ab54666
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 08:55 PM |
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Which one
Hi all, a real newbie here, both on the tiger/avon and kit cars in general!
I've been looking around for a while at the different 7 type kits, and tiger seem to fit the bill and jolly nice guys as well!
But what I can't decide on (probably as I don't know enough about them) is which one?
Avon or Super 6 or Cat e1?
I'm not looking at a screaming track car, just a fun road car so i'm probably going the pinto route which'll be more than quick
enough (to start with!)
The Avon and Cat e1 are the same price so is there any reason to pick either?
Many thanks and hopefully this will be my first of many posts. 
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svenkev
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 09:08 PM |
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have you tryed an mk indy ?
gause thats the best
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DIY Si
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 09:10 PM |
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Now now, the bloke has picked Tiger, leave him to it!
Firstly welcome to the nut house. Secondly, no idea at all about the tiger range! But good luck with it anyway.
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
My new blog: http://spritecave.blogspot.co.uk/
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jacko
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 09:13 PM |
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Hi and welcome . Have a good look at other make,s
MK
MNR
Mc1 ect ect
Go and have a drive - ride in them 
Jacko
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RichardK
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 09:28 PM |
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Cue Hellfire & BEC
Seriously though welcome, as posted previously there are a multitude of 7 type manufacturers out there so try and get a ride in them if you can, I was
sort of restricted to the wide variety so decided to build my own You will spend rather alot of money on it when you add everything up at the end
so you gotta like what you end up with.
You won't go wrong on here though great bunch of helpful guys.
Take care
Rich
PS if you're new to building don't forget your safety goggles and thick welding gloves.
PPS you may want to add your location into your profile so people know where you are and maybe offer you a ride 
[Edited on 21/11/06 by RichardK]
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donut
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 09:31 PM |
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The only thing i have heard against the Avon is the difficulty in fitting the bodywork BUT it is a nice looking car. Have a test drive in a tiger as i
found that the foot well was too small for my size 11 feet!
Andy
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/
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JackNco
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 09:33 PM |
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From Tiger from what i knwo the Avon is a bit smaller n will be abit small over 6tf. but im told by tiger that the Avon has a better rear suspension
setup.
Ring them up apart from the girl that answers the phone (Who is helpful but sounded very distracted bored and got a bit short with me when i started
asking questions) they are all very helpful people
Some people are worried about the difference between right and wrong. I'm worried about the difference between wrong and fun.
O'Rourke, P.J. (1989), Holidays in hell. London (Picador)
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matt.c
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 10:32 PM |
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i wanted an avon utill i saw the bonnet gaps
like the others have said, there are plenty of kits around. Have a good look at the MK INDY BEC
Then make your own mind up.
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BenB
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 10:34 PM |
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Cat e1 has got that droopy nose cone that put me off.
Then again, I can't handle the huge gaps between the bonnet and the bodywork anyway towards the front.... And that happens on most of the Tiger
cars...
Of those cars I'd definately go for the Super6... costs a bit though...
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ab54666
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 11:14 PM |
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Thanks for the warm welcome! and suggestions
Sadly ive not driven any makes! Well other than when I was about 16 (a looooong time ago) in an old caterham which i can't remeber anything
about other than it's still the most fun i've had in a car to this day (many years on)
I'm 5'10 size 8 feet and weigh about 9.5 stone, so don't think the Avon will be too small, but take the point/advice re having a
drive. Someone mention the bonnet? Thats the bit I like most (the style not the poor fitting!)
I'm not the most mechanically minded (the last time I didn't take a car to a garage for anything more than a light bulb was about 15 years
ago) but did used to tinker with Mini's and even managed an engine swap so i'm sure i'd get the hang of it (possibly!).
One idea was to get one part built (i can hear you all cursing me now), and finish off the more minor (make that easier!) tasks myself.
I've seen a company called Chester Sports cars who will build one to what ever stage/spec you like, either that or buy a second hand one, tinker
till my hearts content and i've learnt a bt before having a go at building one from scratch.
What do ya reckon?
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DIY Si
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 11:18 PM |
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If that's the case, JoelP has his near(ish) completed car is for sale on here. £3k and it's use to tinker with and sva. If his isn't
already that is, as I can't remember. Or mine for £8 when I fix the clutch noise out.
“Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
My new blog: http://spritecave.blogspot.co.uk/
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JUD
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| posted on 21/11/06 at 11:21 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by matt.c
i wanted an avon utill i saw the bonnet gaps
like the others have said, there are plenty of kits around. Have a good look at the MK INDY BEC
Then make your own mind up.
I second that motion...
---------------------
MK Indy Blade
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marshall
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 07:28 AM |
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hi i am a tiger owner i am 6ft tall and i have a Avon. the body work was a pain
but it was not that bad .but if i had to do a tiger again it will be a cat e1 .my car has a 2.0L pinto and it is fast for now.
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Humbug
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 07:30 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by DIY Si
If that's the case, JoelP has his near(ish) completed car is for sale on here. £3k and it's use to tinker with and sva. If his isn't
already that is, as I can't remember. Or mine for £8 when I fix the clutch noise out.
