Do any PHers own a Bowler?

Do any PHers own a Bowler?

Author
Discussion

rhinochopig

Original Poster:

17,932 posts

205 months

Tuesday 13th May 2008
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I used to live near their factory, so would see them about and always lusted after one - although where the hell can you drive one in the UK.

If you do own one, what are they like to drive? How do they compare to a fettled 90?


V8DNW

102 posts

232 months

Saturday 31st May 2008
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I've got a Wildcat.

Where you drive depends on what you want to get out of it. AWD and knobbly tyres means that you can drive pretty much anywhere...

There are loads of trial, recovery and speed events where you get a good show Bowlers and Tomcats. Check out the AWDC, NORC and Marches4x4 websites.

How they compare to a hotted up 90 depends on the specs of each vehicle being compared. All mechanical bits being equal the Bowler/Tomcat will be lighter, quicker and more responsive. There are quite a few which are built purely for road use, with the right setup they will be very entertaining.

Most are built for race use and are geared appropriately - ie. very rapid acceleration, but with the downside of loads of revs to hold speeds above 70.

Find an event locally and go and watch!! (or go on youtube - user compsafari.co.uk (no connection to me) has some very good speed event coverage).

100SRV

2,179 posts

249 months

Sunday 1st June 2008
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Hi,
I've got a 100" with doors...it is now ten years old and still as much fun as when I first built it. This model is two generations back from the Wildcat 200 and has a Range Rover chassis rather than the full tubular space-frame of the Wildcat series. The high transfer ratio is 1.2:1 (stock RR V8 manual)which is a good compromise between acceleration and quiet cruising. It's kerb mass is about 1400kg which is significantly lighter than a Ninety - more impressive given that the full FIA-specification roll-cage is part of the structure.

It still surprises me that folk spend a fortune building Challenge spec vehicles based on a heavy Ninety...

As far as performance goes it is quite rapid...

100SRV

bobzilla7

29 posts

197 months

Wednesday 4th June 2008
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Yep. I've got a 100 inch Bowler Tomcat with a 4.2 V8, Range Rover based. Rag top with Series style doors. Brilliant. Drives perfect, corners well even with mud terrains. Makes a 90 feel dull! Great fun and very agile off road. Not ideal as a main vehicle, but then it depends what you're used to!