Test drove a Fury today, questions
Test drove a Fury today, questions
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aww999

Original Poster:

2,078 posts

285 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Hi guys,

I test drove a car-engined Fisher Fury today, the first one I have driven/passengered in, and I was a bit surprised by what I found. The car seemed pretty well screwed togther, with some nice parts on it, and went like a raped ape with sticky tyres and a Nissan turbo engine.

However, I found the controls extremely heavy and cumbersome with exception of the steering, which was very good. Accelerator, brakes (unservoed) and clutch all needed a fairly serious shove to cooperate and it made the car feel pretty agricultural to drive. I was expecting something deft, pared back and incisive, but with the pedals being so heavy, it felt like a real brute. I know the CEC's are a bit heavier than the BECs, but even so it is around half the weight of my little Mk1 MR2. The MR2 feels like a (slow) gokart and the Fury felt like a (fast) 7.5 ton truck! I am exaggerating a little, but hopefully you understand my point.

Anyway, my question is . . . are they all like this? biggrin Perhaps the car in qeustion is too extreme for me - I have driven fast cars on the roads for years, but I did my first trackday recently and realised I know nothing about how to drive so I am kinda looking for a learner car. I realise these cars are "no frills", but having to shove the pedals around with no feedback through them (the brakes felt just like I was pushing a block of wood!) would take a lot of the fun out of it on track I think.

Perhaps I'm just looking for a basic 1.6 or 2.0 car on normal tyres with a brake servo . . . and I thought I was hardcore smile

Furyous

25,391 posts

245 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Non servo brakes are very different if you arnt used to them.

Was the engine a 6 pot Nissan ? I guess that would be a big lump to put in the front of a small Fury ?

Steering can be improved with better racks and solid mounts, brakes improved with better pads and discs.

Overall feel can be improved with chassis set up and good tyres with correct pressures.

See where this is heading ?

antnicuk

351 posts

212 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
the throttle and clutch should be fairly soft unless it had an uprated clutch in it. The brake pedal will always feel quite solid (no servo)and does take a little getting used to compared to a road car. Its like anything, you drive it a bit and get used to it. Its unusual to need a servo on a light kit car. I have a stylus with a bit of poke and the brakes work well, just need to get used to them.

Do you have a link to the car for sale, the spec may give a little more information.

singlecoil

35,802 posts

270 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
I believe I know exactly what you mean, and I fear that many kit cars are the same. The ones I drive in the course of my work tend not to have a pleasant 'pedal feel'. They can all be improved somemwhat. Careful attention to the clutch pedal ratio is often rewarded, and the accelerator feel and travel can often be improved too. The brakes, though, usually just a matter of getting used to them. Most kits there is no room for a servo, although Robin Hood 2Bs and others that use the original pedal boxes often have servos, at the expense of a higher bonnet line.

There are remote servos too, but you would need two for a dual circuit (now mandatory for IVA) brake system. I think, though, that if the pedal ratio is correct or can be changed,and the pads and the master cylinder sizes are suitable then the feel can be made acceptable.

Furyblade_Lee

4,114 posts

248 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
The brakes could be just a sizing issue with the mastercylinders (£40) or pad spec. Steering can be heavy if a quickrack fitted, but not excessive. Lots of castor for SVA centring can cause this heaviness, but can be wound out. My Fury was lightish steering, my Phoenix is heavy. All i can suggest is there are several hundred Furys out there and i have not heard them described as trucks before!!! Clutch, a different matter entirely, it could have anything from an uprated clutch unit to an installation issue causing the feel problem, unless you know the internals you cannot be sure.

Andy_sx

2,410 posts

230 months

Monday 27th July 2009
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I have a feeling it is this one, http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1140690.htm and the AP racing clutch could well have something to do with the firmness of the pedal...

But having said that, I WANT!!

FlatPack

1,019 posts

269 months

Monday 27th July 2009
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Furyblade_Lee said:
The brakes could be just a sizing issue with the mastercylinders (£40)
Quite - people just stick with the donor car master cylinder and caliper piston sizing which is designed for a servo system. Remove the servo and you end up with a brake pedal like a rock and no feel whatsoever. I drove a Striker with standard Sierra tandem master cylinder a few years ago and it was awful, brakes spoilt the whole car.

Slightly smaller bore master cylinder can greatly improve things smile

Bi22le

99 posts

204 months

Monday 27th July 2009
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I have a BEC without a servo and I thought they all had one! Once I spoke to MAC 1 regarding it he said that majority have no servo and it takes time to get familiar. Now I love it becasue it gives direct feel. I believe mine has a Mk2 Escort master Cylinder which gives a good front to back ratio. With a set of Willwood 4 pots up front the set up is ment to be good. Heavy clutch I agree with the other posts and heavy throttle is a strange one? Bad rooting of the cables backed up with a super strong spring? Kit cars seems to have clutch \ throttle cable issues so makes sure it rooted nice and straight where posible.

Obviously try driving others aswell. Unless you want that one!

Toltec

7,179 posts

247 months

Monday 27th July 2009
quotequote all
Andy_sx said:
I have a feeling it is this one, http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1140690.htm and the AP racing clutch could well have something to do with the firmness of the pedal...

But having said that, I WANT!!
I rather like the look of it too, unfortunately I need to sell one first.

aww999

Original Poster:

2,078 posts

285 months

Monday 27th July 2009
quotequote all
Yep, that's the car. I certainly wouldn't want to put anyone off going to look at it, it's a good car with lots of nice parts but it is a bit of an animal!

Toltec

7,179 posts

247 months

Monday 27th July 2009
quotequote all
aww999 said:
but it is a bit of an animal!
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