Kit car opinions

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scheherazade
DCAWD Groupie
Posts: 727
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:19 am
Location: nova

Kit car opinions

Post by scheherazade »

Old cars and track cars have caught my interest.

Does anyone have experience with any of these, or can chime in in general on the subject?

cobra (FFR MK4)
7 (Caterham/WCM/Locost)
LMP-ish (RCR/SL-C Ultralite Coupe - not many others I've found that are streetable and interesting)

I'd like to stay with something that I can register, so that I can take it for the odd trip, or drive to a track and back without all the hub-bub, or just plain move it from A to B easily.

Note : The SL-C is more expensive, but it comes as a rolling chassis with all new components.

-scheherazade
moxnix
Tricycle
Posts: 224
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 10:04 pm

Re: Kit car opinions

Post by moxnix »

Are you planning to buy or is this a building project?

Why not wait for the 818?
http://www.factoryfive.com/kits/project-818/

I know a few people from autox that have built cobra kits. Most of the local one seem to hang out on capital area cobra club.
http://www.capitalareacobraclub.com/

Flying miata has the westfield kit that other than being expensive I have not heard much bad about it.
http://www.flyinmiata.com/westfield/

For locost stuff the forum for people building one is
http://locostusa.com/forums/

The forum for ones that are built or any of the pre-built ones is.
http://www.usa7s.net/vb/index.php
scheherazade
DCAWD Groupie
Posts: 727
Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:19 am
Location: nova

Re: Kit car opinions

Post by scheherazade »

Buy/Build depends on how far I want to personally invest myself when the time comes.

If I bought one, I'd rather go cheap and just get one to drive like I stole it.
This approach pulls me more towards an already built cheaper-variant 7.

If I built a kit myself, I think I'd be of the mindset that : if I'm spending this much personal time on this car, I'm gonna make it a labor of love.
In which case I'd be more likely to want to build something like the SL-C with an LS + ricardo|porsche combination. And probably go ahead and build it for future FI, etc.
It'd be more of a baby (Or regrettable money pit..., lol).

The cobra is a bit in between, at least in my mind.
Built models aren't too expensive, and building doesn't seem too bad either.
It's got that little-car character, but space to go big with a motor should I ever want to.

Each one has a different character, with different things that appeal to me.



I still like elise's, and an elise has the trait that it gives you the 'purist' experience in moderation.
It's a different ratio of drivability vs livability, but it doesn't actually delete anything you'd be accustomed to having.

There's a WCM on craigslist right now for 22. Doesn't seem too expensive, but I lack the experience to judge price.
I looked at it when the guy went to an SCCA Solo event.
It was very nice, but I also realized that the caterhams I saw were a bit more appealing to me.
I kind of like the WCM for the s2000 motor... but I could see the extra 200 lbs it was carrying when the 7's ran back to back.
I also like the 'more classic look' of some of the other variants.



I can wait for the 818 - as I'm already waiting.
The soonest I'd move on this is in around a year.

The 818 seems like a good blend of classic roadster with modern racer.
But it makes me ask myself : Why not just get an elise, throw a supercharger on it, and call it a day?

-scheherazade
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