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Author: Subject: Best 1400 for 1400?!
lsdweb

posted on 21/5/08 at 08:53 PM Reply With Quote
Best 1400 for 1400?!

Hi All

I'm having a cr*p time getting my single seater ready for the season and it's disappearing very quickly! I'm also very busy in work etc so don't really have much time to get it sorted.

I'm half tempted to buy something to run in the road going up to 1400cc class for the rest of the season and then sell it on.

So, any suggestions for a suitable road car up to 1400cc for a budget of around £1400? I could run a 2 litre TD (50% of cc then times 1.4 for turbo!) in this class but probably a bit pricey.

One option I've considered is to buy a Cat D salvage car (e.g. Rover 200 or MGZR) as I may put some more damage on it anyway!


Wyn






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TimC

posted on 21/5/08 at 09:08 PM Reply With Quote
106 Rallye - almost certainly the ONLY sensible choice.What's £800 and a trip to Scotland in the grand scheme of things?

[Edited on 21/5/08 by TimC]






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phelpsa

posted on 21/5/08 at 09:37 PM Reply With Quote
Pug 205/106.

Theres nowt that can match it for the money.






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MikeRJ

posted on 22/5/08 at 12:04 AM Reply With Quote
AX GT/GTi
205 Rallye (if you can find one)
Suzuki Swift

Rover 200 isn't a bad idea, but you should be able to pick up a nice one for under your budget, let alone a write off.

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eznfrank

posted on 22/5/08 at 06:34 AM Reply With Quote
This may sound like an odd suggestion but the Ford Puma 1.4 handles like a go kart.
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will121

posted on 22/5/08 at 07:27 AM Reply With Quote
how about a Metro GTI 1400 16v k series, definatly like a gocart and must be cheap now if you can find a solid 1!
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phelpsa

posted on 22/5/08 at 07:39 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by will121
how about a Metro GTI 1400 16v k series, definatly like a gocart and must be cheap now if you can find a solid 1!


Finding a solid one is the problem. They pretty much always have hidden rot somewhere, especially around the subframe mounts / sills / jacking points.

You really can't go far wrong with a 205 XS. 80bhp as standard from a lightweight all ali engine, proven chassis with many many upgrades available off the shelf. Alternatively the AX GT has exactly the same (TU3S) engine, and the 205 GTX and AX GTi have a fuel injected version.

[Edited on 22-5-08 by phelpsa]






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Davey D

posted on 22/5/08 at 08:36 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
This may sound like an odd suggestion but the Ford Puma 1.4 handles like a go kart.


isnt the Puma is built on a fiesta chassis? so you could just buy a 1.4 fiesta instead, and it would be loads cheaper






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phelpsa

posted on 22/5/08 at 08:37 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Davey D
quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
This may sound like an odd suggestion but the Ford Puma 1.4 handles like a go kart.


isnt the Puma is built on a fiesta chassis? so you could just buy a 1.4 fiesta instead, and it would be loads cheaper


They didn't make a 1.4 version of the fiesta though did they?

It was a 1.25 Zetec, 1.3 Endura or 1.6 Zetec.






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iank

posted on 22/5/08 at 08:49 AM Reply With Quote
I think they did sell 1.4 Zetec SE fiestas, but not that many (relatively) as the 1.4 isn't really much better than the 1.25 for the jobs people who buy new Fiestas want them to do.

Engine details here ->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_fiesta





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Anonymous

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MikeRJ

posted on 22/5/08 at 09:20 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Davey D
quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
This may sound like an odd suggestion but the Ford Puma 1.4 handles like a go kart.


isnt the Puma is built on a fiesta chassis? so you could just buy a 1.4 fiesta instead, and it would be loads cheaper


The Zetec SE is a pretty good engine, but can't hold a candle to the later 16v K Series in standard form (88bhp vs 103bhp).

The GM 1.4 Ecotec is also not a bad engine, but unfortunately finds itself housed in dull, poor handling cars such as the Astra and Corsa.

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iscmatt
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posted on 22/5/08 at 10:18 AM Reply With Quote
Just to confirm yes to 1.4 Zetec. I owned one a few years back, it was a 16v and fairly rare. I often kick myself for not keeping it and putting it in my kit car!!

The car was written off though the engine was fine, but at this time i had no idea i was going to build a kit car so it went to scrappy! Doh!! (though someone else may have got hold of the engine for their build)

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D Beddows

posted on 22/5/08 at 10:36 AM Reply With Quote
My wife has an Astra with a 1.4 Ecotec and I can't say it does much for me - revs happily enough round to 7k but it just gets louder rather than faster, hardly what you'd call exciting.... handling is fine for Great Aunt Ethel to get safely to the shops and back but not much else. The 1.4 Zetec is similar but even less interesting in my experience - so there's no competition really, as far as I can see it has to be something French or something with a K series engine

[Edited on 22/5/08 by D Beddows]

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eznfrank

posted on 22/5/08 at 11:14 AM Reply With Quote
Depending on how much time you want to spend under the bonnet, I bet you could pick up a Renault 5 Turbo on that budget. Is the turbo going to shunt you up a class though?
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britishtrident

posted on 22/5/08 at 12:18 PM Reply With Quote
You will find a Rover 200 at auction for pennies if it has the 16 valve 1.4 engine it has an out of the box 103 ps (tiny mod needed to the 81 ps version to give 103ps).

Extra power after that just follow the Dave Andrews web site head mods.



[Edited on 22/5/08 by britishtrident]





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lsdweb

posted on 22/5/08 at 02:22 PM Reply With Quote
Thanks guys - keep the suggestions coming!

I've also always wanted to have a go at endurance rallying (like the Lombard ) and the Rover 200, MGZR are competitive. That would change my plans about selling it on afterwards though!

A Turbo would bump it up two classes (somewhere around 1960cc equivalent!)

Wyn

[Edited on 22/5/08 by lsdweb]






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