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Would you drive a replica / kit car?

epb

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Originally Posted by Smartalox
So I'm sitting here, contemplating the day when my second childhood will kick in, and I'm considering something in a roadster. Not something to break the bank, but a classic little two seater... a convertible... sporty... eye catching... a little rakish... and most importantly, fun to drive.

I'm not a fan of replicas, even the nicer ones like the Beck Speedster or 550. I'm more inclined to like the kits - Caterham, Cobra - but really, I think you're always better off finding a production car that fits you, and if you're not into tinkering you're better off getting something newer (which also doesn't scream "I'm trying to recapture my youth!").

Start by looking at the default - a 911 cab. The early 996s are about as much as a used Z4, new enough to be comfortable and reliable (aside from the typical M96 engine issues), and the 911 name means the street cred is baked right in.
 

Gus

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Beck makes a well known replica of the Porsche 550 Spyder. The performance specs are impressive, especially power to weight. There are always low milage examples to be had in mint condition. The styling is classic and people smile when they see them. They just look fun, and they are.


559_100_5448.jpg
 

Smartalox

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Originally Posted by Benzito
What about the Beck Speedsters and 550s? They've been doing those for 20 or 30 years.

I think there is a huge difference between a kit, that you are expected to build on your own with whatever parts you can cobble together, and a replica, usually built by a factory or garage to certain specifications. Since the OP was talking about buying a car basically ready-to-drive, I assume he isn't looking to do all (or any of) the work himself.


Actually I would not be against doing some / most of the work myself. I already maintain my '89 BMW, have swapped a few engines /drivetrains in my time, and even led the conversion of an 82 Malibu into a driveable hot tub back when I was in University. I certainly appreciate how doing one's own build and repair work enhances the pleasure of driving the car, but engineering things like crumple zones, side impact protection and modern conveniences like fuel injection engine management, ABS or a waterproof, retractable hard top are nice to haves that are somewhat beyond my skill set. As far as I am concerned, someone paid good money to engineer those systems, and I'd like to take advantage of that.

For me, a 'restorarion' - slaving to return an old car to its original condition is less favourable (seems more quixotic) than building something that looks sweet, runs well, and is fun to drive. Every decade or so, my uncle buys a 'project car' with the hope of restoring it. He plays with it for a year or two, then lets it rot in his barn for a decade, another victim of too much time devoted to work and family life, while he searched for the original parts he wanted to rebuild it. The latest was a Porsche 914, that he drove for all of 6 months in the 15 years he's owned it. If it had been my car I would have grafted in a modern powertrain, updated the brakes, wheels and tires, and maybe the seats from a Miata - and quickly hit the nearest autocross.

The 914 body may have a certain retro charm, but isn't my idea of classic good looks.

When I think of replicas, I wonder 'what's the point?' is the goal the faithfullness of the reproduction? Pure power? Those professionally-built 427 Cobra replicars may look sweet (I too have lusted after the Cobra) but IMO have proliferated to the point where they are hardly unique - every one I see I think 'Hmm... nice car, just like the one I saw a week ago; probably not an original, though'.



I think that my goals would be to have fun, and to look good doing it.
 

dcg

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Cobra kits seem awesome to me, but I don't really know anything about them. That's a whole different ballgame than trying to take a production car and make it look like something it's not, which I would never do.

S2000 seems conspicuously absent from your OP, but I am biased. What's your price range? Early S2000s and Boxsters can be had under $15k. Miatas and Z3s, much cheaper than that (personally I'd take a Miata over a Z3 (except the M), though it's understandable if the looks of either just aren't for you).
 

turboman808

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Beck makes a decent car. Thunder Ranch makes a better 550 spyder.

For guys who have never seen a good quality replica you should go to some vintage racing and check out Superformance.

CavGT also makes an amazing GT40 replica. IMO better then the Superformance, but CavGT doesn't qualify for vintage racing.


Also The CavGT and the Superformance are far better then the original and IMO better then the Ford GT. They really are that good.
 

spencers

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I'll take a Caterham 7. One of my favorite top gear segments was the building of this creature.
 

Smartalox

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Originally Posted by dcg
S2000 seems conspicuously absent from your OP, but I am biased. What's your price range? Early S2000s and Boxsters can be had under $15k. Miatas and Z3s, much cheaper than that (personally I'd take a Miata over a Z3 (except the M), though it's understandable if the looks of either just aren't for you).

The body of the S2000 looks good to me, but the engine not so much: peak HP and Torque come on at quite high RPMs (above 7000 rpm) and this would equate to a lot of shifting in daily-driver traffic, which I feel would diminish my enjoyment.
 

crazyquik

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Originally Posted by epb
I'm not a fan of replicas, even the nicer ones like the Beck Speedster or 550. I'm more inclined to like the kits - Caterham, Cobra - but really, I think you're always better off finding a production car that fits you, and if you're not into tinkering you're better off getting something newer (which also doesn't scream "I'm trying to recapture my youth!").

The problem is that, Lotus Elise/Exige aside, there aren't any modern production cars that provide an experience like a 550 Spyder replica, a knobbly Lister, a Cobra, a Caterham/Lotus 7, etc. The raw driving experience has been designed-out (or regulated away by the government) from anything built in the last several decades.

