Which 7 type kit??

[Easy Midlands]

Good afternoon,

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.

After a 15 year break from kit cars I am looking to get back into a 7 type car for occasional road use and the odd track day.

I am looking for a high spec car, factory built that is basically right first time.

High quality build, track focused, high quality suspension / brakes, around 220 bhp (car engine), straight cut gearbox, LSD, full cage, plumbed in fire extinguisher, aero screen and tonneau cover.  

Over the past couple of months, I have contacted a couple of companies both were not able to commit to any new builds – one of these was since purchased by another company.

Cars currently on the list:

Caterham 420 – no real challenge and you get what’s on the list and although it’s very good it’s also very similar to every other Caterham 420.

Westfield AeroRace – restricted to the 170 bhp Zetec (not really a problem) but limited options for factory fit parts like straight cut gears.

Tiger Racing R10 – Tiger seemed to be on a high 15 years ago but no idea where they are now. I like the engineering behind the car and their rugged purposeful stance but not particularly keen on the steel Sierra uprights / hubs especially on a build costing over £30K.

Will bespoke parts like chassis and body panels still be available in 10 years??

[nelmo]

Depends on budget - if money is no problem, Caterham is probably best, especially for resale. Westfield also very good.

I would also recommend GBS - approaching Caterham levels of quality (and price) now.

Tiger are good but I don't personally like the GRP bodyshell - GBS and Caterham are ally/steel.

This is assuming you don't want a second-hand factory build, of which some do pop-up on eBay etc.

Edited April 26, 2021 by nelmo

[Easy Midlands]

Thanks for the reply.

No real limit on the budget. Caterham 420 factory built to the spec I want is around £45k. This sort of restricts what I would want to pay for others. In my head they would need to be a minimum of £10k under the Caterham price. 

GRP is not a problem but then there's GRP and GRP. Many use glass strand mat but the quality stuff is woven glass cloth.

Pre owned in the right spec is not a problem. I just feel that getting the right car at the start saves time and expense at a later date.

[agent_zed]

Not quite a 7 but would you consider a marlin sportster? Factory Built Marlin Sportster (marlinsportscars.co.uk) With the bmw M series engines they are seriously quick!

[nelmo]

Well, Caterham will ALWAYS be more expensive than everyone else (except maybe Westfield) and probably by the £10k margin you want. If you're happy to pay Caterham money, then that's what you should go for. Part of the premium you're paying is for their post-sales support which it sounds like you'll be wanting... 

[agent_zed]

oh yeah i remember i sat in a westfield on their stand at a show a fair few years ago. It wasn't busy at all but the guy couldn't be bothered to talk to me as assumed I wasn't buying/had enough money. I wasn't impressed by that to be honest.

GBS were a lot friendlier and chatted for a while