SINGLE SEATERS:
Discussion
HI ALL
I am looking into purchasing a single seater for some fun on my local track and am wondering where is the best place to look for one, what are the pitfalls and costs etc.
I am only at this time looking to have some fun in the car and not race it, any advice would be welcomed on which way to go.
Thanks#
Matty
I am looking into purchasing a single seater for some fun on my local track and am wondering where is the best place to look for one, what are the pitfalls and costs etc.
I am only at this time looking to have some fun in the car and not race it, any advice would be welcomed on which way to go.
Thanks#
Matty
1/ open wallet over drain
2/ shake wallet
places to look include:
www.racecarsdirect.com
www.racingcarsforsale.co.uk
www.racecar.co.uk
www.fastroadandtrack.co.uk
and of course, the classified section here!
The costs are dependant upon what you decide to buy, what you do with it and how often. Do you want to race, sprint or just to test days (for which you will need an MSA license)
There are a good number of single seaters around the 5-8K mark including ex F3 cars, Formula Vauxhall Lotus' FFord Kent and Zetecs and a whole host of other kind of things. Occasionally things come up very cheap like FOrmula Firsts (around £2K) and basket cases in need of TLC and rebuilding. Just turning up at test days will be expensive though as you will need the same kit as if you were racing such as tow car, trailer, tools etc and you would need to allocate funds for fuel, safety clothing etc etc. The only saving you make is not having to worry about a contingency fund in case anyone hits you but the danger of you falling off the track through your own fault is still there! Of course, the championship registration fee and race entry fee is not an issue but test days are almost always more expensive though track time is greater. have you thought about sprinting or hillclimbs, it removes the risk of an accident involving another competitor and whilst time in the car is very short, it is great fun. Have a look for a second hand OMS/Jedi or similar (around £6K to buy and you could do a season in the midland speed championship for less than £3K) dont know the midland Speed championship address but google does.... If you are if you really do not want to compete, i would recommend getting a track day car and doing that instead.
Go to a race meeting and speak to a few drivers about costs. I think to run a single seater purely for test days would be madness though.
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 13th May 22:09
2/ shake wallet
places to look include:
www.racecarsdirect.com
www.racingcarsforsale.co.uk
www.racecar.co.uk
www.fastroadandtrack.co.uk
and of course, the classified section here!
The costs are dependant upon what you decide to buy, what you do with it and how often. Do you want to race, sprint or just to test days (for which you will need an MSA license)
There are a good number of single seaters around the 5-8K mark including ex F3 cars, Formula Vauxhall Lotus' FFord Kent and Zetecs and a whole host of other kind of things. Occasionally things come up very cheap like FOrmula Firsts (around £2K) and basket cases in need of TLC and rebuilding. Just turning up at test days will be expensive though as you will need the same kit as if you were racing such as tow car, trailer, tools etc and you would need to allocate funds for fuel, safety clothing etc etc. The only saving you make is not having to worry about a contingency fund in case anyone hits you but the danger of you falling off the track through your own fault is still there! Of course, the championship registration fee and race entry fee is not an issue but test days are almost always more expensive though track time is greater. have you thought about sprinting or hillclimbs, it removes the risk of an accident involving another competitor and whilst time in the car is very short, it is great fun. Have a look for a second hand OMS/Jedi or similar (around £6K to buy and you could do a season in the midland speed championship for less than £3K) dont know the midland Speed championship address but google does.... If you are if you really do not want to compete, i would recommend getting a track day car and doing that instead.
Go to a race meeting and speak to a few drivers about costs. I think to run a single seater purely for test days would be madness though.
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 13th May 22:09
Plus if you're only looking this as a cheap track day car option bear in mind that most track day organisers don't allow cars that are open-wheel. Also the car is likely to be louder than most trackday noise regs allow. The alternative is test days but they won't have the same safety rules (eg: overtaking on straights only) and aren't for the feint-hearted.
>> Edited by kevin ritson on Sunday 14th May 18:59
>> Edited by kevin ritson on Sunday 14th May 18:59
Hi Mathew
You could always try gearbox karts!! they are one of the fastest types of racing machine there is!!! + they are way cheaper than single seaters!! + faster than most!! think f3 speed for 3/4k !!
