Laserlady

Evening all,

Just weighing my options at the moment but it has been on the cards for a while..
Does any one have any experience of the Ginetta G27 ?
If I were to replace the S I would like either a classic or something in the Ginetta mould. It would be purely a toy so will be garaged. I adore classics and to he honest for me the worst thing about the S is my (my personal) inability to tinker with it. I kknow you might say you can but it is under warranty and frankly I don't want too! I am more at home with balancing carbs anyway!

I've always fancied a Spitfire Mk3 or a Vitesse 2.0. A Daimler or Jag wouldn't fit in my ludicrous garage mores the pity.

Ideally I would like change from the S so say around £10k for the toy.

What would you go for ? It would be helpful if you say why and if you have ever driven one.

Cheers all!

MarkB

I've driven a G27, a 3.9 V8 one a friend was considering buying. It was awful, it handled like a pig and the engine must have been putting out 100bhp if that - may as well have been running a Pinto.

But that highlights the problem with cars of this ilk, they were built by blokes in sheds and if the bloke didn't really know what he was doing in one area (say, suspension setup or engine fettling) and they didn't spend the money on professional help, then the car reflects that. Of course it can be sorted, but factor it in if you plan on buying one.

If you like the Spit or the Vitesse, then go for it, you're unlikely to lose much on them (apart from time and the cost of upkeep) but they will suffer if you don't continue upkeep, and on older cars, rust is the big problem. Once it gets hold, things get expensive.

My choice, if I had the time and wanted something inbetween a full classic and a kit would be a TVR S series (probably an S3C or a V8S if you can find one) - if it has a good chassis then the rest is pretty straightforward, fibreglass body, Ford V6 on the S3, Rover V8 on the V8S and a strong club behind them for parts and advice. They weren't built by home builders (although TVR were never at Honda's standard, at least they came out of the factory vaguely sorted) and they're not a proper classic (though not far off I suspect) but they still have the charm of an old-school British sports car and you'll be able to tinker to your heart's content with them.

Something like this S3C or this V8S (I know it's sold, but it's a good example, chassis off rebuild etc.) would be what I'd go for.

Laserlady

Thanks Mark. Interesting stuff. Thanks for the write up in the Ginetta, I've always wondered about them since seeing one on Top Gear once - they were favourable about it too but I can't remember which it was.
I like the TVR V8S though I'd never considered one until you mentioned it, and handily enough I have a spare Rover SD1 3.5 litre engine sitting in my garage too!

loftust

As you do...

TR6

gaddafi

depends just how much you want to tinker

I share the reservations about the Ginetta

I'd say the TVR will need more repairs than tinkering...but they are different

the two Triumphs are easy to work on, easy to tinker with and have an extensive owner and spares network

ditto any pre 80's MG

unclefester

Find a resto project that someone has done the chassis work on and got bored when it came to the engine and mechanicals - buy right and you might get something that will be worth more than you paid at the finish but which will satisfy the desire to tinker and fix

arsie

I hereby nominate Unclefester is your man

MarkB

Coincidentally, so do I.

gaddafi

op - you should get yourself over to the Goodwood Revival in a few weeks

good opportunity to check out cars in the metal and talk to owners, etc

Laserlady

Thanks gaddafi - I will if I can fit it into my horrible schedule for this month (my silly shift pattern of working and a rather huge deadline).

I know I will want a Spitfire or GT6 in the future, if for no other reason that I've been dreaming of having one for years and years and was persuaded out of it purely by the S2000. I've got the workshop manual for the Spit already too

But I do like the thought of a TR6 with the triple carb conversion, I think I'd like the challenge of balancing that, THINK being the operative!

Thank you all for your replies so far