Discussion
This isnt relly the correct place for this question but I couldnt seem to start a thread else ware.
Has any one here have experience with the Clan Clover.
On paper this looks like an interesting little car and would consider buying one.
I am interested in genuine owner comments only pease.
Rgds
Graeme
Has any one here have experience with the Clan Clover.
On paper this looks like an interesting little car and would consider buying one.
I am interested in genuine owner comments only pease.
Rgds
Graeme
Is it back again???? I test drove one when they were being made in about 86 and was sorely tempted. They were cracking cars but went bust sadly. Think they were aiming too high for what they could achieve.
Not sure it would be very easy to source parts for them these days.
Here's what Wiki says about them....
Clan Clover
Mid-engined Clan Clover
In 1985 Clan Cars developed a new, mid-engined version called the Clan Clover. It used a 1,490 cc, 105 hp (78 kW) Alfa Romeo Flat-4 engine and gearbox. It also received new glass, a rear spoiler, and blistered arches. It is believed that approximately 26 cars were made (twenty road cars and six racing versions). After well-publicized quality issues, Clan Cars ran into financial difficulties and went into receivership and ceased trading in June 1987.[6]
Not sure it would be very easy to source parts for them these days.
Here's what Wiki says about them....
Clan Clover
Mid-engined Clan Clover
In 1985 Clan Cars developed a new, mid-engined version called the Clan Clover. It used a 1,490 cc, 105 hp (78 kW) Alfa Romeo Flat-4 engine and gearbox. It also received new glass, a rear spoiler, and blistered arches. It is believed that approximately 26 cars were made (twenty road cars and six racing versions). After well-publicized quality issues, Clan Cars ran into financial difficulties and went into receivership and ceased trading in June 1987.[6]
I had a Clan Crusader for 6 years(1979 to 84)
Clan Clover was a totally different company using the same basic moulds
When Clan in Washington went bust due to supply/cost problems different sets of moulds were passed around from a guy I new in Whitley Bay I think, a guy in Cyprus and a set ended up in Ireland. Or maybe he took moulds off a car..
The WB lad was just trying to keep the car alive, the Cyprus (or was it Malta) guy never got started I think due allegedly to the heat affecting the g/f and the Irish Company started building the Clover. A very similar set up to the Imp based Crusader but with an Alfa Boxer motor.
I looked at one some 20 year ago in Newton Park Motors, in Benton, Nwcastle and IIRC the finish was VERY good.
Clan was a g/f monocoque, no actual steel chassis, the only steel was in the door beams and the Imp crossmember and wishbones.
Recall car park barriers with loops that detected a car to open the barrier, Clan wouldn't register!
Strength came from plywood bonded into the g/f
Clan Clover was a totally different company using the same basic moulds
When Clan in Washington went bust due to supply/cost problems different sets of moulds were passed around from a guy I new in Whitley Bay I think, a guy in Cyprus and a set ended up in Ireland. Or maybe he took moulds off a car..
The WB lad was just trying to keep the car alive, the Cyprus (or was it Malta) guy never got started I think due allegedly to the heat affecting the g/f and the Irish Company started building the Clover. A very similar set up to the Imp based Crusader but with an Alfa Boxer motor.
I looked at one some 20 year ago in Newton Park Motors, in Benton, Nwcastle and IIRC the finish was VERY good.
Clan was a g/f monocoque, no actual steel chassis, the only steel was in the door beams and the Imp crossmember and wishbones.
Recall car park barriers with loops that detected a car to open the barrier, Clan wouldn't register!
Strength came from plywood bonded into the g/f
Thanks Guys
I have been reasurching these cars for a while.
I owned but sadly sold the only Crusader in Austrlia only to dicover later it was one of the Factory race cars!
The fact the Clover's frount Half Isuzu, Holden Gemini, and rear half Alfasud is quite appealing as the bits are comon in Australia.
I think there is a great potential in the car and could be a very quick little road car with only 615 Kgs.
I read about people upgrading suspension parts whats that all about?
I also know the power plants came from Australian Alfasud Sprints when they were removed to make the Giocattolo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giocattolo
Graeme
I have been reasurching these cars for a while.
I owned but sadly sold the only Crusader in Austrlia only to dicover later it was one of the Factory race cars!
The fact the Clover's frount Half Isuzu, Holden Gemini, and rear half Alfasud is quite appealing as the bits are comon in Australia.
I think there is a great potential in the car and could be a very quick little road car with only 615 Kgs.
I read about people upgrading suspension parts whats that all about?
