cars.Is this because you are new to this scene or from overseas maybe?As I say,I am not trying to belittle you but am just curious.
busa_rush said:
It's a BEC the isn't it !
For daily use as a commuter?!
Come on, guys, I know SEights and Busa BEC's are great toys for weekend blasts, but would you really want to live with one every day, all year, in all weather and traffic conditions, with no main vehicle to fall back on?
The idea of crawling in town centre traffic in a BEC twice a day is pretty close to hell on earth, in my opinion, and I'm talking as someone who has actually done this for a couple of years with a car engined Seven as my only transport.
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