Tuesday 2nd April 2002
Castle Combe Gallery
The car park at Castle Combe was as interesting as the race track!
Discussion
Hey whats the deal? The Ultima site that makes this special edition can-am doesn't provide horsepower ratings for their 7 litre chevy. At 85k if I would just step up to the Stealth B6 for a trully violent machine. No open top on the other hand. I would love it if PH could test drive the Stealth.
The other Ultima was a nice looking car too.
PiB
The other Ultima was a nice looking car too.
PiB
The yellow Ultima GTR was mine.
My car has a measly 6.3 litres and 540bhp.
Where did PH get the information on my car from. I don't remember telling anyone there that it had 250miles, and the digital odometer is off when parked. Never mind, always nice to see my car on the front page of such a great site.
My car has a measly 6.3 litres and 540bhp.
Where did PH get the information on my car from. I don't remember telling anyone there that it had 250miles, and the digital odometer is off when parked. Never mind, always nice to see my car on the front page of such a great site.
Yup, it does have 250 miles (few more now with the nice weather we've been having). When I was building it I knew it would turn heads but not as much as it does. I watched my car at Castle Combe for five minutes and 95% of people who walked past stopped to have a look. Probably all thinking "WTF is that"
bog off!
I don't know really, and I am too scared to add up the invoices.
If you go for a 350HO powered car with ford brakes, no roll cage and cloth seats I reckon about 30k, if you want a 383CI, 530bhp engine, AP brakes, roll cage, alcantara trim etc. Expect to pay more like 40k.
You can add it up yourself, all the prices are published on www.ultimasports.co.uk.
I don't know really, and I am too scared to add up the invoices.
If you go for a 350HO powered car with ford brakes, no roll cage and cloth seats I reckon about 30k, if you want a 383CI, 530bhp engine, AP brakes, roll cage, alcantara trim etc. Expect to pay more like 40k.
You can add it up yourself, all the prices are published on www.ultimasports.co.uk.
Out of interest Polson how did you find the attitude of the company. I found they was very nice and friendly except when you asked about money/costs of build. The boss just wouldn't come up with a price. I was about to sign the cheque when I phoned him up and said "look this magazine says 20k is it realistic?", "oh yes" came the reply, "but I've worked it out at 30k", he said "that's about right" 
. I decided that I wouldn't build one simply because of this. (I like to know what I'm getting into)
Realistic figure for this car is £30-£40k (pretty good for a car with this performance)
No doubt its a lovely car though, (drools onto keyboard)
>> Edited by smeagol on Friday 5th April 16:39
. I decided that I wouldn't build one simply because of this. (I like to know what I'm getting into) Realistic figure for this car is £30-£40k (pretty good for a car with this performance)
No doubt its a lovely car though, (drools onto keyboard)
>> Edited by smeagol on Friday 5th April 16:39
The people at the factory have always been friendly / helpful. If you call with a question, no matter how stupid, they answer it. If they didn't help their customers then no-one would be buying them.
WRT cost, I also found they are a bit vague on total cost. But this is not without reason, there are a lot of options, and plenty of people source some of the parts from other places. I'd be interested to know the cheapest that someone has built one for. I'd be surprised if it was less than 25k.
The prices are all there in black and white on their website though. If you want to work it out, you'll need one of everything on the price list (except the obvious duplication). You'll also need an engine. Crate small block chevys start at about £3500 for 5.7 litre 350bhp. You can obviously spend tens of thousands on an engine if you want. I bought mine from a tuner in the US and had it shipped to the UK.
I built mine almost entirely myself. Any one who has had a mecanno set could do it. I let Ultima fit the body, as I wasn't confident I could do it accurately myself (the instructions aren't great). With hindsight I wish I'd let them do some of the other finishing jobs, like fitting the side screens, headlight covers, dash trim. These are jobs that you can only really do well with practice.
I'd love to build a second, maybe a can-am for the wife :-)
>> Edited by polson on Saturday 6th April 08:32
WRT cost, I also found they are a bit vague on total cost. But this is not without reason, there are a lot of options, and plenty of people source some of the parts from other places. I'd be interested to know the cheapest that someone has built one for. I'd be surprised if it was less than 25k.
