Anything like a caterham seven available in the states?

[BlueSubaruSTi]

Going to build a car with one of two people. Either my grandpa (wants a fast car) or my dad (wants a fun to drive car). I have a feeling all of us will be working on it and will come to some compromise. Really something like the lotus seven, made street legal would be perfect. I would love to build something from scratch... but the lotus just isn't available in the states, and really i could see dying in that car if i got rearended by a toddler on a tricycle. We looked into a cobra replica, (factory five) but to be honest i cant see getting that done for under $25,000 and thats really too much. Was looking at buying a 93-96 impreza and getting a jdm front clip, but would probably end up spending $20k on that to make it safe and all the supporting mods (wheels, brakes, suspension) for the power.

Now I'm pretty much stuck, i would love to build a car from scratch... but dont have a huge budget. This would really only need to be a 2 seater... no a/c or anything... nothing fancy... non-winter (obviously) car. And to be honest if its fast (read lightweight) thats great, if its fun to drive (read lightweight) thats great, and if i would survive a wreck (read 15,000lbs) thats a major plus.

Really im not sure if i can float more than 10k for this, maybe a 10k initial investment and work from there to make the car better? I dont know. Really I don't have much mechanical knowledge (just the basic knowing how everything works... what and where everything belongs... changing oil kind of knowledge) but im really willing to learn. We dont have a lift but will go out and buy a jack and jackstands if we can come on a descision. Plus some other stuff... torque wrench.. My grandpa was an electrion for a while and then became a contractor. My dad's a lawyer. So as you can see we probably cant tackle anything really complex or advanced.

Once again i live in the midwest (south dakota) and its really kind of hard to find cars here. We have a few ferraris... lambos.. am's and the like in town, and supposedly have the largest corvette per capita in the entire country (i hate corvettes now)... so its not like i live on a farm or something. Anyways, would really appreciate your advice and judging by the kind of members i see here im sure ill get some help.

[sunk]

Yes, the Caterham Super Seven is indeed available here. It is available as a kit-car(you can also get it assembled).
It is a fast and also a fun car.
Have a look at their webnsite for a ordering form.
I also live in south dakota(Pierre).

[lightweight]

there's a company in the US that sells kit cars with the S2000 engine. I forget what its called though :D

[BlueSubaruSTi]

Oh hey, im in Sioux Falls. I'll have to take a closer look at that then.. not sure what my problem was with not seeing that before.


edit: it helped if i looked at the us instead of the uk site :o

[BlueSubaruSTi]

ok i really didn't know they were that expensive... would be $30k all said and done. with the base model... not good. Any other suggestions?

[Spastik_Roach]

You can get lots of Lotus 7 style kit cars in the U.S.

Look into the Lo-Cost 7 replicas, they're very cheap, popular, look good and go hard (Like a good prostitute :D )

[Mustang]

do a search on here for "luego" and youll find a whole thread about it and how someone is building one, im also thinking of getting one if i can raise the cash

[Matra et Alpine]

and if you dont want the raw 7 looks then check out the Fisher Fury.

The same chassis, suspension, engine, performance and handling as their 7-copy but in a VERY nice sportscar body.

http://www.furyusa.com/

THe bike engined ones with sequential box are lovely nimble cars to chuck around ( NOT for 100 miles of freeway at 55mph tho :) )

[Vindesh17]

that fisher fury looks great

[Matra et Alpine]

that fisher fury looks great
They do really well on track too :)
http://www.fishersportscars.co.uk/sport2.jpg
Not sure if all the options/variants will be available in the US.
See what they offer at http://www.fishersportscars.co.uk

The new Menace is mid-engined and a REAL screamer :D
Was tempted at the Kit show ....
http://menace.fishersportscars.co.uk/menaceA.jpg

[Widsinator]

I own a Lotus 7 repilica, with a little twist, it has a Supercharged 3800 V6 (L67). It seems to meet you needs, check out www.stalkerv6.com for the manufactuer website, or stalker.whittlegroup.com for our finished car.