Take a look at
http://users.cyberzane.net/rforker/
and
www.superkarts.co.za/
and
www.superkart.org.uk
Also if you must have a single seater look at Monoposto/Club F3 or Formula Renault!!
The gearbox karts are similar to champ cars and indy lights!!! stunning things :-) and again not for the faint hearted
>> Edited by DABOSS on Sunday 14th May 22:07
You could always try gearbox karts!! they are one of the fastest types of racing machine there is!!! + they are way cheaper than single seaters!! + faster than most!! think f3 speed for 3/4k !!
Take a look at
http://users.cyberzane.net/rforker/
and
www.superkarts.co.za/
and
www.superkart.org.uk
Also if you must have a single seater look at Monoposto/Club F3 or Formula Renault!!
The gearbox karts are similar to champ cars and indy lights!!! stunning things :-) and again not for the faint hearted
>> Edited by DABOSS on Sunday 14th May 22:07
thanks all for the help, my local track is Ty Croes Anglesey as used by 5th gear, I have a Porsche 911 for track days if required but was just looking for some extra fun the superkarts look very interesting I must say, what I want to do is take it easy for a period of time just thrashing whatever i purchase around a track and then if I feel I would enjoy competing then would consider mooving into that area,
Thanks for the suggestions and please if anyone else could advice me info would be very much appriciated.
Mathew
Thanks for the suggestions and please if anyone else could advice me info would be very much appriciated.
Mathew
Got the perfect car for you.
www.fantasyjunction.com/used-cars.php?id=7e70cf782a6b435b7c43ed99e48ab028
www.fantasyjunction.com/used-cars.php?id=7e70cf782a6b435b7c43ed99e48ab028
not really sure you will get much chance to thrash a car around a track as you describe! MSA test days seem your only option and as someone else mentioned, not the best place to be learning a new car on a new circuit with (dare i say it!) proper racing drivers out there too testing and generally going as fast as they can! you will need a race license to participate.
as someone else mentioned, single seaters are no only rarely allowed on track days owing to insurance difficulties so the opportunity to get out there is somewhat limited.
superkarts is an excellent idea and a sure fire way to terrify yourself. they are welcome at almost any kart circuit, the 125s are scary enough and can be found for around £1500.... super quick and your arse is only an inch from the ground!! god only knows what a 250 would be like on a long circuit!...
as someone else mentioned, single seaters are no only rarely allowed on track days owing to insurance difficulties so the opportunity to get out there is somewhat limited.
superkarts is an excellent idea and a sure fire way to terrify yourself. they are welcome at almost any kart circuit, the 125s are scary enough and can be found for around £1500.... super quick and your arse is only an inch from the ground!! god only knows what a 250 would be like on a long circuit!...
MATHEW said:
thanks all for the help, my local track is Ty Croes Anglesey......... what I want to do is take it easy for a period of time just thrashing whatever i purchase around a track and then if I feel I would enjoy competing then would consider mooving into that area,
Putting those two statements together, a Formula Ford would be a good choice. Anglesey runs several rounds of the NW Formula Ford championship, one of the best club championships around. There's a double-header this weekend, so a trip to the circuit would be worthwhile - chat to the drivers, they're a friendly bunch (Well, most of them!)
castle combe circuit is putting on an open single seater race [on the may bank holiday] or otherwise known as formula libre the entry is just £75 and is open to ffords www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk for more info
micron750 said:
castle combe circuit is putting on an open single seater race [on the may bank holiday] or otherwise known as formula libre the entry is just £75 and is open to ffords www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk for more info
Hi Micron
Can you tell me more about this formula libre?? I thought no one was running this in the UK? that mean I can run mt F3000 car :-)
If only according to a post on ten tenths www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83562 formula libre in its old form is no more,somebody made the decison to cap the engine size to 2000cc which in my book is just bloody stupid.Guy's like yourself can only really race cars like yours in the euroboss championship these day's,and a damn shame too
whilst it goes against the principles of formula libre, capping the capacity is quite sensible really. it means that you are going to ensure slightly closer racing and thus the lap times are slightly more comaprable and drivers of slower cars are not spooked by fast cars approaching without the slower car realising. the speed difference would be frightning if a F3000 driver caught up with a FFord car. Also it means that the majority of cars competing in this country could take part and be in contention, eg, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula 3, Formula Ford 2000 etc
isnt there something in the blue book about drivers of over 2000cc cars needing to be holders of an international licence?!?
