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which BEC to buy
simo - 8/4/12 at 06:06 PM

Hi all, i am new to the site and have been looking around at BEC kit cars for past couple of months been out in a westfield megablade but carnt decide if to get a megablade or a mk indy with r1 engine.

the megablade is very quick although i feel like im just paying for a name compaired to the mk indy which are cheaper but is there a reason for this ie handling or parts.

sorry if this has been covered many times before.

budget wise 8k maybe 9k max.

also dont know alot about Bike engines, as have never had a bike before only cars dont mind a little work as i have rebuilt 2 cars before so mechanics aint an issue.

cheers for the help.


ASH3 - 8/4/12 at 06:14 PM

Oh no time to run for the hills ....
Sure you will soon be running with us all
And welcome to the mad house.


simo - 8/4/12 at 06:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ASH3
Oh no time to run for the hills ....
Sure you will soon be running with us all
And welcome to the mad house.


haha cheers see you have a mk indy with a blade engine how does that handle?


Davg - 8/4/12 at 06:42 PM

R1 Indy for sale at the mo, where are you based?

Cheers D


fimi7 - 8/4/12 at 07:13 PM

I have an Indy R and nothing wrong with it, but if you have the money and can afford it, spring for the Megabusa. Nice kit, but the initial cost is higher. Not sure if the long term cost works out to get the MK up to that level.


mark chandler - 8/4/12 at 07:46 PM

Early basic blade engine is ~£450, R1 maybe £550 these days, both well proven in BEC's.

So in reality then you are paying for condition not the lump, I would expect to pay £5000 tops either way, your budget would stretch to a Busa powered BEC, but then it needs dry sumping really to be safe.

Personally I would save the money and get something a bit scruffy and track it, anything tidy will suffer on airfield track day due to stone damage.

These cars devalue as fast as any road car, just bottom out at £2000 - £3000 really, expensive ones do not sell.

Regards Mark


turbo911 - 8/4/12 at 08:39 PM

There's also others available mac#1 for me!!! there's a nice tidy orange one for sale on ph Looks the right kind of money too !!!!!!!!!!


simo - 8/4/12 at 09:58 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Davg
R1 Indy for sale at the mo, where are you based?

Cheers D


based in warrington northwest only got 3.5k saved up-to now so doubt you would let it go for that now lol


simo - 8/4/12 at 10:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
Early basic blade engine is ~£450, R1 maybe £550 these days, both well proven in BEC's.

So in reality then you are paying for condition not the lump, I would expect to pay £5000 tops either way, your budget would stretch to a Busa powered BEC, but then it needs dry sumping really to be safe.

Personally I would save the money and get something a bit scruffy and track it, anything tidy will suffer on airfield track day due to stone damage.

These cars devalue as fast as any road car, just bottom out at £2000 - £3000 really, expensive ones do not sell.

Regards Mark


cheers for the reply,

it will only get used now and again on track mainly for summer round the roads as all my m8's have bikes so save the hassle of getting bike license leathers etc would be cheaper and easier to get a bec car, im a little confussed with your post are you saying i can pick up a bec kit car for £2000? the issues i was looking at was how well they have been made and if the chassis will with take the power of the car. as most westfields and mk indy's are well known and mainly well built dont fancy a cheap as chips car that wont last more than 2 laps of the ring.


simo - 8/4/12 at 10:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by turbo911
There's also others available mac#1 for me!!! there's a nice tidy orange one for sale on ph Looks the right kind of money too !!!!!!!!!!


think that one has been sold if its the same one.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3309796.htm

but does look a nice tidy car.

was also having a quick look at this also whats your thoughts

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3405391.htm


simo - 8/4/12 at 10:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by fimi7
I have an Indy R and nothing wrong with it, but if you have the money and can afford it, spring for the Megabusa. Nice kit, but the initial cost is higher. Not sure if the long term cost works out to get the MK up to that level.


not to keen on the busa for the extra cost carnt rearly see the gain but may be proven wrong.
idealy blade or r1 engine as both engines are cheap to come by plus its what my m8's ride so they will know how they work and how to fix them lol.

im just wondering how well the mk indy handles compaired to the westfield megablade as that thing never lost grip what so ever was on yoko advan tyres with spax suspension and ap callipers. pro race 1.2 wheels every thing else was standard.

tried compairing them off you tube videos.


mark chandler - 8/4/12 at 10:41 PM

You will struggle to find a decent BEC for £2000, but should be able to pick up a Westfield with crossflow or CVH for low pennies, rip that out and sell the engine and box on then drop a bike engine in.

I’m just saying the premium for a bike engine is not worth the extra cost, cheaper to build in many cases yet sold for more money, it’s a mystery to me

Do not overlook Fisher Fury's and Sylvia's either, these do pop up cheaply and with aero make a good choice with a bike engine.

If you are after just tracking and not a detailing/buffing person then you do not want to pay for immaculate, slide into the gravel at a track and the side will be scratched up, have a look for ex-RGB cars maybe.


Regards Mark


mark chandler - 8/4/12 at 10:55 PM

This looks like it has potential ....

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3780370.htm

however

SPAX sucks....

And by 2005 all R1's would be injected so you have room to argue on price.