The prices are all there in black and white on their website though. If you want to work it out, you'll need one of everything on the price list (except the obvious duplication). You'll also need an engine. Crate small block chevys start at about £3500 for 5.7 litre 350bhp. You can obviously spend tens of thousands on an engine if you want. I bought mine from a tuner in the US and had it shipped to the UK.
I built mine almost entirely myself. Any one who has had a mecanno set could do it. I let Ultima fit the body, as I wasn't confident I could do it accurately myself (the instructions aren't great). With hindsight I wish I'd let them do some of the other finishing jobs, like fitting the side screens, headlight covers, dash trim. These are jobs that you can only really do well with practice.
I'd love to build a second, maybe a can-am for the wife :-)
>> Edited by polson on Saturday 6th April 08:32
RE Ultima Costs:
I built mine including the engine and paintwork. Reasonably high spec: 6.0 ltr Chevy at 420bhp on injection, 4 bolt mains, Big valve Aly heads etc. 330mm brakes all round. Stack dash. Compomotive wheels and so on. Cost £29980 including all outside work on engine (Boring,Honing, balancing, crack tests etc.)
No Aircon at that time so add £1500.
I think that given that I spent £6500 on the engine, if you fit a 350hp crate unit for £3500 then the above would be a reasonable build cost price today if you can do the work yourself. I agree that anybody that has used a Meccano or has built model planes/boats can do an excellent job.
I built mine including the engine and paintwork. Reasonably high spec: 6.0 ltr Chevy at 420bhp on injection, 4 bolt mains, Big valve Aly heads etc. 330mm brakes all round. Stack dash. Compomotive wheels and so on. Cost £29980 including all outside work on engine (Boring,Honing, balancing, crack tests etc.)
No Aircon at that time so add £1500.
I think that given that I spent £6500 on the engine, if you fit a 350hp crate unit for £3500 then the above would be a reasonable build cost price today if you can do the work yourself. I agree that anybody that has used a Meccano or has built model planes/boats can do an excellent job.
I agree there is a lot of options and the main kit price list was there in black and white. I was just surprised that they couldn't say an approximate cost for the car I wanted to build (I gave them the specs I was interested in). The first kit car I built (Pilgrim Bulldog) the company was able to tell me a range of prices for all the different combinations, very efficient. Other Kit car companies were equally able to give approximate build costs. All the companies were able to tell me the exact amount of their demonstrator, except Ultima.
I think its the fact that it is a particulalry expensive Kit-car that they are almost embarrised to tell you. Which I don't understand, when I turned up I knew it wasn't cheap. As I say, the reason I didn't go ahead was that they didn't put a figure to the car I wanted to build.
Looking at the Ultima (including their build manual) I would say that it is a relatively simple build. I was very impressed with the chassis and quality of parts and its also testiment to the company that they were one of the first to pass the SVA without problems.
I think its the fact that it is a particulalry expensive Kit-car that they are almost embarrised to tell you. Which I don't understand, when I turned up I knew it wasn't cheap. As I say, the reason I didn't go ahead was that they didn't put a figure to the car I wanted to build.
Looking at the Ultima (including their build manual) I would say that it is a relatively simple build. I was very impressed with the chassis and quality of parts and its also testiment to the company that they were one of the first to pass the SVA without problems.
quote:
Graham Bell has been talking to them and we hope to have a report in the next few months.
I really look forward to this. I would like to see the stealth reach the same popularity as the Ulitma GTR. Both are super cars. Stealth has a couple of extras- inbound shocks, aero undertray w/diffuser, and carbon/kevlar body. The idea of a nonsyncromesh Hewland tranny excites me too but this could be put in an Ultima I assume.
To Polson and others with these rampant 500 plus horsepower engines - Do they crackle and pop on throttle lift and or spit flames!
PiB
Mine doesn't crackle and pop much on the overrun, you have to be really going for it (which is hard on public roads). As for spitting flames, I can't see because the rear vision is so poor 
Best recipe for giving people a toasting seems to be third gear full bore overtake, then completely lift off the throttle when past them. Sounds like it is probably shooting flames at that point.
Best recipe for giving people a toasting seems to be third gear full bore overtake, then completely lift off the throttle when past them. Sounds like it is probably shooting flames at that point.
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