Lotus seven or Caterham?

[LYNX]

I want to try hillclimbs and sprints this season but have yet to buy a car. I also want it to be in road going spec. and capable of driving to ( and hopefully from) the event. I have a National B race licence but have sold the last of our Formula Juniors. Any advice gratefully received. A seven was my first choice because the construction and rebuild is similar to a FJ car! Also I enjoyed the experince in one at Silverstone.

[LYNX]

Surely one of you has some useful comments to make i.e. what events the cars would be eligible for, engine size, classic v current, even wrong choice of car. Some helpful comments will be much appreciated

[fyrth]

It probably depends if you are buying the car you want and then competing, or competing in a particular sector and buying a car to suit! And do you want to run a classic or a modern?
You will find a useful resource at www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk which probably covers a lot of your questions.

[DaveK]

Lynx

What sort of Budget are you looking at ? (if its not to rude a question)

A Caterham or Westfield will be competitive in the road going classes, as long as you have the right spec engine, currently the leading cars have approx 230bhp +.

As Fyrth rightly says it all depends on do you want to win or just compete.

There are many regional championship that are good fun or you have the national leaders championship which follows the british series.

cheers

Dave

[LYNX]

[quote=DaveK]Lynx


As Fyrth rightly says it all depends on do you want to win or just compete.

Budget up to £20.000 as to winning, first I need to learn how to drive the car up a hill! Never tried it - so thought I'd like to have a go, will do a day course first. Based in Hampshire so will not want to travel more than 3 hours to an event. Have only ben involved in the Historic arena so have little knowledge of what else is available.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Westfields are lighter; Caterhams stronger; Lotus Sevens could be eligible for the Historic classes.

If you are looking to Road Going Modified then I would get a Westfield. The capacity split is as 1700cc. For the Up to 1700 class either a Rover K Series or a Vauxhall whilst for the Over 1700 class the 2 litre Vauxhall XE is the engine of choice.

I have noted that the majority of the winning drivers in Road Modified take their cars to events on trailers - just in case!

[Arm]

Steve. I would suggest its Caterhams are lighter and Westfields are stronger - due to the slightly different construction methods.

Both can be very competative and huge fun. Both are hugely fast when at the top level of the roadgong classes

Some nice Caterhams and Westfields for sale.

Ash M

[LYNX]

O.K. so 1700 cc is the cut off point. Debatable if the Caterham is the car of choice. The Lotus Seven does not meet requirements for Historic, or so I've been informed because it was designed with no doors. However one did creep into the Tour Britania and did rather well! Thought about a cheap saloon to learn with but which one? Need one that's easy to work on myself.

[jonners]

How about classic handicap classes in a Lotus 7? This would be a good start if you like the idea of the classic venues such as Prescott and Shelsley - probably do-able in 3hrs from (North) Hants

Don't get confused with the no doors thing in racing - speed events are different.

Lotus Elan?

Cheap saloon to learn venues and have fun? You could have a very fast bullet proof Impreza for a lot less than your budget. Or an Elise in class A2 of the ASWMC championship (are you north or south Hants??). Or a classic? How about a beautiful little Alfa 2000 GTV - again, would get you into the handicap classes.

When you say you need something you can work on yourself how skilled are you?? I know it sounds like a daft question but one of my cars might as well be the Space Shuttle as far as I'm concerned but others think 80's technology is semi-Jurassic these days....

[LYNX]

Originally Posted by jonners

When you say you need something you can work on yourself how skilled are you?? I know it sounds like a daft question but one of my cars might as well be the Space Shuttle as far as I'm concerned but others think 80's technology is semi-Jurassic these days....

When I was a student nurse the only way to afford a car on £33 a month was a spanner and Hayne's manual.......! However my husband is far more skilled!

I really want to be able to travel and compete alone when necessary as he has just retired from racing, mainly due to the hastle of loading and offloading plus the travel to the European circuits. I am based just outside Portsmouth, very South Hampshire.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by LYNX

I am based just outside Portsmouth, very South Hampshire.