Whatever you buy you need to ensure its has a 3.38 or 3.14 diff ro allow £300 for this if Sierra based, live axle will be a struggle to get a diff to suit.

Mine as N/A hit the rev limiter at Lydden and Brands, with a turbo and 3.14 diff still does

If not in a hurry something cheap will pop up.


Regards Mark


simo - 8/4/12 at 11:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
This looks like it has potential ....

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3780370.htm

however

SPAX sucks....

And by 2005 all R1's would be injected so you have room to argue on price.

Whatever you buy you need to ensure its has a 3.38 or 3.14 diff ro allow £300 for this if Sierra based, live axle will be a struggle to get a diff to suit.

Mine as N/A hit the rev limiter at Lydden and Brands, with a turbo and 3.14 diff still does

If not in a hurry something cheap will pop up.


Regards Mark


i agree with the spax suspension bilistein would be my preffered option. im having a good look around and considering building my own although its the chassis that has me worried as i dont want it to twist with the instant power on tap all time from the bike engine. how much roughly would you be talking to build a westfield styled fireblade kit car.


coppins999 - 9/4/12 at 01:55 PM

Hi, I was in the same sort of position as you with similar top budget but ideally looking to spend £5k to £7k. Ended up buying this R1 powered Locost:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3739389.htm

Had looked at a few other cars, but most were up north and hence harder to go look at for me as I'm in Somerset.

In the last month or so I would say it would be very difficult to find a BEC for less than £4500 and anything around the £5k prices sell quite quickly. The first BEC I went to see was a very tidy Stuart Taylor with fireblade engine in Kettering. It was on eBay and sold for £5000 on auction and after seeing some other cars afterwards was well worth the money. The winning bidder was apparently from Holland and bought without viewing.

Around the £7k+ mark you should be a bit more fussy, but a high price does not guarantee it will be great. I viewed a Westfield Megablade at over £8k that had a few niggles and both engine and diff oil leaks.

For reference the car I bought has a great specification and goes nicely, but is in well 'used' condition and has been tracked a bit. I think it was a bit of a bargain and I was first to see and buy only three days after being advertised.


van cleef - 9/4/12 at 03:34 PM

if I had my choice again I would of gone for a later fuel injected blade or a R1 powered car. Busa's engined car's a little rich in price and a replacement is a bank breaker.....better buying a car with an engine that won't cost the earth to replace.

I'm away to be on my third 919 blade engine in just over a year and these engines are a little long in the tooth, unless you can find a low mileage one.

1st the sprocket adapter let go releasing the prop at 70 mph
2nd I bought an unknown engine with a goosed box but ran it for about 300 miles until I got sick
3rd I bit the bullet and bought and waiting to arrive an engine from Andy bates because I didn't want the hassle of buying another unknown engine out of a bike and having to do it all over again. Least with Andy you'll know it's a good engine.


Smigga - 9/4/12 at 04:52 PM

I looked for 4 months for a CEC kit around the £5k mark and ended up spending £8k on a Megablade! More around than when I was looking in winter but a decent BEC of any sort will be £6k up unless your very lucky IMO, as has been said if you want a track toy and your handy with the spanners maybe a project would be a way of working to a lower budget, you can get a tidy CEC Westy or £4k if you look hard. Personally I'm happy I got a Westy and a blade as they are strong if looked after and cheap to work on, mine must be 12 years old and it pulls like a goodun with no leaks etc. I think the Megablade is a bit smaller than an MK so that may be a consideration to you. There's a lovely black one on PH but it's over £10k. BECs are generally quite pricey I found.
All comes down to what you, definitely a new experience to most driving a BEC and they are revvy and noisy in most cases perhaps not suited to pople who want a quiet cruiser, its what you want it for at the end of the day, and once you start looking ya budget is NEVER enough! I'm only up the road from you so if I can be of help let me know...
... pound for punch I'd say mine was worth every penny, I just wish I could stop spending more on mods! But that's another story...

Dave


jacko - 9/4/12 at 05:17 PM

Don't forget the price of cars are going up now the summer is getting closer
Jacko


bigfoot4616 - 9/4/12 at 06:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
You will struggle to find a decent BEC for £2000, but should be able to pick up a Westfield with crossflow or CVH for low pennies, rip that out and sell the engine and box on then drop a bike engine in.

I’m just saying the premium for a bike engine is not worth the extra cost, cheaper to build in many cases yet sold for more money, it’s a mystery to me


Regards Mark


cost soon adds up though with all the other stuff needed for an engine swap. haven't got a clue how much i've spent but i know its over 3k and that was just to go from bike engine to bike engine, 919 blade to 5vy r1.


Smigga - 9/4/12 at 06:38 PM

There's a few on eBay btw, nice lookin MK blade on £5k but not met reserve and a blue Westy blade for £7.5k but it's not as nice as mine lol only IMO of course

Dave


andyfiggy2002 - 9/4/12 at 06:56 PM

FOR SALE


Waitey - 10/4/12 at 11:46 AM

Buy mine haha

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3791286.htm


simo - 10/4/12 at 11:56 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Waitey
Buy mine haha

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3791286.htm


i was looking at yours on pistonheads yesterday nice looking motor.

wish had the extra money to buy now