anyway, with grid sizes the way there are in national motorsport, sadly the last thing organisers want is one or two cars turning up and walking away with it at the expense of other (slower) cars.
Its a real shame though, there must be a load of people in old F3000 cars etc in sprints and hillclimbs that would love to race but dont have the opportunity, and lets face it EUROBOSS is a pretty scary championship with the ex F1 cars in it!
isnt there something in the blue book about drivers of over 2000cc cars needing to be holders of an international licence?!?
anyway, with grid sizes the way there are in national motorsport, sadly the last thing organisers want is one or two cars turning up and walking away with it at the expense of other (slower) cars.
Its a real shame though, there must be a load of people in old F3000 cars etc in sprints and hillclimbs that would love to race but dont have the opportunity, and lets face it EUROBOSS is a pretty scary championship with the ex F1 cars in it!
It may well be scary Pablo but not everybody can afford to go to the GP to see F1 cars,capping engine size is really poor i can see ffords most weekends and in fact F3 too bring back the hey days of formula Libre in that way we all get too see these powerfull cars raced for the fraction of the cost of a GP meeting,afterall seeing an outright record fall at a national meeting is a long lost sight these day's....maybe something that will never happen again
www.ff1600.co.uk a few cars for sale there too, nice looking van dieman for sub 5K.
fford seems to be the way to go and would give you the opportunity to use it on track for fun and then take up racing if you get bitten by the bug.
fford seems to be the way to go and would give you the opportunity to use it on track for fun and then take up racing if you get bitten by the bug.
micron750 said:
If only according to a post on ten tenths formula libre in its old form is no more,somebody made the decison to cap the engine size to 2000cc which in my book is just bloody stupid.
I think you're either misreading the thread on ten-tenths or reading things into it which haven't actually been said. That thread refers to one specific meeting, at Castle Combe. The restriction may not be 'somebody' making a decision,it is probably the maximum permitted at the circuit by its MSA licence.
Hi
I am lucky enough to own a Reynard 883 F3 car, but so far we haven't had the time, money or weather to get it on a track (although we did give it a shakedown on Christmas morning on the local airfield).
I've spoken to lots of people, but no one has been able to give me decent advice on what to do. The closest is come is Blyton airfield, but that is apparently not very suitable for F3 cars. Someone has suggested Bruntingthorpe, but that track looks very boring (though it's better than nothing and I haven't given them call yet). Snetterton, and all the Jonathan Palmer owned tracks don't run sprints (no licence), and all General Test Days require an expensive ARDS test (lots of money if my brother, my dad and I take it, just to see if we like single seaters).
I'd be very grateful if someone could suggest a plan of action. I'm sure we can't be the only people in England who have bought an F3 car to play with. Sprints give too little track time and too much pressure shared between three people.
I need advice
I am lucky enough to own a Reynard 883 F3 car, but so far we haven't had the time, money or weather to get it on a track (although we did give it a shakedown on Christmas morning on the local airfield).
I've spoken to lots of people, but no one has been able to give me decent advice on what to do. The closest is come is Blyton airfield, but that is apparently not very suitable for F3 cars. Someone has suggested Bruntingthorpe, but that track looks very boring (though it's better than nothing and I haven't given them call yet). Snetterton, and all the Jonathan Palmer owned tracks don't run sprints (no licence), and all General Test Days require an expensive ARDS test (lots of money if my brother, my dad and I take it, just to see if we like single seaters).
I'd be very grateful if someone could suggest a plan of action. I'm sure we can't be the only people in England who have bought an F3 car to play with. Sprints give too little track time and too much pressure shared between three people.
I need advice
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