Right then how about:

1) the Gurston Down Championship - just up the road near Salisbury

2) lots of sprints at Goodwood - again within a stone's throw of Pompey!

3) there is a sprint week-end at Longleat every year

4) Brighton's not that much further for the annual promenade sprint

That should give you 13 week-ends of competition without too much trouble.

Given these venues and what is on offer there I would tend to go for a Caterham or Westfield. Although an Elise would be as entertaining and may also be a more roadworthy alternative!

[LYNX]

Thanks Steve for your input. Probably the Caterham will fit the bill BUT now comes the next hard decision which model and package? An out and out racer will make a poor road car and likewise a road car will not be that quick. Still I do not expect to be a front runner but don't want to always at the tail either! Will have to buy the first car that ticks the boxes when I return to the UK, which is why I'm getting as much information as possible. Thanks to all who have or may yet post, or PM.

[jonners]

Which Caterham??

A mate of mine has a Superlight - ran it at Longleat the other year and double drove with a mate who normally runs a 7 with a big hairy Vauxhall engine. The mate was astonished by the speed of the Superlight and was in raptures about the handling.

Superlights are highly sought after now and fetch very good money. Might be worth a thought

[LYNX]

There are several on the Caterham website in or around my price range, but that may change by the time I return! PM from anyone with information of cars appreciated.

[LYNX]

Duplicated by site - have deleted!

[Arm]

Lots of info and help on the Westfield Club forum for sprinting and hillclimbing. Irrespectice of which car you end up buying. www.wscc.co.uk follow links to boardroom, register if you wish and post some questions its free unlike some !

(Thats said tongue in cheek)

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by jonners

Cheap saloon to learn venues and have fun? You could have a very fast bullet proof Impreza for a lot less than your budget.
.

They may be cheap and fast but certainly not bullet proof. ask somebody that works on them "all "the time. Especially ones that have been sodded about with !

[LYNX]

OK Gordon what do you consider cheap and bullet proof?

[LYNX]

Originally Posted by LYNX

OK Gordon what do you consider cheap and bullet proof?

Anyone else with a suggestion or maybe an anecdotal details of their first hillclimb/sprint car?

[Slow]

I know this is a shameless plug so here goes...

I know of at least one, so far bulletproof, saloon car that is ideal for starting in and ready to run

my 'waiting to become historic when the cut off moves again' 1988 2.7 BMW 3 series saloon.
Fully roadlegal modprod so can be driven to & from events, suitable for all level of events from club to leaders.

Use it for a season or two then move up to a Locatorfield of you choice.

Of course when competing you can get a good idea of which cars do well, and possibly find out more about what works well in paddock conversation compared with a forum

[Woolley]

Is that the red one? If so, it's a quick car for what it is, I'm always impressed by the way it pulls up the steep bits of Shelsley.

[GORDON STREETER]

LYNX Sorry I didn't get back. It Depends on what you feel comfortable in, whether its a saloon/sports/ two or four WD/ historic/modern or what ever.
As you will know its best to buy a car already done for the job. If I was going sprint/hill climbing I would go to a few and see what class appeals and type of cars that are normally front runners. I am not a SCOOBY knocker, its just that most I tend to see are thrashed by youngsters with no regard for anything mechanical and run stupid boost on a std engine.

[LYNX]

Cheer Gordon. Still researching!

[LYNX]

Having watched Top Gear assemble a Caterham on TV last night - I don't know how Caterham had the sense to allow the car to proudly sport a Top Gear sticker. Is it safe to buy one, even factory assembled - or was the sticker a tongue in cheek "buyer beware".

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by LYNX

Having watched Top Gear assemble a Caterham on TV last night - I don't know how Caterham had the sense to allow the car to proudly sport a Top Gear sticker. Is it safe to buy one, even factory assembled - or was the sticker a tongue in cheek "buyer beware".

You have to remember that Top Gear is now a comedy show!

You have the same potential problem with any self assembly car - i.e. did the guy who built it actually bolt it together properly?

I would suggest if buying second hand go for one that (a) has been run in competition, and then (b) ask on hear if anyone knows the car!!!