I also know the power plants came from Australian Alfasud Sprints when they were removed to make the Giocattolo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giocattolo
Graeme
Edited by auyt on Sunday 24th February 01:41
Edited by auyt on Sunday 24th February 03:41
thescamper said:
Skyedriver said:
Additional resin soaked rope in the roof structure
Really thats novel, got any info on that.We did it 35 years ago when we built Kayaks at home. A single run of paper rope down the keel, glassed over to form a ridge, gives a lot of rigidity.
one eyed mick said:
Paper rope the forerunner of carbon fibre ,we used it onthe Biota [ doubt any one will remember it ] way back in the 60's fond memories of a misspent youth
there were two at a show, think it was Harewood Hill, late last year.Mini based, I always fancied a mini with a biota flip front.
But that was then, as I approach the age of 60 I look back into the mists of time.
Back in the 70's I used to but Hot Car & Custom Car as well as CCC. There were some nice looking models in Custom Car.
one eyed mick said:
Paper rope the forerunner of carbon fibre ...
Probably worth mentioning that paper rope does not work in the same way as carbon fibre (or quite the same way as resin soaked rope) when used for localised stiffening.The paper rope has negligible strength in itself and merely acts as a 'permanent' former, allowing you to laminate what is essentially a GRP box section or 'tube' over it.
Resin soaked rope (as used on the Clan) was a sort of half-way house... it acted as a former to laminate a box/tube section in the GRP, but also added some strength itself, due to the fibres in the rope forming a crude composite 'rod' when soaked in resin.
Skyedriver said:
there were two at a show, think it was Harewood Hill, late last year.
That would have been the 50th Anniversary celebration? Biotas used to compete at Harewood, in period and in fact one won the BARC Hillclimb Championship one year, IIRC. Quite a quick little car in their day, as I guess you'd expect, being as they are effectively lightweight Minis with a lower frontal area.Fugly as f
k, though...Skyedriver said:
Depends what you are comparing it with.... Dutton, Spartan...
I actually don't mind Duttons, aesthetically. 
Yes, it was probably no more offensive to the eye than a Spartan or a Moss Monaco, but that's not saying much.
Googled image (don't blame me if you hurt your eyes by clicking it):
Sort of a sawn-off TVR 3000M, with shopping trolley wheels?
I don't recall the Epee (though I used to fence; yes, it's named after a fencing blade, half way between a foil and a sabre in weight) - do you have any pics?
Fair comment - though I'm not sure that the Mini Marcos wasn't one of those cars that went beyond mere ugliness and out the other side, like some Zagatos.
The trouble with front-engined Mini-based sports cars is always the height of the engine/scuttle. The only one I can think of that almost carried it off was the Ogle SX1000, and even that suffered from the small wheels syndrome.
Much better to put the engine behind - my favourites were the Deep Sanderson and the ill-fated Macintosh M1.
The trouble with front-engined Mini-based sports cars is always the height of the engine/scuttle. The only one I can think of that almost carried it off was the Ogle SX1000, and even that suffered from the small wheels syndrome.
Much better to put the engine behind - my favourites were the Deep Sanderson and the ill-fated Macintosh M1.
Deep Sanderson was lovely as was the Unipower GT
A friend in the 70s had a Mini Marcos, sat in it, you felt you were looking out through a letter box.
It used to be known as the flying coffin.
The number was GV5 which was subsequently transferred to a variety of other cars. Haven't seen GV for a long time,wonder where he is now.
A friend in the 70s had a Mini Marcos, sat in it, you felt you were looking out through a letter box.
It used to be known as the flying coffin.
The number was GV5 which was subsequently transferred to a variety of other cars. Haven't seen GV for a long time,wonder where he is now.
Apologies to the OP as this has become a thread hijack but, I cannot find a pic of an Epee on Google, surely someone has a pic.
Think it was based on Marina or Morry 1000 underpinnings, looked like a taller, shorter usable Piper GTT - IYKWIM
Simple and pretty it was orange and lived IIRC in Whitley Bay
There were a lot of interesting cars around in them days
Think it was based on Marina or Morry 1000 underpinnings, looked like a taller, shorter usable Piper GTT - IYKWIM
Simple and pretty it was orange and lived IIRC in Whitley Bay
There were a lot of interesting cars around in them days
The Discussion about the Rope Roll Bar is interesting, as I said I unknowingly owned a Competition Clan Crasader. and for a Party trick I used to stand on the roff and jump up and down and the tyres and suspension flexed!!
There are a few pics on the web and I just found an article from 89 when they were new.
This one was on Ebay reciently, sadly should have bought it but...
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/5n6xAOAs.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/sSDW7iXz" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/sSDW7iXz.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/tys8BUv4" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/tys8BUv4.jpg)
There are a few pics on the web and I just found an article from 89 when they were new.
This one was on Ebay reciently, sadly should have bought it but...
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