Hello all, just wondered if anyone can come up with a few good reasons why I should get a BEC? Was due to look at Meeerrrk's today but at the
last minute the wife said they are dangerous and not good value.
I have tried the performance and fun card, but she is not really buying it! The silly thing is she would rather I bought a Subaru Impreza or a lancer
EVO to use at weekends and the odd trackdays. She has even suggested a TVR Tuscan or a VX220 Turbo (Which I quite fancy myself but cost a fair bit
more than a BEC). I could but any of those cars but I know a BEC is cheap to run, good fun to throw around but she is concerned about the safety
aspect.
Any advice greatly appreciated, as want a weekend 'toy' and occasional track day thing, but at 36 years old feel I may be a bit old for a
Jap car?
Help me BEC forum....you're my only hope!
Lee
Divorce her and buy it. It'll be worth it in the long run...
I was about to buy a Tuscan and saw a post on Pistonheads.
'If you worry about the cost of an engine rebuild, this isn't the car for you'.
A ticking time bomb after 20k miles 
The biggest point I would say, is to buy at the right price, there are quite a few of those around, and face very little depreciation.
Looked into Tuscans and aware of the pitfalls, but when running right are fantastic, however come with fantastic running costs also!
BECs are smuch cheaper to run! Just got to persuade the wife now...
dont take her out in one! she will crap herself! lol. just go for it.there is some nice ones around at moment and even in this economic climate they seem to be selling!
1. Cheaper than kids - and less painful!
2. Have you looked at cobra's yet?
3. Safer than a bike
4. As ^^^, just do it - if she loves you she'll stay you might be in the doghouse for a bit but it'll be worth it.
5. Evo's and Imprezas are too common
Well from a safety point of view I have had my hardest and fastest "incidents" in BEC's including barrel rolling, walked away from them
all.
Cost, well £ per smile nothing to beat it.
Security, don't seem to attract tea leafs.
Insurance, cheap as chips...
When your out in it at least she knows your not down pub
Any more ?
quote:
Originally posted by Jon Ison
Well from a safety point of view I have had my hardest and fastest "incidents" in BEC's including barrel rolling, walked away from them all.
Cost, well £ per smile nothing to beat it.
Security, don't seem to attract tea leafs.
Insurance, cheap as chips...
When your out in it at least she knows your not down pub
Any more ?
you could always go the I wear the trousers in this house route
Buy a BEC then never take the bonnet off and claim there's a pinto under there
1.0 litre engine and cheap road fund licence worked for me!
It is not the engine she is bothered about, it is the safety aspect of the car!
Lee
I think you should do a big sell regarding how safe the whole roll cage makes them compared to any tintop without a cage (Absolutely true too so no
lies to be caught out on). And also how well they handle minimising the risk of an accident.
Oh and also how much cheaper than a tintop they are to repair after a big off or engine blowup.
[Edited on 29/3/09 by Ivan]
quote:
Originally posted by leemarkadams
It is not the engine she is bothered about, it is the safety aspect of the car!
Lee
quote:
Originally posted by leemarkadams
Looked into Tuscans and aware of the pitfalls, but when running right are fantastic, however come with fantastic running costs also!
BECs are smuch cheaper to run! Just got to persuade the wife now...
get one with a full cage - annoying to get into but almost the safest thing you could buy
Show her a car with a full roll cage and explain to her that because the car has such a low centre of gravity, it is far less likely to roll over than
any other car she cares to mention. Tintops may look safer but I know which one I'd prefer to have an accident in. I'm not sure where
she's coming from on the 'value for money' front either. I'd say most sevens hold their value extremely well compared to other
performance cars on the market.
Also, because they're usually brightly coloured and loud, they're easily noticed on the roads.
Try those and let us all know how you get on. If they don't work, I'm sure we can come up with some more........
Phil
Don't get any of the other cars you mentioned in your posts. They will cost you more to buy, more to run and on a track you will outrun most of
them in a reasonable 7.
Imagine trundling round a circuit in a Scooby/VX220/Elise or whatever - just to be overtaken by every 7-type car there... I think you would find that
a bit annoying after a while. To get those sort of cars as quick & agile for a track you will have to spend quite a bit of fettling cash.
I was at a trackday with a guy in a Tuscan last year. His engine rebuild cost more than my car and 3 years running costs to date. Much as I love TVRs
I would stick to RV8s for lower running costs.
It sounds as though BEC/CEC isn't the issue - but the notion of a 7-style car.
Frankly applying logic probably won't work on SWMBO - but everything that has been said about full cage, 4/6point harnesses etc is valid.
Do what I did - threaten to get a bike and then hit SWMBO with the stats about deaths in middle-aged bikers. Then manage expectations down to a
BEC.
Interesting to see she thinks an Elise would be "safer". Perhaps a Fisher Fury would kid her into thinking there is as much plastic bodywork
around you?
Mark's car (Meeerrrk) is excellent, you won't go far wrong with it. Peddled really well round Lydden last week. I am sure you could get a
full cage on that if it was the tipping point for your missus. Search on here for the company that does them - can't remember the name at the
moment.
If all that logic doesn't work then divorce is the only answer
You know it makes sense.
Well, the discussion continues....
She is getting a Louis Vitton handbag and I can get a BEC as long as I have a cage fitted (sooner rather than later).
So, where would be the best place to get a cage fitted and what sort of money would I be looking at?
Where do people tend to meet up with these cars?
Thanks
Lee
Can't see your problem. Ain't BEC's for girls anyway!!!! LOL
Build it in alonside the chassis I guess.
For some reason the only problem my missus has is that I'll break parts trying to fit it all together. Mind you I get the feeling she
doesn't think I'll ever start/finish it!
Tell her it's safer than being on a bike, that's what i told the misses, she seemed quite happy with that, she told me i need decent
tyre's ,??? so got some toyo's888 did'nt show her the bill mind!!!
My wife wasn't convinced at all about BECs, she just thought that the lack of torque would make the car hard to drive and slow and would have
preferred a car engine.
Her first passenger ride in one (Duncan Cowper's Turbo 'busa Rush) convinced her otherwise.
Nick
Hi all, well it is starting to look a lot rosier now as a full roll cage would swing it!
So, hoping to look ar Meeerrrk's car soon and go from there.
Lee
A hand bag and a roll cage - that wasn't too hard to sell then
Check here for some ideas on full cages.
Get it done!
Stupid thing is the handbag will cost twice the cost of a roll cage!
Just got to go and see the car now.....
Lee
as said to you via email lee, aries supply a full msa approved cage for 400 notes.
Also as said, when you have the money & a wife who is "on board" then please get in touch.
good luck with the car hunt,
Mark
Start taking bike lessons.
THEN she will panic and be happy for you to buy a super safe BEC
quote:
Originally posted by leemarkadams
She is getting a Louis Vitton handbag and I can get a BEC as long as I have a cage fitted (sooner rather than later).