So you have two options:
- buy an old car and restore it
- buy a replica of an old car

The replica gives you a similar look and feel, but already 'restored' and ready to drive.
 

turboman808

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Originally Posted by crazyquik

So you have two options:
- buy an old car and restore it
- buy a replica of an old car

The replica gives you a similar look and feel, but already 'restored' and ready to drive.



No original car will ever be as fun to drive as a replica.

550 spyder is a cool car

550 spyder with disc brakes, independent suspension, syncro transmission, fuel injection, adjustable shocks, brake booster and modern tires is way cooler.
 

the.chikor

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Originally Posted by jkw
Not practical, but if it's a second car... I want one as a daily driver but it'll take a while until I'm old enough to insure it... I've spent far too long lusting after these on youtube
cobra-langhals-oh-BIG.jpg

I built a Shelby cobra kit car, mainly b/c my dad had an original 65 Shelby Cobra. The kit car was cool looking, but not even in the same league as the original. There are many different "kit" car manufacturers-some better than others-so check closely at what they have to offer before buying. Also, fiberglass is a pain in the rear end to finish and made it hard to ground the electrical-you had to run a lot of wire to the frame-the original aluminum was much better overall, IMO. There are kit car manufacturers who use an aluminium body-which is good. Check the suspension, make sure you are not getting some old Jaguar or Ford Mustang II suspension and Ford FMX transmission. You definitely will not get an original 427 side oiler engines-those are worth more than twice the kit car itself. The electrical kit was a joke on the one I built-it was a schematic from a Chevrolet Corvette with a box of wires! The door latches and mechanisms were as cheap as possible. The interior kit was also pathetic. I ended up tossing it and having the interior done professionally. The seats were also unsatisfactory for real use-cheap as hell and unsafe. Needless to say, I did not use them. So, check carefully at what "package" you are buying when investing in a kit car-there are tons of details that I am not covering that you need to think about. You need to make sure all the loose ends are tied up before taking on the task of building one of these things. BTW, this assumes that you already know how to build your engine, transmission, install and adjust your suspension, brakes, anti-lock, lines, master cylinder, proportioning valves, hubs, steering column-gear box or rack/pinion, cooling system, electrical-both engine and auto, rear end and fuel system. If you are not mechanically inclined or have no automobile, mechanical experience, I would not recommend that you attempt this endeavor; instead, look at a "turn-key" option-meaning the manufacturer builds the car for you to agreed upon specifications. If this has been dissuading-look up trying to ensure a "kit car." You used to have to go to a specialty insurer.
 

dcg

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Originally Posted by Smartalox
The body of the S2000 looks good to me, but the engine not so much: peak HP and Torque come on at quite high RPMs (above 7000 rpm) and this would equate to a lot of shifting in daily-driver traffic, which I feel would diminish my enjoyment.

That is, of course, the standard knock on the car. Still, I think it'd be worth a test drive to find out.

You could always go FI....
 

MrMonkey

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Replica car - no... I would rather save up and get the real deal. However, some of the kit cars can be pretty good. A friend looked into building a Phantom Vortex (nice looking GT, and in some of the finishes pretty classy)

However, I like the Caterham Seven. Although I think it has been refined heavily, the design is based on the Lotus 7 Chassis, and let's be fair, if you are looking for a great platform to build a lightweight sportscar, who would not look to Lotus

I believe the current running gear is Ford / Cosworth based too so parts not too steep, and again you want a good engine, Cosworth is a great name in the business.

Also, buying a kit as oppose to a 'replica' (yes, the Caterham is a notable replica of the Lotus Seven) you can hold your head high - Yes I have a Caterham, a car which is built to drive and will handle superbly... or, yes I have a Ford Cortina which I have made look like a Mercedes in a bid to appear cool...
 

MrMonkey

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Forgot to note on the S2000 - back in 2003 we had an S2000 on demo from the local Honda dealer 2 weekends on a run. Great driving around in an open top, apart from getting heatstroke!

Now, the S2000 - a good drivers car with an impressive engine. The model we took was bright yellow (which suprisingly looked pretty good) with black hood and interior. First, the basics. Radio CD player thingie - not too impressive. Gadgets, well, it's Japanse so you have the cool knight rider style digital readout. One you get over the novelty of not changing up a gear until 9000 RPM (which, really, don't change below 8500) you get to settle into what is actually a very well balanced dar. Good traditional layout - powerful engine at the front (providing you keep the revs up high), which make the wheels at the back go around. No silly computers to get you out of trouble. You don't need them, let the back end go, then a little flick of the wheel and you are heading in the direction you want again (and very quickly too!). Short of a V6, the engine has a very nice sound, which means that actually you will turn off the pretty naf CD device and just listen to the natural soundtrack that the car provides, which is much nicer!

A quick word of warning - if you have been playing in this car - beware of the centre console and transmission tunnel. Even with the roof off, this actually gets hotter than hell in summer. Great for cooking, not so good for keeping cool.

Other cars to consider, Nissan 350Z (hard top, forget soft top), Porsche Boxter (or Caymen if you fancy a roof), however like for like, I would probably say it's between the Nissan and the Honda...
 

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