Help me choose a Summer-fun classic-car

[manalishi]

If only! The #1 issue is the stingey size of my 1930s garage. So the Excel is just too long. (Is quick though, a friend had one had and I was taken on a quick blat around the country roads near Sudbury.)

And also: No British cars, they hold zero appeal to me. Yes, it's a prejudice. I can't get over it.

Westfield = same weatherproofing issue as Caterhams and Morgans. So, nice but no.

Barchetta... my LHD bias is because it's a manual. I don't want to switch from LHD manual to RHD manual (my daily driver is a manual Aygo). Done that before (when I used to travel back from Dubai). Having to readjust is a pain, each car swap I'd spend ages bashing the door while reaching for a gearstick which wasn't there. Been there, done that. Grrr...

 

[st4]

Caterham is the best. For fun a RWD car is what you want.

Shame, you can get one with 'busa engines etc.

Failing that, an MX5 is a good car and a reliable fun way to have summer fun

 

[300CE]

Caterham is the best. For fun a RWD car is what you want.

Shame, you can get one with 'busa engines etc.

Failing that, an MX5 is a good car and a reliable fun way to have summer fun

Good idea *** - A fella i know has one of these Fury Kit Cars with a GSX 1100 lump in it and comes out for a spin with my mates on our bikes. Different and unbelievably quick round the twisties, can pretty much keep up with the bikes. He paid about £6k for it on ebay. I've found some info about em' on the net:

BGH Geartech Ltd - Fury Sports Cars

Fisher Fury R1 Kit Car Build (check out the proposed spec at the bottom of the page for this R1 engined model!)

 

[Sonny Burnett]

oh dear!

 

[st4]

Good idea *** - A fella i know has one of these Fury Kit Cars with a GSX 1100 lump in it and comes out for a spin with my mates on our bikes. Different and unbelievably quick round the twisties, can pretty much keep up with the bikes. Found some info about em' on the net:

BGH Geartech Ltd - Fury Sports Cars

Fisher Fury R1 Kit Car Build (check out the spec at the bottom of the page!)

Thats just what you want for a second fun car.

Something light.

Lotus Elise with civic type R engine also a belting motor.

 

[Bob S]

Triumph TR6 .............but then I'm biased............ Here's mine

 

[bolide]

So you were at Crystal Palace as well, eh?

Nick Froome

 

[A140driver]

Triumph TR6 .............but then I'm biased............ Here's mine

That's absolutely stunning, I'm partial to a TR. I'd eventually like to work up to a TR5 or 6. Lovely photo too. Sorry for going off-topic.

 

[Ade B]

So you were at Crystal Palace as well, eh?

Nick Froome

Yep - had a super day


Ade

 

[Tan]

If door opening is an issue, how about a BMW Z1 with its slide away doors.

 

[wemorgan]

Give this thread a couple more days and I think every small classic car ever made will have been mentioned.

So in that spirit, Lotus Elan (M100-turbo of course) has not been mentioned yet I believe

 

[manalishi]

Z1!!!!! Nice solution to the space thing, but have you seen the price of them? Plus, they're LHD only.

Lotus Elan was mentioned on page 1. I remember that it did very well at one of the magazine's handling tests. But it's British... Same for the TR6.

On the bike-engined things, the car would have to be superlight (and I've ruled out the Caterham+alikes). Only the S800 fits that bill, and there are some bike engined S800s around, including a ZX12-engined one on YouTube. Seems a bit sacrilegious? (A propos of these tiny Hondas, here's Jenson Button driving his S600 around Monaco's hills: YouTube - Jenson Button in Honda S600 )

No-one's spoken up for the Clio Williams? Maybe it's been overshadowed by all of the faster Clio variants? The S800 seems to be very rare. Have found a forum, but the for sale ads are few and far between.

So, on balance it seems to be between the MX5, X1/9, CRX and Montecarlo. X1/9 and Montecarlo have the age/rarity thing going for them; MX5 and CRX probably have reliability going for them.

Unless anyone with a Brabus Smart Roadster can put in a good word for the gearchange? (It would certainly fit in the garage... actually, it'd probably go in the shed!)

 

[312 Sprinter]

Renault 5 turbo hasn't been mentioned yet.

The S800 is indeed rare, and highly rot prone. You don't fancy the idea of the VX220?

I built a friend of mine a Punto engined Fiat Cinquecento a few years back. They're a cheap little city pocket rocket given the right tweaks. It all depends on what you actually want the car to do?

 

[thebook]

Renault 5 Maxi Turbo gets my vote...

 

[Bellow]

I was going to suggest late model 3.2 Carrera (last of the torsion bar 911s) but to keep within budget, it would be a restoration job - they rust!

Re Williams Clio, probably are eclipsed by later models and would be like buying an RS something Ford - limited number and a long wait for prices to rise could leave you scared to actually use it. And to some extent, just another FWD hot hatch.

A more interesting range of front drivers from Alfa surely? But if they wont fit in the garage, how about a Fiat 20V Turbo? I'd wager a future classic, not least as an early Bangle.
Early Saabs are quite compact...

PS.
Almost forgot.
Smart gearchanges are nothing like as bad as people moan. Firstly, the up-shifts are no slower than the speed you would normally up-shift a manual with a degree of mechanical sympathy. It may appear to take longer, but that's just because you have nothing to do meantimes. The speed can be improved via software, but I transformed the speed of up-shift on my fortwo with engine breathing mods!
Downshifting - I can hammer down the box blipping as I go as fast as anything.
Where they can be a bit lazy is when a downshift is required without a big drop in road speed - overtaking or corner where no braking is required. Anticipation helps greatly and adds to the involvement.
No matter what speed it changes gear at, it is always pleasant in use. It is a switch after all. I would hate to think what an X19 with a sloppy linkage would be like.
Bottom line for any smart. Try one before buying and bear in mind the gearchange can be mastered, and once it is, can be hugely enjoyable.

 

[manalishi]

I had the R5 Gordini on my original list. Not been able to find out much about them yet. I remember my best friend's GF wrestling with torque steer in her 5 Turbo. As for those mid-engined monsters... super-spendy now at over £30k. :-o

312 Sprinter - funny that you mention engine Fiat swaps: the Uno Turbo engine seems to be a popular swap for the X1/9's 85bhp original. (And some owners have even shoehorned in the Alfa Romea 3.2 V6).

VX220? I'm sorry, but it's just too ugly to be seen with.

Results of nerdy Googling (well, things are a little slow now that I've closed the shop) show the CRX to have by far the bext BHP/tonne. And I could get an MX5 anytime. So I think it's now down to X1/9, Montecarlo and CRX.

(I can't believe that the Montecarlo is only 4cm bigger than the CRX...)

 

[wemorgan]

Honda : Honda CRX Vtec - Engine rebuild/ Full respray

£3k looks very good value considering the engine and bodywork

Owned by a CRX forum member too: CRX-UK :: Log in

 

[manalishi]

Just seen an old Ebay ad that shows the Montecarlo with colour-coded plastic cladding and front end. Looks a lot sharper:

(Not sure if the bonnet-wing panel gap is a 'feature' or a problem?)

Will - thanks for that link.

Bellow - OK, let's put the Smart Roadster back on the list. Budget might just stretch to a Brabus version.

 

[s88]

you will be doing well if you can find a few of those cars??

how about TVR S 2, cheap as chips.

 

[BlackC55]

If you want a car that handles don't buy a Smart roadster. They handle terribly. The understeer is horrendus!