[taz_rocks_miami]

This is an official Caterham dealer in the USA: http://www.uscaterham.com/. Superperformance sells an excelent Super 7 replica: http://dynamicmotorsports.net/

[my porsche]

I own a Lotus 7 repilica, with a little twist, it has a Supercharged 3800 V6 (L67). It seems to meet you needs, check out www.stalkerv6.com for the manufactuer website, or stalker.whittlegroup.com for our finished car.
how much was yours?

[Matra et Alpine]

If going 7-esque remember and decide whether you want live-axle or IRS rear.

You'll find it better able to handle mid-corner pitch changes with IRS, BUT the live-axle with multi-link anti-tramp will be better if you're dragging it.

[PininfarinaPIMP]

Yeah a Caterham 7...

[BlueSubaruSTi]

Talked about it today with my grandpa, and he'll have an emtpy heated, well lighted garage over at one of his hotels during the winter, and he's planning on getting an impact wrench as well as the other tools, so it looks like we have a place to put this together. Strangly enough, he expressed interest in the impreza becuase hes a really nice guy and only wants to build a car i would be interested in. Also he said he felt it would be safer to have a roof+rollcage over your head in the impreza. Won't start until mid december but if anyone close to 57105 has a 93-01 impreza in great exterior shape (no rust/corrosion) for sale... email me as [email protected]

[Rockefella]

Talked about it today with my grandpa, and he'll have an emtpy heated, well lighted garage over at one of his hotels during the winter, and he's planning on getting an impact wrench as well as the other tools, so it looks like we have a place to put this together. Strangly enough, he expressed interest in the impreza becuase hes a really nice guy and only wants to build a car i would be interested in. Also he said he felt it would be safer to have a roof+rollcage over your head in the impreza. Won't start until mid december but if anyone close to 57105 has a 93-01 impreza in great exterior shape (no rust/corrosion) for sale... email me as [email protected]
If you get the Impreza, is that JDM front clip, REALLY necessary? :o

[BlueSubaruSTi]

what do you mean... the point is getting a low cost car becuase of its higher milage and then replacing the 2 parts more effected by mileage. Not to mention the older impreza weighs significantly less then the current fat usdm pig 02+ wrx's and STi's. Plus the jdm engines have less complications as far as emmsions go.

[Matra et Alpine]

Also he said he felt it would be safer to have a roof+rollcage over your head in the impreza.
remember there are FIA race approved full roll cages for all the 7-copies.
Being tested for race crashes they'll do well at surviving 'road' accidents.
A lot better than the saloons in some cases !!!!

BUT, an open car can never be as safe as fitting a roll cage to a sedan/hatchback :)

Just make sure if it's for safety you fit an approved cage. There are lots of folks foolishly buying cheaper cages which do nothing in an accident. Some of the aluminium ones will just fold if you breathe on them :(

[Egg Nog]

Superformance used to build an awesome (and very good-looking) Seven-style "S1 Roadster", although I'm not perfectly sure that they still build them.

http://www.superformance.com/s1roadster_specs.aspx

[Widsinator]

how much was yours?

It can be 8-11K for the kit, depending what you have included, and 13-30K to finish, depending how much work you do yourself. Our was on the far end at 30K because we put much more than was nessacary in, and had alot of work done by others.

[2ndclasscitizen]

I'd personally go the Elfin MS8, but thats just me

http://www.elfin.com.au

[Matra et Alpine]

I'd personally go the Elfin MS8, but thats just me

http://www.elfin.com.au
?

It's not even hit the streets yet !!!!

January next year before it can be ORDERED, no info on delivery :(

Anyone know why the delays ????
Problems meeting performance quoted by marketing perhaps ?
Me? Cynical? never :D

[clutch-monkey]

?

It's not even hit the streets yet !!!!

January next year before it can be ORDERED, no info on delivery :(

Anyone know why the delays ????
Problems meeting performance quoted by marketing perhaps ?
Me? Cynical? never :D
no its still undergoing ADR tests or something. but it doesn't matter cause they cost like $100k AUD