Ex race cars?

[TimmD]

Hi,
I am getting a stronger and stronger desire to own a Caterham. During my hunting I am coming up with a number of ex race cars of various guises. Mainly I guess as they can be a bit cheaper.

Are they to be avoided, or is it totally car dependant?

Is one season in the Academy a car killer? Obviously crashed cars carry there own set of rules.

I am looking for an extreme road car not a pure track car. My main use is Sunday mornings up in to the welsh mountains with a few track days a year. No touring (2 kids)

Thanks

Tim

[adsvx220]

Not necessarily. Race cars can be good buys. Ok they can look a bit tatty as they do take the odd excursions into the gravel and some do have a kiss with the Armco/tyre wall, these ones that have crashed heavily should be gone over by a tooth combe if it's used on the road imo.

Alot of race cars including mine (not a caterham) are very well looked after with oil changes very regularly and bolt checks after most races. Engines these days are generally bullet proof aswel as the running gear.

I'd say the main thing to look out for is the norm really, crash damage, some sort of service record etc etc.

The 1.6 academy cars are also a perfect road and Trackday spec mix car as they are aimed at the first time racer.

I am looking for my first 7 at the moment and doing loads of homework of getting the right spec. I would go for it race or road car as alot of them have probably been driven like race cars at some point in there live anyway round tracks or the odd b road.

Hope this helps you make a decision.

Adam

[Supra Chewie]

There are those racers who look after their cars very well but all the ex-race cars I saw must've been owned by racers who wanted to really wanted to win at all cost. Check under the floor for cross country gravel trap excursions. It will look like somebody has shot it with a 12 bore. You can tell who's been doing clutchless gear changes from the gearbox noise. Go to a Caterham race and watch. The rules are so tightly controlled that there's very little difference in the cars. It's all down to the drivers. So you end up with a peleton of cars sniffing eachothers rear ends. It's very common for the front tyre to climb up the rear panel of the car infront. The only people I met who seem keen about ex-race cars are the racers trying to flog them off to get a replacement.

[7SS]

There are plenty of us on here running ex-racers. I've had my RSA 5 years now & have been delighted with it. There will be good & bad racers, the same as there'll be good & bad road cars. Racers do tend to be valued less so they can be a great buy if you go in with your eyes open & know what you're buying, I've seen a few ex-racers advertised as standard Roadsports.
Early RSA's are usually quite nicely specced, 6speed, LSD, Dry sump, wide track, supersport pack, etc. Acadamy cars less so, they're about as basic as Caterhams come but still tend to be a cheaper than equivalant spec road cars. I reckon I would have needed to pay at least 25% more for a road car of similar spec to my own.

[pikeyboy]

I wouldn't be put off by an ex race car, especially since you want a fast road/track car.

[Murray993]

I wouldnt let that put you off. Have the car inspected if you want to be sure.

[TimmD]

Thanks All,
I was wondering if there were any specific stuff. I seems as though it is just the common sense stuff to look for. Good news then I can just judge the cars on their individual merits.

Wish me luck (currently suffering some wife resistance. Time, I think to start buying MCN again!!)

Tim

[James.S]

Tim,

If you look for a lightly used Academy car you wont go far wrong. If you consider there are around 50 built each year, at least 10% decide it isn't for them and put the car up for sale very quickly.

As for older cars - it all depends who has had them, histories are very easy to trace for chassis nad engines. Speak to CC, a lot of Academy cars they buy back are converted back and sold on.

This sounds bizarre but for road use academy, roadsport or supersport are properly fast enough - I am still amazed how quickly they can be pedalled on the road.......great fun - do it, your only regret is that you waited so long.

Best of luck
J

[caterham131]

Tim,

Academy cars are run under a very controlled set of rules and as such any accident damage is undertaken by Caterham themselves. No self bodging is allowed and should provide good service to a second owner.

[Matt230]

I purchased an ex race early RSA Caterham with the 6 speed, supersport and LSD. I owned it three years, did many track days and had a fantastic time. Bodywork was a bit tatty but it was only going to get tatty on my trackdays so didnt matter (indeed my first track day a stone kicked up from the front 888 and scored the sideskin). I decided rather than scratch a lovely condition Superlight, which was what i was originally after, a cheaper ex racer was more suited to my purpose. It went like stink for its spec and was mechanically very strong. As long as the chassis is straight it should be fine. You can tell a mechanically abused car.

If anyone knows where R777DEL is, i miss ya!!

Matt