8 quid! I'll have it for that and sell off the bits
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oliwb
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 08:01 AM |
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I've got a Cat-E1....its currently pinto powered but I've just got a zetec to go in it....My advice is to go try lots out....I
didn't and whilst I love the car I'm still having issues, particularly with Tiger. Graham at Chester sportscars is great, really helpful
and all round nice egg so give him a ring if your thinking about it. As to the other makes I can't really say.....Calvinix's GTS is a
nice bit of kit - shape is nice and not too big/small - but ppl have had problems with GTS and not many have been built yet which would put me off a
bit. I'm not a fan of MK's purely because they're so small....but then I've only seen one and it wasn't very well
finished IMHO. Out of the Tiger range I don't know what I'd buy.....If I'm being honest I really like the cat's bodywork and
hate the bulge in the Avon which would put me off....but then the rear suspension is a lot lighter in the avon. Depends what your after really.... If
your looking at a 6 don't bother if you've got that much money by an R6 chassis, wishbones etc and bodywork and do the rest
yourself......what ever you do DO NOT buy Tiger's donor pack they really rip ppl off by doing that.....bugs me. Fill in your location tab and
have a ride in as many different ones as you can....at the end of the day they're all similar so its how well they're finished thats sets
them apart really. If your anywhere near Aberdeen give me a shout and I'll be more than happy to give you the low down as I see it on the Cat
and Tiger in general. Also see the Tiger owners club forum at: http://www.tigerownersclub.co.uk Good bunch of guys and will give you sound advice.
Oli.
PS.
My top tip is to choose a supplier/manufacturer who lives closely to you. You'll need they're support and the closer to hand the better!
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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ab54666
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 08:41 AM |
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Maybe it's just me but I like the Avon bonnet lump! (it is just me isn't it?!)
I was smiling when I knew Tiger had a depot 5 miles from my house.....
Then two weeks ago they went and closed it 
I'm SE London/North kent, so unfortunately Caterham are my nearest now!
Oliwb, can you expand on the problems your still having with Tiger?
As people have said the Avon 'appears'to have better suspension options at the rear.
So any SE London/North Kent Avon owners out there?
Marshall, what power do you get from the 2l pinto?
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Furious D
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 12:23 PM |
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I was in a similar position and had decided on a Tiger or MK. When it came down to it i chose the Cat E1 and have a lovely example. Been really
pleased with it ever since.
As regards to power from a 2.0l Pinto mine is running twin 45's and on the rollowing road was pushing out 130bhp and 130 torque, which he said
was good for a standard engine.
D
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ab54666
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 12:48 PM |
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Other than the look and size, what are the differences between Avon, Cat, Super six etc etc?
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Fishface
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 01:33 PM |
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Ive got an avon and ive been very happy with it. The body gaps are neat and the body fitted well. I think the problems have been down to some of the
first kits, and bad workmanship. If you like the look etc go for it, tiger have been nothing but helpful and the tiger crowd nothing but brilliant.
Those are the reasons I choose. Tell me how many tiger owners do you see on the other kit car manufacturers sections saying dont buy their kit car buy
tiger instead???? We're too busy enjoying our crowd and our cars to waste time viewing their sections. The only problem of owning an avon is the
negative press that mainly comes from people not having one and only repeating the bad experiences of relatively few particularly in our section. So
if you fancy it get one if not, no worries.
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viatron
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 02:42 PM |
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Also built an avon and was generally happy with the quality including the bodywork, its wasnt a perfect fit but with a little fettling was totally
acceptable. The Avon handles very very well.
Mac
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andrew.carwithen
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 04:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by ab54666
Other than the look and size, what are the differences between Avon, Cat, Super six etc etc?
Avon is essentially Sierra based, has IRS using its own bespoke 'bones and uprights along with the Sierra diff, driveshafts and brakes. Front
uses Cortina uprights and hubs. It is also the smallest (and lightest) of the three but not necessarily cockpitwise. ('Lightning' fitted
in and he's 6' 4"!)
Cat is all Sierra based and uses the Sierra backend in its entirety (hence heavier) It has inboard front shocks and is the largest.
Six uses components from various donors. Cortina live axle at rear. Golf front hubs and steering column. It is a very robust car due to the larger
tubing used in its chassis. Its cockpit is probably the narrowest but overall it falls between the Avon and Cat sizewise.
The R6 (usually zetec powered) and B6 (bike powered) are lighter versions of the standard Six and are intended more for racing. They are the most
expensive of the Tiger 'sevens'.
HTH,
Andy.
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Schrodinger
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 05:08 PM |
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I built a Super Cat and was very happy with it, I started in May 2001 and SVA'd it in feb 2002. The Tiger owners list as previously mentioned
are a great bunch most of the time and there are some local groups who organise get togethers and most will take you for a spin. Tiger also has a
branch in Plumstead, whether that's any use to you I'm not sure. The current Cat has a very similar nose to the original Six so
doesn't droop so much.
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oliwb
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 06:49 PM |
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I don't really want to elaborate too much on the troubles as its all still a bit of a mess....suffice to say mine is built and on the road and I
love it to bits....in terms of the quality in general its very good but there are little things you'll come across which are a bit crap and seem
like an over sight on Tiger's part. I would echo other ppls feelings....have a go in as many as you can and then make your decision. I found
the Tiger owners to be fantastic and Tiger themselves about average for service until I hit mega problems. Their back up was very good at the time of
building with regard to explaining most bits...the manual is less than useless though and I got the "never seen/heard that before" alot
which isn't helpfull....On the whole I think that most of the suppliers seem to be much of a muchness. Everyone has small gripes with them at
some point. The main thing to say though is that I WOULD build another Tiger, I just wouldn't buy it from Tiger again! I'd go to chester
sportscars and I would do as much of it myself eg. paneling, upholstry, donor parts etc etc etc.....Plenty of Tiger owners near you though so get in
touch with some and have a look for yourself....Oli.
If your not living life on the edge you're taking up too much room!
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ab54666
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| posted on 22/11/06 at 11:53 PM |
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Ok,
I have to admit the MK Indy does look good......
Website isn't up to much mind you.
Do they do a windscreen?
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Hellfire
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| posted on 23/11/06 at 12:22 PM |
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Yes, they can supply a windscreen.
Phil
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