Afro
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| posted on 11/8/03 at 07:53 PM |
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Locosts versus alternatives
Hi,
I am currently building a locost, but cannot as yet decide whether to build a racer or a road car.
Motorsport is definately something I'd like to give a go, and to me the series that look like good fun and have a potentially sensible budget
are :
Locost
XR2 Challenge
MG's .. (in a midget or MGB).
Minis
Does anyone have any input on the merits or negatives of any of these series?
I am sure you will all be naturally in favour of the locosts, but for what reasons?
If it aint broke... it will be soon
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D Beddows
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| posted on 11/8/03 at 10:20 PM |
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Depends a lot on what you know and who you know.............
XR2 Challange......bodywork will be the main issue - I would imagine it's a lot like 750 MC's stock hatch championship - loads of
understeer and loads of 'enthusiastic' drivers knocking hell out of your bodywork
MGs - don't know much about this one but I'll bet it's not cheap to be competitive/fix the car.
Minis - loads and loads of cash unless you know the right people - not cheap even then........
Locost isn't realy lowcost either but probably the best handling of the 'cheap' cars.
Locost is cheapest, hatchbacks probably make you feel like you're a touring car driver (good Locosts will embarrass you though.....) Minis are
pretty much rich boys toys nowadays dunno about MGs 
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Mark Benson
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| posted on 12/8/03 at 12:28 PM |
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I chose Locost because it was;
Affordable - as much as motor racing ever is. But parts are still available from scrappies, through motor factors having been reconditioned or new
since there are still plenty of X-Flow engines in service. MGs and the like are 'classics', with all that entails cost-wise. Plus, we
have less bodywork to replace than most, what there is can be replaced using sheet metal rather than pre-formed parts.
A 'proper' racing car - Hot hatch racing is all well and good, but you're driving a shopping car modified for the purpose of racing
it. It's a compromise from the wrong wheels being driven to the high CofG. The Seven design may be long in the tooth, but its closer to that
of a 'proper' racing car and was designed for the purpose.
Well supported - in these days of dwindling grids, the Locost series is a bit special in that there are loads of competitors, meaning that there will
always be people at your skill level, from complete novice upwards. You will have someone to race whether you're in pole or at the back, I see
so many races where the field is so small and so diverse that after lap one they become a procession of evenly spaced cars. Not so in Locost, we have
so many entries we get heat races and finals too, meaning we get two races for the price of one (well, those of us who don't automatically
qualify for the final that is....).
Raced a Locost for a couple of years, then bought an Elise.
Now back building a Fisher Fury, can't yet decide on V8 power (which I already have waiting to go in) or some kind of V6 (which I'd have
to buy, when I can sell the Elise, if I sell the Elise).
I'm not the most decisive person in the world.
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ned
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| posted on 12/8/03 at 01:39 PM |
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don't forget that a locost with a bike engine could run in RGB (road going bike engined) 750mc series. There are also regional championships
that have classes suitable for a kit cars eg semsec, darlington & district, northern sports cars etc.
stock hatch or karting are other cheap ways of getting into motorsport. Karting either on short or long circuit gives you excellent amounts of track
time for little money and is quicker than you might think (european superkarts were lapping donington at 1min34 at the weekend!)
Whatever you decide to race you will always have to spend lots more money to be at the front, however good a driver you are (IMHO) whether it be new
sets of tyres or better engine builders etc etc.
food for thought...
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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Viper
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| posted on 12/8/03 at 04:12 PM |
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Motorsport = big black bottomless pit , just chuck your pay packet in each month
Bloody good fun though
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Afro
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| posted on 12/8/03 at 04:23 PM |
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Hmmn.. bottomless pit... I've been somewhere like that before.. in my paper-round and saturday job days we used to call it Mountain Bike
Racing.
Now I work full time so need a bigger bottomless pit plus I'm far too lasy to bust my lungs hauling my ass up 1:3 hills anymore... the
altitude does something funny to my beer gut
[Edited on 12/8/03 by Afro]
If it aint broke... it will be soon
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